Auburn’s trip to Georgia now has a TV home, and the SEC has slotted the rivalry game for 2:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. The Tigers and Bulldogs will air on ESPN.
The network assignment came after Week 6, even though the kickoff time had already been set for 2:30 p.m. CDT.
That late reveal lands the game in a crowded window, with No. 6 Alabama at No.
14 Tennessee also starting at 2:30 p.m. CDT on ABC and No.
13 Missouri at No. 8 Ole Miss in the same slot on SEC Network.
Auburn enters the matchup coming off a bye week and sitting at 3-2 after losses to Florida and Tennessee. Byrum Brown and the offense have not lived up to expectations so far, and the Tigers’ October slate only gets tougher from here with games at Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss still ahead.
There’s also uncertainty around linebacker Xavier Atkins, with online rumors swirling over the last few days about his status. Fans have speculated about a possible suspension, but nothing has been confirmed.
Georgia, meanwhile, arrives with major momentum after knocking off Alabama 20-17 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. The Bulldogs piled up 455 yards of offense and rushed for 206 of them, including 120 yards from Dwight Phillips Jr.
That win pushed Kirby Smart’s team to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Sunday, and Georgia is now 5-0 after collecting one of the season’s biggest wins.
Auburn is listed as an 18.5-point underdog, but the Tigers may be counting on the emotional letdown factor after Georgia’s huge victory. Still, with Smart leading the Bulldogs, overlooking a rival is never a safe bet.
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