Georgia/Alabama Preview

Weeks like this are so much fun.

The anticipation of a big home game, especially against a traditional power like Alabama is what college football is all about. The weather doesn’t seem to want to cooperate, but both teams have to play in the same conditions, so I’m not convinced that will be a deciding factor in the game.

When I say this game could go either way, I mean it. In any game, there are four possible outcomes: either team wins a close game, or either team blows the other team out. Most of the time, you could eliminate at least one of those possibilities, but not this week.

Nothing that happens on Saturday will surprise me.

Obviously either team winning a close game would be just about what most of us expect.

Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it, so you can’t discount the idea that Georgia could get blown out on Saturday just like they did in 2008.

My guess is, based on previous Georgia performances in big games, most Georgia fans wouldn’t expect a blow out win for the Dawgs, but that is exactly what I expect.

Going back to 2012, the last time Alabama won the National Title, you see that the Alabama defense was fantastic. Even in the one game they lost in 2012, to Texas A&M, Bama only gave up 29 points. In the classic SEC title game versus Georgia, the Tide only gave up 28 points.

The following year, 2013, Alabama gave up 42 points to Texas A&M in a victory, and then gave up 34 points to Auburn in the “Kick Six” game, and 45 points to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

Last season, Alabama gave up 44 points to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, but still won the game, and they allowed 42 points to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.

Two weeks ago, Ole Miss put up 43 points on Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama still has good players on defense, and they are more than capable of putting up a big performance, but against the best teams that Alabama has faced over the past few seasons, Alabama’s defense hasn’t been the juggernaut that the dynasty was built on.

Then look at the other side of the ball. Alabama’s offense is still solid, but would anybody take Jake Coker over Blake Sims, AJ McCarron, or Greg McElroy? I don’t think so.

Lane Kiffin’s big play offense worked last season with Sims finding Amare Cooper time and time again for long touchdowns, but this year, Coker hasn’t had the time in the pocket to execute those big plays, and he has been too loose with the football at times.

Now let me say something that could really come back to bite me. Derek Henry is not as good as Trent Richardson, Mark Ingram, or TJ Yeldon. I’m not saying he is a bad player, but he isn’t the dynamic kind of runner those previous backs were. He is too big. Once he gets going, he can’t be stopped, but I think there are going to be a lot of plays on Saturday where Henry doesn’t get going.

Now look on the other side of the field.

Georgia’s offensive line has been phenomenal this season. They run block, they pass block, and they haven’t been giving away stupid penalties.

Georgia’s quarterback isn’t an All-American or a 5 star recruit, but he has shown himself to be a solid game manager that is capable of making big plays in the passing game when needed.

At running back, Georgia has multiple weapons they can put on the field in different situations to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses with Chubb and Michel.

Malcolm Mitchell is a game changer at wide receiver, and now that he is healthy for the first time since the Clemson game in 2013, he is showing just how good he is.

Defensively, Georgia has come a long, long way under Jeremy Pruitt. The strength of the defense is obviously the linebacker position, where it seems some of Georgia’s backups are as good as the starters. The secondary has been great since the middle of last season, and those guys all seem to have a nose for the ball.

The defensive line is solid, with a chance for greatness as Mr. Thompson continues to develop into the beast that I predicted he would be before the season started.

So what does that all add up to?

Great offensive line, smart quarterback, dynamic receiver, multiple running backs, strong defense that can produce turnovers.

Georgia 2015 is built just like Alabama 2009-2012. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, so I guess the Tide should be flattered.

I think we are going to see the same type of game on Saturday afternoon that we saw 7 years ago, just with the roles reversed. Georgia is poised to break out and prove to the nation that they are a different team with a different feel. I’m not saying that the Dawgs are the best team in the country right now, I’m just saying they are better than the team they will be playing on Saturday.

The South Carolina win has been blown way out of proportion because the reality is that South Carolina isn’t a very good team this year. This win for Georgia will also get blown out of proportion because Alabama 2015 isn’t the same team that we are used to seeing Nick Saban coach. I think Alabama is going to lose their 2^nd SEC game on Saturday night, but it won’t be their last. Bama is going to lose 2 more games this season, with the likes of Texas A&M, LSU, and Tennessee still on their schedule.

Now I am an eternal optimist when it comes to Georgia football, I know that, but this program has a different feel to it now. The talent on the field has gotten better and better through some fantastic recruiting. The talent on the sidelines has gotten better with new coordinators. The mentality of Mark Richt has changed a bit, as his experience is starting to show him how to prepare for these big games. Georgia is ready to take the next step, and I think that is exactly what they are going to do on Saturday night.

Georgia 34  Alabama 20

Glory, Glory