Samford is such an underdog to Georgia, most sportsbooks won't even take bets on it

FILE – Samford head coach Chris Hatcher greets players as they come off the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov.…

FILE – Samford head coach Chris Hatcher greets players as they come off the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. Defending national champion Georgia, which moved up one spot to No. 2 in the Top 25 after an impressive opening win over Oregon, will play its first home game of the season when it faces Samford on Saturday. The game will be a reunion for Georgia coach Kirby Smart with Samford coach Chris Hatcher, who gave him his first coaching job at Valdosta State in 2000.(AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

by: Phil Pinarski

Posted: Sep 9, 2022 / 10:33 AM CDT

Updated: Sep 9, 2022 / 10:46 AM CDT

ATHENS, Ga. (WIAT) — The “Bulldog Bowl” will take place Saturday in Athens, Georgia when the Georgia Bulldogs play the Samford Bulldogs.

Both teams come into the game undefeated and ranked in the top 25, albeit in separate divisions. No. 2 Georgia spent the better part of last weekend absolutely dismantling the then-No. 11 Oregon Ducks on national television while Samford had quite the battle against the Kennesaw State Owls in an FCS battle that the Bulldogs won 27-17. Following the game, Samford was placed in the rankings at No. 25.

Despite the emotional high of the win, many experts expect another steamrolling by the reigning national champions at Sanford Stadium. The game is projected to be such a blowout that most sportsbooks won’t let you bet on the game.

Samford is a 52-point underdog to Georgia, according to WynnBET, which is one if not the only sportsbook accepting any bids at this time. Caesar’s, DraftKings and FanDuel have all turned down the opportunity to feature this game for wagers.

If Samford was able to pull off the monumental win, it would go down as the largest upset in college football history based on the point spread. Right now, the biggest upset came when Howard University (-45) defeated UNLV in 2017.

It wouldn’t be the first time Sanford made it difficult for an SEC team under head coach Chris Hatcher. Just last season, the Bulldogs nearly defeated the Florida Gators in Gainesville, even holding a 42-28 lead at halftime before losing 70-52. In Samford’s history, the Bulldogs have gone 2-79-3 against SEC teams and they haven’t won since they beat Ole Miss in 1934.

Despite the odds, Hatcher said the team is more concerned with improving week to week than pulling off the Herculean upset.

“Each week, no matter who the opponent is, it’s all about us and trying to get better with our effort, get better with our fundamentals,” Hatcher said. “That’s what we focus on each and every week. Being better at what we do.”

It will also be a reunion for Hatcher and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. Hatcher hired Smart to his first coaching gig at Valdosta State back in 2000.

The game will kick off at 3 p.m. Saturday.