In arguably the biggest matchup of the 2022 college football regular season, the college town of Athens will showcase two of the top three teams in the nation at Sanford Stadium as the newly-ranked No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers face the defending national champions, No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs. 

While this game will play a critical role in who makes it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game and even the College Football Playoff, it is not as if these teams are free of any flaws and have been playing perfect football after nine weeks of the season. 

With a Heisman favorite on the visiting sideline on a mission to slay college football’s beast on the other, Tennessee’s unstoppable force will clash with Georgia’s immovable object of a defense. While there will still be three weeks left of regular season plus conference title games, both teams will have no (currently) ranked opponents prior to the SEC title game, essentially making this a de facto buy-in for a ticket to Atlanta. 

Andrew’s Keys to the Game for Tennessee:

Get pressure on Stetson Bennett.

Ironically, one of Georgia’s biggest weaknesses is the running game. While talented, Georgia’s running back room does not contain a single rusher with multiple games of 100+ rushing yards. In fact, the Bulldogs did not have a single running back rush for 100 yards until this past weekend, when Daijun Edwards rushed for 102 yards against the Florida Gators. When facing a Tennessee defense that currently ranks second in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game, Stetson Bennett will need to sling it. 

Tennessee’s Achilles heel in 2022 has been its pass defense, which is currently ranked 12th in the SEC, allowing 300.8 yards per game. However, if Tennessee can get pressure on Bennett and send an extra linebacker on almost every play, it could limit the targets for Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey. Byron Young is the obvious choice to make an impact with a team-high five sacks, but the Vols will need someone such as Omari Thomas or Elijah Herring to step up against Georgia’s offensive line, which is the best in the conference in protecting its quarterback, allowing only seven sacks in eight games.

Let Hendon Hooker Cook.

With how porous the Vols’ pass defense has been this season, the same cannot be said about their passing attack. Simply put, Hendon Hooker has been nothing short of phenomenal and electric in 2022. To call Hooker the best quarterback in the conference is not giving him enough credit as he is among the most elite in the country, shooting up Heisman ladders and draft boards in the process. 

Hooker is tied for first in the country in yards per attempt (10.7) with C.J. Stroud and ranks second in passer rating. He has only thrown one pick on the season to 21 passing touchdowns while leading the nation’s second-most productive passing attack. Every time Hooker has stepped onto the field this season, it has been nothing short of magical. 

Combining for 630 passing yards and eight touchdowns in his last two SEC games (Alabama and Kentucky), Hooker has outshined the defending Heisman winner as well as someone who is widely regarded as a first-round pick by NFL media (probably not anymore). This is the perfect opportunity for Hooker to outshine the defending national champions and erase any doubt that he has elevated this Tennessee team to be the undisputed number one team in the country.

Doug’s Keys to the Game for Georgia:

Keep Tennessee in front of you.

Jailin Hyatt is arguably the most explosive player receiver in the country. He leads the country in touchdowns and is top five in receiving yards. Cedric Tillman, another star receiver for Tennessee, gashed Georgia for 200 yards last year. The Volunteers have been able to scheme their receivers open all year, and with the talented play of Hendon Hooker, they are the number one team in the country. In last year’s matchup, Georgia was down twice in the matchup, before it started to get to the quarterback and get involved with more pass breakups for the win. I am not sure how to describe the Georgia secondary. From last year, the Bulldogs did lose Derion Kendrick and Lewis Cine. However, Malaki Starks has been impactful, as well as having the returning Christopher Smith and Kelee Ringo. 

Make the passing game the de-facto running game.

Tennessee’s passing defense is one of the worst in the country. Tennessee’s running defense is one of the best in the country. Instead of force-feeding Daijun Edwards, Kenny McIntosh, and Branson Robinson through the running game, the Bulldogs should instead get them involved in the passing game. Georgia will be more effective moving the running backs all over the field and also using the screen game. In turn, you will have a different outlet to attack from last year and catch the Volunteers by surprise.

Andrew’s Players to Watch for Tennessee:

WR Cedric Tillman —

A player who was expected to be Hooker’s top target for the season and an outsider for the Biletnikoff Trophy, injuries have rattled Tillman’s season. Only playing in four of Tennessee’s eight games so far, Tillman is currently finding himself to be in Jalin Hyatt’s shadow. However, is that a bad thing? As the latter has already eclipsed 900 and 14 touchdowns, a duo of Jalin Hyatt and a healthy Cedric Tillman should be a scary sight for any opposing secondary. While Cedric is still slowly finding his place back in this Tennessee offense, I expect to see glimpses of his 2021 self in Athens on Saturday. 

EDGE Byron Young —

Tennessee’s sack leader Byron Young is coming off a solid performance against Kentucky that saw him register 1.5 sacks and four tackles in total. In Week 6 on the road against LSU, Young had his best performance of the season where he tacked on 2.5 sacks in Death Valley. It should also be mentioned that he leads the SEC with 30 pressures. Fast off the edge with the ability to stunt on the inside, Georgia’s big bodies along the trenches will look to keep Young as far away from Stetson Bennett as possible to keep the pocket clean. If he can rattle Bennett enough, Tennessee should be able to limit first-down conversions through the pass rush alone. 

Doug’s Players to Watch for Georgia:

DT Jalen Carter —

Jalen Carter will most likely be the second defensive player drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is a star. Carter is coming off a knee sprain, but he has played in the past week, where he was impactful. He was able to hurry Anthony Richardson and make things uncomfortable. With Nolan Smith out for the season, the Bulldogs will need Carter to be at or near 100% in order to come out Athens with a win. 

QB Stetson Bennett —

As for the offense, Stetson Bennett is the key to this game. The recurring thing that has come up in the article is the pass defense of the Volunteers. We have seen two sides of Bennett this year. We’ve seen the laser-focused Bennett, where he was able to put the perfect touch on deep passes and spread the ball out on the perimeter. That is the one we’ve seen against Oregon, Samford, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. The other version is the one that we’ve seen against Kent State, Missouri, Auburn, and Alabama in the SEC Championship Game last year. The one that is rattled and misses everything from throws in the flat to the home run pass. If Bennett plays within his means and doesn’t try to play hero ball, Georgia can come out with a win. 

Andrew’s Score Prediction:

Before writing this preview, I went in with the idea of Georgia winning with a similar score, however I may have talked my way the opposite direction. Tennessee already has five ranked victories this season, compared to Georgia’s one. The lingering memories in my mind of Georgia struggling with the likes of Kent State, Missouri, and in the third quarter against Florida may have me overreacting, but the Dawgs have yet to face a beast this season of Tennessee’s stature. Between Hendon Hooker’s honeymoon season, the rise of Jalin Hyatt, and their ability to steamroll their competition only makes me more confident in the Vols. The two best offenses in the conference will guarantee points on the board, and I feel sorry for whoever is placing a wager on this game as it very well could come down to whoever has the ball last. Tennessee 41, Georgia 37.

Doug’s Score Prediction:

Tennessee is the best offense Georgia has faced since Alabama in the National Championship Game almost a year ago. The Vols are also battle tested, as they have beaten Alabama and LSU. Georgia is a team, that while statistically one of the best teams in the country, has been inconsistent since the Kent State game. The Bulldogs have been dominant in stretches against Auburn, Florida, and Vanderbilt, but they have also struggled against Kent State, Missouri, and even in the Florida game that I mentioned earlier. I do think Georgia will come out on top, as this team will be locked in as ever with the stakes so high. This is most likely the Bulldogs’ only path to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. Georgia has feasted on similar pass defenses as Tennessee. I think that will be the key difference in this matchup. Georgia 38, Tennessee 31.