The Georgia Bulldogs have plenty to play for Saturday against the No. 2 Auburn Tigers. A win would preserve the Dawgs' 13-year bowl streak, give their season a redeeming victory, put a major rival's BCS title run in question, and set the Tigers up to possibly miss the SEC Championship Game. Auburn can clinch the SEC West title by beating Georgia, but a loss would give the Alabama Crimson Tide the chance to send the LSU Tigers to Atlanta. If Mark Richt can't get his team up for all that, well...
Finding a way to stop Heisman favorite Cam Newton will be the key. It's like the key buddy dropped down the drain in last night's Walking Dead, though, because nobody's figured out how to stop Cammy Cam yet. I gave up on that simile halfway through. Newton is fourth in the nation in rushing yards and second to only Boise St.'s Kellen Moore in passing efficiency. And don't think Tigers OC Gus Malzahn didn't see the Dawgs struggle against the Florida Gators' multi-QB offense -- Newton can catch passes, too.
The knock on Auburn has been that they have a bad defense. But guess what: in conference games, they're actually in the SEC's top half. The Tigers D is giving up only about 20 yards more per game than Georgia's does, and has been considerably better than the Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee Volunteers, or Vanderbilt Commodores defenses that Georgia smoked. They've even been better than the South Carolina Gamecocks D that held Georgia to six points.
Georgia's offense and defense will each need to play their game of the year to upset Auburn, and they have every incentive to do just that.
Plenty more to come.