It’s Jordan-Hare, for one thing.

          Stuff happens at Jordan-Hare.

          When one reaches the area around the top of the mountain and there’s talk of not being knocked off, well, everybody discusses how to knock one off that perch.

          Thus, Georgia, and people figuring out what to do.

          Yes, Auburn can beat Georgia.

          People – from the couch complainers to broadcast babblers to “media” - are baffled that their team can be beaten all of a sudden.

          There are a variety of reasons why it can happen, the first being the unpredictability of 18-24-year-olds in general. And the checklist of concerns in Georgia’s visit to Auburn is fairly lengthy.

          First is the venue.

          It’s not split, like it was at Charlotte. A straight-up SEC home stadium, for the top programs, will be louder than any neutral site, even if the neutral site had 20,000 more lit seat inhabiters.

          Stetson Bennett – who has a Wikipedia page – played as a starter (and once he took over at Arkansas) in front of a total of about 67,000 people last year. Total. At Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky, and in Jacksonville.

          And this season, life has been good, and untested.

          Granted, it’s natural to wonder how he’ll do, but some – not enough – sure love the Stetson Bennett story and would just love him to do well and further make the “recruiting gurus” and stalkers look silly.

          People who can’t buy the story – even the media fans, who should know better – seem to dissect every errant pass or pick by Bennett but shrug off passes of those with better resumes.

          All he does is win, and all his teammates do is play for him.

          This, however, is a new experience.

          Second, is the venue.

          For the rest of the Bulldogs. Kirby Smart said half the team hasn’t been in this situation, and that’s not coachspeak. Auburn will be amped, and if the Tigers get off to a decent start, it’ll be louder.

          The eagle will ask for earplugs.

          Auburn can do to Georgia what Georgia did to Arkansas, at least a little bit, certainly not to the self-destructive level of the Razorbacks. Expect a few maddening pre-snap penalties, even from what seems to be a pretty sound offensive line.

          Third is the best offense – remember, best doesn’t equal great, just like overrated doesn’t mean not great – Georgia will have played.

          Arkansas will be better and notable in a month, but wasn’t ready.

          The rushing rankings among Division I teams of Georgia’s first five opponents: 17, 68, 82, 102, 116. Passing: 86, 89, 94, 9, and 116. Passing efficiency: 21, 33, 72, 118, 121; And third-down offense: 71, 86, 99, 106, and 117.

          Yeah, that’s pretty meh. Georgia hasn’t been tested, although Clemson at the time seemed like a test. A rematch would be like the Arkansas game.

          Auburn in those same categories: 13, 59, 91, and 11.

          Auburn can do some things to make it interesting.

          If Good Bo overshadows Bad Bo, for one. He needs to be on a 3-second clock: throw or go. Move the pocket around and make Georgia’s defense, especially up front, work more.

          Bring in QB TJ Finley for some decoy looks, but also for some wideout passes. And throw for medium yardage, not always the homer.

          Just do that very weird thing most coaches are allergic to: open up the mind and open up the playbook.

          Nix, if he plays like a coach’s kid normally plays, can make plays to keep the Tigers afloat. If he tries upside-down backward flip passes or behind the back, yeah, they’re done. If he just takes the sack or throws it away, the Tigers can tread water.

          Nix, more than any player or unit, will keep Auburn in the game or take Auburn out of the game. Being unspectacular wouldn’t be a bad thing.

          A diverse running game and not trying to power-block Georgia straight up man-to-man helps. Traps, misdirections, stuff that tests discipline are good things. Going sideline to sideline to make the defense work like it hasn’t had to work all year is a good thing.

          And throwing deep – in any game any time – just to throw deep is a plan. For one, you might get lucky. For another, you might get a flag. Just show a defense what it hasn’t really seen.

          Auburn has been in some big-game settings and scenarios, at Penn State and LSU, and maybe should have beaten the Nittany Lions.

          A prediction kind of comes down to things like the belief that at some point, what is certain and guaranteed becomes uncertain, and that stuff just happens at Jordan-Hare.

          We still don’t quite know enough about Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin, but firing a receivers coach early and admitting the scare against Georgia State instead of coachspeaking it off with the “any given Saturday” speech makes him kind of interesting.

          And, well, hell, it’s Georgia-Auburn. No matter how old this rivalry is, it will always have very high “hooooooly (bleep)” potential.

          Today may have that.

 

Loughdmouthings

          National blather notwithstanding, here’s a list of teams that are legitimately – this week – in the playoff hunt (written earlier, unchanged, posted at 3:20 p.m.):

          Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Cincinnati, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, and Oklahoma State.

          All have one loss or are undefeated. Losses will shuffle that list, and a few teams – remember, we have sooooooo much football left – will drop out of contention and others – will slide in.

          Granted, those teams are playing for the final two spots, but it’s a broader field of legit candidates than in the past.

          And until the SEC’s disturbing greed and the trickle-down effect – so many things are going to hurt college football so bad within a half-dozen years – starts having a major impact, we should enjoy this. …

          The constant cackle of Desmond Howard will forever keep Gameday from being A-plus. No Lou Holtz makes it an A. …

          No, the ACC won’t be in the playoff hunt. Wake Forest being undefeated is nice and all, but the Demon Deacons can lose to Army, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, and Boston College. …

          As per the Sagarin Ratings entering Saturday, No. 140 Mercer is ranked ahead of No. 143 Vanderbilt, No. 144 Louisiana-Monroe, No. 162 Florida International.

          Connecticut is the lowest-rated I-A program at 197, out of 258. …

          Have the Brian Bohannon-to-Georgia-Southern-rumors started picking up steam? …

          For all the blathering about recruiting rankings, Georgia is more fundamentally sound so far than some might realize. Fundamentals – nobody coaches players to be dumb – can lead to routs or upsets, when, in reality, the physical ability of a lot of teams isn’t terribly different.

          If you skip the recruiting “coverage” Kool-Aid and Twitter hype. ...

          Again, not to pile on, but go to Twitter and search “urban meyer video.” Haven’t visited in a few days, but you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll make fun. …

          Dear NFL, STOP GOING TO LONDON AND EUROPE AND ALL, BECAUSE YOU ALREADY MAKE ENOUGH MONEY AND WE’RE TIRED OF YOU TRYING TO MAKE US GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THE NFL IN EUROPE.

          Thank you.