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The cloud still hangs out there for the Kirby Smart regime.
For all the good that’s been done, Georgia still has no under this tenure won in an SEC West Division stadium.
Win on Saturday, and the SEC East is officially clinched and more energy builds toward a showdown in Atlanta with LSU. Lose, and there’s still the path to Atlanta, but not with likely CFP inroads.
Plus - it’s the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
Here’s three keys to Georgia winning on The Plains.
Keep Composure
Let’s state the obvious. As we saw two years ago, Jordan-Hare can be a tough place to play with its piped-in audio / rabid fans knowing full well that its season boils down to this game and the Iron Bowl.
Georgia has to avoid getting rattled in that environment, and its young players who have played at one true road setting this year at Tennessee will have to handle it.
Of course, part of this includes George Pickens. He’s described as an emotional type of player, and given his spurning of Auburn and how the Tigers will put a target of his back, Pickens will have to block that out and most importantly - not get baited into costly penalties.
Don’t let Auburn’s defensive line disrupt
Georgia’s vaunted offensive line has looked less than ideal at times this year, and that’s not a good thing when the apparent plan is to out-man ball the opposition. What cannot happen Saturday is for the running lanes to be all but shut down and Jake Fromm having no time to throw.
Make Nix Win It
Even without Boobie Whitlow at full speed if he plays, Auburn’s stable of running backs are plenty capable. For that reason, Georgia needs to make them a non-factor and force the inconsistent Bo Nix to beat them
Go Dawgs!