Alabama Football opponent previews: Georgia offense

The Georgia offense presents a unique set of challenges for Alabama Football as the Bulldogs' system is more akin to what Alabama ran prior to Lane Kiffin being hired as the offensive coordinator in 2014. It's not quite the same style, but it's a far cry from the hurry-up tempo spread offenses that Alabama will see for most of the rest of the season.

Georgia zigged when everyone elze zagged - there was a huge push in college football over the last 10-years to get smaller and quicker. Georgia got bigger and meaner. It's worked to the tune of two national titles and only one team in college football seemingly able to ever beat them. You have to go all the way back to the COVID season of 2020 to find a Georgia loss by anyone not named Alabama.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and potentially the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Carson Beck. Beck has all the physical tools to make every throw and he's a better runner than most give him credit for. If you don't account for his ability to scramble or to pull the ball on read-option looks, he'll make you pay.

He was efficient against Alabama last season, completing 21-of-29 attempts for 243 yards. Georgia probably should have had him throw more and abandoned the run earlier. I fully expect they won't make the same mistake twice, especially against a young and untested Crimson Tide secondary.

The throws we've seen USF QB Byrum Brown and Wisconsin's backup QB miss the first few weeks? Beck won't miss them. If the secondary lets receivers get behind them, Beck will hit some big plays that could swing this game in Georgia's favor.

Beck rarely takes sacks because he doesn't hold on to the ball for long. He gets it out quickly and trusts his skill-guys to make plays. Over 17-starts, Beck has only been sacked 12-times. Pressuring him and getting him to the ground will be paramount for Alabama's defensive success.

Alabama leads the country defensively, allowing just a 17% success rate to opponents on passing downs. They also lead the country in yards-per-pass attempt allowed. They've done an excellent job at taking away a quarterback's first read and making him hold the ball. That hasn't resulted in a ton of pressure, so far, but Alabama has also blitzed as little as anyone in the country. You can bet on that changing on Saturday.

Even with a great QB like Beck, Georgia's bread and butter is running the football and asserting itself physically over an opponent. If they can't run the ball, which they couldn't against Alabama last December, then they become predictable offensively. The play-action fakes that Beck is so good at won't work as well, and he'll have to hold the ball a little longer looking for receivers, which should allow the Tide's defense to get him for a sack and test that injured left shoulder of his.

Beck has only been pressured on 20% of his dropbacks this year, and he's only completed 4-of-11 passes when pressured. He's not used to people being in his face, so you have to make him uncomfortable.

Georgia's ability to run the ball this weekend took a big hit with the injury to star guard Tate Ratledge against Kentucky. Ratledge will miss a few weeks, so obviously he won't be suiting up in Tuscaloosa. Career backup senior Micah Morris will slide into his plce.

Leading the way in the backfield is Florida transfer Trevor Etienne. True freshman Nate Frazier has looked good in relief, and there could be carries for Branson Robinson or Cash Jones, too. I would expect Etienne and Frazier to shoulder the majority of the burden, though.

Georgia has a 52% success rate on early downs, and they've been pretty good at staying on schedule. Their problems have come when they can't run the ball effectively, which is where they largely struggled in Lexington two weeks ago. They've struggled in the obvious passing downs, with their success rate dropping to 33% on those downs. If you can stop the run and force them into third-and-long situations, you're probably going to be successful. That's just football.

The struggles on third-downs can be attributed to Beck no longer having his safety blankets in Brock Bowers or Ladd McConkey. Last year when things broke down and the Bulldogs needed a play, they targeted those two. They're both now playing on Sundays.

Dominic Lovett was the only receiver who made any real impact against Kentucky, but Arian Smith and Dillon Bell are talented guys. Even without Bowers, tight ends Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie are good players who cause matchup issues.

They have good players at receiver and tight end, but through three games it's obvious they miss Bowers and McConkey. They aren't as good out there as they've been the last few years. That doesn't mean they don't have the guys who will take advantage of mistakes made by a young secondary because they absolutely do.

I think the game could come down to Alabama's ability to stop the run. Georgia won't totally go away from it unless they absolutey have to. Alabama has proven to be susceptible the first few weeks to the ground game, particularly on outside runs to the boundary. Smart and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo have seen that on tape, and they'll try to take advantage of it.

Alabama's biggest edge is on third-downs, so keeping the Bulldogs off schedule and forcing longer third down attempts will be key. Georgia hasn't converted better than 50% of their third downs on offense in a game yet this season. They rank 74th in the country in third down conversions at 38%. Alabama is first in third-down defense, giving up only 16% of opponent third down conversions.

Georgia's offensive line, even without Ratledge, will be the toughest test of the young season for the Crimson Tide's front. I assume we will see some wrinkles on the defensive line, particularly when Wommack is expecting Georgia to run the ball. Getting an extra defensive lineman on the field for more of a base set aside from what is essentially a big nickel that the Tide normally plays, will almost certainly have to happen. I'm not sure Alabama can stop the run without it.

If Alabama is able to have success on early downs defensively, I like the Tide's chances in this one. Force Beck and the offense into third-and-longs, and then get after him. He threw several passes in last season's SEC Championship Game that should have been intercepted. Picking him off when the opportunity rises will be key. Georgia is due for a turnover or two - they've gone four straight games playing clean football.

As for a prediction, I think Georgia will find some success on the ground, but Alabama will stop it enough to force those third-and-long situations the Bulldogs have struggled with in 2024. Beck will probably hit a couple of big plays in the passing game, but I think Alabama also forces a turnover or two that swings the game in the Tide's favor.