Here are three definitive statements about Saturday's rivalry clash, with Georgia leading Georgia Tech, 38-7:
1. UGA deserves major props for playing a near-flawless first half
Let's see here ... can you tell that Georgia wanted this one really, really bad?
a) The Bulldogs notched five touchdowns in their inaugural five drives.
For good measure, they tacked on a late field goal just before halftime.
b) Quarterback Jake Fromm (12 of 15 for 171 yards, 3 TDs) bore the look of a future first-round pick during this 30-minute spurt.
As Exhibit A, his 44-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman was essentially dropped from the sky—hitting Hardman at the absolute perfect spot of the back end zone.
(Side note: What was Georgia Tech thinking on that play, assigning a burly linebacker to guard Hardman—quite possibly the fastest player in college football?)
c) Outside of Georgia's special-teams breakdown, in the form of Juanyeh Thomas's thrilling 100-yard kickoff-return TD, the defense was superb in the opening half, allowing the Georgia Tech offense to zero points and a measly 2..9 yards per carry.
2. Georgia Tech's offense should treat the second half like it's a scoreless game
The Yellow Jackets (leading the nation in rushing entering Week 13) weren't built to rally back from 31-point deficits, especially when the opposing team has a knack for running the ball 50-plus times a game.
So, why even try to stage an epic comeback through the passing attack?
Seriously, who are we kidding here?
That's not a quitter's mindset; it's more of an acknowledgment that Georgia Tech has no other choice than to handle its business one play at a time ... even if this entails draining the clock, en masse.
Oh, and no more 4th and 6 attempts on your side of the field.
3. Don't expect any blowouts with UGA and Alabama next week
On Friday night, we posted a popular 'Chaos Theory' piece, detailing Georgia's chances of reaching the College Football Playoff ... in the event of a competitive defeat to top-ranked 'Bama (SEC title game).
Obviously, many things would have to fall in place for a two-loss, non-SEC champion to reach the national semifinals (Orange/Cotton bowls on Dec. 29).
But let's be fair here: If you had to choose three teams that could genuinely challenge the Crimson Tide until the final whistle, the No. 5 Dawgs would certainly be on the list.
And we'd love their chances more than Michigan or Notre Dame—two higher-ranked teams in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. (Bad matchups for both schools.)
Bottom line: Georgia has too much balance and too many explosive playmakers to meekly surrender to Alabama by halftime; and if Fromm gets adequate time to throw in the pocket ... who knows how the ball bounces in the fourth quarter?
Just don't expect a blowout.
Even if the Vegas oddsmakers suggest otherwise.
