Auburn @ Georgia preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 13, 2010 ) Georgia 31, Auburn 49

THE STORY: Georgia has its eyes set squarely on Atlanta and the SEC Championship Game, but to stay on track, the No. 16 Bulldogs face another chapter in the South’s oldest rivalry when No. 25 Auburn visits Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs hold the tiebreaker with South Carolina in the SEC East and can clinch its first berth in the conference title game since 2005 by beating the Tigers and Kentucky next week. Georgia gets a boost to its backfield with the return of freshman Isaiah Crowell from a one-game suspension. Auburn, the defending national champion, may be the toughest three-loss team in the nation. All three of the Tigers’ defeats have come to teams that were ranked in the top 10. The Georgia-Auburn series dates back to 1892. The Tigers own a 54-52-8 advantage, and have won six of the past 10 in Athens.

TV: CBS. LINE: Georgia -12.5.

ABOUT AUBURN (6-3, 4-2 SEC West): The Tigers haven’t played since beating Ole Miss 41-23 on Oct. 29. Sophomore quarterback Clint Moseley, who passed for four touchdowns against the Rebels, will make his third start. Wide receiver Emory Blake returned against Ole Miss from an ankle injury that sidelined him for three games and Trovon Reed (shoulder) is expected to play Saturday. But the focal point for Auburn remains sophomore running back Michael Dyer, who is second in the SEC with 989 yards rushing. The Tigers rank 11th in the SEC in total defense.

ABOUT GEORGIA (7-2, 5-1 SEC East): After an 0-2 start, the Bulldogs have won seven straight games to match their longest win streak since closing 2005 with seven consecutive victories. Crowell, suspended along with two other running backs for last week’s 63-16 rout of New Mexico State, ranks third in the SEC with 90.5 yards rushing. Quarterback Aaron Murray leads the SEC in total offense against conference competition (246.2 yards), and needs two touchdown passes this season to match Matthew Stafford’s school record of 25. Georgia ranks third in the SEC and seventh in the nation in total defense.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Georgia can clinch the East as early as Saturday if it beats Auburn and South Carolina loses to Florida.

2. Dyer earned SEC Player of the Week honors after rushing for 177 yards against Ole Miss.

3. Through the first 114 games of the Georgia-Auburn series, the Bulldogs have outscored the Tigers by 38 points (1,809-1,771).

PREDICTION: Georgia 24, Auburn 17 - The Bulldogs’ offense will make more plays and Georgia’s defense will keep Dyer from taking over in the second half.