Ahead of College Football’s Opening Weekend, Georgia Bulldogs on Upset Alert
College football is BACK!
Okay, I guess the season has already kicked off, but last weekend didn’t feel like a true opening. Stanford’s 62-7 win over Rice should never be considered an “opening game”.
With that being said, here is a team that should look over their shoulder before an upset ruins their season in week 1.
Appalachian State takes on (#15) Georgia
When I bring up Appalachian State, one word comes to mind: Michigan.
The opening game of Michigan’s 2007 season brought one of the biggest upsets in College Football history, when App-State blocked a field goal, returning it for a touchdown to win the game over the Wolverines, 34-32. Yes, that should be remembered when Georgia hosts the Mountaineers Saturday, but just know this App-State team has accomplished more since that historic game.
Take this time last year, for instance, State taking on Tennessee in the opening weekend. The Mountaineers brought the Volunteers to overtime tied 13-13. In OT, Vols quarterback Josh Dobbs called the zone read option and he fumbled the ball right before crossing the goal line! Players scrambling for the loose ball, and it turned out a Tennessee player fell on it in the end zone to negate another huge upset in program history for Appalachian State.
The near-win over Tennessee propelled Appalachian State to a (9-3) overall record and a Sun Belt Conference Championship.
The problem for App-State is that Georgia fields one of the strongest backfields in the country with senior running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Those two could run all over this Mountaineer team, but with seven returning starters on defense, Appalachian State will have their head on a swivel. Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart knows what their offense will be going up against, saying, “[Appalachian State] has the fastest defense I’ve seen on tape.”
Appalachian State enters the game as a 14.5 point underdog, I’ll easily take the points given the recent history; but, I’m calling it now, The Mountaineers steal a win on the road over Georgia between the hedges.
