Gameday Morning Dawg Bites and Open Comment Thread

It’s a unseasonably warm morning here just outside of The Classic City as your #3/#1 Georgia Bulldogs prepare to host the #1/#2 Tennessee Volunteers — although at some point I guess we have to stop thinking of it as “unseasonable.” At any rate, it looks like this week may be the last gasp of warm weather for some time. UGA is also hosting College Gameday on campus this morning for what (from a rankings perspective, at least) may be the biggest game in Sanford Stadium history. And here’s where I’m gonna need a favor from a few of my fellow Dawgs. If you have what one might describe as a certain moral flexibility and you’ve perhaps had a few morning beverages, please get with a few like-minded individuals and do everything you can to tempt Pat McAfee away from the Gameday set with promises of downtown libations and a trip to Toppers International Showbar. I’d like to actually watch for once and I just can’t take his nonsense... so if you could keep him “occupied” from say 9 a.m. to noon, you would have my undying appreciation.

I’m not sure there is much I can say about today’s game that hasn’t already been said. My perspective has generally been that Tennessee’s sudden rise to “championship-caliber” team reminds me of several instances in the 2000s and 2010s where Georgia was looked at the same way by the fanbase and national media. If you’ll recall, in those instances, the Dawgs typically ran into a buzzsaw that brought those lofty expectations quickly back down to Earth. I’m hoping today, Georgia can be that buzzsaw.

So in honor of what will hopefully be looked back upon as the rise and fall of the 2022 Tennessee Volunteers, let’s kick things off with Knoxville’s own, Superdrag:

And now your Gameday Morning Dawg Bites:

• Let’s begin with an updated injury report for today’s game. With the exception of the continuing saga of A.D. Mitchell and what we already knew about Mims and Nolan Smith, things are looking up on a number of fronts.
• If you didn’t catch it last night, the game trailer for this week is up... this time narrated by Travon Walker:

• Taking a look at the game predictions from media across the nation, they aren’t as split as you might expect. TL;DR:

FINAL TALLY

Georgia picks: 32

Tennessee picks: 8

Average score prediction: Georgia 38, Tennessee 34

• For those of you wondering which parts of the Vols uniforms will be causing you to shield your eyes, it’s gonna be the pants.
• Speaking of uniforms, the Dawgs will be wearing a jersey patch honoring Coach Vince Dooley:

• Finally, in recruiting news, Georgia got a big commitment for the 2024 class in #2 linebacker, Demarcus Riddick

As always, this space is also your Morning Open Comment Thread. Let us know how you’re preparing for today’s game, your thoughts on the outcome, and anything you’d like to comment on as College Gameday invades Athens (with or without Pat McAfee). Macondawg will be along later with your game threads.

Until then...

GOOOO DAWGS!!!