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The five players who are going to win the game for Georgia

Tyson Campbell: Given how talented Deebo Samuel is, he’s going to be a problem wherever he lines up on the field. With Deandre Baker locking up one side of the field, expect to see the freshman cornerback Tyson Campbell have to defend Samuel a good bit, whether he be on the outside or in the slot.

Samuel is a problem for a lot of talented defenders, let alone those who are true freshmen. Campbell started against Austin Peay and he played pretty well. He’ll need to do so again against one of the nation’s best wide receivers and playmakers if Georgia is going to pick up another win.

D’Andre Swift: Georgia will be without running back James Cook in the first half, as he will be suspended due to the targeting penalty he picked up at the end of the Austin Peay game. This means that D’Andre Swift will have a slightly bigger load to carry heading into South Carolina.

Swift found the endzone in week 1 and he was used sparingly against Austin Peay. Georgia has rushed for an average of 284 yards in its last two games against South Carolina and for that trend to continue, Swift will have to have a big game.

Jonathan Ledbetter: Much has been made about South Carolina’s improved rushing attack. Senior defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter, provided that he plays, will play a big role in slowing that down.

According to reports, Ledbetter sprained his ankle in practice and was seen practicing with an aircast on Wednesday. The Bulldogs don’t have great depth behind Ledbetter, so if he is able to play and play well, it will be a huge relief for the Georgia defensive front.

Demetris Robertson: Much has been made of Samuel in the run-up to the game, especially after his comments made earlier in the week. But Georgia has a receiver that’s as equally electrifying as Samuel and that’s the sophomore wide receiver Demetris Robertson.

Robertson only had one touch against Austin Peay. He took it 72 yards for a touchdown. Look for Georgia to try and get him the ball a bit more this week to really test an unproven South Carolina defense. You don’t let a Ferrari like Robertson just sit in the garage.

Rodrigo Blankenship: Much has been made about how Georgia is going to slow down Samuel when he’s on offense. But Samuel is also a big problem on special teams as well, as he returned two kicks for touchdowns last season.

That’s why it’s very important for junior kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to just kick the ball away from Samuel. Last week Blankenship went a perfect 8-for-8 on touchbacks. And if he can do that again, Georgia coach Kirby Smart should be very happy.

Brad Nessler downplays South Carolina environment

South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium is one of the most raucous environments in all of college football. Between Sandstorm and that obnoxious chicken noise, it can be a lot for opposing teams to handle.

But Georgia has been preparing for this all week, and the Bulldogs played in a number of big environments last season.

And it’s because of that experience that CBS Sports’ Brad Nessler doesn’t think Georgia will be overwhelmed by South Carolina’s atmosphere.

“Jake’s(Fromm) come a long way as far as the quarterback situation,” Nessler said on DawgNation Daily on Thursday. “The rest of the guys have been in huge games, SEC title game, the Oklahoma game and the national title game. I don’t think it’ll have that great of an impact though it does make the hair on your arms rise up a little bit.”

Nessler did also praise the pre-game atmosphere at Williams-Brice Stadium and he expects it to be a really fun game come Saturday. Nessler will be calling the game along with Gary Danielson for CBS. The game will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Picks for week 2

Alright so after last week, where I went 0-6 against the spread, things can’t possibly go any worse. We’ve got another five picks along with the Georgia game to make. And as I told you last week, please don’t actually put any money on these picks.

  • No. 3 Georgia at No. 24 South Carolina, 3:30 p.m., CBS: A lot of people are picking South Carolina as a trendy upset pick. I however am not. Other than maybe wide receiver, South Carolina doesn’t have a noticeable advantage over Georgia at any position. And that’s why I like Georgia. Georgia(-10) 41, South Carolina 17
  • No. 18 Mississippi State at Kansas State, Noon, ESPN: This is Joe Moorhead’s first big game and it will also be Nick Fitzgerald’s first of the year. That inexperience will make it close game than it should be, but Mississippi State will prevail. Mississippi State 27, Kansas State 21(+8)
  • No. 2 Clemson at Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m., ESPN: Dabo Swinney and Jimbo Fisher have a history together and with one notable exception, these games are usually close. Fisher’s familarity keeps it tight, but Clemson’s talent puts them over the top. Clemson 34, Texas A&M(+12) 24
  • Kentucky at No. 25 Florida, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network: Florida has beaten Kentucky straight times. But this Florida team shouldn’t be a two touchdown over anyone, let alone a sneaky good Kentucky team. Florida 20, Kentucky(+14) 10
  • No. 10 Stanford at No. 17 USC, 8:30 p.m., Fox: Stanford didn’t run the ball well against San Diego State, but the Cardinal thrived in every other aspect of the game. Look for Bryce Love to have a bounce back game and USC freshman quarterback JT Daniels to struggle against Stanford’s defense. Stanford(-6) 38, USC 21
  • No. 15 Michigan State at Arizona State, 10:45 p.m., ESPN: Michigan State struggled in it’s opener. Meanwhile Arizona State cruised in its debut. Maybe it’s because I want Herm Edwards to succeed, but give me Arizona State in an upset. Arizona State(+6) 34, Michigan State 28

Season long record: 0-6(Against the Spread)

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