Thanksgiving is a special time of year. The start of the holiday season is filled with plenty of turkey, mash potatoes, good drink, and great stories. The leaves change colors, pant-sizes increase, and the cooler temperatures bring familial conversation about past and present experiences. But nestled in-between the nostalgia and culinary offerings lies a weekend of college rivalries that put an emphatic exclamation point on another exciting football season. For one rivalry in particular, only a few roads separate the two college towns while households are divided by generations of firm allegiances. Every late November brings another unhealthy serving of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate. And just like religion and politics, this kind of topic is always a hot one around the dinner table. Yes sir, it is the annual helping of Georgia versus Georgia Tech and this year's matchup should be a table set with two great sides.

Although Vegas has the early spread for the Dawgs as an eleven-point favorite, it is very apparent the West Coast does not know much about an intrastate series that normally comes down to a few points. As bad as Reggie Ball could lose a game in the final moments of this rivalry, he never got enough credit for keeping it close for rest of it. And while Georgia boasts an offense where three players lead their position in the SEC in yardage, Georgia Tech will be serving up a heavy does of triple option football that just came off a 472 yard rushing performance against a young but tenacious Miami defense. Fans from Sanford Drive and North Avenue can stick their chests out in this game as both teams are bowl bound and have an equal chance of winning. With that being said, throw out the records, recruiting rankings, and established coaching regimes. This one should be a slug fest that will surely leave one set of fans with a stomach ache on Saturday.

So, who is going to win the game? With Chan Gailey, it was easy to surmise. Insert offensive mastermind Paul Johnson, however, and it is now more difficult to predict. Gailey never beat Georgia and spent six long seasons failing miserably. Even though many think Coach Johnson will fare better odds than his predecessor, the pundits are out there as to whether or not the new era will start on the plus side this year. With that being said, fans are eager to way their optimism. The argument for Tech has been Georgia's tryptophan-like performance against Alabama and Florida. Let us be reminded that both teams are currently no. 1 and no. 2 in the BCS and carry a 21-1 record to the dinner table. As for Georgia's rebuttal, it would have to be the inconsistent performances against Virgina Tech, Virginia, and North Carolina - while also taking a head-scratching 10-7 victory from Gardner-Webb. Still, both teams have a signature win - one against last year's national champion and the other against a Florida State team that is primed for the ACC Championship Game. The Dawgs and Jackets also enter the game ranked in the top 25 with plenty of offensive firepower and a chip on their shoulders to boot. Georgia and Georgia Tech bring a collective 17-5 record to Sanford Stadium but 0-0 seems to be more fitting if you ask the locals.

Although only one team is still in their respective conference hunt, both teams are still fighting for pride, guts, or more simply put "Ruler of the Watercooler" for the next 365 days. No matter what goals are left for either team, both Georgia and Georgia Tech will be equally hungry to either allow history to continue to repeat itself or start a new chapter in the 100 plus year rivalry. Put on your bib, get your game face ready, because this one is guaranteed to provide a tension in the air not even your steak knife will be able to cut through. Feast or famine? Let's just hope Georgia eats plenty of Tech-key