The most anticipated matchup in Athens history is about to take place. You can feel the energy buzzing in the air. The Bulldogs have already faced two major rivals in Auburn and Florida, but nothing compares to the hype leading up to this game. As if you haven’t heard already, AP poll ranked No. 1 Georgia is facing CFP ranked No. 1 Tennessee at Sanford Stadium today. 

Now Georgia is still favored, but not by a lot. It doesn’t help that the Dawgs will look a little different defensively being without senior linebacker Nolan Smith who suffered a pectoral injury in the game against Florida last week. But even without the projected first round pick, senior defensive lineman Zion Logue said:

“It’s not going to change anything.”

Logue told us that the team will “just go out there and play football.”

On the more positive side of things, you should expect to see interior defensive lineman Jalen Carter play a bigger role coming off productive Florida game post MCL injury. 

Any Georgia fan should know at this point that Carter is legitimately different at the defensive tackle position and probably generates the most quarterback pressure from that spot too. Having him back will fluster the Volunteer’s Hendon Hooker and hopefully swing some plays the Dawg’s way. 

Flipping back to Nolan Smith, one thing you can’t replace is his leadership, but the good thing is you won’t have to. The team plans to have him on the sidelines so he can continue to serve as an “extra coach” according to smart. 

Another Smith to watch out for today is Christopher Smith, a fellow veteran on the defense. He’s having the year of his career so far at the Safety position, and nothing’s really pointing to that changing anytime soon. 

Jamon Dumas-Johnson is another guy that’ll look to step up in Nolan Smith’s absence. The middle linebacker from Maryland is well on his way to becoming the face of this defense, and his play shows for it. 

It’s safe to say that even though Nolan Smith was a special presence on this team, the Georgia Bulldogs are prepared for it all, so they’ll be more than ready to take on the Vols later today.