Georgia has always been, for the most part, a top level, team that wins games most of the time. The history of Georgia has always been a dominant one. Only three National Championships in the history of the program, 1980, 2021, and 2023. The Bulldogs tend to lose most of the big games than they win. But I felt that 2021 team that one the first of two national championship turned the page to be a dominant team to a powerhouse. But with those players and coaches left for NFL or other jobs, the excitement of the games as being a powerhouse team is fading.
OFFENSE
The 2024 team is a little different than years recently past. Georgia was able to score at will the last few years, and give up hardly any points. When Todd Monken was offensive coordinator and Stetson Bennett quarterback, points were at a premium. Was that due to the play calling by Monken, or the maturity of Bennett that finally showed on the field his last two seasons? Or was it that both fit well together? Monken was a gadget play caller that would call plays while keeping the defense guessing at each play.
The 2023 season was coming of age with both Monken and Bennett gone, bring in new but old play caller and former UGA quarterback in Mike Bobo and new commander of the offense, QB Carson Beck. Beck is a more down the field thrower for high yardage than Bennett was, who scrambled to make plays. If the play isn’t there, Beck throws it away to live for another down. Wide Receiver Ladd McConkey and Tight End Brock Bowers are also gone as well as the majority of the top-rated offensive line. The 2024 offensive line is top-rated as well, but with injuries to Tate Rutledge has slowed the running games which is known as running back university. Bobo is more of a traditional offensive coordinator that doesn’t show a lot of flash, so the offense might look stale at times. But the numbers are there., Beck is putting up 300 to 400 plus passing yards per game, it just comes as a slower pace because the offense is different now. The offense has yet to play a consistent four-quarter ball game. This year’s offense is stagnic in the first half, but play much better in the second half. The majority of the scoring comes after halftime. A few trick plays to get the defenses on edge would go a long way.
DEFENSE
During the run of championships for the Bulldogs, the defense was giving up 1-15 points per games, and that seemed mostly field goals. Georgia would go five or six games in a row and the defense would only give up one touchdown…wow!!! Well, not the 2024 Bulldog defense. Good things can’t always last. In the six games the defense has given up:
- vs Clemson: 3, W
- vs Tenn Tech: 3, W
- Kentucky: 12, W
- Alabama: 41, L
- Auburn: 13, W
- Miss State: 31, W
Fans aren’t use to seeing the defense struggle at times, but that’s the SEC we live in right now. Defenses all across college football, particularly in the SEC isn’t as good as years past…I will discuss in the next section
PARODY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL
College football, including the SEC is not the same as years past, and it has taken a few years to show, and it is now here. Parody of college football is because of NIL and the transfer portal. The letter of intent is going away because what good is it when a recruit commits to a school just to leave the following year when he isn’t getting playing time. Offenses and defenses are getting spread out, and teams that didn’t have revelance in years past, now have revelance. Four and five star recruits are going to smaller schools where they can play, and it’s putting the school on notice. Also, because these players can get paid, the players are going to the schools that pay better, such as SEC, Mid-Atlantic and Southern California schools.
Next Game
5 Georgia (5-1) travels to Austin to play 1 Texas (6-0) on Saturday, October 19 at 7:30 pm EST
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