The long wait is finally over. In Week 12, the Tennessee Volunteers are ready to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in a titanic clash. Whenever these two teams face off, there's always plenty of drama and intrigue. Will Josh Heupel and Co. end the long losing streak to Georgia and Kirby Smart?
Countless people out there sure hope so. College GameDay is in town for this one, only adding to the excitement for kickoff to arrive. In order for the Vols to post an upset win, they'll need to play close to perfect football on both sides of the ball. In this piece, we have our bold predictions for the action, which of course includes a big game for Tennessee's star signal-caller:
4. Nico Iamaleava plays and puts on a show vs. Georgia
As of this writing, it's still unknown if Nico Iamaleava will play or not, but all signs are pointing to him being good to go. In order for the Vols to have a solid chance in posting a win, the freshman QB will need to play at a high level.
Luckily, we think that's going to be the case. Before getting injured in the 33-14 win over Mississippi State, Nico tossed for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. We'll go with 250 yards and two TDs for Iamaleava on Saturday night.
3. Will Brooks posts a first-half interception off Carson Beck
Will Brooks is a fan favorite for Vols Nation and that's not going to change in the near future. Brooks has posted some big plays on the year, including a pick-six vs. North Carolina State, He also had a near pick-six against Kentucky a couple weeks back.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has looked rough in recent games and things aren't going to get easier for him against Tim Banks' unit. In the second quarter, Beck will get greedy and force a deep ball across the middle. However, Brooks will be there to make him pay for it with a timely interception.
2. Dylan Sampson posts a season-high 152 yards
Junior running back Dylan Sampson is proving to be one of the top running backs in the country. In back-to-back games, he's posted season-highs in rushing yards, doing so with 142 yards against Kentucky and then following that up with 149 yards against Mississippi State.
So, what will he have in store against the Bulldogs? Georgia's defensive line is ferocious. This battle in the trenches is going to be spectacular, but one that Tennessee is hoping to come out on top of. If Cooper Mays and Co. play to their abilities, Sampson will post 152 yards vs. the Bulldogs. We know, it seems unlikely, but his number is going to be called quite a bit in this one.
1. Tennessee posts the upset over Georgia
Earlier in the week, Georgia became a double-digit favorite to take down Tennessee. It's still something we can't believe. Georgia has dominated this rivalry in recent years, which is something Vols fans are sick and tired of seeing. Are the stars finally aligning for Tennessee to leave Athens in style? We think so. We're going Tennessee 28, Georgia 21. Book it.