Newton or Not, Dawgs Defense Must Get After Some Asses

As of 7:32 am Saturday morning, I am still of the opinion that Cam Newton will play. Of course, if Auburn does plan to sit him out, they are wise to keep UGA in the dark about it. No matter who plays QB for Auburn today, the Dawgs defense needs to get after some asses. I like the fact that Alec Ogletree is getting his first SEC start against the #2 team in the country. Can you imagine how jacked up he is?

Justin Houston had to have dreamed of this type of matchup his entire football life. He has a chance to make a huge impact on the outcome of this game against the top player in the nation. If he slept at all last night, I don't know how. If we can hold down the middle of the field, I like Houston's chances of making things difficult for Newton. That is a big if... but I will go ahead and predict 2 sacks and 2 TOFLs for Houston.

Our offense needs to come out of the gate swinging... and connecting. Maybe we go back to the first play we used against Florida. Only this time, pump fake, double move and hit AJ Green deep. If the safety rolls over the top, hit Orson Charles in the middles seam. As others have pointed out, we should have success passing against the Auburn defense, so in a rare instance, I am not looking for us to try and establish the run. Instead, get the passing game cranked up and then neutralize Auburn pressure with well-timed draws and screens. I expect a big day for our offense, but avoiding turnovers will be the key to whether they can do enough.

I think we will score over 30 again. I hope it will be enough. The Hunker Down Beer Challenge is in full effect and we have participants committed from Florida to New York, New Jersey and Illinois. Here's my toast to the Dawgs and a lot of drinking going on starting at 3:30.

Go DAWGS. GATA!