Tailgate Debate: Who has more at stake in Georgia
USA TODAY Sports' Dan Uthman and Jesse Yomtov reprise their weekly Saturday morning debate on the biggest games around the nation.
Week 3 of the 2014 college football season provides plenty of story lines. Let's answer some lingering questions heading into the day's slate of games:
Yomtov: Good morning Dan! Today's slate is short on big-time matchups, but let's start off talking about the one game between ranked teams. No. 23 South Carolina hosts No. 6 Georgia in a fixture that has major implications in the SEC and potentially on the College Football Playoff picture.
The Gamecocks are already 0-1 in conference play and a loss could really bury them. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are riding high and thinking about a spot in the Playoff. Which team do you think is under more pressure to win this one in Columbia?
Uthman: It's South Carolina. Not that Georgia doesn't have huge stakes to play for, but it's Week 3, and a loss doesn't end all of Georgia's hope, it just diminishes it. A loss for the Gamecocks means 1-2 and 0-2 in the SEC with Missouri coming to town in two weeks and games ahead at Auburn, Florida and Clemson.
Georgia was the fourth and final team in our first Playoff Projection, and Todd Gurley moved into the lead spot in Bovada's Heisman odds on Thursday. People are believing in the Bulldogs. But I am curious to see how Gamecocks defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward and his players approach this game.
They hurried East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden seven times in a 33-23 win last week, but you wonder if they can afford to set their sights on Georgia's Hutson Mason with the force that lurks behind him the backfield. South Carolina allowed more than 6 yards per rush to East Carolina. Gurley averaged more than double that vs. Clemson. That's serious pressure on the Gamecocks.
Jesse, Rutgers-Penn State tonight doesn't involve a ranked team, but perhaps no game can outrank it in terms of storylines. How do you think Rutgers will respond to a sellout setting in its first Big Ten game compared to that of Penn State, which is playing its first game in three years with postseason possibility in the future?
James Franklin and Penn State had their postseason eligibility restored this week.(Photo: Matthew O'Haren, USA TODAY Sports)
Yomtov: It's indescribable how amped up Penn State must be for this one. All of a sudden the Nittany Lions are playing for something tangible and truly have the talent to make an impact in the Big Ten East, which looks wide-open after last week. If the postseason possibility wasn't enough, Penn State has plenty of bulletin board material for tonight as Rutgers coach Kyle Flood has called them 'the team from Pennsylvania.'
There's no denying the significance of Rutgers' Big Ten debut, but this is the fourth time I can recall since 2006 that a game has been the 'most important game' in school history. The Scarlet Knights might have as much motivation as Penn State, but they're just not good enough to beat a Penn State team giving up 46.5 yards per game on the ground.
The Nittany Lions have been a bit of an afterthought since the sanctions were imposed but with the veil lifted, tonight in Piscataway could be sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg's coming-out party. He leads the Big Ten with 386.5 yards per game, though he has thrown four interceptions already this season. Rutgers' secondary was exposed in Week 1, letting Washington State's Connor Halliday complete 40 of 56 passes for 532 yards. Hackenberg could have a field day.
Let's head to AT&T Stadium, where No. 12 UCLA faces a Texas team that was humiliated at home by BYU last week. The Bruins are 2-0, but haven't looked like like the Pac-12 contender many thought they would be in 2014. The offense was bad against Virginia and the defense was bad against Memphis. Brett Hundley has been sacked nine times. Dan, are these just early-season blips for UCLA or is there reason for concern heading into the last game before conference play?
UCLA's Brett Hundley has been sacked nine times in the first two games.(Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)
Uthman: UCLA has a nice mix of veteran and youthful talent, but its start is understandable considering the preseason attention it received. UCLA as a tenant of the national contender neighborhood is new and fresh.
But the Bruins are more than hype. Despite lacking pass protection at times, Brett Hundley leads the Pac-12 in passing yards per game (319) and completion percentage (69). UCLA's receivers are fast and reliable. The defense, I would argue, has as many playmakers as any in the country. Eric Kendricks, who is playing like an all-American. Owa Ozigiwua, who looks like a future NFL pass rusher. Myles Jack, who shows something new every week. The entire secondary is impressive. And we should remember, the final TD allowed vs. Memphis was a result of the offense.
Texas is looking to avoid back-to-back 1-2 starts for the first time in more than 20 years, but I think it's going to be disappointed. UCLA is going to live up to the hype eventually, and I think eventually comes today.
There are a bunch of other matchups I'm looking forward to, such as East Carolina at Virginia Tech, West Virginia at Maryland, Minnesota at TCU and Nebraska at Fresno State. But what are you looking for out of Tennessee at No. 3 Oklahoma, where the promise of youth meets a bunch of players who have proven themselves over time?
Tennessee's Jalen Hurd is averaging 3.3 yards per carry.(Photo: Randy Sartin,USA TODAY Sports)
Yomtov: Tennessee is three-touchdown underdogs in this game, but it's an important building block for the rest of the season and the coming years. Butch Jones brought in one of the strongest recruiting classes in the nation and 22 true freshmen have already played for the Volunteers this season.
The key here is for the youngsters to gain experience and confidence heading into the brutal SEC schedule. Highly-touted running back Jalen Hurd leads the team in carries team and while his 3.6 ypc isn't particularly impressive, the 6-3, 227-freshman is gaining the tough yards. He has a tall task against Oklahoma's physical front seven but even if he doesn't have a good game, it's a teaching moment for him.
I'd also like to see freshman wide receiver Josh Malone get some more targets, which he should with Von Pearson out. One of the top recruits in the country, Malone can stretch the defense and I expect him to get some chances downfield with the Volunteers likely to be playing from behind.
After tonight, Tennessee still has five games left against teams that are currently ranked. They probably won't pull the upset in Norman, but the team is going to get better every week and we shouldn't be surprised if the Volunteers give their SEC foes a tough time and manage to win a game or two against ranked opponents. Get used to this team, because I think it's going to be a contender in the SEC East for a number of years.
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