Georgia favored to blow out Georgia Tech amid college football’s so-called ‘Rivalry Week’

Georgia football will get a break from the cold weather and a grueling SEC schedule with Georgia Tech coming to town as a 33-point underdog.

Coach Kirby Smart has won four in a row in what has become a lopsided series, with UGA winning 17 of the last 20. The Bulldogs have won by an average count of 45-8.75 over the past four years, including last season’s 45-0 romp in Atlanta.

The extended forecast for Sanford Stadium next Saturday calls for 60-degree weather and sunny skies, as Smart’s senior class looks to set a school record for most wins by a senior group in the noon kickoff (TV: ESPN) in Athens.

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“I don’t know a lot about them,” Smart said Saturday night after his team secured their No. 1 ranking with a 16-6 win at Kentucky. “Obviously, we broke them down a lot in the offseason …. I respect the rivalry.”

Key worked three years at Alabama (2016-2018) as the Tide’s offensive line coach before coming to Georgia Tech with Collins as assistant head coach and run game coordinator, in addition to his offensive line duties.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Brent,” Smart said. “I know Brent well, I’ve known him for a long time.”

The Yellow Jackets will be playing for bowl eligibility, looking to play in the postseason for the first time since the 2018 team went 7-6 and lost to Minnesota 34-10 in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, hope to avoid the outcome they had in 2019 when D’Andre Swift suffered a shoulder injury against Georgia Tech and then-freshman George Pickens was ejected after a scuffle. Swift was limited and Pickens was suspended for the first half of the SEC Championship Game against LSU the following week, a 37-10 loss.

This will be the first time Georgia plays host to Georgia Tech in Athens since 2020. The game that season was canceled on account of the SEC limiting its regular season to conference games on account of the Covid pandemic.

Other SEC betting lines released on Sunday:

Mississippi State at Ole Miss (-3)

Arkansas (-5) at Missouri

Florida at Florida State (-9)

South Carolina at Clemson (-16)

Louisville at Kentucky (-3)

Auburn at Alabama (-21)

LSU (-9) at Texas A&M

Tennessee (-14) at Vanderbilt