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 holding 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 generally dominant, generally weird roller-coaster experience. There have been stretches when Georgia seemed unbeatable and others once they appeared particularly susceptible.
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 School 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 completed 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 ultimate rating and was solely inside 19 factors due to a beauty Wolverines landing within the ultimate two minutes.
Saturday’s consequence wasn’t a replay of what we now have seen play out so many occasions during the last 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 an excellent Texas staff that would nonetheless contend for the nationwide championship due to the expanded discipline throwing every thing it had at Georgia. And this was Georgia responding to a number of the worst potential 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 may as possible 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 development of the erstwhile Heisman Trophy hopeful trying erratic at occasions. 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 proportion under 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 Good shoving Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. than for something that occurred on the sector.
Maybe dealing with 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 Sport by three scores.
Georgia obtained a mulligan in opposition to Alabama a month later, however groups are not often afforded such alternatives for redemption. The 2023 Bulldogs discovered that lesson firsthand.
As for the 2024 Georgia, the model that confirmed up for many 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 and not using a championship.