The University of Tennessee is set to host the University of Georgia on Saturday as they renew one of the most storied rivalries in the SEC. The mere mention of this matchup conjures up memories of hobnail boots, helpless defenders being having the misfortune of meeting Herschel Walker in the open field, and Josh Dobbs’ perfectly thrown Hail Mary. It would also be malpractice if I didn’t mention the collapse in Neyland Stadium on October 10, 2015, when Georgia saw a 24-3 lead evaporate in a 38-31 loss (I listened to Bob Kesling, the greatest CFB play-by-play man of all time, call that game). Needless to say, this rivalry has produced some wild finishes and historic moments.
Despite this rich history, however, this rivalry has been all Georgia in recent years. The Bulldogs boast 8 straight wins in this series, with Tennessee’s last win being in 2016. For context, the US President the last time Tennessee won this game was Barack Obama. The number one song at the time was “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey. This writer was a 14 year old kid. In a word, dominance.
Being dominated by Georgia is not unique to the Volunteers. Since Tennessee’s last win in this series, Florida has only beaten Georgia twice (one of those games being just a few weeks later in 2016). Georgia Tech has only beaten them once (also in 2016). Georgia has been to the playoffs 4 times, appeared in 7 SEC Championship games, won the SEC 3 times, appeared in 3 national championships, and won 2 National Championships since that last loss to Tennessee. Again, pure dominance. They boast a robust 97-14 overall record since that season, only having a losing record to Alabama in that span and having knocked off teams such as Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Texas. Entering year 10 under Kirby Smart, things have never been better.
For the home team things have not been as smooth, but Tennessee has managed to vastly improve their image under head coach Josh Heupel. Since 2022, they are 4-2 against Alabama and Florida, teams they greatly struggled to beat in the preceding two decades. They have a strong defensive identity and an offense they can be proud of, two things that eluded them for many years after the firing of Phillip Fulmer and the hasty departure of Lane Kiffin. Gone are the days of Tennessee being the butt of all the jokes as Jeremy Pruitt finds a way to collapse against Georgia State in Neyland Stadium. The McDonald’s bags are a distant memory. Tennessee is a serious year-in, year-out playoff contender.
Preview
This game is the first true test of what Joey Aguilar can be for this Tennessee offense. Josh Heupel’s scheme is designed to make things easy on the QB. A lot of RPOs; you either hand it off or hit a wide open guy. It is very simple and QB friendly. It does not usually result in a lot of turnovers. Joey Aguilar, however, is a pure gunslinger. He turned the ball over a lot at Appalachian State. If this Georgia defense can clog up the running lanes, can Aguilar beat them? Georgia runs twice as much man coverage against Tennessee as they do against anyone else (per PFF). There is a world where the Georgia defense frustrates the Tennessee offense to the point that Aguilar tries to fit some passes into some windows he should not and things get ugly. Tennessee will need to get in an early rhythm running the ball to take the pressure off of Aguilar. It is tough to see a path to victory for Tennessee if Aguilar is forced to play hero ball against Kirby Smart’s hungry defense.
Georgia has faced Marshall and Austin Peay so far in 2025. We know absolutely nothing about the quality of this offense. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has only started three games prior to this Saturday in Neyland Stadium. It will be by far the loudest place and toughest environment he’s ever played in. How does he respond? We saw what he was made of in last year’s conference championship game, but this is a different test entirely. This Tennessee defense looks to be stout, although they did give up 26 to a Syracuse team that scored just 27 in an OT game vs UCONN. This means that the two biggest unknowns in the matchup will be on the field at the same time. Ladies and gentlemen, things will be learned this Saturday in Neyland Stadium.
Prediction
You cannot keep a good man down forever. This does not apply to programs. You can keep those down for as long as you would like. Tennessee is the exception. Georgia is a touchdown favorite in their building, but I’m taking the Vols to win outright. I’m buying what I’ve seen so far out of Tennessee. I think they do just enough to get the win. 27-24
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