Rationalizing How Georgia Wins
Georgia fans have reason to be hopeful for a win this Saturday. Alabama appears the most vulnerable in years, and the Bulldogs consistently dominated their regular-season slate.
While many are picking Georgia to take out the lion of college football, what would it take for the Bulldogs actually to walk away victorious?
It's easy to pick a team to win, but it's another thing to rationalize why they can win. It appears safe to say that no one expects Georgia to win this one in blowout fashion. After all, Alabama still has head coach Nick Saban on their sideline.
Knowing that Saban will have this team ready to play factors into the winning equation. We know Georgia will have to be sound in all three phases of the game to stay the course. Alabama routinely wins big games under Saban by doing the little things: attacking special teams, throwing exotic defensive schemes at offenses, and ensuring everyone is giving maximum effort.
Georgia shouldn't have to worry about the defensive side of the ball. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is talented, and the Crimson Tide will score by their collective offensive talent.
However, Georgia's stifling defense should keep the Tide in check for most of the afternoon. Alabama has weaknesses across its offensive line, which is unfortunate because Georgia fields one of the best defensive fronts in college football.
That defensive line could make the afternoon for Georgia. To win, the Bulldogs likely need to wreak havoc: sacks, interceptions, and consistently making Alabama play behind the sticks.
The real question is how Georgia matches up offensively with Alabama. The Georgia offense and Alabama defense have key players capable of taking over the contest, but the determinant will be Georgia's offensive line.
If Georgia maintains a balanced attack, they should be leading in this contest down the stretch. Few teams can stop the Bulldogs when both the run and pass games are working efficiently.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett doesn't need to make heroic plays, but he does need to play sound football. Bennett can't let the moment get to him; remembering how you got there is vital in these contests. Most of the year, he has played mistake-free football, allowing the flow and rhythm to come to him.
The Crimson Tide thrives when games become extreme versions, whether shootouts or low-scoring affairs. Georgia needs to control the flow of this contest and allow players time to settle in and establish timing.
They have more collective experience than the Crimson Tide and could have this contest play out exactly how they want it to. It is a tall task, but Georgia has routinely shown that they are up for these challenges.
