Kirby Smart and Peyton Manning were never meant to become Gators. But they both met each other during a recruiting trip to Gainesville. Smart, a Georgia native, and Manning, connected to Tennessee through David Cutcliffe, had other plans. Manning disappointed Ole Miss fans by picking the Vols over his father’s school, while Smart, a coach’s son, embraced his Georgia heritage. Their paths crossed repeatedly, with Manning headed for NFL stardom and Smart forging his own coaching career. The twist? Smart ultimately got one significant highlight over Manning during their college days. Though he would never brag, his left tackle ensures everyone recognizes the extent of his legacy.

Manning always dominated the rivalry. Across three seasons, he torched Georgia’s defense, connecting on 88 of 119 passes for 1,063 yards, and eight touchdowns. This performance resulted in a 167.81 passer rating, significantly higher than his career average, and Tennessee achieved a perfect 3-0 record against the Bulldogs during Manning’s tenure. But Manning did throw two interceptions across those three meetings. One was to future hall of famer Champ Bailey. But the other was to a young Kirby Smart. That interception against a Hall of Famer is no small feat, and even Smart stays humble about it. Georgia LT Monroe Freeling spoke about Coach Smart bringing it up, “I don’t think he has. I think he stays a little bit humble, but I know he wants to bring it out sometimes.”

Manning recalls meeting Smart for the first time during that recruiting trip. He said, “I remember he was so angry after his meeting. I guess it was with Steve Spurrier because they didn’t offer him. They wanted him to walk on. He was so mad. He and I went and drank a lot of beer.” It was a friendship borne out of circumstance and a shared passion for football.

After college, Manning achieved NFL stardom as Smart worked his way up the coaching ranks. Their friendship endured even when they were opponents in the pros. Manning said, “He still talks about this zone blitz that the Dolphins did against me when I was with the Colts… He said, “I told him you can’t do the same thing twice in a row to this guy.” Manning then threw a touchdown to Marvin Harrison against that blitz, adding another chapter to their shared history.

Years later, their connection resurfaced during Smart’s success at Georgia. Before the 2022 national championship in Indianapolis, Smart’s wife wanted to treat the coaches’ wives to a an exclusive reservation at a dinner at St. Elmo’s Steak House. But a reservation like that before the night of the game is usually not possible. But Manning used to eat there during his Colts days. As a show of friendship, he made the reservation. “She thought that was kind of the winning move to put Georgia over the top, that dinner at St. Elmo’s,” Manning recalled. Their bond remains strong, and now it’s even more intriguing. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs play Tennessee next week in a game filled with history and personal connections between these two. Now, let’s know which team has an edge next week.

Is Kirby Smart’s team ready to take up the Vols?

Week 3 brings a heavyweight bout between Georgia and Tennessee, a game that already has the feel of a playoff contest. Georgia, currently 2-0 after victories against Marshall and Austin Peay, is still searching for offensive consistency. Tennessee, however, is firing on all cylinders, having amassed 117 points in two games thanks to their new quarterback, Joey Aguilar, who has already thrown for over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns. While the Volunteers have significant momentum, injuries in their secondary – Rickey Gibson (arm) and Jermod McCoy (ACL recovery) – could create problems against Georgia’s talented offensive weapons.

Despite playing on the road, Georgia is favored, though only slightly. FanDuel has the Bulldogs as 3.5-point favorites, with moneyline odds of -176 for Georgia and +142 for Tennessee. The over/under is set at 49.5 points. Bettors are also leaning toward Georgia, with 56% predicting they’ll cover the spread, while 44% are betting on Tennessee to either win outright or keep the game close. History favors the Bulldogs, who have won the last eight games in the series, averaging almost a 25-point margin of victory.

The trends are a mixed bag. While Georgia is only 1-5 against the spread in their last six games and 0-7 ATS in September, they’re 6-0 ATS in their last six games against Tennessee and 4-1 in their last five trips to Knoxville. Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in their last five overall and 16-6 in their last 22 home games, but 0-5 ATS against Georgia. The over seems likely, with the total hitting in six straight Vols games, nine of the last 13 matchups, and four of the last five times Georgia visited Tennessee.

On top of that Oddsmakers predict a close game, with an implied score of Georgia 27, Tennessee 23. Georgia’s offense is a concern, but Tennessee’s injured secondary could be vulnerable. College Football HQ predicts Georgia to win and cover, but with Aguilar leading Tennessee’s offense, this game could be tougher for Kirby Smart’s team than previous matchups.

Week 3 brings a heavyweight bout between Georgia and Tennessee. A game that already has the feel of a playoff contest. Georgia, currently 2-0 after victories against Marshall and Austin Peay, is still searching for offensive consistency. Tennessee, however, is firing on all cylinders, having amassed 117 points in two games thanks to their new quarterback, Joey Aguilar, who has already thrown for over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns.

While the Volunteers have significant momentum, injuries in their secondary to Rickey Gibson (arm) and Jermod McCoy (ACL recovery) could create problems against Georgia’s talented offensive weapons. Despite playing on the road, Georgia is favored, though only slightly. History favors the Bulldogs, who have won the last eight games in the series, averaging almost a 25-point margin of victory.

Oddsmakers predict a close game, with an implied score of Georgia 27, Tennessee 23. Georgia’s offense is a concern, but Tennessee’s injured secondary could be vulnerable. College Football HQ predicts Georgia to win and cover, but with Aguilar leading Tennessee’s offense, this game could be tougher for Kirby Smart’s team than previous matchups.