Will Georgia's offense or Tennessee's defense crack in Week 3 game?

Week 3 of the college football season brings a significant opportunity for several teams to stand out early in conference championship races. One of the most critical SEC matchups will be between the No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.

The Volunteers believe this year is their best chance to challenge the Bulldogs' dominance at the top of the East. Georgia, however, has won its last eight meetings. 

Georgia still in pursuit of 'dynasty' status

Georgia has no plans of slowing down in their dynasty chase, despite not making the championship game in each of the last two seasons. Former quarterback Carson Beck is now with the Miami Hurricanes, and they have confidence in new starting QB Gunner Stockton leading the way.

Stockton has learned a lot since the Bulldogs’ loss to Notre Dame in last season’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal. He has been an efficient leader for the Bulldogs in his first two games in 2025, but they’ve been against Marshall and Austin Peay. Saturday's game will be Stockton's first road test since the Notre Dame loss, and this time, it will be in a hostile SEC stadium.

Tennessee has been explosive offensively, but not defensively

The Volunteers have given up an average of 21.5 points, tied for 74th in the nation. Their opponents have been Syracuse and East Tennessee. 

Tennessee's defense saw more pressure late in the second half of games, except for allowing three touchdowns in the second quarter (two from Syracuse). The Volunteers haven’t been forced to play with a sense of urgency, but they’ve forced only two turnovers all season. 

The Volunteers have been active with their pass rush and secondary, but they know they will have to stop the run first. Georgia has run the ball 84 times in its first two games, scoring seven touchdowns and averaging 214.5 yards per game. Sophomore Nate Frazier and redshirt freshman Chauncey Bowens are efficient, but still young. Their success will depend on their productivity, which has been inconsistent in the last few seasons. 

Tennessee’s defensive line has been reloading every season and already looks productive. Their main goal is to shut down the run game and force Stockton to throw. The game's winner will be determined at the line of scrimmage, something the Bulldogs have had the edge in the last eight seasons of the rivalry.

Kickoff between Georgia and Tennessee is scheduled for Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.