Alabama vs Georgia 2024 Preview: Q&A with DawgSports

In what has develop into an everyday custom, my good friend Macondawg over at Dawg Sports activities took the day out of making an attempt to outlive a Class 4 hurricane to reply our burning questions concerning the Georgia Bulldogs.

To be sincere, they’re actually not as assured over there as I’d count on. The Dawg trustworthy don’t appear fairly as excessive on the workforce because the nationwide media at massive does, to be sincere.

Severely, they run a fantastic web site over there, and I’ll at all times suggest going to present them a learn. And once more, massive because of Macondawg for the effort and time!

1. Proper off the bat, right here’s a enjoyable train for us to see the place you stand: Proper now, it seems to be like Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Missouri (I assume?) are the contenders within the SEC. The place do you rank these groups proper now, and who will nonetheless have one loss or much less on the finish of the season?

I’m not but totally offered on Tennessee partly as a result of I feel Nico could also be inclined to a workforce that may get constant stress. I’m undecided Ole Miss has the depth to be there on the finish of the yr.And Missouri frankly simply ain’t that good a soccer workforce. At this level I’d rank the others 1) Texas, 2) Alabama, 3) Georgia based mostly on resume to date. I feel the funniest final result might be for these three to all find yourself with one loss apiece in a southern fried round firing squad.

2. I like Carson Beck lots. I’ve usually been a doubter of most of UGA’s quarterbacks throughout Kirby Sensible’s tenure, however Beck is de facto spectacular. Nevertheless, shedding Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey from his cross catchers was big. Are Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith going to have the ability to step as much as actually take over video games? Or another person? Or nobody?

Lovett and Smith are amongst a bunch of Bulldog receivers with loads of promise. Miami switch Colbie Younger has additionally proven the potential to be an enormous mismatch, and slot receiver Dillon Bell has additionally proven flashes.

Changing Bowers could also be one other matter. He’s only a entire completely different form of participant. Bowers’ alternative Oscar Delp has solely managed 4 receptions to date on the season, and had a drop and a fumble towards Kentucky. Getting him on monitor together with youthful tight ends Lawson Luckie and Jaden Redell would go an extended option to loosening up defenses and permitting Beck to do what he does finest.

3. Weirdly, regardless of the fame of being a extra old-school, energy working workforce, UGA hasn’t had a 1000 yard rusher since Deandre Swift again in 2019. Any probability Trevor Etienne breaks that streak?

It’s uncertain for a similar cause NFL tailbacks Zeus White, James Prepare dinner, Daijun Edwards, and Kenny McIntosh don’t cross the millennium mark in Athens: Mike Bobo simply prefers to unfold the carries round. Etienne has already proven that he’s going to be a key part of the offense. However freshman Nate Frazier seems to be set to get a rising proportion of the touches. Additionally, bruising again Branson Robinson has staked a declare to being the go-to purpose line and brief yardage again. Lastly, the coaches have loads of religion in veteran walk-on Money Jones.

4. UGA held on to Mike Bobo and Glenn Schumann on the coordinator spots. Continuity is at all times nice! Are you proud of these guys?

Bringing Schumann with him from Tuscaloosa was fairly probably crucial rent Kirby made early in his UGA tenure. Bulldog followers are resigned to the truth that we’re going to quickly lose him to a head teaching gig.

Bobo stays the scapegoat for all UGA fan anger and worry. Regardless of routinely coordinating offenses which have produced gobs of factors whereas nonetheless profitable the time of possession battle (the twin mandate Kirby Sensible insists on) it looks as if Bulldog followers are constantly prepared to fireplace him into the solar. I’d say I’m in all probability extra glad than the typical Bulldog fan with Bobo as a result of I’ve seen loads of hotshot OCs flame out in a approach he by no means has. Kirby isn’t asking Mike Bobo to attain 42 a recreation. He’s asking him to out an offense on the sphere that scores constantly, holds onto the ball, and doesn’t give away turnovers.

5. Is there any probability UGA’s protection isn’t really as infallible because it seems to be? The stats are kinda terrifying, and I dread doing a preview this week. I assume Kentucky did form of rush the ball semi-decently on you guys, however that’s about it. A single explosive play in 3 video games is simply nuts.

It’s been troublesome to get a learn on this unit to date as a result of it’s been patched collectively for lots of the early going. Mykel Williams and Warren Brinson are in all probability Georgia’s two most disruptive defensive linemen and neither has performed for the reason that opener towards Clemson. However the early returns are very promising. The Dawgs introduced again loads of gamers at each stage, and whereas the protection isn’t big on stars exterior of Williams and Malaki Starks, there are guys who could be counted on at each spot, together with loads of depth.

If there’s a priority it could be that this workforce doesn’t have the 2 hole run stuffing defensive sort out within the center that Georgia has had prior to now with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Nazir Stackhouse is stable, however Georgia defensive position coach Tray Scott wants another gamers to log high quality snaps behind him within the center, or somebody goes to run it down this protection’s throat.

That being mentioned, if the inside line will get wholesome, this unit may very well be near the 2021 protection by the point all is alleged and completed.

6. You’ve gotten any freshman which are already wanting like they may have some actual famous person potential and will likely be terrorizing the SEC by subsequent yr?

Defensively security KJ Bolden has already discovered a house within the rotation and appears like the following Malaki Starks. Offensively tailback Nate Frazier has proven nice instincts and is ought to see an growing variety of touches because the season progresses.

7. What’s the surface opinion on Alabama now that we’re three video games into our first season with out Nick Saban? You guys nonetheless view us as a risk, or simply one other SEC workforce?

I watched the Wisconsin recreation. However I additionally watched the primary three quarters of the USF recreation. And from that I’ve come to the opinion that Kalen DeBoer has a workforce that’s nonetheless stocked with Saban period expertise however is probably additionally nonetheless discovering its toes. I count on the Tide to be a title contender for a very long time to come back. However I don’t count on them to be pretty much as good, as typically, for so long as beneath Saban. And nobody else ought to both, as a result of what Nick did in Tuscaloosa was unprecedented.

8. Make your recreation prediction?

I simply can’t make myself really feel assured about this one. I’m just a little anxious about Georgia having the ability to constantly cowl Ryan Williams. I’m lots involved about Jalen Milroe. Georgia’s struggled beneath Kirby Sensible with quarterbacks who can go off script and make performs with their legs. Milroe killed the Bulldogs final yr within the SEC Championship Recreation doing that, and to me seems to be like a greater pocket passer this season. I don’t know that the Crimson and Black have a counter for that. I’d like to be fallacious, and each groups have been variable sufficient this yr that I may very well be. However I’m guessing Bama 31, Georgia 23.

9. I assume you’ll predict that UGA misses the playoffs. Is it nationwide championship or bust? Or will you be proud of (or no less than comfortable with) a playoff win and a swish exit?

I feel it would rely to some extent on the circumstances. After two nationwide titles I’ll admit among the previous UGA fan angst is gone. I truthfully questioned for twenty years if I’d ever see Georgia win a nationwide title. Then I noticed them win two in 364 days. So I’m much more mellow about these items than I as soon as was.

I’m on file saying the workforce that wins all of it this season may be the one among the many “massive 4” of Bama, Texas, Georgia and Ohio State that’s healthiest at year-end. If the Bulldogs do put all the things collectively, race into the playoffs wholesome and undefeated or with one shut loss, after which proceed to fall flat of their faces towards Utah I’ll say this entire 12 workforce playoff factor is a horrible thought. However then in the event that they hobble in and squeeze collectively sufficient pixie mud to win yet one more title I’ll in all probability hail it as the best innovation for the reason that ahead cross.