Georgia vs Auburn: Preview and Score Prediction

With The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry just under 24 hours away, we bring you the preview and score prediction for the matchup featuring Georgia and Auburn.

The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry will commence for the 124th time Saturday as the Georgia Bulldogs take a quick flight to Auburn, Alabama to take on the Tigers. 

Georgia looks to continue its pursuit of winning out in hopes of remaining in the College Football Playoff, and Auburn looks to spend two of the next three weeks ruining the holiday plans of their two biggest rivals in Georgia and Alabama.

Georgia has the lead in the series, 59-56-8 and has won 11 of the last 14 matchups. 

I will preface this prediction by saying that this is by far the toughest test the front seven for both sides of the ball from Georgia has had all year. Though the SEC is filled with linemen that will play on Sunday's, few teams have a group like Auburn. 

For the most part, Georgia's offensive line has pushed people around all season. Some would say they lost the line of scrimmage against South Carolina, but as Coach Smart said after the Florida game, that loss had more to do with having four turnovers on offense. 

This bunch from Auburn is similar to South Carolina's though in terms of sheer size, depth, and certainly star power. Javon Kinlaw and Derrick Brown are slotted as first-round picks in the upcoming draft. Take into account the ancillary pieces that provide the ability to keep those guys fresh and you've got yourself a full-game fight upfront. 

Georgia's defensive front will be put through the wash. Auburn will pull offensive linemen, send motion on nearly every play, run at you and around you. It's a multi-dimensional attack that is ingrained in physical downhill running. 

Georgia's Andrew Thomas & Solomon Kindley 

Georgia wins (27-21)

In Auburn's two losses this season - @Florida & @Auburn - the Tigers were held to a season-low 124 and 130 yards on the ground. So, safe to say the secret to beating Auburn is stopping their rushing attack and forcing Bo Nix to beat you in the air. That's the kind of formula for a football game that lends itself to Georgia and the nation's second-best rush defense. 

As for Georgia's offense, we saw a few pieces of this offensive line struggle against Brown and company back in 2017, rushing for just 46 yards on 32 attempts in their 40-17 loss at Jordan-Hare. However, in the two matchups since the Bulldogs have rushed for a staggering 273.5 yards per game. Thomas, Cleveland, Kindley, Mays, and Wilson have all had success against this group before, and it is my belief they will do so again Saturday.  

I imagine this football game looks eerily similar to the Notre Dame and Florida contests. Georgia will be up two scores in the fourth quarter, and Kirby Smart will do what he does best. 

Burn the clock and limit the number of possessions the opponent receives.