Week 1: Georgia vs Oregon 9/3/22 College Football Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Georgia Bulldogs and Oregon Ducks square off in a massive week 1 of college football action at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. The Oregon Ducks won 10 games last year and enter the first season under coach Dan Lanning. The Georgia Bulldogs won 14 games last year and enter the seventh season under coach Kirby Smart.

The Oregon Ducks averaged 31.4 points and 423.6 yards per game last season. Oregon allowed an average of 27 points and 384.6 yards per game last season. Ty Thompson has a chance to start at quarterback after 15 pass attempts last season. Kris Hutson and Troy Franklin are a returning receiving duo that combined for 600 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Byron Cardwell had 400 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Defensively, Noah Sewell returns after leading Oregon with 114 tackles, Bradyn Swinson had 3 sacks and Bennett Williams had 3 interceptions. Oregon has a lot of players to replace on the offensive side and has a new head coach, so there’s some transitioning here. However, Oregon is loaded on the offensive line and on defense. Sewell is one of the better linebackers in the country, and Brandon Dorlus returning for a fourth season is massive along the defensive line. If Oregon can find stability at quarterback, the Ducks are a legit Pac-12 title contender. 

The Georgia Bulldogs averaged 38.6 points and 442.9 yards per game last season. Georgia allowed an average of 10.2 points and 267.9 yards per game last season. Stetson Bennett returns at quarterback after throwing for 2,800 yards, 29 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey is a returning receiving duo that combined for 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns, while Kenny McIntosh had 300 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Defensively, Nolan Smith returns after 56 tackles, Robert Beal Jr. led Georgia with 6.5 sacks and Christopher Smith had 3 interceptions. Georgia returns the majority of its key players from an explosive offense, and it’s why this is yet again a national championship contender. Georgia does have to replace its top-4 tacklers from last season, but the recruiting is deep and Smart is a defensive coach, so they’ll figure it out. The Bulldogs have 10 players on the SEC preseason all conference list, including Jalen Carter, who is poised for a monster season on the defensive line. 

The Ducks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games and 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games overall. The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. The under is 8-3 in Bulldogs last 11 games overall.

The Georgia Bulldogs are a legit national contender right now with all of the players coming back, and they have a physical edge here, obviously. We’ve seen how the Oregon Ducks have held up in the past against bigger, more dominant teams, and it’s not pretty. Coaching change and new quarterback. I understand why most aren’t giving Oregon a chance. With that said, it’s the first game of the season and even with question marks, Oregon is still a top-15 team in the country. This is a lot of points for the Ducks, especially on a neutral field. I could see a Georgia blowout, but I’m grabbing the points with the Ducks anyway.