Georgia reaches bye week & Bama prep in a Top 5 state of mind
Sept. 27: Alabama at Georgia, on ABC
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ATHENS — Georgia fans, Saturday night in Knoxville, you felt every shade of emotion: Dread, relief, frustration, and pride.
Your Dawgs escaped Tennessee 44-41 in overtime on that Josh McCray 1-yard touchdown run to end it.
Whew!
The ranked win over the Vols helped UGA move up to No. 5 in the AP top 25. Now a bye in Week 4, and unranked Alabama is headed to Sanford Stadium in Week 5.
It's a good day to be a Georgia Bulldog!
Key takeaways vs. Tennessee
Any time you see an OT instant classic, some of the topline lessons to be learned stand out pretty clearly.
In OT in particular, Georgia's rushing attack was an absolute game-changer.
That it took overtime and 502 yards of total offense for Georgia to put away Tennessee is a little problematic.
Takeaways from the win over the Vols:
Georgia's offense is humming. The Dawgs put up 502 total yards (304 pass, 198 rush); Tennessee nearly matched with 496. Georgia was decent on third down and converted two fourth downs. The teams were even at two turnovers each, which isn't spectacular ball security but could be a lot worse. Georgia did a solid job of game management, finishing with 38:28 possession time to Tennessee's 21:32.
The defense could tighten up. Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell averaged 29.5 yards per catch (long of 72) to finish with 177 receiving yards and three TDs. In all, the Vols passed for 371 yards. Georgia's offense can be lethal; the defense so far is less consistent. Georgia gave up multiple quick strikes, let Tennessee build momentum, and needed a late 2-point conversion to force OT.
Close wins still count. Georgia won a close one. That helps in the standings, but lacks style points for the playoff committee. On the upside, Tennessee’s not a pushover. The Vols could easily be favored and win their five games between now and the end of October, which would be a steady boost to Georgia's strength of schedule.
Week 4 & beyond
On paper, Georgia is among the top SEC contenders. But half of the conference hasn't played an SEC game yet. So, it's still weeks before the SEC standings start to clarify.
Georgia vs. Alabama (Sept. 27 in Athens) is a massive opportunity. If Georgia wins decisively, it's a signature SEC victory that could force the playoff committee to notice.
Keys for No. 5 Georgia vs. Alabama:
It's time for style points: I lean toward Georgia winning, led by the Dawgs' potent offensive balance. But if the defense takes advantage of the bye week and rises to the occasion to really lock down Alabama, the playoff optics of a lopsided win could be a huge help.
Ruthless disruption: Alabama responded to the early loss to Florida State with a solid win over Wisconsin. The Tide offense has weapons, and Bama can be dangerous. But they haven't been consistent, especially early in big games. Disruptors like turnovers or sudden change in the kicking game could bring Georgia chances to take control.
Georgia's long game
Two-point conversions, field goals, penalties, all the small details often decide big games. Georgia had to get creative late vs. Tennessee, which showed both grit and vulnerability.
It'll prevent a lot of drama if/when Georgia's able to take the next step and dominate on both sides of the ball to finish games clean in regulation and avoid the crunch-time scenarios like two-minute drives, must-have 2-point conversions, and overtime games.
For that to happen:
Georgia's defense must harden up, especially against explosive passing offenses. You can’t give up big plays in SEC games if you want to be playoff elite.
Ranked wins by big margins: Lopsided victories over Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, or Texas, any of those will shine in the playoff committee's eyes. Georgia needs to not just squeak by, but dominate.
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The bottom line
Georgia got out of Tennessee with a win that proves this year's squad has grit and can win close games in hostile environments.
Next, Alabama at home. And the rest of the SEC gauntlet.
For now: Relief, yes.
But Georgia still has a lot of work left to do. And with the No. 5 ranking and that SEC win over the Vols, the table's set. Now it's just a matter of finishing the job.
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