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Georgia Bulldogs’ Toughest Game of 2015: At Tennessee

By John Buhler

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The Georgia Bulldogs draw five opponents ranked in the Top 25 of the initial Amway Coaches Poll released on July 30th.  Though all are tough games, perhaps playing the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville is the hardest game on UGA’s plate this fall.

-= UGA #9 in Initial Amway Coaches Poll =-

Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs will have to face #3 Alabama at home, #7 Auburn on The Plains, #17 Georgia Tech in Atlanta, #23 Missouri for Homecoming, and #25 Tennessee in Knoxville.  All of those rankings will change by the time the Dawgs have to play these challenging matchups, but do expect the Georgia Bulldogs to play at least four ranked opponents during the regular season.

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    • While it could all change as we get into the season, the toughest game on the schedule for the Dawgs at this moment is at Tennessee.  Why is that?  Butch Jones has the Vols on the rise and UGA could underestimate their road trip to Knoxville mid-way through the season.

    For Mark Richt to effectively motivate his players this fall, all he really has to do is say “Remember last time?”  It applies to so many of the Dawgs’ games against these familiar opponents as a painful reminder to get it done this year.

    I expect Georgia to avenge last year’s Conference losses to South Carolina and Florida.  The Georgia Bulldogs get the Head Ball Coach’s team Between the Hedges this year and I doubt UGA will struggle as badly stopping Florida’s run game in 2015 down in Jacksonville.

    While Georgia should beat both Kentucky and Vanderbilt handedly, their last trip to Nashville was a bad one as UGA lost the Targeting Game to Vandy in 2013.  Georgia needs to win all four conference games against non-ranked opponents this year to get to Atlanta for the SEC Championship, plain and simple.

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    The last two times the Georgia Bulldogs played the Alabama Crimson Tide were nightmarish for UGA.  I bet Mark Richt and his boys get fired up when the Tide come to town.  If you can’t get amped up to play Alabama, you will get destroyed.  Mark Richt can’t have another humiliation at the hands of Nick Saban’s Alabama squad.  It’ll be tough, but I expect Georgia to have this game already circled on the calendar.

    I will never forget about the Prayer at Jordan-Hare game for as long as I live.  I hope every upperclassman on the UGA roster remembers the dumbest loss of their young lives.  No way the Georgia Bulldogs gloss over this year’s version of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

    -= Brice Ramsey: Top 5 SEC Passer in 2015? =-

    Missouri came to Athens two years ago and embarrassed us en route to winning the SEC East.  When the Tigers come to Athens again, they will have won the SEC East two years in a row.  Beating Mizzou is a must-win game if the Georgia Bulldogs want to make it to Atlanta.  The Dawgs cannot afford to lose the tiebreaker to a Tigers team again playing the softest schedule of any team in the SEC in 2015.

    Then there’s Georgia Tech.  Both teams should have great 2015’s, but Mark Richt has never lost in Bobby Dodd Stadium in seven games.  After last year’s sacrilegious pruning of our hedges in their victory over the Dawgs in Sanford, I don’t think Georgia wants to drop two games in a row to their in-state rival.

    So the Georgia Bulldogs have many revenge games on their 2015 slate, but Tennessee isn’t one of them.  The Dawgs have defeated the Vols the last five years, albeit in some close games.  Tennessee is an up-and-coming program and with this annual affair being between Bama and Mizzou, Georgia unfortunately could overlook the Volunteers at their place this year.

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    UT returns a great QB in Joshua Dobbs and a promising RB in Jalen Hurd.  The Vols usually have good wideouts and strong play at linebacker.  Plus Neyland Stadium always conspires against players’ sinew.  Just ask Marcus Lattimore or Keith Marshall what they think of UT’s home turf.

    If you’re not nervous about this year’s game with Tennessee, you should open your eyes and realize that Tennessee is on the rise and wants to beat the Georgia Bulldogs at all costs.  I’m praying that this isn’t the annual letdown game for Georgia, but it certainly has the making for it.  Don’t sleep on the Vols!

    Next: Georgia Bulldogs: Underselling the Offensive Line?

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