From the Sports Desk

Last year, the Missouri Tigers were threatening to upset the Georgia Bulldogs. The unranked, 2-3 Tigers took a 16-6 halftime lead over the No. 1, 5-0 Bulldogs. After three quarters, their lead was 19-12. Georgia finally rallied in the fourth, scoring two TDs and holding Missouri to a single FG to win the game 26-22, but not before their reputation was damaged. 

For the rest of the season, skeptics kept saying, "Yeah, you're undefeated but you struggled against a weak Missouri team" (as if that proved something). For Georgia, the game was a wake-up call and they stopped sleepwalking through the first half of their games after that and went on to win their second-straight National Championship. 

The Tigers came close enough to an upset last year that they have no small amount of confidence that they can do it this Saturday when they play Georgia again. And they're a much better team now than they were back then. This year, instead of being unranked and 2-3, Missou is 7-1 and ranked No. 12 by the CFP Selection Committee. 

At 443.0 yards per game, Missouri's offense is rated 30th in the country (out of 130 teams) and will be the toughest that Georgia has faced this season. They're 17th in passing yardage at 294.0 yards per game, and their QB is none other than No. 12 Brady. Okay, not No. 12 Tom Brady, but No. 12 Brady Cook. But even if he isn't Tom Brady, Brady Cook is still the 20th most productive QB in the FBS with 25 TDs and 2,259 total yards.  

Missouri's defense has only given up 338.2 yards per game, 37th of 130 FBS teams.  The only tougher defense Georgia has faced this season was Florida's (334.1 ypg).

Georgia had better be careful, but as long as we're throwing around stats and numbers, Georgia is not without its strengths.  Missou may be ranked No. 12, but we're No. 2 according to the CFP Selection Committee (No. 1 according to the AP Poll and consensus-based reality). Missouri is ranked 30th in total offense? Georgia is 4th. The Tigers are 37th in defense? Dawgs are 8th.

Brady Cook is 20th in the FBS with 2,259 yards?  Well, Carson Beck is 12th, with 2,462 yards. The Tigers may be 17th in passing yardage at 294 ypg, but at 178.5 yards allowed per game, Georgia has the 15th stingiest passing defense.  You're not going to beat the Bulldogs with the passing game, and Missouri is only 74th in rushing offense.  

And while the Tigers may have a stingy defense (338.2 yards allowed per game), Florida's was even stingier (334.1 ypg) and we managed to drop 486 total yards on the Gators.

By almost every measure, Georgia's got this, and the only thing left are the intangibles.  Missou may be confident after last year's near upset, but the Dawgs look at that game as a cautionary tale and a reminder that they have to play their best. They're not going to let that happen again. And you just know Kirby Smart is pumping the Dawgs up, telling them the Selection Committee doesn't respect their sluggish starts this season and that they have to play harder from the very first snap than they have so far this season if they want to three-peat.

It will be a tough game, but Georgia's got this. Prediction: Georgia 38, Missouri 20.