The national pundits keep comparing national rankings for both teams which would clearly give Georgia the advantage in pretty much every area. However, I think Georgia hasn’t really been tested yet. They’ve played an easier schedule. So it makes it difficult to do a fair comparison.
Here’s what I find encouraging. Mizzou and Georgia have played 3 common opponents .. Vanderbilt, Kentucky and So Carolina. Missouri played both Vanderbilt and Kentucky on the road. Georgia played only Vanderbilt on the road. I know that you can’t read too much into any single game, but I think that 3 games begins to give you somewhat of a baseline.
In those 3 games, Missouri beat its opponents by a combined score of 110-54. Georgia beat the same opponents 112-47. The other thing to consider is that Missouri’s offense slept through the first two games, whether intentional or not. Since then, our offense has become a lot more dynamic. It’s not the same offense that it was at the beginning of the season. Yet those numbers are still reflected in the national rankings.
What’s more is that Georgia had Bowers, who was their best offensive weapon, for both Kentucky and So Carolina .. but he won’t be playing against us. Bowers didn’t play against Vanderbilt. And Beck, who averages 334 yards passing per game, threw for only 261 yards, 6.7 ypa for a 133 QB rating. All 3 were the lowest of any game he’s played this year. They also scored only 37 points against Vanderbilt, which is the worst defense in the SEC and has given up 38 ppg on average to SEC opponents. That tells me that Bower’s loss has maybe had a significant impact on their offense.
I know Georgia is the more talented team overall. But these numbers suggest to me that the difference between the two teams may not be nearly as lop-sided as the national rankings might suggest.
Here’s what I find encouraging. Mizzou and Georgia have played 3 common opponents .. Vanderbilt, Kentucky and So Carolina. Missouri played both Vanderbilt and Kentucky on the road. Georgia played only Vanderbilt on the road. I know that you can’t read too much into any single game, but I think that 3 games begins to give you somewhat of a baseline.
In those 3 games, Missouri beat its opponents by a combined score of 110-54. Georgia beat the same opponents 112-47. The other thing to consider is that Missouri’s offense slept through the first two games, whether intentional or not. Since then, our offense has become a lot more dynamic. It’s not the same offense that it was at the beginning of the season. Yet those numbers are still reflected in the national rankings.
What’s more is that Georgia had Bowers, who was their best offensive weapon, for both Kentucky and So Carolina .. but he won’t be playing against us. Bowers didn’t play against Vanderbilt. And Beck, who averages 334 yards passing per game, threw for only 261 yards, 6.7 ypa for a 133 QB rating. All 3 were the lowest of any game he’s played this year. They also scored only 37 points against Vanderbilt, which is the worst defense in the SEC and has given up 38 ppg on average to SEC opponents. That tells me that Bower’s loss has maybe had a significant impact on their offense.
I know Georgia is the more talented team overall. But these numbers suggest to me that the difference between the two teams may not be nearly as lop-sided as the national rankings might suggest.
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