The Georgia Bulldogs are coming off a win over Florida in a celebrated rivalry game. Next up is a visit by the Missouri Tigers.
By Matt Zemek
They have to refocus for the Missouri Tigers. One week later, Georgia faces SEC East rival Tennessee. This is what we call a trap game or a sandwich game. Staying focused on the task at hand, and not having a hangover or looking ahead at the next game on the schedule, will carry an obvious level of importance for the No. 1 team in the country.
Georgia knows that if it manages to go 12-0 this season – which means going unbeaten in November – it could lose to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game in early December and still make the College Football Playoff. A 12-1 Georgia team with a loss to Alabama would not be the SEC champion, but it would still have a very good chance of making the four-team playoff field. Georgia would have better odds than 12-1 Oregon or 12-1 Ohio State if the Ducks and Buckeyes both finish with only one loss. Georgia has been so convincing in its victories that it would have a better argument to make. Staying on the path is the goal for the Dawgs this week and in the month of November at large.
1 – Don’t prolong the drama
Georgia could easily come out of the tunnel in a sleepy state. The Bulldogs could look at Missouri and think they just need to get out of bed and wear their uniform in order to win. We have to keep in mind that in 2021, a 33-point favorite – Liberty – lost a game. The Flames were massive favorites but still lost to Louisiana-Monroe. This should be enough of a warning to Georgia to take this game seriously and start quickly. A 14-0 first quarter can get the Dawgs a comfortable lead they can build on as the game moves along. UGA can build a 30-point lead at (or just after) halftime and spend the second half giving snaps to backups to develop them for 2022. At elite programs, that’s how the process is supposed to work in games which aren’t expected to be close.
2 – Spare the quarterbacks
It hasn’t really mattered who plays quarterback for Georgia this season, given how well the defense has played. Against Missouri, it shouldn’t matter who is under center. Georgia should try to get through this game without asking its quarterbacks to do much of anything, saving them (in terms of workload and injury-based risk) for the bigger games to come later in the season, especially the SEC Championship Game.
3 – Don’t drift
This game could become interesting only if Georgia loses focus or gets complacent. Remaining locked in on defense, to the extent that Missouri doesn’t hit big plays on offense and doesn’t score quick-strike touchdowns, is a foremost point of emphasis for the Dawgs’ defense.
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