No. 12 Georgia (-3) @ No. 23 Missouri TV: CBS 12pm Saturday
Daniel: Maybe I should give the Tigers more credit for their nice bounce-back win on the road last week at South Carolina. But I can’t get that Indiana loss out of my head, particularly the way the Hoosiers ran the ball – piling up 241 yards on the ground. But everything has now changed in this matchup with the news that broke this afternoon about Todd Gurley’s suspension. The Tigers are pulling the anti-Vol move of getting an enormous break. Not only is Gurley out but so are Keith Marshall and Sony Michel. Nick Chubb is a talented freshman, but I’m not sure he’s ready to carry the Bulldogs to victory in this big of an East showdown. I think Mizzou takes advantage of its good break and puts itself in the driver’s seat in the East. Winner: Missouri 38-28
Houston: No Todd Gurley for Georgia in this one could prove disastrous. I think Georgia still has some playmakers at running back with Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, but none of those guys can come close to what Todd Gurley brings to the game. Missouri is coming off of a bye week following their win on the road against South Carolina, so they’ve already had an extra week to prepare for this one before news of Gurley’s suspension broke. Now that they know they won’t be seeing him out there, their task becomes much easier this week. Georgia’s defense has been a disappointment this season until this point, and I don’t think things get any better for them this week. I expect Georgia to come out very uninspired and give Missouri the driver’s seat to the SEC Eastern Division crown in this one. Winner: Missouri 33-20
Reed: The Tigers probably aren’t getting the respect they deserve but that’s what happens when you lose at home to Indiana then go to South Carolina and look inept offensively, even in a win. Georgia has the best player in this game in Todd Gurley and it’s not even close will be playing without Gurley which severely hampers their offense. Gurley has been responsible for 36% of Georgia’s offense this season – that’s a ton to replace. But if Hutson Mason isn’t terrible, the Bulldogs should be able to move the ball on Missouri’s defense and score just enough points to keep this one close. Maty Mauk will put up big numbers against Georgia’s swiss cheese secondary and Georgia’s rushing attack just won’t be the same without Gurley. Winner: Tigers 30-20
Kyle:Let me pat myself on the back for a moment for delaying my response to the Pick Six, because had I filed these predictions earlier, I’d have projected Todd Gurley for 200 yards in leading Georgia to a pivotal, road victory. After all, Missouri struggled to contain Indiana running back Tevin Coleman, and there are very few running backs in college football of Coleman’s caliber—Gurley just happens to be one.
But Gurley is also sidelined indefinitely, the result of an NCAA investigation announced late Thursday. With injuries abound in the Georgia backfield and questions at quarterback, the Bulldogs offense will struggle. Georgia must also rely on its front seven to rattle Maty Mauk; otherwise, a porous secondary is going to give up yards by the bucket-full. Winner: Tigers 28-24
