Looking ahead at today’s match up there are two things that we know about the game right now. For one, it’s going to be cold, and second, it’ll be physical. 

The frigid playing environment won’t mean much to the players. They dealt with it last week, and they’ll handle it again later today. That part is all a mental thing.

Physicality, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. Physicality makes or breaks football teams. It’s been a foundational piece that Coach Kirby Smart has built this program upon in his six years in Athens and is obviously one of the reasons the Dawgs have seen the levels of success they’ve had to this point. 

Georgia isn’t the only team bringing physicality to the table. Kentucky will be eager to show off its muscles in that area too. The fact of the matter is they have proved themselves to be quite the physical team this season.

Smart credited them and their physicality earlier in the week, saying the Wildcats were “extremely physical and tough.” Quite frankly, Kentucky teams have played physically against Georgia since the days when Bear Bryant was the head coach all the way back in 1953. 

Georgia’s had a tough time in Kentucky in the past. I don’t expect it to be too tough today, but I also don’t expect to see any crazy blowout either. Sure the Wildcats just lost to Vanderbilt last week, but that was last week and today’s today.

Starting center Sedrick Van Pran knows it’ll be a tough time in the trenches too. The team understands the history behind this game, and he gave detail, saying:

“I think they do a tremendous job in striking and attacking and holding the point… They’re like us. They’re strong.”

Once the team gets a comfortable lead, expect to see the second string on the field. Smart will want to protect the health of his guys for the postseason. Maybe we’ll see a decent day from Cash Jones. Only time will tell.