ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit ranks Tennessee, his No. 2 team, higher than the Georgia Bulldogs, his No. 3 team. Fortunately, Georgia and Tennessee will be able to settle the debate on the field on Nov. 5 in Athens, Georgia.
Kirk Herbstreit’s reason for ranking Tennessee over Georgia is simple. He is very high on Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and that’s why he ranks the Volunteers over the Bulldogs.
Hooker, who is currently the front-runner to win the Heisman, has 21 total touchdowns this season. Hooker has thrown only one interception. He’s looked pretty comfortable all season.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett is another Heisman contender, but he would not be invited to New York if the season ended today. Earlier this season, Bennett and the Georgia offense had some red zone struggles.
Before Georgia and Tennessee face off on Nov. 5, the Bulldogs play the Florida Gators in Jacksonville, Florida. Additionally, Tennessee hosts Kentucky in an SEC East clash.
We think the difference between Georgia and Tennessee is on the defensive side of the football. The Bulldogs have the country’s No. 2 scoring defense (9.14 points per game), while Tennessee has the No. 50 defense in the country (23.14 points per game).
Tennessee will have to play much better against Georgia than they did in 2021 if they want to knock off the Bulldogs. Hendon Hooker and Tennessee are glad they won’t have to face the Georgia defense. The Volunteers, who carved up Alabama’s defense, will look to get some red zone stops against Georgia and hope that Hendon Hooker can take over the game.
