Well, I don’t think anybody suspected that this Mario between Arkansas and Georgia would be a Top 10 matchup at this point in the season, let alone at any point.
However, Arkansas has shocked the nation with big wins, including one over Texas A&M last week in order to find their way into the Top 10 in the country at #8.
They will face Georgia, who was and still, is a huge favorite to make the college football playoff at the end of this year, and so far, they have lived up to the hype.
Adding to the storyline and intrigue of this matchup, former Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman is now the main man on the sidelines for the Hogs, and he’s led a resurgence in Fayetteville.
Along with that, ESPN’s College GameDay will be on site for the matchup in the Classic City Saturday to preview this exciting game and the rest of the weekend’s college football slate.
Because of the unexpected rise of Arkansas, this game will, unfortunately, be played at noon on Saturday and will be televised on ESPN.
Arkansas Keys to Success
As previously mentioned, the Razorbacks head into this game off of a huge victory versus then #7 Texas A&M by a score of 20-10.
Arkansas is loaded with experience with 19 Redshirt Seniors and many of them are on the offensive line, which has led them to rushing totals that are second in the SEC.
They are also flying all over the place on defense and have held opponents to just 267 total yards of offense per game and only 14.5 points per contest.
What’s worrying is if Arkansas falls behind in this matchup. They are not meant to play from behind with how their offense operates. If they fall behind early, it could be a long day for the hogs.
Georgia Keys to Success
Georgia has reached Year 6 under the leadership of Kirby Smart, and it looks like things may finally be in place for a National Championship.
Georgia put on a huge display of full team domination last week when they pummeled Vanderbilt on their way to a 62-0 victory.
They have blown out essentially every opponent this season aside from their matchup against Clemson to start the season, and much of that is due to the likes of their stout roster up and down every position.
While JT Daniels, the USC transfer, is the main man at quarterback, he has only provided five touchdowns and 567 yards on the season thus far and has thrown two interceptions.
If the Arkansas defense can get pressure to Daniels and lock up the running game of Georgia, they have a serious shot at pulling off an upset.
Prediction
Despite the quick rise of Arkansas, Georgia is still listed as a heavy 19.5 point favorite in this matchup.
However, Georgia has come out fast and hungry in every single game this season, and that is not a recipe for victory for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Arkansas will rely on their defense to maintain Georgia while they chew up the clock with their solid rushing attack. But none of that can happen if Georgia comes out quick and gets a couple of scores on the board early.
I think Arkansas has a great team, but the strength and quickness of Georgia on both sides worries me, and Arkansas has yet to face competition this good.
I like Georgia to barely cover this spread on Saturday and continue to prove why they are among the best in the country.
Final Pick: Georgia -19.5 (-110)
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.