OFFENSE DAWG BONE: TIE
 
Both offenses receive the Dawg Bone because both units are dynamic offenses. Each team brings something to the table. For the Bulldogs, it will be Thunder and Lightning toting the rock and for Texas it’ll be Sam Ehlinger and the prominent passing game.
 
Georgia averages 241.6 yards on the ground and 227.15 through the air a game. However, it will be the run game that will likely be emphasized. D’Andre Swift (Lightning) and Elijah Holyfield (Thunder) have a month off to get ready for this Texas defense and they will both be hungry. Holyfield needs 44 yards to have 1000 on the season. Jake Fromm will likely throw the ball to spread out the defense then let his two running backs do the work.
 
Texas averages 151.2 yards on the ground and 264.46 through the air a game. Ehlinger has two major targets that he likes to go to. Lil’Jordan Humphrey has 79 catches for 1109 yards on the year and will be targeted a lot. Then there is Collin Johnson who needs 55 yards to have 1000 receiving yards on the season. These two guys will get a lot of looks during the game and try to make Georgia’s secondary uncomfortable.
 
 
DEFENSE DAWG BONE: GEORGIA
 
Georgia receives the defensive Dawg Bone because of how dominant this defense continues to grow each game. The Bulldogs defense only allows opponents to score 18.54 points a game. Georgia gives up 130.6 yards on the ground and 180.54 through the air. The Bulldogs’ secondary has a tall task as Texas will look to beat them through the air. Deandre Baker will be looking to put on a show after winning the Jim Thorpe award and look for the savage pads to make a few appearances. If the Bulldogs can slow down the Longhorns passing game and force turnovers, the Sugar Bowl trophy will be coming back to Athens.
 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS DAWG BONE: GEORGIA
 
Rodrigo Blankenship is going to go down as one of Georgia’s best kickers ever. He continues to break records and could break his third during this game. He needs four touchbacks to surpass Kevin Butler’s career touchback record. Blankenship will likely get this as he kicks a touchback 85 percent of the time. The key here will be his ability to keep the Longhorn offense deep in their territory so the defense can get off the field quicker.
 
 
COACHING DAWG BONE: TIE
 
Both coaches receive the coaching Dawg Bone. Tom Herman took a 5-7 team to a now 9-4 squad. He has begun transforming this program like Kirby Smart did at Georgia. Smart got his team to yet another SEC Championship and now a New Year Day bowl. Both coaches are young up and coming coaches and have teams that have bought into the process.
 
 
OVERALL DAWG BONE: GEORGIA
 
The Bulldogs receive the overall Dawg Bone because they are mad from the tough loss in the SEC Championship. Look for that bitterness to be taken out on Texas. Georgia has a rich history in the Sugar Bowl and it’s only going to get richer. Bulldog Nation gives them a home field advantage on January 1 and the team asserts its dominance against the Longhorns. No mistakes,
only dominance.