Georgia-Tennessee Is About Hate, Opportunity And A Test For College Football Playoff Committee | Trey Wallace

Before the season, we all had a feeling tonight’s game between Tennessee and Georgia was going to be pivotal. But the stakes for this one have increased over recent weeks as the college football playoff draws closer, along with the SEC title race.  

The history of these two teams runs deep, with a hatred that sits in the stomach of each group of fans that dates back to controversial endings, along with Hail Mary prayers being answered. But as we enter this matchup between the Vols and Dawgs, a spot in the postseason is hanging over the heads of these two teams like mistletoe at Christmas. 

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You could feel the buzz that was brewing, walking around campus on Friday, as College Gameday set up their stage for Saturday's broadcast. What folks didn’t project before we started the season was that there would be so many teams that had the potential to end the regular season with two SEC losses, sending chills down the spine of the folks working inside the conference office in Birmingham. 

Tennessee and Georgia will face off between the hedges tonight in Athens Via: Trey Wallace

While this game has a ‘playoff eliminator’ type of feel to it, some folks would disagree with that sentiment. I will say that Georgia certainly doesn't need to lose consecutive games for the first time since 2016, with the first loss coming against Ole Miss, and the second coming against Tennessee. 

Well, that sounds familiar, given that the Bulldogs were curb-stomped last week in Oxford. 

For fans in Athens the nerves are starting to creep up again. 

"We just haven't looked good on offense this season," Mark from Buford, Georgia told me on Friday outside of Sanford Stadium. "I'm a nervous wreck for this one, looking at how good the Tennessee defense is. The last thing I want to do is compliment that team in orange, but I think I speak for the Georgia fanbase when I say I'm nervous to see which Carson Beck we get tomorrow. 

"Don’t get me wrong, I expect to win. But I don’t have the same type of positivity as in years past."

Will Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava Play Against Georgia? Yes.

Coming off a game against Mississippi State that put him in concussion protocol, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava traveled with the team to Georgia on Friday and is expected to start, according to multiple sources. 

It's been a rollercoaster week for head coach Josh Heupel, as he watched his QB-1 go through the progressions to see if he would even be able to travel on Friday. But, after getting a few practices under his belt, along with an independent doctor clearing him, Tennessee will have its QB on Saturday night. 

It will be interesting to see how he is used, especially against a Georgia defensive line that has caused problems at times this season for opposing quarterbacks. 

College Football Playoff Implications On The Line In Athens

After Georgia took a tumble outside the top-12 in this week's college football playoff rankings, this has become a tricky game for Kirby Smart and the Dawgs. When you look at the running back situation for Georgia, it's bleak. Trevor Etienne was ruled out this week, and the Tennessee defensive line has proven to be a problem this season for opposing teams. 

Let's be honest, as much as the SEC office would go to bat for the Dawgs if they were to catch their third loss of the season, I find it hard to believe that the playoff committee would put them over teams that are in the Top-15. The point is, for the first time in a long time, Kirby Smart might find himself out of the playoff conversation if Tennessee strolls into Athens and beats Georgia. 

Even if he doesn't want to discuss it with his team, Kirby Smart had a clear message on Friday for the college football playoff committee regarding the argument surrounding strength of schedule during an appearance with Pat McAfee. 

"I don’t know how much the committee values it," Kirby Smart mentioned. "They’re looking, I think, through a sample size of — they’re looking at the game on the TV. They’re not at the stadium, hearing the crowd noise, knowing the atmosphere that you’re playing in. It’s very different when you play on the road in our league, I think compared to some other leagues it’s tougher."

But this is what you get with the new 12-team playoff system, especially with a conference that is top-loaded with 2-loss teams that are all fighting for a spot in the postseason, along with the conference title game. 

NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 21: Tennessee Volunteers QB Nico Iamaleava (08) looks for an open receiver during a game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma on September 21, 2024. (Photo by David Stacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

As for Tennessee, they are in a very interesting spot, with the loss to Arkansas still hanging over its head right now. Losing this game would mean they grab their second loss, with games against UTEP and Vanderbilt left on the schedule. While its playoff chances would not come to an end, they would need some help to make the postseason. But, judging by how this 2024 season has gone, I don’t think that's out of the realm of possibilities, at least to one Tennessee fan. 

"Let's say we lose by a touchdown or 10 points. Is the committee going to hold that against us when we already have a win over Alabama?," Thomas from Orlando, Florida told me on Friday, wearing an orange hoodie outside Sanford Stadium. "I get that our offense has been dysfunctional at times, but our defense is one of the best in the country. Who has Indiana beaten this season? If the lose to Ohio State next weekend, the committee better ship them out of contention."

The mood around this game has been tense since the start of the week, and it will only get crazier as kickoff approaches. There is so much on the line tonight in Athens, outside the regular hatred that these two teams have for each other. 

A big conference game in November is exactly what we love about this sport. So bring on the chaos tonight between the hedges.