Georgia wants to avoid letdown
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Georgia is back atop the rankings that matter most, and the No. 1 Bulldogs can’t afford to take their foot off the gas in their final out-of-state road game of the regular season.
Especially not with Dolly Parton ready to cheer on No. 18 Tennessee inside Neyland Stadium.
“Anytime Dolly’s hanging around it certainly adds pressure, absolutely, to our performance,” Tennessee Coach Josh Heupel said.
Georgia and Tennessee come into the game from different directions.
The Bulldogs routed Mississippi 52-17 so handily they moved atop the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night. It’s quite the change from when these teams met last season with Tennessee holding that spot until a loss between the hedges.
Now the Vols (7-3, 3-3) are coming off a third road loss, this one against Missouri 36-7.
Georgia (10-0, 7-0) already has clinched the SEC East title and a spot against eighthranked Alabama in the SEC championship game on Dec. 2. Now, it’s a matter of staying focused as the Bulldogs make a run at a third consecutive national championship.
“The messaging is that we’re trying to find the best version of ourselves, and every week we’re trying to find the best version of ourselves,” Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said of not looking ahead. “And that doesn’t change based on who we play.”
The Vols found themselves stifled by Missouri’s defense with a season-low 83 yards rushing. A win today would improve their bowl prospects.
“Certainly, we understand the quality of the opponent that is coming to town,” Heupel said. “Our guys understand who they are, what they are about and the way they are going to play. It will be a great test for us.”
CHASING PERFECTION
Georgia can become the first team to post three consecutive 8-0 conference records in SEC history. The league moved to an eightgame conference schedule in 1992 with expansion coming in 2024. The Bulldogs posted their first 8-0 conference mark in 2021 before falling Alabama in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs went 8-0 again in 2022 before beating LSU 50-30 for the SEC championship.
STREAKING
Georgia’s school-record 27game winning streak, which began with a 34-11 win over Michigan in the 2021 Orange Bowl playoff semifinal game, isn’t the only streak on the line today.
The Bulldogs have been No. 1 in 22 consecutive AP Top 25 polls, the longest streak in SEC history and the second-longest streak in history. Southern Cal was No. 1 for 33 consecutive weeks from 2003-05.
Georgia has won 37 consecutive regular-season games. That streak began with a 31-24 home win over Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 2020. Finally, the Bulldogs have won 26 consecutive SEC regular-season games and 25 consecutive home games, the longest home winning streak in the nation.
Georgia also is 43-1 over the last 44 games. Before that span, Smart’s record was a near pedestrian 48-14. Now his record is much more impressive at 91-15.
WINNING ON THE ROAD
Georgia is 28-4 on the road and 19-7 on neutral sites under Smart. Tennessee has won 14 consecutive at home with the Vols’ last home loss in 2021 — to the Bulldogs. Smart makes sure his Bulldogs practice with crowd noise, even if he can’t say how much it helps.
“A lot of it has to do with the situation of your team and the focus of your team,” Smart said.