Three Things to Look for in The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
What are the matchups that will determine the outcome between Auburn and Georgia?
2020 has brought about changes in all aspects of life, including the SEC football schedule. This is the earliest meeting between Auburn and Georgia have ever played each other. Week One was not exactly ideal for either squad. Auburn was outgained by Kentucky, but came away with a victory. Georgia’s new look offense did not look good against Arkansas, but turned it around in the second half for a commanding win. The box score was not the indicator how either game ended. With so many uncertainties, what are the matchups that will decide the 2020 edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry?
The Battle in the Trenches
This goes for both teams on both sides of the ball. Auburn is in the middle of rebuilding its defensive line, and Georgia is still searching for their best offensive linemen. Based on their performance against Kentucky, Auburn’s defensive line will probably get pushed around Sanford Stadium on Saturday night, with Georgia’s having size and strength at all five positions. It’s no secret they like to rotate their line with the depth they possess, so there won’t be much drop off as the game goes along. If Auburn wants any chance of winning, they will have to get some push against Georgia’s offensive front and stop the run. Auburn’s offensive line is similar to Georgia’s, in that they are still searching for their best unit. Replacing 4 starters is no small task, and will likely take several weeks. Georgia possesses one of the best defensive lines in the SEC and the entire country. They will make it extremely hard for Auburn to run the ball between the tackles. It is imperative for Auburn to run the ball and be able to take some pressure off of Bo Nix.
The Speed of Auburn’s Skill Positions Against the Speed of Georgia’s Defense
Auburn’s offensive masterminds, Gus Malzahn and Chad Morris, are always looking to maximize the talent they have on the field and create mismatches. Auburn has plenty of speed on offense that can create problems for a very disciplined, very well-coached Georgia defense. Anthony Schwartz, Eli Stove, and Shaun Shivers are the burners Chad Morris has at his disposal. Morris will have to get creative in the ways he gets those guys the ball in space. Georgia held Schwartz to minus eight yards on the ground last season. Kirby Smart and Co. knows it’s coming and how to stop it. It has to be more than sweeps and screens for Auburn, if they want those guys to have an impact on the game.
George Pickens vs. Roger McCreary
The marquee matchup will be WR1 for Georgia against CB1 for Auburn. This will be the one-on-one matchup we will see all night on the outside. Auburn has confidence that McCreary can limit Pickens’ impact. While, I don’t think Auburn has anyone in the secondary that can shut Pickens out of the game, they have to do their bestto limit him. McCreary is Auburn’s best cover corner and has flashed plenty of potential to play at the next level. This matchup could also get nasty; we saw Pickens get into it with Georgia Tech’s secondary last season, which resulted in him being suspended in the first half of the SEC Championship Game. Expect a physical battle between both teams.
Auburn definitely has their worked cut out for them Saturday night. Georgia is a top team and they will show why. Auburn has the opportunity to make a run this season with a win. That added motivation could propel Auburn in this game and put them over the top. They cannot shoot themselves in the foot and make a ton of mistakes; they will have no chance if they do. The same goes for Georgia. Both teams are good enough to capitalize on mistakes. This game could be one of those ugly, low scoring games, as the first team to 21 may win. The intensity will be as high as we’ve ever seen it, with a spot in the playoff potentially on the line in Week 2 of the SEC.
To be fair about UK outgaining Auburn, they did have 13 more minutes of possession time than AU and AU had two short-field drives off of turnovers.