Georgia's 27-8 win over Florida came about as Saban predicted, but the defense did the work

Nick Saban said before kickoff that Kirby Smart would have Georgia ready for Florida. He got that part right. He was wrong about how Georgia would win. On ESPN's College GameDay, Saban picked Georgia's explosive offense as the deciding factor, pointing to an average of more than seven yards a play against a Florida defense that had given up big plays. In the 27-8 win in Atlanta, the defense decided it instead, as Georgia Bulldogs On SI pointed out after the game.

The No. 3 Bulldogs forced four turnovers from No. 17 Florida and outrushed the Gators 217-48, CBS Sports reported in its Associated Press game story. The biggest play came late in the first half. Quintavius Johnson sacked Tramell Jones Jr., who had come in for Florida at quarterback, and knocked the ball loose. Linebacker Chris Cole picked it up and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown. Smart called it "really a 14-point swing," because Florida had been driving to score, according to Georgia Bulldogs On SI. He also tied the turnovers to the pass rush. Florida couldn't run the ball, so it had to throw, and that let Georgia's front go after the quarterback.

The result gives Georgia six straight wins in the series. It also helps settle a team that had lost 27-24 to Auburn a week after winning 20-17 at Alabama. Smart tried to keep the win in proportion. He said every SEC game carries the same weight and that a loss would simply have sent Georgia into the Ole Miss game in a worse position. Florida falls to 5-3. The Gators have wins over Texas and Ole Miss, but they've lost three of their last four.

What it means for Saturday

Georgia (7-1) goes to Oxford on November 7 to play No. 12 Ole Miss on ABC. Georgia Bulldogs On SI noted that Ole Miss ended Georgia's last season with a game-ending field goal in the Sugar Bowl. Ole Miss also gives the Bulldogs a reference point. Florida beat the Rebels 52-28 in October, the same Florida team Georgia just held to 8 points. Georgia's offense has cooled lately, though. It scored 24 and 27 points in its last two games after topping 60 twice in September.

Georgia is favored on this site's game board, which tracks 12 venues. Novig has the Bulldogs at -163 on the moneyline and Ole Miss at +150. The spread is Georgia -3.5, priced at -100 on Novig. On the Ole Miss side, +3.5 is -111 on Novig and -108 at FanDuel, the best price available. The total is 56.5. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline ranges from 3.6% to 6.3%, so the venues are close but not identical.

Florida hosts Oklahoma the same day on SEC Network. Georgia beat the Sooners 41-13 in September. The Gators are favored on the Oklahoma-Florida board: -233 on Novig's moneyline and -6.5 on the spread. BetMGM has Oklahoma at +7 for -115, a half-point more than the other venues, and the total is 45.5. For Florida, that game comes down to whether its quarterbacks can protect the ball after a four-turnover game. For Georgia, the question is whether the defense that beat Florida can carry the team through a road game against a ranked opponent.