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No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 5-1, No. 4 CFP) at No. 13 Auburn (7-2, 5-2, No. 13), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST (CBS).
Line: Georgia by 2 1/2.
Series record: Georgia leads 59-56-8.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Georgia would clinch a third consecutive Eastern Division title with a win and remain in control of its playoff destiny. The Tigers can often make or break a season over the closing three weeks with rivalry games against the Bulldogs and No. 4 Alabama.
KEY MATCHUP
Auburn’s inconsistent offense against Georgia’s defense, which ranks second nationally in scoring defense (10.1 points per game) and is Top 5 in rushing and total yards allowed per game. The Tigers have the league’s No. 2 rushing offense but have struggled against top teams like Florida and LSU.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Georgia: LT Andrew Thomas and the offensive line have paved the way for a strong running game and given up a league-low five sacks. They’ll face one of the SEC’s best defensive fronts, led by Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson.
Auburn: QB Bo Nix has had his best games at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The freshman will have to play well again given how hard it has been to run against the Bulldogs. He has thrown for a total of 675 yards in the Tigers’ last two home games against Mississippi and Mississippi State.
FACTS & FIGURES
Georgia-Auburn is tied for the second-most played among current series in the FBS with Cincinnati-Miami, Ohio (123). Minnesota and Wisconsin have played 128 times. ... The road teams have fared well in this rivalry. Georgia is 16-12-2 in Auburn; the Tigers are 18-15 in Athens. ... No SEC East team has won three division titles in a row since Florida won five straight from 1992-96. ... Georgia and Auburn are two of the six FBS teams that haven’t allowed more than 24 points in a game, along with Clemson, Iowa, Ohio State and San Diego State. ... Auburn is the only team that has played three teams ranked in the top 11 of this week’s AP poll (No. 1 LSU, No.6 Oregon, No. 11 Florida).
