Georgia will look to kick off its title defense with a statement victory over No. 11 Oregon.
The No. 3 Bulldogs are 17-point favorites to defeat the No. 11 Ducks this Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. ESPN’s Bill Connelly has the reigning champs narrowly covering that lofty spread.
The college football analyst released his SP+ picks for Week 1. His projection system has Georgia pulling off a 36-17 win over Oregon.
Connelly’s SP+ gives the SEC powerhouse an 83 percent win probability this weekend. That’s even lower than the 91.5 percent from ESPN’s Football Power Index.
Among Week 1’s other marquee clashes, Connelly has Ohio State triumphing, 35-23, over Notre Dame and Utah and Florida as a virtual coin-toss matchup.
When opening last season against another dangerous title hopeful, Georgia won a 10-3 defensive battle over Clemson. The Bulldogs then earned each of their next 13 wins, including a National Championship triumph over Alabama, by at least 15 points.
Yet there’s hope for the Ducks, who upset Ohio State at The Shoe last fall. Perhaps they have another September stunner in store for Georgia when meeting this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET