For the second time in three years, Tennessee football heads to Georgia in November looking for a banner win that would put them in poll position to advance to the SEC Championship.
But this time, there’s more than just a spot in Atlanta on the line. A Tennessee win would all but clinch the Vols spot in the College Football Playoff while eliminating Georgia from contention. A Georgia victory puts Tennessee on shaky ground to make the 12-team playoff.
Here’s three keys for Tennessee football to get the job done and defeat Georgia on Saturday night.
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Win The Turnover Battle
This is a key in every football game since the beginning of time but it feels particularly impactful in this one. On paper, both defenses have the advantage over the opposing offense. Making the opponent drive the football the length of the field is going to be key for both teams. They can’t get the other free points.
That feels particularly true for Georgia quarterback Carson Beck who’s thrown nine interceptions over the last four games. Beck making mistakes and giving Tennessee a short field would be massive to alleviate some pressure off of Nico Iamaleava and the Vols’ offense.
On the other side, Georgia’s best win of the season is at Texas when they forced four turnovers and frequently gave the offense short fields in the first half while building a 23-0 lead.
Turnovers in the red zone have also been an issue for Tennessee. When the Vols get in scoring range they simply have to score points in this game. Can not waste opportunities the way they have for much of the last month.
Tennessee’s Defensive Line Must Control The Game
This one ties right in to the first key. Carson Beck has been terrible when under pressure over the last month. That’s when the vast majority of his mistakes have come and he’s done very little to make opponents pay in those spots.
Last week, Ole Miss’ defensive front dominated Georgia’s banged up offensive line. They sacked Beck five times and did it without blitzing. Tennessee has a defensive line that’s shown that capability and that needs to be the case again in this game. The Vols are unlikely to win a game that gets into the high-20s so their defensive line needs to control the game and keep Georgia in the teens.
Tennessee also needs to play the run better than they have the last two games. Most of the issues seem to be gap control and a lot of the mistakes have been from linebackers and not defensive linemen. Still, Tennessee needs to keep Georgia from getting things going on the ground in this game.
Tennessee’s Receivers Make Plays Down The Field
I feel pretty confident that some Tennessee offensive explosion isn’t coming in this game. If the Vols are going to pull the upset, they’re going to do it how they’ve won all season— with great defense.
But even in that type of game, Tennessee’s receiver have to win some one-on-ones down the field and make either easy or contested catches. Getting open has been an issue for Tennessee’s receivers at times this season and catching it when they do get open has been just as problematic.
There’s also the reality that Georgia’s defensive backs have dominated Tennessee’s receivers the last three seasons. It’s a big reason why the Bulldogs’ defense has been the only one that’s consistently stymied Tennessee’s offense. The defensive backfield isn’t as elite this season, but they’re still better than Tennessee’s receivers.
If the Vols are going to win than they need to win some one-on-ones on the outside and create chunk plays in the passing game.
