Paul Finebaum picks storylines which will dictate Georgia vs. Tennessee game

The No. 1 overall ranking in the country is on the line this afternoon, as Georgia plays host to Tennessee in what is perhaps the game of the college football season. The Bulldogs are the favorite in the game, largely thanks to their impressive defense. ESPN Radio host Paul Finebaum believes that defense is what will lead Georgia to a win.

“I think if Georgia wins — and obviously they’re favored — it’s going to come down to some element of the defense, whether it’s the defensive line, or the secondary,” Finebaum said while speaking to DawgsHQ. “I know the (Nolan) Smith injury really hurts Georgia. But I still think there’s so much depth on the Georgia side of the ball, the defensive side of the ball. Now, obviously, I don’t need to waste your time talking about the Georgia offense. I don’t understand why anybody gets the ball other than Brock Bowers. That would be my decision every day, to toss him the ball. I think if we’re sitting there Sunday morning talking about a Georgia win, there’s going to be some standout on the defensive side.”

Georgia won a national championship last season thanks to a legendary defense and this season has been another impressive showing on that side of the ball. The Bulldogs are fourth overall in total defense, giving up 262.6 yards per game and they rank second in the country in scoring defense, giving up just 10.5 points per game. No team has scored more than 22 points on Georgia this season.

While the Bulldogs have been impressive, they lost a huge piece of their defense this week, with the news that linebacker Nolan Smith would miss the rest of the season due to injury. Smith had 18 total tackles this season, 14 of which were solo, and three sacks.

Tennessee’s offense will challenge

Georgia’s defense might be impressive but will get all it can handle on Saturday. The Bulldogs face a Tennessee offense that ranks first in the country in total offense at 553 yards per game and first in scoring offense at 49.4 points per game. Tennessee has scored at least 34 points in every game this season.

The 8-0 start for the Volunteers has been made possible by star quarterback Hendon Hooker. The current Heisman Trophy favorite, Hooker has thrown for 2,338 yards, 21 touchdowns and just one interception this season.