Nebraska vs Georgia College Football Spread/Handicapping
Despite always feeling on the verge of breaking through these programs are kind of stuck in a rut. Not a bad one of losing seasons, but of bumping their heads against a ceiling they can’t break through.
2013 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl
Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-4) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (8-4)
Wednesday January 1
EverBank Field – Jacksonville, FL
12:00PM
Moneyline: Georgia -340, Nebraska +285
Spread: Georgia -9
O/U: 60
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In Lincoln I have never really bought into the notion that this team is significantly underachieving.
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In Athens however, this year’s team was just hammered by injuries, but even before that struggled in the biggest of their games.
Nebraska
It is kind like clockwork that Nebraska has 8 or 9 wins under coach Bo Pelini.
I am sure if they want to they can go back and say things might have been different if QB Taylor Martinez had been healthy all season long but when you look at the game results I am not sure it would have made much of a difference.
In his place has been Ron Kellogg III who has been just OK. He is alright throwing the football but the senior backup is not nearly the runner Martinez is.
Luckily he has one of the most productive backs in the nation to hand the ball to in Ameer Abdullah, who helped power the Nebraska attack to the top 20 in rushing yards.
No easy feat given how limited they are throwing the ball.
When the Cornhuskers have been really good in the past they have matched an elite defense with their top notch rushing attack.
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Nothing could be further from that this year as their defense is mediocre at best.
Georgia
Georgia is missing their own senior starting quarterback as well for this one as Aaron Murray went down with an AC injury more than a month ago.
It is a tremendous blow but what makes it a little more palatable is that backup Mason Hutson will have the services of RB Todd Gurley at his disposal for this one – for what it is worth Hutson has the same completition percentage and a higher yards per attempt than Murray this season.
Gurley may well be the best running back in the country but he has been in and out of the lineup from the first game of the season.
He averages more than 6 yards per carry and looked strong in the Dawgs win over Georgia Tech to close the season.
Against a defense that is not strong against the run he should get plenty of action and go over 1000 yards for the season in this one.
However, it might be a back and forth affair as the Bulldogs defense has never found a rhythm this season giving up an average of almost 30ppg, ranking 80th in the country. Some extra reps in preparation might have helped.
I think that is what the number is telling us.
Spread Pick: Georgia -9
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Georgia 45 – Nebraska 28
