When the Oct. 20 AP Ballot drops, Oregon will presumably occupy the No. 1 rating that Texas vacates. However from the Geese to the Longhorns to former No. 1 Alabama, a good query to ponder is whether or not that is all simply retaining that spot heat for preseason favourite Georgia.
The Bulldogs’ 30-15 win at Texas in Week 8 served as a microcosm for Georgia’s 2024 season: a typically dominant, typically weird roller-coaster trip. There have been stretches when Georgia regarded unbeatable and others once they appeared particularly weak.
However as soon as the smoke—and the trash that Texas followers threw onto the Darrell Ok. Royal Stadium turf in response to a defensive holding name—cleared, the Bulldogs left Austin with a street win over the No. 1 staff.
Even with a loss, Georgia now boasts maybe probably the most spectacular Faculty Soccer Playoff resume amongst all contenders, highlighted by its two strongest wins. Clemson hasn’t simply received each recreation it has performed because the Bulldogs mauled it in Week 1, however has performed so by no fewer than 16 factors every time.
Texas had equally come into Week 8 having steamrolled all comers. A 31-12 blowout at reigning nationwide champion Michigan was the closest last rating and was solely inside 19 factors because of a beauty Wolverines landing within the last two minutes.
Saturday’s end result wasn’t a replay of what we now have seen play out so many instances over the past decade: the Longhorns getting some wins, producing buzz that they’ve returned to nationwide title competition, solely to slide on the proverbial banana peel and spark a wave of sarcastic “Texas is again!” posts on social media.
No, this was a superb Texas staff that might nonetheless contend for the nationwide championship because of the expanded subject throwing all the pieces it had at Georgia. And this was Georgia responding to a number of the worst attainable situations, most notably Carson Beck throwing three interceptions and nonetheless profitable by two touchdowns.
The win means that Georgia’s return to No. 1 could also be inevitable. Nevertheless, the character of the win additionally signifies that the Bulldogs could as doubtless be destined for an additional stumble.
As famous, Saturday’s recreation had a peculiar move that emulated a lot of Georgia’s marketing campaign as a complete. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 20-0 first-half lead, just for Texas to drag inside a landing going into the fourth quarter.
Beck’s interceptions continued a season-long pattern of the erstwhile Heisman Trophy hopeful trying erratic at instances. His touchdown-to-interception ratio for the season is lower than 2-to-1 at 15 scores and eight picks, and Beck has been at his worst in key moments.
To wit, Saturday’s 175 yards in opposition to Texas marked his second efficiency with fewer than 240 passing yards and a completion share beneath 62.5. The opposite was within the 41-34 loss at Alabama, an end result that turns into extra puzzling with every lackluster efficiency the Crimson Tide has had since.
Whereas Georgia boasts multiple-score wins over championship-contending opponents Clemson and Texas, the Bulldogs had extra bother in wins of 13-12 and 41-31 in opposition to a middling Kentucky and a basement-dwelling Mississippi State.
The defeat of MSU—which, to Georgia’s credit score, was a 17-point margin for a lot of the second half—was extra noteworthy for coach Kirby Smart shoving Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. than for something that occurred on the sphere.
Maybe going through some regular-season difficulties is to Georgia’s profit in the long term. The 2021 Bulldogs spent 12 video games destroying all their opponents, garnering comparisons to all-time nice groups just like the 2001 Miami Hurricanes, solely to lose the SEC Championship Recreation by three scores.
Georgia bought a mulligan in opposition to Alabama a month later, however groups are hardly ever afforded such alternatives for redemption. The 2023 Bulldogs realized that lesson firsthand.
As for the 2024 Georgia, the model that confirmed up for a lot of the night time in opposition to Texas can beat another staff vying for the playoff. One other model that additionally confirmed up in Austin would possibly bow out with no championship.
