Kirk Herbstreit says top-15 SEC showdown is 'litmus test' for both teams

ABC/ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit says that the top-15 showdown in the Southeastern Conference on Saturday afternoon is a "litmus test" for both No. 6 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee as the teams try to demonstrate their SEC and national relevance.

ESPN's "College GameDay" will be on site in Knoxville, Tenn., as the Volunteers (2-0) try to halt an eight-game skid against the Bulldogs (2-0).

Speaking on ESPN's "Get Up" on Friday, Herbstreit said that this early season battle is a "litmus test" for where both programs are and to "find out who’s ready to compete with the big boys - not just in the SEC, but I think in the entire country. And it's so hard to come to Knoxville and win football games."

Has No. 6 Georgia been overlooked?

Herbstreit says that heading into Saturday afternoon's encounter, Georgia has perhaps flown under the radar. "You know, I think, sometimes, even in the college world, we just kind of get caught up in Arch Manning or what's the big story, and it's easy, even for a team like Georgia, to kind of be put on the back burner," he said.

Considering that Georgia is No. 6 in the country, made the College Football Playoff last season and has won two national championships in recent years, it's hard to deem the Bulldogs as a program that is overlooked.

At the same time, other top teams have garnered more headlines through two full weekends of the 2025 college football season, including Ohio State, Texas and upset specialist South Florida.

Georgia has easily defeated its first two foes, Marshall and Austin Peay, with both games coming in Athens, Ga. The Volunteers took care of business in week one against Syracuse in Atlanta, then crushed East Tennessee State at home last weekend, 72-17.

Georgia's offense to provide big challenge to Vols

Entering the 2025 campaign, Tennessee was anticipated to excel on defense, with its offense having some question marks. But the Volunteers' offense is humming on all cylinders, although Georgia provides a much larger challenge than Tennessee's first two opponents.

At Neyland Stadium, the Volunteers have captured nine in a row and are an impressive 21-1 since the beginning of the 2022 season. However, that one setback came to the Bulldogs.

Either of these ranked squads can make a big statement on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, with a win going a long way toward making a push toward an SEC title and a berth in the 12-team CFP.