Ahead of Auburn's rivalry game against Georgia, here's what some of our staff has to say about the game, complete with score predictions and analysis.
Jacob Waters, Sports Editor: Georgia 31-10
"Auburn's back at home after a rough loss on the road against Texas A&M, but unfortunately for the Tigers, they have to face the No. 1 team in the country. Georgia's had Auburn's number since the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs during the 2017 regular season, beating Auburn six straight times since then, and I expect Georgia to extend that streak to seven.
The path I see that could lead to an Auburn win is if Georgia quarterback Carson Beck crumbles in his first road start, but I think Beck is a great QB with plenty of weapons in Brock Bowers, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Dominic Lovett and Rara Thomas. I think Georgia might have a slow start through the first quarter, allowing Auburn's defense to keep the Tigers in the game for a little bit, but eventually starts to pull away. There are too many question marks or injuries surrounding each offensive position group, and while the energy in Jordan-Hare Stadium keeps it close for the first half, the offense never gets rolling — pushing Auburn to an 0-2 start in the SEC."
Matthew Wallace, Assistant Sports Editor: Georgia 34-13
"Auburn is still two or three years away from competing with the likes of Georgia. Since 2006, Auburn has lost to Georgia in 15 of 18 meetings. What was once a five-game edge for Auburn in the series has turned into a seven-game series deficit in that timespan, and Georgia currently leads the rivalry 63-56-8.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is making his first road start, meaning some early jitters could result in a good start for Auburn, maybe even a lead. However, the talent Georgia has both offensively and defensively will be too much for the Tigers and the Bulldogs should pull away in the second half. The good news for Auburn is next week is a bye week, allowing the Tigers to heal up and reassess its team. After the off week, Auburn should be a more competitive program."
Grace Heim, Sports Reporter: Georgia 35-6
"The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry has not looked much like a rivalry in the past ten years, with Georgia defeating Auburn in nine of their last 10 matchups on the field. Auburn is coming off a loss to Texas A&M in its SEC opener, and unfortunately for the Tigers, SEC play is not going to get any easier in the upcoming weeks.
I expect Georgia’s offense to get a slow start to the game as they have struggled early in games so far, scoring a combined 17 points in the first quarter of its first four games this season. Auburn’s defense will keep them in the game early, but once Carson Beck and the Bulldog offense get rolling, the Tigers are not going to be able to put enough points on the scoreboard to keep up. The Tigers have yet to reveal an offensive game that makes me think they can stick with a dominant Georgia team.”
Tyler Raley, Sports Writer: Georgia 38-10
"Auburn returns home to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday following its loss at Texas A&M in its SEC opener. The down side of this: the conference schedule is not getting any easier, as the Tigers welcome the Georgia Bulldogs to town, who have been on a high against Auburn ever since the 40-17 loss in 2017. Georgia's explosive second-half offense will put Auburn's strong defense to the test, just as the Aggies did last Saturday.
Falling in line with the common trend this season, I look for this rivalry game to be scrappy in the first quarter and early second. Auburn's offense has consistently taken some time to get a feel for the game, while Georgia has been struggling to dominate in the first quarter. The Bulldog offense, led by both Carson Beck and Brock Bowers, will find their groove with their numerous scoring threats and cunning offensive scheme. While the atmosphere in Jordan-Hare may assist a little bit, it will not be able to help the Tigers the entire game. The uncertainty around the durability of the offense will show, giving Georgia the win and Auburn an 0-2 SEC start."
Alexa Gardner, Sports Writer: Georgia 35-10
"The Georgia Bulldogs are traveling down to Auburn looking to continue their win streak in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Bulldogs have won nine of the last 10 against Auburn and the defending national champs are expected to continue this trend. Auburn is coming back from a tough loss to the Texas A&M Aggies in which the offense struggled to find the end zone.
This season, both offenses have struggled to get going in the first quarter with Auburn being scoreless in the first for the last three games and Georgia having a combined total of 17 points in the first quarter for the season. With this game being Carson Beck's first on the road, I think this trend with continue. While Auburn's offense is a work in progress, I think the defense is going to keep them in this game, but it won't last long. I predict the Georgia offense will overpower the Tiger's defense and give the Bulldogs the coveted rivalry win."
Emily Porch, Sports Writer: Georgia 34-13
"Traveling to The Plains for its first road trip of the season, Georgia is aiming to extend its win streak over the injury-riddled Auburn Tigers to seven. Auburn looked unsteady against a solid Texas A&M Aggies squad last weekend, the defense being key to keeping the Tigers in the game until A&M pulled away with 21 points in the second half to seal the win.
With the Bulldogs being slow to start games this season, especially in the first quarter, Auburn's offense needs to find a way to put points on the board early and give the defense a chance to stifle the best team in the nation. However, with quarterback Carson Beck's 1,184 passing yards and the many talented targets he has to choose from, the Bulldogs will not stay quiet for long. Even though Jordan-Hare is going to be rocking for The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, I foresee the Georgia offense pulling away from the Tigers in the second half to hand Auburn its second SEC loss in as many games."
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