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Auburn only had one game last week and took down the Georgia Bulldogs 97-76 in Athens without star forward Jaylin Williams. 

The Auburn Tigers will have a much tougher test this week as they have to go to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. Like Neville Arena, Thompson-Boling Arena is one of the most challenging places to play in the SEC. 

ESPN's matchup predictor doesn't think Auburn will get the big road win, as it only gives the Tigers a 32.6% chance to get the win. Winning this game without the veteran Williams on the floor will be a challenge, and guys like Chad Baker-Mazara and Chaney Johnson will need to step up. These two did step up against Georgia, as Baker-Mazara had 25 points and Johnson had 16. 

Coach Pearl had this to say about his team's performance against Georgia, "Coming in without Jaylin Williams, we had to change some things up," Pearl said. "So, we put three different guys in the starting lineup. Starting Chad Baker-Mazara — Chad Baker-Mazara was the best player on the floor tonight. He was certainly the best player on the floor tonight. Trusted him with the ball in his hands as a playmaker. Obviously, he makes shots, gets fouls, makes free throws. He shot seven of the 16 free throws that we had tonight. Made them all."

No one is predicting Auburn to win this game, but if the Tigers were able to get this done without their second-best player in a rowdy environment, this team would have a ton of confidence heading into March. 

This article first appeared on FanNation Auburn Daily and was syndicated with permission.

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