Tennessee vs. Georgia: Why the Vols Will Upset the Bulldogs

Despite a 2-3 start and a game against a Top 10-caliber team, all signs of the Tennessee vs. Georgia match-up point to the Volunteers upsetting the Dawgs.

Yes, the Vols are in trouble. Butch Jones is getting a ton of criticism to start the year. A 2-3 start to the season has been a massive disappointment.

But if you look deeper than the record, things are not that bad. And as the Vols play host to the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday, they have shown that they are not far off in terms of talent.

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Tennessee is a 2-3 team that lost to two teams who are still undefeated to this point and then lost to an Arkansas Razorbacks football team that is clearly much better than it was at the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, Georgia has played one quality opponent all year, Alabama, and was blown off the field. Despite a 4-1 record to a 2-3 record, you could make a case that when you factor in the schedule the Vols have looked better through five games.

The oddsmakers see this, which is why they have kept the line within three points. But the fans and analysts don’t.

Everybody is picking Georgia, and it is crazy for anybody to pick the Vols.

This is the classic case of one team being overlooked by the entire country in a game they are definitely good enough to win at home. And that will result in the Vols and Butch Jones finally turning the corner with a victory.

Tennessee has this game circled and even had it circled last week, which is half the reason they lost to the Razorbacks. Georgia, meanwhile, was brought back down to Earth against Alabama, and while they want to get back on track, they have to be questioning their confidence. While questioning their confidence, it will be hard to get up to play a 2-3 team.

And that lack of motivation will be just enough for Tennessee to get the win.

But on the football field, the Vols also have an advantage.

Consider last week that Greyson Lambert was thoroughly exposed vs. Alabama. Get pressure on him and he is rendered useless. If there is one thing Tennessee has shown an incredible ability to do so far this year it is get a good pass rush.

Now that won’t matter when it comes to stopping Nick Chubb, but it is a big help to render the Georgia Bulldogs offense one-dimensional.

On the other side of the football, the Dawgs have given up tons of yards on the ground to opponents in the SEC. While Derrick Henry had more than 100 yards, South Carolina running back Lorenzo Nunez picked up 76 yards on the ground on 10 carries despite no passing game to help him out.

And with an even worse passing game and worse offensive line, Ralph Webb of Vanderbilt did manage 68 yards on the ground. All three teams have more than 100 yards rushing.

So can you imagine what Jalen Hurd is going to be able to do to this Georgia defense? This is a classic case of the Vols needing to pound the rock as much as possible.

On the football field, Tennessee has the perfect match-ups to beat Georgia. Psychologically, they are no less confident than the Dawgs. And they are definitely more motivated for this game.

That combination will lead to the Vols upsetting a more talented Georgia team this weekend, and Butch Jones and Co. will finally be back on the right track.

Next: Week Six College Football Game Picks and Score Predictions

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