Georgia football is gearing up for their first road test of the season against No. 15 Tennessee. In light of that, all of the talk surrounding the Bulldogs this week has to do with this game and the hype that is quickly building throughout the week.
Monday saw a lot of storylines form surrounding this game, but the biggest story of all had to do with a true freshman starter being officially ruled out for Georgia.
Ethan Barbour ruled out
True freshman tight end Ethan Barbour earned the start against Austin Peay on Saturday. Unfortunately his day was cut short as he had to be carted off the field after an ankle injury on the final play of the first half.
Kirby Smart provided an unfortunate update on Barbour’s status on Monday as he will need to have surgery to repair his ankle. Smart didn’t say how long he will be out for, but it does sound like it potentially could be for the remainder of the season.
That confirmation will come later this season, but Barbour will be out against Tennessee this weekend.
Georgia vs Tennessee spread sees dramatic movement
Georgia opened as a touchdown favorite against Tennessee when the sportsbooks released their initial spreads on Sunday. That however changed in a hurry as UGA now is only a 3.5 point favorite over the Vols.
It is extremely rare for a spread to change this many points in general, but that happening within 24 hours is something that never happens. This tells us that college football fans bet a lot of money on Tennessee to cover the initial spread, so Vegas had to adjust their line to get an even amount of money on Georgia’s side.
So it’s clear the public is against Georgia on Saturday, but thankfully that is exactly when UGA typically plays their best football.
Gunner Stockton continues to be doubted
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt always speaks his mind. While that is a refreshing thing for college football fans to see, Klatt recently unloaded a new clip of disrespect about Gunner Stockton in the lead up to Georgia’s game against Tennessee.
Joel Klatt on Georgia's passing game:
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 8, 2025
"Georgia's starting QB had to throw 34 passes against Austin Peay! If Julian Sayin or Dante Moore would've thrown 34 passes against Austin Peay, they would've scored 873,000 points."
Are the Dawgs in trouble Saturday at Tennessee?… pic.twitter.com/PeQnCbfdZy
Did Stockton have his best game against Austin Peay? Not even close. But football is a team sport, so singling him out is a strange choice.
Stockton and Georgia’s entire offense will have their chance to prove Klatt and the rest of the country wrong if they can go out and put up a lot of points against a suspect Tennessee defense.