December 30 College Bowl Picks: Music City, Belk, and Foster Farms Bowls
By Joe Micik
Oct 18, 2014; Little Rock, AR, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt motions to the fans after the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium. Georgia defeated Arkansas 45-32. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
December 30 College Bowl Picks: Belk Bowl
Georgia (-7) vs. Louisville | Charlotte, NC | 6:30pm ET (ESPN)
Let the Belking commence, and wow did they invite themselves a good game.
Louisville, the newcomers to the Atlantic Coast Conference, take their decent offense and hot defense to Charlotte to face Georgia, a team very good in both said elements.
The Bulldogs are coming off of a very disappointing “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” loss to Georgia Tech, having to stew for a month on an overtime defeat that ruined their chances at a big bowl game. 9-3 is not the season they wanted in Athens, but consider this: they were the preseason #12, and they are currently #13. Through the ups and downs, they just about broke even.
Nick Chubb, the Georgia running back, will have his hands full with Todd Grantham’s run defense, currently ranked second in the nation at just under 94 yards per game. Much like Boston College finds a way to pound the run on just about anybody, Georgia, with the strength of their offensive line, should be able to find a way to adapt, but likely not to the extent of mauling them.
Meanwhile, Louisville’s offense has been competitive this season, but not as productive as Georgia’s. Kyle Bolin quarterbacked the last game against Kentucky and had a very nice afternoon with 416 yards, but the obvious problem here is Georgia’s second-ranked pass defense. No team threw for 300 yards on them this season.
Louisville is a good team that had a fine first season in the ACC, but the Fightin’ Petrinos will have their hands full with Georgia in what should be an entertaining game.
Pick: Georgia