SEC Nation announces Week 11 destination

SEC Nation, SEC Network’s flagship traveling show, announced its Week 11 destination on Sunday: Knoxville, Tennessee, where the Tennessee Volunteers will play host to the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.

With the announcement, SEC Nation host and ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum will return to his alma mater at Tennessee, and bring along with him Laura Rutledge, Roman Harper, Tim Tebow and Jordan Rodgers. Meanwhile, Marty and McGee, the first-year addition to SEC Nation hosted by Marty Smith and Ryan McGee will join the crew in Tennessee.

Next stop:

GOOOOOD OLE ROCKY TOP 🍊#MartyAndMcGee #SECNation pic.twitter.com/yMrQRRGLS8

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 7, 2021

Last week, SEC Nation went to College Station, Texas, where the Texas A&M Aggies, ranked No. 13, played host to the No. 12 Auburn Tigers. In the end, Texas A&M emerged victorious in a hard-fought defensive battle, winning 20-3. Although the lesser-ranked team prevailed last week, the same seems unlikely in this week’s destination. The upcoming matchup between No. 1 Georgia and Tennessee looks lopsided on paper, even with the recent rise of Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.

Georgia holds a 25-23-2 edge over Tennessee in the all-time series, and the Bulldogs currently are on a four-game winning streak dating back to Sept. 30, 2017. With a win, Georgia would increase its win streak to Tennessee to five games, a feat that’s only happened twice in Georgia program history.

Georgia Bulldogs head to Tennessee with a chip on their shoulders

Despite a 43-6 victory over Missouri, Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs’ locker room wasn’t happy on Saturday. Instead, several players thought the team could have played better, though they didn’t allow a touchdown and led 26-3 at halftime. As a result, Georgia will likely head to Tennessee with a chip on their shoulders, as the No. 1 team in the country — coming off a blowout win — still feels as though it has something to prove.

“Some of those guys stood up and didn’t feel like it as our best effort,” Smart said. “It was a little lackadaisical at times. Some of that was more defensive than offensive. We didn’t run the ball the way we wanted to, but we were explosive.”

The need for perfection is part of the reason Georgia is undefeated and No. 1 in the country, with many pundits predicting it to win the national title. The Bulldogs have already clinched a spot in the SEC title game, where Alabama likely awaits.

The defense has been unrivaled this season, giving up less than a touchdown per game on average. Saturday was no different, though the Tigers did manage 273 yards and 15 first downs.