Published Nov 4, 2022
Staff picks: No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Georgia
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Tyler Mansfield  •  VolReport
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Sitting at 8-0 on the season and ranked No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25, Tennessee plays another monumental SEC game on Saturday against No. 3 Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens.

Ahead of Saturday's showdown, the VolReport staff is sharing its predictions. Who'll come out on top – the Vols or Bulldogs? Here's a look at how we see the game playing out.

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TYLER MANSFIELD

Saturday’s matchup between Tennessee and Georgia in Athens could very well be the game of the year. It’ll be hard to top the Vols’ thrilling contest against Alabama, but you simply can’t beat a No. 1 vs. No. 3 battle with a potential SEC East title on the line.

The Vols and Bulldogs are both 8-0 and have played phenomenal football throughout the 2022 campaign. I feel that Tennessee can certainly play with — and beat — Georgia, but I don’t think I can pick the Bulldogs to lose in Athens.

The Vols are going to put together a great performance, but I ultimately see Georgia winning a close one.

Tyler's pick: Georgia 31, Tennessee 27

NOAH TAYLOR

This Tennessee team is confident. They’ve made me confident. No stage has been too big for this team to this point, and I just don’t see the Vols losing a game — at least in the regular season.

The offense will stay engaged, and I think the defense builds off its performance against Kentucky and creates just enough opportunities to keep Georgia from matching Tennessee point-for-point.

Noah's pick: Tennessee 38, Georgia 28

JAKE NICHOLS

Georgia has allowed 30 points under Kirby Smart just 10 times. Out of those 10 games, the Bulldogs have won just once.

I’m taking that trend and the Vols’ confidence over a Georgia defense that will be undermanned. On the flip side, Tennessee has also proven itself defensively — not enough to keep Stetson Bennett at bay all afternoon, but enough to generate a couple of key stops and pull out a win.

Jake's pick: Tennessee 38, Georgia 31

TYLER BANNERMAN

Right now, the Vols’ offense is looking like it could be the best in the country. I think the offense should perform well yet again, and I think the defense can play like it did against Kentucky.

I do think it will be a close game, however I think the Vols are too good to be stopped right now. I believe the key to winning this matchup is to get ahead early and get a few stops on defense to not let Georgia match the Vols drive-for-drive.

Tyler's pick: Tennessee 34, Georgia 24