Georgia Football Weekend Preview 11/8-11/9 – Crunch Time

This weekend we head into the home stretch of the football season. All of the college teams still have an opportunity to have a special season. Georgia is out of playoff contention but hey with a few upsets and getting into the SEC title who knows? Georgia Southern should be ranked at 7-2 but maybe after this week the pollsters will find out where Statesboro, GA is located.

The Falcons are pretty much just playing for pride this weekend but hey in the weak NFC South a few pride wins could have you back in the mix. So let’s take a look at this week’s games and see what’s shaking.

The Sun Belt comes down to the last few games and if Southern wins both they got it. At 6-0 in the conference they control their own destiny. Texas State at 3-1 would like to still hold on to their hopes of claiming at least a share of the conference title. Ever since that narrow loss at Georgia Tech the Eagles have been rolling. The Bobcats themselves are riding a 2 game win streak themselves. They like Southern like to run the football. In this test of wills who will come out with the win today? Smart money says keep rolling the dice on Southern. Its amazing they are not in the top 25.

Prediction: Georgia Southern: 37 Texas State: 24

The Bulldogs saw the playoff hopes slip away with last week’s surprise pounding Florida. They look to rebound against Kentucky this week. These are not your dad’s Wildcats football team. Mark Stoops has turned Kentucky into an offense machine that competes every week. That being said Georgia man for man has the talent advantage. The Cats are on a 3 game slide that they would like to get off. Ultimately talent will win out and UGA should pick up the victory. Either the loss last week will get this team focused because they are still down in the dumps it could be a long day in Lexington.

Prediction: UGA 28 Kentucky 17

Georgia Tech is riding high after beating Virginia at homecoming. The YellowJackets this week could very well begin the first of the toughest 3 games they will have all year. Just like last week they are taking on a team that has been up and down all year. The Wolfpack is 1-4 in the ACC. They seem to be more of the team that lost to BC and Louisville and not team that played Florida State hard for 3 quarters. Georgia Tech will do what they have done the last 2 weeks, which is get out early and not look back.

Prediction: Ga Tech: 34 NC State: 21

The Falcons have had week to stew in the London collapse. This week they get back to playing against the NFC South. They will play the Tampa Bay Bucs but this time it is on their home turf. The Falcons season is going nowhere fast but a win on Sunday could be the pickup they need. The last time Atlanta won an outdoor road game it was 2012. The good news is that their opponent was Tampa Bay. This year things might be different especially if Tampa wants to overcome that 56 points Atlanta put on them in the 1st meeting this season. In a battle of terrible Tampa should not implode like they did but still lose.

Prediction: Atlanta 30 Tampa Bay 17

Keith B. Holt

Follow on Twitter @Kholtjr