Free Pick: Georgia (5-0) at Auburn (4-1) 10/9/21

The Bulldogs are being hailed by everyone as one of two teams that are head and shoulders above anyone else (the other being Alabama). Their players are hearing how great they are and the key to coaching sometimes comes down to getting players to ignore the hype. Meanwhile, Auburn is hearing they have no chance, they are good; but Georgia is sensational, and the psychological edge is with them. They are playing at home, they have SEC talent, and they won’t be scared of the Bulldogs. Do they have a chance? Let’s break it down.

Quarterback: Auburn is led by quarterback, Bo Nix who is coming off a good performance against LSU in Baton Rouge last week. He is inconsistent and he will have to play very well to give the Tigers a chance. He has thrown for 979 yards and 6 touchdowns. Georgia’s quarterback situation is up in the air with the injury to starter J.T. Daniels. It would appear that he won’t play this week but we won’t know till later in the week. Back-up, Stetson Bennett stepped in last week against Arkansas but wasn’t asked to do much. He has completed 29 of 41 passes on the season. Advantage: Auburn

Running Backs: Both teams emphasize the run game and will try to establish it against each other’s run defense. Auburn has Jarquez Hunter and Tank Bigsby who have combined for 894 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Bulldogs will counter with Zamir White and James Cook who have 490 yards and 6 touchdowns between them. Advantage: Neither

Receiving: Auburn has capable receivers in John Samuel Shenker and Kobe Hudson (32 catches for 453 yards). Georgia will counter with Brock Bowers and Jermaine Burton (31 for 498). Advantage: Neither

Defense: The Tigers’ defense has been good as one might expect. Their defensive front led by T.D. Moultry and Derick Hall have 15 sacks in the first 5 games. Linebackers, Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten have 70 tackles between them. And then, there is Georgia. They are giving up only 180 total yards per game which is amazing in today’s college football. Their front has been immovable and opponents have been held to 70 rushing yards a game. They also have sacked the quarterback 18 times. Linebackers, Chandler Tindall, Nakobe Dean, and Nolan Smith, have combined for 58 tackles and 10 sacks. They are all over the field. After, 5 games the Bulldog defense is playing as well as anyone in a long time. Advantage: Georgia

This game will come down to whether or not Bo Nix and the Auburn offense can make enough plays to keep them in the game. The Auburn defense is good enough to control the Georgia offense and keep it from becoming a blow-out, if their offense can make some plays in the passing game and not commit turnovers. This one has the feel of an old-fashioned slugfest. Georgia is a 15.5-point favorite.

DUDES WHO BET SPORTS PICK: Auburn +15.5