Tech-Georgia: Rivalry renews

Tech broke Georgia's seven-game winning streak in the series with a 45-42 victory in Athens last season and has had a lot to brag about since. The Bulldogs have heard more booing than bragging recently.

Tech will enter the game with a 10-1 record, a No. 7 national ranking, the ACC Coastal Division championship and coach Paul Johnson's spread-option offense averaging 450 yards per game, second most in school history.

Georgia, on the other hand, will bring a 6-5 record, a No. 119 national ranking in turnovers, a No. 116 ranking in penalties and an embattled defensive coordinator, Willie Martinez, whose job is widely perceived in peril. Also, Georgia's top playmaker, wide receiver A.J. Green, is listed as doubtful because of a shoulder injury.

On paper, this one looks like a mismatch.

But, hey, it is Georgia Tech-Georgia, or Georgia-Georgia Tech, and sometimes strange things happen when arch-rivals meet.

"When you have a rivalry like this, they are going to come out and play hard," said Tech A-back Roddy Jones, who scored the game-clinching touchdown against Georgia last year. "And no matter what kind of season they've had, or what kind of season we've had, it's going to be a tough game."

"There's going to be a lot of emotions flying," Tech safety Morgan Burnett said. "This game ... is going to be really big for them and for us. They are going to come bringing their ‘A' game, so we are going to have to come bringing our ‘A' game."

Oddsmakers have Tech as a seven-point favorite over the unranked Bulldogs.

"Just seeing that they are having a great year this year and we're not having such a good year ... of course I know everybody sees that we're the underdog coming into this game," Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin said. "But I feel like if we do what we're supposed to do, we have a great chance of beating Tech, a great chance of competing with them."

For Georgia, that would have to start with two troublesome areas: holding on to the ball and tackling.

"We got to win the turnover battle to have a chance in this ballgame," Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said.

And defensively, "you've got to be really disciplined," Martinez said. "That's an oiled machine there they've got going. You've got to play assignment football, tackle very well and get off blocks. ... The tackling part is huge. ... All I remember was we were tackling in the first half [of last year's game] and we didn't tackle in the second half."

While Georgia has been erratic all season -- epitomized by blowing a 20-6 halftime lead and losing to Kentucky at home last week -- Tech has been, as Georgia coach Mark Richt put it, "running up and down the field."

The Yellow Jackets are averaging 36 points per game and rank second in the nation in rushing offense with 314 yards per game. They have won eight games in a row since a Sept. 17 loss at Miami.

Whatever happens against Georgia, the Jackets have a date next week against Clemson in the ACC title game and, if victorious there, a berth in the Orange Bowl.

Georgia also is bowl-eligible -- Shreveport's Independence Bowl and Birmingham's Papajohn's.com Bowl seem to be the most likely destinations -- but more attention will be focused on how Richt responds to this season's derailment.

He has repeatedly refused to discuss possible changes -- silence that does nothing to stem the rampant speculation about staff changes.

"I need to focus on the most important thing," Richt said this week, "and that's winning this game."

Tech's Johnson, meanwhile, refuses to see this game as 10-1 team vs. 6-5 team.

"Do not underestimate the talent they have because of their record," Johnson said of Georgia. "When you win so many games consistently like they've done, it's hard to meet those expectations every year. You build a monster and you have to feed it.

"When you watch the tape, when they don't beat themselves, they're a very good football team. Put on that Kentucky game. They drag them up and down the field, but they killed themselves with four turnovers in the second half, just like any other team in America would. There are not many teams that could turn the ball over four times in a half and win the game.

"Maybe they don't turn it over this week," Johnson said. "That's why you play the game. Because you never know what is going to happen."

Staff writer Doug Roberson contributed to this article.