SEC Sports Insider Magazine 2013 Bowl Edition | Page 27

Secondly, he will have the extra bowl practices to work with head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. There might not be a better combination to work with a quarterback in college football. Thirdly, he will have a variety of weapons around him. This is not like when Joe Cox took over with very little NFL talent around him. This team, even with all the season-ending injuries, is very explosive. The recovery time will be crucial. The defense should be positively affected with the extra practices and recovery time. This unit performed well under my expectations for them this season. However, the future is still bright, and they still have a great deal of young talent that is getting better with time. Deciding factor of the game This game will be decided by the composure that Mason plays with and how Bobo calls the game. Georgia shouldn’t shrink the playbook by much, and the coaching staff needs to just let Mason go play football. Mason is not a true freshman. He is one game away from being a fifth-year senior. Trust him to make the needed plays, and it will open up the run game for explosive plays. This is exactly what happened in the second half of the Georgia Tech game when they finally took some of the reigns off. If the Bulldogs trust Mason and he makes the plays, they will win the game. If they restrict him too much or he buckles under pressure, they will lose. Predictions The Bulldogs and Nebraska will play the field position game early on. However, Gurley will make a couple of big plays in the running and passing game, and Georgia will take the lead into the fourth. At some point in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs defense will make a play that seals the game. Score Prediction: Georgia 37, Nebraska 28 Stat Prediction: Todd Gurley 160-plus total yards