‘College GameDay’ rolls into Rocky Top Saturday morning, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. In a clash at Neyland Stadium, No. 6 Georgia takes on the No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers in a matchup anticipated to be a grueling battle, as new quarterbacks currently adapting to their roles lead both teams. For the Volunteers, that spotlight shines brightest on Joey Aguilar, the man Josh Heupel is trusting to steer the Vols through the SEC gauntlet. Dawgs are high on Gunner Stockton. It’s not just a game. It’s a referendum on belief, progress, and whether Heupel can finally break free from Georgia’s grip.

Aguilar’s rise has been a fun story so far, but ESPN’s Rece Davis isn’t sugarcoating the reality. Speaking to DawgNation, Davis admitted, “You want me to be honest? Way different. Way, way, way different. Now, not that much different from Clemson. I mean, Clemson, I know Clemson, in my judgment, that there’s no difference in a Clemson defense most years in an SEC defense. They play great defense in Clemson, but it’s going to be way different than what he’s seen the first two weeks. Everything’s going to be faster.”

That’s where the warning bells come in. Davis pointed out that Aguilar’s reliance on jump-ball throws, while occasionally rewarding, simply won’t fly against the Bulldogs’ defense. “He’s going to have to make decisions quicker that’s the one thing, while it’s been great fun to watch him throw up jump balls against, you know, a couple of deep ones. And they haven’t thrown a lot of deep shots, but when they have, he’s thrown up, you know, couple jump balls. One last week, got caught for a touchdown. That is not going for a touchdown against Georgia. It’s just not.” For Tennessee, the challenge is about discipline, staying patient, leaning on the run game, and not gifting Georgia easy opportunities.

That’s exactly where Heupel’s dilemma lies. Running the football has not been Tennessee’s strong suit against the Bulldogs in recent years, and Davis was clear about how much that has to change. “So, he’s going to have to be smart with the ball, make decisions quickly, and don’t put them in bad situations because Georgia thrives on that. And, you know, I think the best thing they can do is help him out by running the ball, which is something that Tennessee has not been able to do nearly as successfully against Georgia.” It’s an unthinkable ask, but if the Vols don’t establish a ground game, the weight of Neyland’s hopes will fall squarely on Aguilar’s arm.

Then there’s the history, which leans heavily in Georgia’s favor. The Bulldogs have won 8 straight over the Vols, with Kirby Smart’s dominance firmly established. Josh Heupel, despite all the offensive fireworks he’s brought to Knoxville, has yet to beat Georgia. As Davis framed it, “We talked a lot early in the podcast about Georgia-Tennessee. Close spread on this one, getting smaller and smaller between the two. Tennessee has lost eight in a row against the ‘Dawgs. Is it time once again to let the big dog eat on Rocky Top? I don’t know. (The) Bulldogs are only a field goal and a hook-favorite on Rocky Top.”

Yet, not everyone is sold on Georgia. Pete Thamel was the first to pick, siding with the Vols as the home underdog. His reasoning was simple: Neyland Stadium’s atmosphere and Tennessee’s desperate edge might tilt the scales.

Georgia doubts vs. Bulldog poetry

When it comes to Georgia, the opinions are split right down the middle. Thamel wasn’t shy about voicing his concerns, and honestly, he raised some fair points. “I just have too many questions about Georgia,” Thamel said. “Questions about their offense. Defense is good, but not the elite defense we remember from there. I have visceral memories, Rece, standing on the sideline with you watching those games in Neyland when it is a cauldron of desperation, and they really want to end this slide against Georgia. So, I’m taking the Fighting (Joey) Aguilars.”

That’s about as clear as it gets. For Thamel, the offense looks shaky, and while the defense is solid, it doesn’t carry the same aura as years past. Add in a road trip to Neyland. A place where desperation hangs in the air and he sees the Bulldogs as vulnerable. But not everyone is buying that narrative. Rece Davis wasn’t about to budge. His response, colorful as ever, painted a completely different picture.

“No sir,” Davis fired back. “On Saturday afternoon, the people in red and black, who are, inexplicably, grown people barking at one another, but they’ll have a little chicken, they’ll have a little drink. They’ll look at the girls, and they’ll give 1 or 2 a wink. They’ve been waiting since last Saturday to see another beat. Friends, it’s time once again to let the big dog eat. Big Dawgs, by at least 4 points.” UGA opened as a touchdown favorite, but the line has dropped to four, with the over/under sitting at 50.5 points.