DAWG BONES OFFENSE – ALABAMA

The Crimson Tide have arguably the best player in college football with quarterback Bryce Young. They also average just under 500 yards of offense per game and score 41.4 points per game, which is third-best nationally. Georgia’s offense has been good this year and was on fire against Michigan, too. It is the Crimson Tide’s explosiveness and quarterback advantage that gives them the nod in this category.

DAWG BONES DEFENSE – GEORGIA

Don’t let recency bias fool you; Georgia still has the best defense in the country. Yes, Alabama picked them apart in the SEC Championship game but it was a needed reality check. The Bulldogs defense is a lot better than they showed that day and they proved that again in the Orange Bowl, only giving up 11 points to an explosive Michigan offense. Alabama’s defense also played well in the Cotton Bowl win and should not be taken lightly by UGA’s offense. However, facing the Bulldogs again, this time with a chip on their shoulder, will not be easy for the Tide.

DAWG BONES SPECIAL TEAMS – GEORGIA

So much for Jack Podlesny’s shaky start to the season. Podlesny went nearly six games without missing a field goal; he missed a 45-yard field goal towards the end of the Orange Bowl. His leg combined with Georgia punter Jake Camarda should give the Bulldogs the special teams advantage. Special teams did not matter much in the last matchup between Georgia and Alabama, but if it is a close game, having the better specialists will help.

DAWG BONES COACHING – ALABAMA

Kirby Smart is 0-4 at Georgia when coaching against Nick Saban and Alabama. The Bulldogs have led in all four of those games. Saban has consistently been the better coach when matched up against Smart. Obviously, if Georgia wants to change the outcome, that cannot happen again. Both offensive coordinator Todd Monken and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning called terrific games against Michigan. This must happen again on Jan. 10!

DAWG BONES OVERALL – GEORGIA

Would it be any fun if this category was “even?” Georgia and Alabama are the two best teams in college football. In the SEC Championship almost everything that could go wrong for Georgia, did go wrong. It is highly unlikely that happens again, which is why Georgia has the overall advantage. The Bulldogs have the deeper team and have film on what went wrong against Alabama in December. Combine that with the focus this team showed against Michigan and it’s easy to understand why Vegas has Georgia as the early favorite.