The Southern Line
Georgia hosts Auburn after Alabama trip, with Bowens' status uncertain
Unbeaten No. 1 Georgia hosts Auburn a week after facing Alabama. The Tigers will be without linebacker Xavier Atkins, and Georgia's Chauncey Bowens is uncertain.
Top-ranked Georgia goes from one rival straight to another. The Bulldogs played Alabama in Tuscaloosa last Saturday and host Auburn this Saturday. In a Wednesday column, SB Nation's DawgSports pointed out the irony. Auburn worked with the SEC office in recent years to change its schedule so it would no longer face Georgia and Alabama in consecutive weeks. Now Georgia is the team with that back-to-back stretch.
The matchup heads to Athens, where it has gone Georgia's way for a long time. DawgSports noted that Auburn's last win at Sanford Stadium came in 2005. The last time the Tigers scored more than two touchdowns there was 2009. The column described Auburn as a team still developing under coach Alex Golesh, one that appears to be counting on improvement later in the season. It also argued that Georgia might face more upset risk if the game were still played in November.
Auburn will be shorthanded on defense. Linebacker Xavier Atkins, one of the Tigers' top defenders, is out this week. Atkins has three sacks this season, and his absence takes away one of Auburn's main sources of pressure against Georgia's offensive line.
The rivalry also picked up a recruiting angle this week. Georgia flipped three-star cornerback Nash Johnson, who had been committed to Auburn, during game week.
Georgia has its own concerns at running back. Chauncey Bowens has been the Bulldogs' go-to option in the red zone, but DawgSports called his status uncertain at best. Whether he dresses may not be known until Saturday. Against Alabama, Dwight Phillips Jr., Bo Walker and Nick Peal combined to carry the run game. The column questioned whether any of them can match Bowens near the goal line, especially for an offense that has struggled in short-yardage situations. Nate Frazier also remains unavailable. If that continues, the current group may be what Georgia has going forward. The column said that if the offense keeps producing without missing a beat, it may be "Mike Bobo's finest work."
Georgia (6-0) hosts Auburn (3-2) at 3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday on ESPN. The market expects a lopsided game. Georgia is favored at -1011 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and is a 20.5-point favorite on the spread. The total sits at 49.5. Among sportsbooks, the best price on Georgia is -1400 at BetMGM. Full prices are on the Auburn at Georgia odds page.
Alabama also faces a tough follow-up. The No. 6 Crimson Tide (5-1) visit No. 14 Tennessee (5-1) at the same 3:30 p.m. EDT kickoff on ABC. Alabama is favored at -317 on Novig, with the Volunteers getting 9.5 points and a total of 51.5. The best sportsbook price on Alabama is -320 at theScore Bet. Details are on the Alabama at Tennessee odds page.
