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The big day is finally here! The Tennessee Volunteers will (finally) play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tonight in Atlanta. Vegas is expecting a close one and we are too. Below are our picks for the game from each staff member.
Terry Lambert: Tennessee 27, Georgia Tech 24
I think we’re in for a nail-biter today. All of the unanswered questions have me hesitant to pick Tennessee, but I think they’ll have the better athletes on the field. The tale will be told in the trenches — and I think the Vols do just enough here to get the job done.
Conner Knapp: Tennessee 31, Georgia Tech 27
I am picking Tennessee with little to virtually no confidence. I have no idea what to expect tonight; I could foresee the Volunteers winning or losing by double-digits. At the end of the day, I think Tennessee’s better athletes will prevail and give the Vols a slight edge. But Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech will be more than prepared and there is simply no way to properly simulate Tech’s offense. It will be the most interesting season opener in recent memory for Tennessee.
Noah Taylor: Tennessee 31, Georgia Tech 20
Despite an opening weekend full of marquee match ups, Tennessee’s rendezvous with Georgia Tech may be the most intriguing game. Both teams enter the game with question marks on both sides of the ball, add in the difficulty of stopping or slowing down Paul Johnson’s triple option and it adds another level of uncertainty. That being said, I think the Vols come out with a season opening win tonight, pulling ahead late to seal the deal. I like the fact that Tennessee is playing with something to prove without the burden of big expectations they’ve had the past few seasons. Expect the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium to be the site of another big win for the SEC over an ACC opponent.
Evan Winter: Tennessee 28, Georgia Tech 16
The Vols are in a very interesting position. Despite the bad performance from the Gators, the rest of the SEC looked very good this weekend. The Vols will further the SEC dominance on Monday. I expect Tennessee to continue the first week surge with a 28-16 victory over the Jackets.