Georgia, meanwhile, looks like a team that's found itself. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first 3 drives in Oxford, led 21-0 before Ole Miss got going, and finished with 482 yards. 295 of those came on the ground, and Nate Frazier had 107 on 16 carries. It ended Ole Miss' 16-game home winning streak, and it paid back the Rebels for last season's playoff quarterfinal loss in the Sugar Bowl.
The common opponents make the gap look wide. Both teams played Florida at home: Missouri won 45-17, Georgia won 27-8. Both went to Ole Miss, and that's where it splits. Missouri lost 31-3, Georgia won 42-7. When the Tigers' offense is rolling, like it was against Florida and in a 34-10 road win at Arkansas, it can score with anyone. When it stalls against a real defense, it really stalls, and Georgia's defense just held an Ole Miss team to 1 trip past midfield in the first 22 minutes.
This Georgia team isn't flawless, though. The Bulldogs lost 27-24 to Auburn at home, and their win at Alabama was a 20-17 grind, not a statement. Missouri's defense is real too. It held Texas A&M to 6 points and kept Texas level for 3 quarters. If the Tigers can shorten the game and win a few third downs, which they couldn't do against Texas, this stays closer than the reputations suggest.
The forecast in Athens is clear and 54 degrees, with wind around 13 mph, which is enough to matter on deep balls and kicks for a Missouri team that already missed twice against Texas. Georgia has won 2 straight and plays at home against a team coming off a loss with its quarterback banged up. Missouri's best chance is a healthy Simmons, a run game that wakes up, and a defense that plays like it did against the Aggies.
