It’s a top-10 matchup in the SEC as No. 9 Georgia plays host to No. 5 Ole Miss in a game that will have major ramifications in the SEC title race as well as the College Football Playoff. It could be argued this game is something of a must-win for the Bulldogs, since they’ve already lost a conference game against Alabama. A second loss in SEC play would make it difficult for the Dawgs to climb to the top two and reach the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
If that were to happen it would be the first time Georgia didn’t play in the game since 2020, and only the second time in the last nine seasons.
A win for Ole Miss would give the Rebels an inside track to their first ever appearance in the game. They’re already 3-0 in conference play, and given what’s left on their schedule, they’d have a good shot of getting through conference play with only one loss.
Georgia vs. Ole Miss: Need to know
Georgia has been outscored in the first half of three of four SEC games: Slow starts are becoming the norm for the Bulldogs in conference play. They’ve been outscored 62-55 in the first half of their four games, and trailed at halftime against Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn. The good news for the Dawgs is they’ve outscored SEC teams 59-24 after halftime to overcome two of those three deficits. Still, you have to think Kirby Smart would like to see his team get off to better starts.
The Rebels are running hot against top-10 teams: Ole Miss has won three straight games against top-10 opponents, which is the second-longest streak in school history (they won four straight in 1969). That includes a win a few weeks ago against then-No. 4 LSU as well as last year’s win over then No. 3 Georgia. However, the Rebels are 0-12 lifetime when facing a ranked Georgia team on the road.
Georgia owns October: Losing in October just isn’t something the Dawgs do. They’ve won 17 straight October games, which is the longest October win streak in the country. Their last lost during the month was against Alabama back in the 2020 season.
Where to watch Georgia vs. Ole Miss live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Stadium — Athens, Georgia
TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)
Georgia vs. Ole Miss prediction, picks
I don’t have a great feel for this one overall. If you want to get really creative based on how trends have worked in Georgia games this year, take Ole Miss in the first half and Georgia in the third quarter. Maybe even parlay it. For a more traditional play, I’d argue taking Georgia and the points. So far in SEC play home teams have gone 14-6-1 against the spread, and Ole Miss has not had much success at Sanford Stadium. Pick: Georgia -7.5
SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 8 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see all the picks, all from the model that is 39-27 since the beginning of last season on top-rated money-line and over/under picks.
Add Comment