2C z FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019 z USA TODAY E2 SPORTS
The good news came a few days back,
and it should have been welcomed by
anyone who cares about college football
and its disappearing traditions. The
Florida-Georgia game – or if you’d rath-
er, Georgia-Florida – will remain in
Jacksonville, Florida, for at least a few
more years.
“It’s important to all Georgia fans. It’s
important to all Florida fans,” said Bull-
dogs coach Kirby Smart in reaction. “It’s
one of the biggest rivalries in college
football. So for me it’s special because of
where it’s located, where the game is
played and usually what the outcome
determines.”
He is correct, of course. Florida-
Georgia is the rare matchup that doesn’t
need external stakes. Put the Gators and
Bulldogs on the same field in Jackson-
ville, mash two passionate fan bases to-
gether at a neutral site, and it’s more
than enough. But pay special attention
to that very last phrase: “What the out-
come determines.”
For only the third time this century,
both teams are ranked in the Top 10
(Florida, 7-1, is No. 6 in the Amway
Coaches Poll; Georgia, 6-1, is No. 7). The
outcome will likely determine the SEC
East and will keep the winner in the
hunt for the College Football Playoff.
But if the stakes are similar, the pres-
sure points are not.
Florida’s success in Dan Mullen’s
second season has fueled optimism in a
wary fan base that has years of reason
for caution. There’s no real sense Flori-
da has arrived as a power, – but things
seem headed in the right direction. A
win would be great. And yet, in the over-
all picture of a program’s progress, a loss
would not be debilitating.
By contrast, 2019 was supposed to be
the year Georgia emerged fully as a na-
tional power, as the SEC’s pre-eminent
power. The rival that Smart and the
Bulldogs are trying to supplant is not on
the schedule, at least not during the reg-
ular season.
Never mind that Alabama might have
its own issues in the SEC West (with
LSU next week and Auburn lurking
down the road). Smart was hired away
from ’Bama and back to his alma mater
to raise Georgia to the top of the SEC,
and from there college football.
He was hired to beat Nick Saban –
because in the current version of the
SEC, you don’t reach those goals if you
don’t. In two chances, the Bulldogs have
come very close, only to lose late leads.
Still, there was a sense that the program
was ahead of itself, that 2019 always
was going to be the year when the Bull-
dogs fully arrived, when talent, recruit-
ed over the last few years, finally
matched up with experience and mo-
mentum to reach critical mass.
And then South Carolina happened.
Even a 23-17 home win in September
against Notre Dame has been re-evalu-
ated. When Notre Dame was considered
a Playoff contender, it was fine that
Georgia struggled to put away the Irish.
But about that: Last week Michigan –
which has struggled through the first
half of the season – swamped Notre
Dame. Yeah, it was played in a mon-
soon. It was also 45-14. Notre Dame wasexposed as a pretender, at least in rela-
tion to the Playoff.
And what is Georgia?
“We’re just going to do what we do,”
junior quarterback Jake Fromm said
this week. “We’re just going to do it bet-
ter.”
He was talking about the Bulldogs’
offense, and what they did with an extra
week of practice since beating Kentucky
on Oct. 19. But it’s also essentially the
entire philosophy of the program in two
sentences.
Under Smart, the Georgia Way is to
put better players on the field and then
to execute better than the opponent.
Great defense. Very physical but vanilla
offense, grinding ball control mixed
with play-action passing.
It’s copied unapologetically from
what Smart learned from Saban at Ala-
bama – and its results are so often deli-
cious. But it’s also not what Alabama is
doing anymore. The Crimson Tide still
have all the five-star recruits (at least,
those Smart hasn’t reeled in), but the of-
fense has been opened wide with Tua
Tagovailoa throwing the ball to a fleet of
fabulous receivers.Saban’s shift came in response to
how college football was changing
around him, and with it Alabama has
taken things to another level. Georgia
under Smart quickly morphed into a
very formidable program, but is a philo-
sophical shift necessary to make that
last step to the top?
But that’s a question for the offsea-
son. It’s possible that Smart will decide
not to change much of anything, and the
blueprint will be enough to win SEC and
national championships – as they’ve
come so close to doing in the last couple
of years.
But if it’s going to work this season,
Georgia must win Saturday. Or else, the
season becomes disastrous. That’s
maybe not fair, but the expectations are
what they are. And the opponent in
Jacksonville is better than almost any-
one would have predicted.
Florida doesn’t much resemble those
offensive juggernauts from the other
side of the SEC, or the high-powered
contenders from other conferences. But
the Gators have a very good defense, al-
lowing only 15.8 points (12th nationally)
and 319.5 yards (25th) per game. Mean-
while, Kyle Trask has been solid at quar-
terback, a very adequate replacement
for the injured Feleipe Franks.
With the combination, the Gators
have become formidable. While the tal-
ent gap between Florida and Georgia ex-
ists on paper in the form of those
recruiting rankings, it suddenly doesn’t
seem quite so large.
“This game changes everything,”
Florida defensive lineman Jonathan
Greenard said this week. “If we win, we
get to where we want to be.”
A Georgia win doesn’t change much
of anything, but maybe that’s the point.
A trip to Auburn would still loom, and
after that presumably the SEC champi-
onship and, just maybe, another match-
up with Alabama. A loss isn’t necessar-
ily a pivot point, either. But for the pro-
gram’s supposed trajectory, success
Saturday seems critical.
If Georgia wins, the Bulldogs still
have the chance to get to where they’re
supposed to be.All the pressure on Georgia to beat Florida
George Schroeder
USA TODAY
Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (11) gets sacked by the South Carolina defense
during the first half at Sanford Stadium.DALE ZANINE/USA TODAY SPORTSBye:Bengals, Falcons, Rams, Saints
Texans (5-3) vs. Jaguars (4-4)
London International Series game
TV: 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday, NFL Network
Line:Texans by 1^1 ⁄ 2
Texans’ keys:If QB Deshaun Watson is
allowed to play from the pocket, look
for a big day from WR DeAndre Hop-
kins.
Jaguars’ keys: The offense can’t afford
to start slowly. It would behoove the
Jaguars to win the turnover battle.
They’re 4-0 when they do so and 0-
when they don’t.
Who wins?Wembley Stadium feels like
a home away from home for the Jags,
and the crowd will be on their side.
Jaguars, 24-
Redskins (1-7) at Bills (5-2)
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Line: Bills by 10^1 ⁄ 2
Redskins’ keys:They have to control
the clock with their backfield: Adrian
Peterson on the ground and RB Chris
Thompson through the air.
Bills’ keys:Offensively, QB Josh Allen
has yet to hit 300 yards in his career,
but Washington allows 240.6 passing
yards per game and 14 passing TDs,
tied for seventh worst.
Who wins? The Bills should round out
their three-game homestand. Bills,
31-
Titans (4-4) at Panthers (4-3)
TV:1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Line:Panthers by 3^1 ⁄ 2
Titans’ keys:Since replacing Marcus
Mariota, QB Ryan Tannehill has provid-
ed a spark as his accuracy and effi-
ciency have been a massive upgrade.
Panthers’ keys:RB Christian McCaffrey
has accounted for a disproportionate
amount of the team’s yards and TDs.
Other offensive playmakers need to
step up, such as 2018 first-round WR
D.J. Moore.
Who wins?The Panthers should have an
edge thanks to home-field advantage
and underrated rookie K Joey Slye.
Panthers, 20-
Vikings (6-2) at Chiefs (5-3)
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Line:No line
Vikings’ keys:Bring defensive pressure.
DEs Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen
need to force quick Kansas City deci-
sions and mistakes. The Vikings’ of-
fense has averaged 468.5 yards per
game the last four weeks.
Chiefs’ keys:No matter who starts at
quarterback, the Chiefs need to find
ways to get the ball in the hands of
their best skill players, TE Travis Kelce
and WR Tyreek Hill.
Who wins? The Chiefs are at a disad-
vantage, even at home, until QB Patrick
Mahomes returns healthy. Vikings,
27-Jets (1-6) at Dolphins (0-7)
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Line: Jets by 3
Jets’ keys:On defense, stopping the
Dolphins’ running game. Offensively,
the Jets need to give Miami a heavy
dose of RB Le’Veon Bell.
Dolphins’ keys:Victory will depend on
forcing Jets QB Sam Darnold into mis-
takes and turnovers. Miami intercepted
six of his passes in two games last year,
winning both.
Who wins?The Dolphins aren’t overly
talented, but they’re disciplined. De-
spite trading leading rusher Kenyan
Drake this week, they pull this one out.
Dolphins, 20-Bears (3-4) at Eagles (4-4)
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Line:Eagles by 4^1 ⁄ 2
Bears’ keys:QB Mitchell Trubisky will be
playing his third game since injuring his
left shoulder, and he needs to be pa-
tient and efficient while taking his shots
against an Eagles secondary that can be
vulnerable to the big play.
Eagles’ keys:Coming off a win in Buffa-
lo where Philadelphia used the no-
huddle offense to perfection at times,
look for coach Doug Pederson to con-
tinue to try to establish a fast-paced
tempo.
Who wins?The Eagles finally might
have found a rhythm on defense. Ea-
gles, 31-Colts (5-2) at Steelers (3-4)
TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Line: Colts by 1^1 ⁄ 2
Colts’ keys:Thanks to a dominant of-
fensive line and running game powered
by RB Marlon Mack, the Colts have
found a way to control the football and
keep games close.
Steelers’ keys:Look for the Colts to run
right at Pittsburgh’s defense, meaning
LB Devin Bush and S Terrell Edmunds
will have to be on point. Steelers QB
Mason Rudolph must take shots down-
field to keep Indy honest.
Who wins?The Steelers are tough at
home, and with their defense emerging
this game is primed for an upset. Steel-
ers, 21-Lions (3-3-1) at Raiders (3-4)
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Line: Raiders by 2^1 ⁄ 2
Lions’ keys: If they can protect QB Mat-
thew Stafford, he should post big num-
bers.
Raiders’ keys: Despite a number of
injuries, the offense has been fairly
efficient under QB Derek Carr.
Who wins?Oakland is returning home
for the first time since mid-September.
Given how dominant the Raiders’ run-
ning game has been, they should be
able to move the ball and win late. Raid-
ers, 23-Buccaneers (2-5) at Seahawks (6-2)
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox
Line: Seahawks by 6^1 ⁄ 2
Buccaneers’ keys:Mere weeks removed
from a game in which he turned the ball
over six times, QB Jameis Winston can
exploit Seattle’s young secondary and a
defensive line that has been subpar.
Seahawks’ keys:Russell Wilson con-
tinues his bid for MVP (17 TD passes,
one interception). He doesn’t throw for
gaudy numbers – he averages 265.
yards per game, which ranks eighth –
but he has been consistent.
Who wins? Two home losses in the
season’s first half are enough for Seat-
tle. Seahawks, 37-Browns (2-5) at Broncos (2-6)
TV:4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Line:Browns by 3^1 ⁄ 2
Broncos’ keys: QB Joe Flacco (neck) will
sit out, and Brandon Allen will make his
first start. Phillip Lindsay and Royce
Freeman will need to get the run game
working to help him.
Browns’ keys:The Broncos have been
leaning on CB Davontae Harris, who
became a first-time starter when Bryce
Callahan and De’Vante Bausby were
hurt. Either WR Odell Beckham Jr. or
WR Jarvis Landry would prove to be a
mismatch against Harris.
Who wins?Both teams probably will
struggle to move the ball in a game
that’s poised to be a defensive strug-
gle. Broncos, 17-Packers (7-1) at Chargers (3-5)
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
Line:Packers by 3^1 ⁄ 2
Packers’ keys: Facing a Chargers de-
fense that is averaging 117.1 rushing
yards allowed, Green Bay could benefit
from giving the ball to RB Aaron Jones.
Chargers’ keys:QB Philip Rivers has
thrown six interceptions but could have
a big performance facing a defense thathas allowed an average of 337 passing
yards the last three games. WRs Keenan
Allen and Mike Williams and TE Hunter
Henry could stretch Green Bay’s de-
fense.
Who wins?Although the Chargers are
coming off a victory and are hoping to
keep their playoff hopes alive, their lack
of playmakers, including S Derwin
James, will be exploited.Packers, 27-Patriots (8-0) at Ravens (5-2)
TV:8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC
Line:Patriots by 3^1 ⁄ 2
Patriots’ keys: Contain Baltimore QB
Lamar Jackson, who has been finding
large chunks of yards with his legs to
sustain drives. New England will need to
take advantage of a Ravens defense
starting to come together but has oc-
casional lapses in coverage.
Ravens’ keys: Win the battles for turn-
overs and time of possession. Baltimore
needs at every opportunity possible to
score points. The Ravens also will need
to play with far more discipline and limit
the penalties that have plagued them
this season.
Who wins? The Patriots are arguably
the best team in the NFL, the Ravens
talented but not at New England’s level
yet. Patriots, 30-Cowboys (4-3) at Giants (2-6)
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN
Line:Cowboys by 7^1 ⁄ 2
Cowboys’ keys: They will face a Giants
unit that looks very different from what
they saw in Week 1, highlighted by New
York rookie QB Daniel Jones. The Cow-
boys can capitalize on some of Jones’
turnover issues by taking away the
middle of the field and disguising cov-
erages and pressures.
Giants’ keys: They will need their O-
line, particularly Nate Solder and Mike
Remmers, to protect Jones. On de-
fense, CBs Deandre Baker, Grant Haley
and Sam Beal must prevent Dallas WR
Amari Cooper from running down the
field unimpeded.
Who wins?Unless the Cowboys play
down to the level of their opponent, it
shouldn’t be close. Cowboys, 33-Lines by BetMGM.comGame preview information compiled
from USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s
NFL team wire sites.NFL WEEK 9 GAME PREVIEWS