Mr. CFB: I Only Have One Question About Georgia. Who On That Schedule Can Beat Them?
A coach once told me that football was not as complicated as everyone makes it out to be.
"Usually, the team with the best players and the best schedule wins," he said.
As we begin the 2023 season, that looks like Georgia. At least on paper.
Logically, I should not be picking Geogia to win its third straight national championship. The Gophers of Bernie Bierman did it in 1936 and in two of those years (1934-35) the Associated Press Poll, the one with the most credibility, did not exist.
Picking Georgia for the three-peat is not logical because stuff happens in football. Last season the Bulldogs trailed by double digits at Missourri but found a way to win the game.
If the Ohio State kicker doesn't duck-hook what would have been the game-winning field goal it would have been the Buckeyes, and not Georgia, pummeling poor TCU for the national championship.
Georgia, to its credit, found a way to win all of its games in 2022 and deserved its second straight national title.
But logically, there is a reason no one has captured three straight national titles in 87 years.
It's hard to win one national championship.. It's damn near impossible to win two in a row. Winning three straight is ridiculous because sooner or later the ball is not going to bounce your way.
But here we are. I spoke to the Memphis Touchdown Club Monday night and for the 15th time this summer I picked Georgia to win the national championship.
Why? I was asked.
"Because they have the best players and the best schedule," I said.
Now are there teams on that schedule that COULD beat Georgia?
Absolutley.
The trip to Tennessee on Nov. 18 looms large if new quarterback Joe Milton can make all the throws that Josh Heupel wants him to make.
South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler could get hot when the Gamecocks go to Athens on Sept. 16. We saw South Carolina beat No. 3 Georgia 20-17 in Athens in 2019.
Anything can happen when Georgia and Florida meet on Oct. 28 in Jacksonville Florida was No. 1 in 1985 when Georgia beat them soundly 24-3.
Georgia goes to Auburn Sept. 30 and Hugh Freeze will be looking for his first signature win as the Tigers' head coach Remember that he beat Alabama in back-to-back years when he was at Ole Miss.
And don't forget Kentucky, my darkhorse pick in the SEC, which comes to Athens the following week, Oct. 7.
Remember that Georgia won't play Alabama or LSU unless they meet in the SEC championship game on Dec. 2.
So here are my picks for the 2023 season.
SEC East: Georgia
SEC West: Alabama
Note: I'm picking Georgia and Alabama to both go unefeated and meet in th SEC championship game. Georgia wins but both teams advance to the College Football Playoff.
ACC: Clemson
Big Ten: Ohio State
Big 12: Texas
Pac-12: USC
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1: No. 1 Georgia (13-0) vs. No. 4 Clemson (12-1)
Rose Bowl, Jan. 1: No. 2 Ohio State (13-0) vs. No. 3 Alabama (12-1)
CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 8 in Houston
Georgia 37, Ohio State 34
Now all of this could be wrong. Logically it probably is.
But this isn't logic. It's college football.
That's why we play the games. Have fun,