Game Preview.

There is no picture in sports that better visually depicts a rivalry as the one above.

UGA V is shown in action, almost taking a bite out of Auburn player Robert Baker.

So close.

Those two words also describe the series as well as any two words could. So close, indeed.

Georgia and Auburn will meet on Saturday for the 112th time. Auburn has won the game 53 times, while Georgia has won 50. Eight times in this series the game ended in a tie. Seems fitting somehow. Even the total points scored by each team in the series is extremely close.

In 1892, Georgia and Auburn met for the first time on the football field. As they prepare to battle again this week, the "South's Oldest Rivalry" has changed little. While the names are different year in and year out, the passion and the intensity will always be present.

This year has been a disappointing one for both teams. Different circumstances have brought them to this game, but the feeling that there could have been so much more is the same.

Georgia comes into the game with a record of 8-2. SEC and National Championship hopes have been laid to rest. The goal now is a simple one. Beat two of your oldest rivals and play on New Year's Day. The way the ball has bounced this year, that could be easier said than done.

Auburn sits at 5-5 and in slight disarray. Tony Franklin is gone. The offensive inconsistency is not. Was he just the scapegoat? Are there bigger problems lurking? Rumors abound that Coach Tuberville could be coaching his final games at Auburn.

A national TV audience is missing from this one, which is a rare thing in this series for the past few decades. The crowd at Auburn will be there. They will be loud. They will be ready for a fight. Which team will put their disappointments behind them and survive?

Georgia wins if....

The Defense means it when they say, "enough is enough."

After giving up 35 plus points again this past weekend, the Georgia defensive players called a players only meeting. The subject was a simple one. Every player needed to take responsibility for their assignments, and make plays. They stated that "Coach Martinez is not at fault." It is simply time that "we" execute to our ability and stop making mistakes.

Can the defense back up these words with a solid performance? Can they rise up and slow down Kodi Burns. If so, then indeed Georgia will win.

It sounds like the players have had enough. If they mean it, and if they execute, Georgia wins.

Knowshon tops the 100-yard mark.

Auburn is tough on defense. That fact rarely changes, and this year is no exception. If the Dawgs are to top the Tigers for a third straight year, they will need Knowshon to eclipse the 100-yard mark. Against the tough Auburn defense that won't be easy.

The balance of Georgia's offense works best when they run first, to setup the pass. Coach Bobo will look to get Knowshon in high gear on Saturday. If Knowshon is Knowshon on Saturday, the rest should take care if itself.

Georgia losses if...

Auburn hangs around and makes it close.

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