Auburn V. Georgia: Who Ya Got?

It definitely goes without saying, but yes, it's that time of year again.  The Oldest Rivalry in the South is only days away and though neither Auburn nor Georgia are exactly gleaming from the national spotlight, this one's about as good as it gets. 

It's been run into the ground already how each program is seemingly headed in different directions, with Auburn going the "right" way, and UGA? Well, you know.  On the surface, this looks to be an accurate statement.  But let's delve deeper into the subject, shall we?

While the Tigers' current record of 7-3 has fans optimistic (for now), many are still smarting from the 0-3 slump after a 5-0 start (this guy included).  The fact that two of those opponents were heavy underdogs to the Tigers didn't help.  The fact that the high octane offense barely got out of the garage might have been even worse.  The fact that the usually stout Tiger D didn't really show up against Arkansas and LSU was by far my scariest reality.

So, now Auburn is coming off a solid, well-needed win against a ranked Ole Miss and a glorified scrimmage beatdown of Furman.  Fans, myself included, are breathing a little easier these days and are optimistic about Saturday's meeting.  Is the optimism coming from the last two impressive wins, or the fact that UGA is struggling to stay afloat?

I say both.  With the Dawgs' recent woes, it's easy to go ahead and write them off; blame the coaching staff, players, guy selling cokes on the concourse, etc.  But if you look at who has beaten Georgia this year, maybe things aren't so bad. Two of the losses came from conference foes that just happen to be ranked 1 and 8 in the BCS rankings, respectively.  The loss to Tennessee is looking less and less embarrassing as the Vols are coming on strong.  Oklahoma State, while playing arguably somewhat weaker competition, is still 7-2. 

So, are the programs headed in different directions? No.  Mark Richt has been successful too long to think the program is on its way down.  Conversely, Gene Chizik has not been successful enough as a head coach to predict that Auburn will be a consistent 10 win team for years to come the way the Bulldogs have.  It's as simple as that to me, but I thoroughly enjoy seeing thing in the simplest terms available. 

Auburn fans might need to check their confidence at the door, because the Dawgs certainly have alot of firepower.  A.J. Greene and company could very well have a field day against the smaller, less experienced, and certainly younger Auburn secondary.  The corners have established themselves as game and able to hold their own.  The safeties?  Not so much. 

True freshman Darren Bates has shown some definite signs of becoming a stud, but he looks now to be more of a run stopper, a guy the coaches tell to just find the ball.  He is 5' 11", 195, but A.J. Greene is 6'4'' and has been playing on this level a little longer than 9 weeks.

It may be hard to believe, but Bates is the veteran of the starting safety corps this weekend.  While Demond Washington may be a JUCO transfer, he's hardly versed in the ways of being the quarertback of the secondary.  Matter of fact, last week's Furman game was his first time at the position...ever.  He's played some corner and been in on some nickel situations, but never played safety.  Being at Jordan-Hare starting in the homecoming game is hardly solid preparation for making your second start in Athens, at night, with Greene and co. running deep routes.

Much has been said of the trouble of the UGA defense, with Willie Martinez taking most of the heat.  There could be something to this, and I think this weekend will go a long way in answering the numerous questions the Dawg Nation has. 

Auburn's offense is far, and I mean far, from where they would like to be.  However, there's no denying the potential for it to score quickly, and often.  With Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery emerging from the formerly unseen receiving corps, Ben Tate's tough running, and the playmaking ability of Mario Fannin the Tigers should be hoping to get things rolling early and quiet the hostile dawg fan's. 

On paper, the Auburn O/UGA D matchup does not bode well for the Dawgs. But, that's paper.  And like most rivalries, paper matchups might as well be recycled. Since things usually don't go according to plan in this game, it'll be a low scoring, defensive battle. 

My prediction: AU 27                                                                                                        

                   UGA 21

Programs in opposite directions? NO                                                                               

Seasons in opposite direction?  YES