It’s Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, and the reality here is that this isn’t a very close matchup. It hasn’t been for some time, and nothing about these 2 teams’ first 11 games suggests that anything will change this season.

The Dawgs are the best team in America. The Jackets are struggling for a 6th win to become bowl-eligible. The Dawgs have arguably the top coach in the country. The Jackets are playing for an interim leader who may or may not be with the team in a couple of months.

Still, if there’s one thing Georgia Tech has been, it’s resilient. The Jackets could have folded after former coach Geoff Collins was fired following a 1-3 start. Instead, they have won 4 of their past 7 games to get to the cusp of bowl season. This past Saturday, they put together a 21-17 victory over No. 13 North Carolina.

Could upside-minded Georgia Tech have another surprise up its sleeve against its biggest rival this week?

Unlikely. But we’ll treat it like it’s a possibility.

Here are the 5 biggest advantages that will help the Dawgs keep that from happening.

Georgia DL vs. Georgia Tech OL

The Jackets are among the worst in the country at protecting their quarterback. They have allowed 35 sacks this season, putting them at 119th in the country.

Georgia hasn’t been known for its ability to sack the quarterback this season. It has just 18, which puts it in the bottom quarter nationally. The return of Jalen Carter from injury late this season, however, has coincided with a noticeable change in the team’s ability to affect opposing passers.

The thought here is that even with that low sack total, this could be a big day for Georgia’s pass rushers, especially those named Carter. Expect big No. 88 to overwhelm the Jackets’ offensive line and Georgia to make it a long day for the Jackets’ aerial attack.

Georgia OL vs. Georgia Tech defensive front

Let’s just go ahead and look at the reverse of the previous section. Georgia’s offensive line has become one of the nation’s best, particularly in pass blocking. The Dawgs have allowed only 7 sacks this season, good for 2nd in the country.

I can hear people saying, “Well, what about the Jackets’ pass rushers? They haven’t been bad, have they?”

And the answer is no.

Georgia Tech has had considerable success rushing the passer this year, notching 28 sacks, including 7.5 by Keion White. Still, Georgia’s offensive line is loaded with experience and talent, and there hasn’t been a team yet this season that has had much success against it.

The Jackets’ run defense, which has allowed more than 182 yards per game and 18 rushing touchdowns overall, has struggled throughout the year. This could be a big game for the Dawgs’ running backs.

Georgia DBs vs. Georgia Tech WRs

With respect to Georgia Tech, this may be its biggest hurdle in finding success offensively against the Dawgs.

The Jackets’ top 2 receivers, Nate McCollum and Malachi Carter, have been decent this season. McCullum has 590 yards and 3 touchdowns receiving. Carter has 318 yards. Neither, however, has the physical stature to match up against Georgia’s physical defensive backfield.

Both are under 200 pounds. McCollum is under 6 feet.

On the flip side, Malaki Starks measures 6-1 and 205, and he leads the team in tackles and passes defensed. Kelee Ringo is 6-2, 210, and is playing his best football of the season in the past couple of weeks. Christopher Smith has established himself as one of the most physical and consistent safeties in the country.

I expect the Dawgs’ defensive backs to be physical with the Jackets and make it exceedingly difficult to get much going in the passing game.

QB Stetson Bennett IV

That’s it. He’s the advantage.

Look, some will say Bennett played poorly in Georgia’s 16-6 win over Kentucky. The final statistics will certainly tell that story. He passed for just 116 yards. He didn’t have a score of any kind. He threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted in the Wildcats’ secondary.

Still, he understood the pace of the game, the limitations on the vertical game because of the windy conditions and the advantage Georgia had in the ground game.

Bennett has become an extremely intuitive player. He understands the situation and is happy limiting what he does for the betterment of the team. Gone are the days when he forced passes into coverage for game-altering turnovers.

Bennett is an advantage for Georgia in every game it plays. This week will be no different.

Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington

The final advantage on this list is, I think, the biggest.

Both tight ends are already difficult to cover and are what make the Dawgs’ offense so unique and difficult to defend in the first place. In a game like this, though, that advantage is tenfold.

The Jackets are 56th nationally in pass defense, which isn’t bad. But they simply don’t have an answer in the defensive backfield for either of these big offensive weapons. Safety LaMiles Brooks, who has 3 interceptions this year and stands at a solid 6-foot-2, will be the biggest factor in slowing Bowers down. But neither his cohorts in the defensive backfield nor Georgia Tech’s linebacker corps will find enough answers throughout the game.

The expectation here is that the tight ends and, consequently, Georgia’s running game will have big days in another blowout victory for the Dawgs.