Alabama Football: Closer look at elite Georgia and not-yet elite Tide

The Alabama Football off week is being used by Crimson Tide fans to search for an answer to one question. Will the Alabama Crimson Tide be an elite team by December? The question presumes the Tide currently has enough flaws it cannot yet be described as elite.

None of us are soothsayers, but informed hunches carry weight. There are two reasons to believe the answer to the question is yes. One is, look at the national championship contender field. Georgia is maybe elite, but it is yet to be fully tested. None of the others, including the Crimson Tide are performing at a level associated with being elite.

For Alabama football fans, the elite question is tied to can the Crimson Tide beat the Georgia Bulldogs in December. The remainder of this post argues why that answer is yes.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Alabama Football defense is not inferior to the Georgia defense. Or if Georgia is indeed better, it is not by as much as is widely perceived. Many across the world of college football, and even some Alabama football fans, will disagree the Crimson Tide defense is comparable to the Bulldogs. A closer look is warranted.

Team stats indicate the Bulldogs defense is not only the best in the SEC but also the best in the nation. In average yards allowed per game, Georgia is No. 1 in the FBS. Eyeball tests from seeing the Dawgs devour opposing offenses offer more convincing proof. The Dawgs appear to be better, meaner and faster, than any other team.

A deeper dive into Georgia’s seven games, reveals their impressive stats should be viewed in context. Comparing the offensive stats of Georgia’s opponents to the Crimson Tide’s opponents (minus Mercer) shows the Bulldogs have faced weaker offenses.

The Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide are the only two SEC defenses to hold opponents to a less than three yards per rush average. The Dawgs are at 2.18 yards and the Tide is at 2.88 yards. That advantage for the Bulldogs dwindles when reviewing opponents of the two teams.

Alabama Football and Georgia Bulldogs Rush Defenses

Note: Stats are from opponent games through week eight, NCAA Yards Per Rush data

• Top Rushing Opponents: Alabama (Florida at 6.33 yards); Georgia (Auburn at 5.74 yards)
• No. 2 Rushing Opponent: Alabama (Ole Miss at 5.42 yards); Georgia (Arkansas at 5.38 yards)
• No. 3 Rushing Opponent: Alabama (TAMU at 5.33 yards); Georgia (Kentucky at 5.16 yards)
• No. 4 Rushing Opponent: Alabama (Tennessee at 4.95 yards); Georgia (Clemson at 4.42 yards)
• No. 5 Rushing Opponent: Alabama (Miami at 4.15 yards); Georgia (UAB at 4.24 yards)
• No. 6 Rushing Opponent: Alabama (Mississippi State at 2.54 yards); Georgia (South Carolina at 3.37 yards)
• No. 7 Rushing Opponent: Alabama (Southern Mississippi at 2.47 yards); Georgia (Vanderbilt at 3.03 yards)

The Bulldogs have better overall rushing defense stats than the Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide defense has competed against somewhat more productive rushing attacks.

A similar comparison can be made with the passing offenses each team has played. Alabama Football has competed against passing offenses, ranked by average yards per game: Mississippi State (No. 4 in FBS); Miami (No. 22); Ole Miss (No. 24); Florida (No. 53); Tennessee (No. 71); TAMU (No. 93) and USM (No. 119). Georgia’s opponents are Auburn (No. 49); Arkansas (No. 79); UAB (No. 85); South Carolina (No. 89); Kentucky (No. 98); Vanderbilt (No. 103) and Clemson (No. 111).

Clearly, the Crimson Tide has faced better passing offenses than has Georgia. A diverse Crimson Tide playbook, spreading the field vertically and more importantly, horizontally is not something the Bulldogs have not seen.

This post compares defenses. A strong hunch is a similar review of the offenses of the two teams would show the Crimson Tide with a decided advantage.

What’s the bottom line? Georgia has an outstanding defense. It has benefitted from less challenge than what the Alabama Football defense has faced. And the Crimson Tide offense will challenge that Dawgs defense more than any team it has played or will play before December.