Joel Klatt makes prediction for Ole Miss-Georgia game in Week 8

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt expects a tight, 60-minute fight "between the hedges" and is picking Georgia to beat Ole Miss while the Rebels cover the number. On his show this week, Klatt praised Lane Kiffin's plan and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, but questioned whether Ole Miss can finish off Georgia in Athens.

“Lane [Kiffin] is going to have a good plan. Trinidad Chambliss, I'm sure, is going to play better than he did a week ago. He's a very good player, and generally has been good for them," Klatt said. He added: "Georgia has not been great getting pressure on the quarterback... They're last in the SEC in QB pressure rate right now... They've only got eight sacks in their six games."

Klatt's forecast tracks with the market. Georgia opened and remains around a 7.5-point favorite and the game is set for Saturday, Oct. 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Sanford Stadium (ABC).

Ole Miss enters 6-0 after escaping Washington State, 24-21, a performance Klatt framed as a classic trap game before a step up in competition. Chambliss accounted for three touchdowns in that win, and Kiffin's offense has repeatedly started fast this fall. "Don't be surprised if Ole Miss has an early lead, maybe by multiple possessions in this game... Georgia has had a habit of starting slow this season," Klatt said.

What has sustained Georgia through those slow starts is its second-half defense. The Bulldogs have posted second-half shutouts in each of their last two games — holding Alabama scoreless after halftime in a 24-21 defeat and blanking Auburn in a 20-10 road win — evidence of the in-game adjustments Klatt referenced. "This Georgia team just has nine lives... They come back and they have chances and then they make plays late in the game," he said.

Klatt mentioned the Bulldogs' inability to affect the passer — eight sacks in six games — as the vulnerability Ole Miss will attempt to target on Saturday.

Still, Klatt leaned on Georgia's home record and late-game resilience. "Ole Miss' resume is not great. A lot of one-possession games... Georgia’s 50–2 in their last 52 games at home. Obviously, they lost this year against Bama, but there's something about the resilience of this Georgia team," he said, calling it 27–24 Georgia and advising a play on Ole Miss +7.5.

Georgia Bulldogs running back Josh McCray | John Reed-Imagn Images

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