The first College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday. Once those drop, everyone knows that the end of the regular season is near. And with that comes an extra heightened sense of responsibility. Teams high in the rankings can see the College Football Playoff in their grasp. But they have to handle business first throughout the rest of the regular season in order to get there.
One of those teams that has to handle business is the University of Georgia. The two-time defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs have sat atop the AP Polls for the entirety of the 2023 college football season but were ranked second in the College Football Playoff rankings behind the Ohio State Buckeyes. Georgia has a tough test and likely the toughest test left on their schedule when the 12th-ranked Missouri Tigers come to Athens. Missouri is a good football team. They've taken down ranked teams already and have given others all they can handle. Missouri will not be a cakewalk. That's one prediction. But a game of this magnitude warrants some more bold predictions.
2) Luther Burden III will gain at least 125 receiving yards
At least someone has been able to slow Luther Burden III down. The Kentucky Wildcats held Burden to 15 yards on only two receptions in their 38-21 loss at the hands of the Tigers three weeks ago. But they've been the only ones. He has at least 96 receiving yards in every other game this season. Before Missouri football's tilt with Kentucky, Burden racked up at least 114 receiving yards in five consecutive games. It's why he is fifth in the country in receiving yards at 905, behind only LSU's Malik Nabers, South Alabama's Caullin Lacy, Virginia's Malik Washington, and Washington's Rome Odunze.
Burden will keep the good times rolling this week. The task will be daunting; Georgia's defense allows the eighth-fewest yards per game in the country, the 15th-fewest passing yards per game, and the seventh-fewest points per game. Only two players have accumulated at least 80 receiving yards against the Bulldogs: Florida's Ricky Pearsall (99) and South Carolina's O'Mega Blake (86). Luther Burden will have his hands full this week. But he's up for the challenge.
1) Both teams score at least 30 points
Vegas doesn't think this game will be close. They have the Bulldogs pegged as 15.5-point favorites, and for good reason. While the Bulldogs' defense isn't the utterly dominant force they have been the last couple of seasons, they still have been a very stout unit. Vegas also likely respects Georgia's offense, that might be the most potent of the Kirby Smart era. The Bulldogs rank fourth in the country in yards gained per game; only the LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks, and North Carolina Tar Heels gain more yards per game than these Bulldogs. Pairing a Kirby Smart with a high-powered offense shouldn't have been allowed.
But Missouri football can move the ball too. As mentioned above, they have one of the best receivers in the country in Luther Burden III. Missouri's 443 yards gained per game ranks 30th in the country. They rank around the same in points per game at 33.9.
Vegas currently projects this game with an over/under of 55.5. They think that Georgia will be able to slow Missouri's offense down. While their defense has a ton of talent, Missouri's offense is legit. No team this season has been able to score 30 points on the Bulldogs this season. The 21 points UAB scored on them is the most points Georgia has relinquished in a game. Missouri will top that and get to 30 in a game that could lead to a shootout.
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