Roman Harper: There is path to a Tennessee victory vs. Georgia

Georgia has undoubtedly been the best team in college football this season – there’s no question about it. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff Top 25 with a perfect 9-0 record and are 19.5-point favorites for Saturday’s SEC road game at Tennessee.

Despite being heavy underdogs against the nation’s best team, Tennessee may have a chance if they do all the right things, according to SEC Network analyst Roman Harper, who previewed the game Friday on The Paul Finebaum Show from Knoxville.

“They’ve got to get some good things happening for them early,” Harper said Friday. “If you get the ball and score first, go down and force Georgia to get a three-and-out or punt the football, you get another field goal or another touchdown – if you’re up 10, 14 points, next thing you know Georgia has a little bit of sweat going down them.”

Those tasks will certainly be easier said than done as Georgia presents one of the best defenses in the country. The Bulldogs allow their opponents to score just 6.56 points per game, which leads the nation, and put up 231.8 yards, which ranks second.

Tennessee, which is currently 5-4 on the season with a 3-3 mark in SEC play, has put up some solid numbers offensively behind quarterback Hendon Hooker’s play. While Hooker has thrown for 1,894 yards and 21 touchdowns with only two interceptions in 2021, the Volunteers are averaging 38.22 points and 457.7 yards per game.

“I love what Hendon Hooker’s doing,” Harper said. “I love the explosive ability and capability of what Tennessee’s doing offensively.”

Georgia and Tennessee kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium. CBS is carrying the broadcast.

Tim Tebow explains how Tennessee can upset top-ranked Georgia

Tim Tebow wouldn’t necessarily pick Tennessee to win outright, but the quarterback-turned-ESPN analyst sees a path for the 5-4 Volunteers.

“If the offensive line for Tennessee can hold up — not win, but hold up — against the front four, really the front seven against Georgia, Tennessee has a chance in this game,” Tebow said Friday on The Paul Finebaum Show.

Slowing Georgia’s top-ranked defensive attack is no easy task, though. The Bulldogs have allowed just five offensive touchdowns all year, and opposing offenses manage just 231.8 total yards per game. But Tebow doesn’t think Tennessee needs to win the trench battle against a stiff Georgia defensive front; instead, the Volunteers just need to hold their own against a unit that’s turned in 28 sacks for 194 yards lost.

“You have to be able to give Hendon Hooker time,” Tebow said. “You’ve got to be able to at least sustain somewhat of a running game because it sets up so much for Tennessee. But that’s where you just think: if a few of those linemen would’ve stayed, now what could Tennessee really be? I’ll tell you what — if you’re a skilled playmaker as a senior in high school, you have to look at Tennessee as a real option with what they’re doing and the position that Heupel puts his players in.”