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Georgia, George … uh? Many issues are on the minds of bettors as the national runner-up No. 7 Bulldogs take on border rival No. 9 Florida in the annual "cocktail party" Saturday in Jacksonville (CBS, 2:30 p.m.).
● Was Georgia just arrogant and flat in its surprisingly one-sided loss at No. 4 LSU two weeks ago? Was it clear that the 2018 Bulldogs are overrated? That was not a nail-biter. The touchdown favorites were soundly defeated 36-16, getting outgained 475-322 on 5.9 to 5.0 yards-per-play. The Bulldogs also turned the ball over four times.
● Will Georgia be the next to improve the team? Starter Jake Fromm does not appear to have progressed since the last season, when the team was running deep. Next in line is hotly recruited Justin Fields. No. 3 Our Lady took a big step forward when it benched Brandon Wimbush for Ian Book. No. 2 Clemson does not regret going with Trevor Lawrence over Kelly Bryant. Georgia can not lose another game if it wants to chase those teams down for a commitment to the final four.
● Is Georgia's defense actually the trouble that's going to keep the Bulldogs from even winning the SEC East? Only the worst college defenses should allow near 500 yards to LSU's conservative offense. 85th nationally in total offense. New Florida head coach Dan Mullen has installed some play-calling wrinkles and had a bye week to prepare. Georgia only has five stars back from the unit that bullied Florida 42-7 in 2017.
Maybe Georgia is just another Oklahoma … one bad game (Texas), but then an explosion soon after at TCU. Now, Georgia could be Ohio State. Early Defensive Issues Against TCU and Penn State Foreshadowed Last Saturday Night's Debacle at Purdue.
Betting markets are still showing respect to Georgia, with a point spread towards a top 10 ranked opponent. Sharps are betting underdog Florida whenever the full +7 is in play.
Handicappers typically have solid team evaluations in place by the final Saturday in October. With Georgia, LSU monkey wrench makes this a much tougher call. What if Georgia learned its lesson about a large number of national TVs, and is it ready to make a statement in front of a huge national TV audience? What if current Georgia skeptics are right … a quarterback switch to Ignited Fields a big second half? Maybe the secret to nailing this pick actually lies on the other sideline. Florida beat LSU 27-19 in a clean stat win. Does Coach Mullen already have his Gators program in championship form?
At the very least, grab a cocktail and enjoy the game. What You Learn Saturday afternoon should answer Georgia's question marks heading into the final month of the regular season and beyond.
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