Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee Prediction: Vols Score Another SEC vs. ACC Win?

0:00This is Belie, one network, every topic, everywhere. Welcome back to Southeastern 16 Billy Jones alongside Graham Dodie. Special thank you to our sponsors, rock form, Fandall and tailgate tikes as Tennessee gets set to square off against George Attack for the 45th time. A lot of history in this matchup with Bobby Dodd and Robert Nalen, of course, John Heisman II, but plenty of connections particularly between Nalen and Dodd. This was a series that was played almost every year, but we've seen it just once since 1987. So fun to have this one back. It is a former SEC game. How about that? And then George Attack made the decision to leave in 1963. So first time in nine years though, that these two teams have got together.

1:01So an intriguing matchup. You got a Georgia Tech team trying to bounce back and then you got a Tennessee team that I thought looked good in a week one and they got a familiar face coming back this week for the balls on defense. Yes, they do. And boy, that was interesting to see Josh Hyple. I think rightfully so, taking a chance to show if the NCAA with Arianne Carter. The question is, what do they do with the other Carter? Who looked all right for Georgia Tech last week? Yeah, that was an interesting game to watch, wasn't it? Kind of like a standalone game. It's what I think it was Thursday night. And playing Colorado and Dianne and came down to the last play of the game. So that's why you're talking about a Georgia Tech team.

2:04Feel like Haynes King was there for like 12 years, and he was an awesome and fun college football player to watch. So you're adjusting to life without him. And we'll see how Georgia Tech looks responding because tough start to the schedule for them. Like you open up with two noncons, Colorado and then obviously an SEC team and Tennessee. So brutal schedule for Georgia Tech to kick off the season. Yeah, no, by the way, one more noncon game at the end of the year. I'm sure it's a throwaway game against nobody who's any good. Yeah, I'm sure Brent Keyes, like what in the world? Like what do we do it? Like why are we playing three power four nonconference games and two SEC teams? Well, we'll start here with the volunteers. You know, face on Brandon's debut thought thought early.

3:04I mean, naturally took a minute to get going. But once things started to click in that second and third quarter, he was humming. Tennessee was running the ball great as we as we know, they like to do under under Josh Hyple. Yeah, I thought, look, I think Hyple's one of the best in the business, right? And I thought, you know, first career start for the freshman face on Brandon. I thought, you know, kind of dipped his the toes in the water to start and then, you know, he got more and more comfortable as the game went along. Just looking at the numbers like the encouraging thing to me is when Ferman Blitz face on Brandon, he went six for seven. I mean, he had two touchdowns. He was really good with the clean pocket. So he was able to show that, you know, I can handle when teams come at me and everything. So we'll see how much Georgia Tech wants to bring the heat and everything. But look for a face on Brandon.

4:04First true freshman to start for Tennessee since 2004. I thought he passed the eye test. I thought he was really, really good. And then you got one of the best running backs in the SEC and DeShawn Bishop. So, Tennessee ran for almost 350 against Ferman as well. So they were just so balanced against Ferman. And you got to think that's kind of what they want to do against Georgia Tech too. Yeah, obviously Jim Knowles comes over to coach the defense tough blow with the Darius Farouk who they lost to injury before we even started playing. Big news, Aryan Carter back after his suspension was produced to just one game. But I think this is to me kind of going to tell me a lot about this Tennessee defense because Georgia Tech's offense looked pretty anemic in game number one. So Tennessee's defense, if they're dominant, which I think they can be, that tells me this unit can be really good.

5:07If not, maybe it'll just take a little bit more time because there's no shortage of talent on that side of the ball with walls. What year over under on tackles for Carter? I think it puts on six. Yeah, I would say let's go six and a half. I think that would be a good step for that. But look defensively and again, taking to a county opponent, I thought Knowles and the Tennessee defense was really good against Ferman. And again, you're going up against this Georgia Tech and Alberto Mendoza, the brother of Fernando. So not a lot of starts on his resume. So he's getting to go against what I think would up being like a pretty good defense for Tennessee. Yeah, I thought the biggest thing was, you know, we talked about pressure. Where was it going to come from?

6:08Funnily enough, most of it came from the middle of the defense. Xavier Gilliam at nose tackle was a man on fire, three sacks, including a TFL. Tyree Weathersby, who I think they're counting on to kind of tee off on the edge, had a nice sack. Mary and die had one as well. So look, we'll see because obviously, you know, Chaz Coleman was expected to be the answer. And I think that was kind of a big question mark defensively. Is can they rush the passer? I think we'll get a better indication of that on Saturday. But I think early on, again, how much can you take from that opener? But I think have to be encouraged with that defensive line play. Yeah. And I mean, it makes you wonder, like, what would they be like if it worked out with Coleman? Still just kind of like a bizarre situation, how all that went down. But can that position group, can certainly be like a strength big time of Tennessee?

7:09So I think when you're looking at this matchup, look, Georgia Tech, they they're calling corn under Brinkey. Like, look, he's he's an old offensive lineman. So he wants to run the football. Georgia Tech 30 carries in the first game against Colorado, Justice Haines, a name that should be familiar with SEC fans. Like he is the guy. He is the running back this year for Georgia Tech. He had 19 carries against Colorado. So you got to think they are going to want to feed him. So I don't like that. That's an intriguing matchup. But just I wonder how many guys like Tennessee going to put in the box for this matchup and like really, really try to make Mendoza beat the balls just because he is inexperienced compared to some of the other quarterbacks that Tennessee is going to face this season. Yeah. Well speaking of inexperienced, I think the best way

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9:13are great for Telgate season, great on the course. And you can use code SEC-5, or excuse me, SEC-16 for 25% off your first order. That probably, it's SEC-25 for 25% off your rock form. So set timbers, they're busiest month. Why? Because that's when the new iPhone comes out. So if you're one of these people, they got the new iPhone. Sounds like you're going to need a new case. And Rockform has got your cover. They already got the iPhone 18 cases. Billy's got one on the way. He's going to love it. You're going to love it, too. They got the magnet on the back. You touched on the car mounts. I love my car mount. Use it every day. They got motorcycle mounts as well. Different colors, different style of cases. Everything. Rockform is the best. We love them. You'll love them, too. Again, that promo code SEC-25 for 25% off. So we hit on it a little bit with tech running the football. The issue was that they really ran it exceedingly poorly.

10:171.7 yards per carry. Colorado was in the backfield all night long. 3.5 to be 8.5 TFLs. Wait, I wonder if Tennessee's defense is half as good as advertised, or half as good as they think it could be a long night for Georgia Tech offensively. You think so? Yeah. I mean, I can certainly see it for sure. What's the overrunner on this game, by the way? Like a standard? 55.5 TFLs. Okay. Tennessee is 12.5 point favorite. I figured this would be around 50 just because I think I kind of think everybody's picturing Tennessee to put up a lot of points, you know, more so than Georgia Tech. So to me, that feels about right. Like how do you think this game is going to be close?

11:20Like how do you envision this one checking out? Like back and forth, or do you think Tennessee is going to be in control most of the way? I feel like Tennessee tends to have this happen, and especially with a quarterback like Brandon, kind of still breaking his way in, particularly against teams that they're more talented, feels like it kind of skids along. And then there's going to be a stretch at some point in the second or third quarter when their defense gets a couple stops in a row. And the offense really gets home and because they can score like that. And they put two or three touchdowns on you in six, eight minutes, and then all the sudden you're looking up in what was a three, six point game is all the sudden again that's how to reach. All right. I feel like that probably happens some point in the second or third quarter. I don't think Tennessee necessarily comes flying out of the gates, but I think at some point, they're kind of going to find that. And I think they will end up covering this 12.5 number.

12:22How like is it in the back of your mind that this is the first true road start for the true freshman based on it is. I think honestly, this is a good spot for a mill because I imagine there's going to be a solid contingent of orange at Grantfield on Saturday. That's a safe bet. Yeah. So look, it'll be tough because you're not comfortable with the locker room, the game day routines different. And it'll be noisy. You know, tech fans, I'm sure will be loud, but it certainly won't be anything like he'll see later this year. Yeah. For that, I think it's kind of a good opportunity for him to get his feet wet. And I think what worries me the most for Georgia Tech is I know Colorado weren't necessarily poppin' big runs. But if a team runs it on you 49 times, that means they were running the ball well enough. I think Tennessee at the end of the day will be able to run the football and that's going to be the biggest help for.

13:24Yeah. These two teams kind of in similar roads though, offensively, right? Like two young quarterbacks, not a lot of starch. And then I think two studs and running back and Haynes and Bishop, who do you trust more in between the quarterbacks? I think Mendoza, but I don't necessarily think that I think it's just because of the inexperience. I don't think it's because of a talent thing with Brandon. Yeah. You got to give Mendoza this. Like when it was crunch time, he did his job for Georgia Tech. Like he put them in a position to win the game. They just, you know, the field goal was blocked against Colorado. So I thought when it was money time, I thought he did play well for Georgia Tech. We haven't, I mean, in fairness, we haven't seen Faeson ran in a spot like that. You know, they just steamrolled Ferman from the get go. So we'll see if he's put in a spot like that in this matchup.

14:24I kind of doubt that he will. But to me, this is another fun entertaining game because we got a lot of like games that are getting a lot of buzz for week two. And this one's kind of flying under the radar. Yeah. Let us know what you think about this matchup in the comments below. Like and subscribe for more Grammoo's fun. Thank you to our sponsors RockFornFandal until the tights. We'll see you next time right here on Southeastern 16.