Three Reasons Why Georgia Will and Will Not Make the 2019 College Football Playoff
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The Georgia Bulldogs are once again among the elite programs in the nation thanks to head coach Kirby Smart. The turnaround from the Mark Richt era was quick seeing the Bulldogs make a run to the College Football National Championship in Smart’s second season on the sidelines while flirting with a second consecutive run to the playoff in 2018 before running into SEC West nemesis Alabama in the SEC Championship Game (35-28). The Bulldogs ended the season looking flat in the Sugar Bowl falling 28-21 to then- No. 15 Texas.
When the 2018 campaign had finished, the Bulldogs had put together an 11-3 (7-2 SEC) record with an end of season No. 7 ranking in the Associated Press poll. Now that Smart and company have shown the fanbase what they can do, the expectations are annual appearances in the College Football Playoff with conference championship banners strung around Sanford Stadium. Begs the question, does Georgia have the talent and the right schedule to make a second run in three years to the playoff?
The 2018 offense for Georgia was about as balanced as it gets producing 239 yards per game on the ground and 226 in the passing attack. Quarterback Jake Fromm was about as efficient as it gets in the pocket passing for 2,749 yards with 30 touchdowns completing 67 percent of his attempts. His 30/6 touchdown/interception ratio led to an efficiency rating of 171.21. With passing lanes available, the ground game opened up for two one-thousand-yard rushers in D’Andre Swift (1,049) and Elijah Holyfield (1,018). The good news for Georgia fans, Swift returns and five-star Class of 2018 running back Zamir White is set to take Holyfield’s spot in the rotation.
The bird’s eye view of the Bulldogs’ defense a year ago, fantastic. Georgia had an elite defense ranked 13th in the nation limiting the opposition to 314 yards per game and clamped down scoring opportunities to 19 points per contest. Drilling in, there were some holes with safeties Richard LeCounte (74) and JR Reed (66) leading the team in tackles instead of the guys in the box. On the positive side, the Bulldogs have seven starters returning with experience at linebacker in Tae Crowder and at defensive tackle in Tyler Clark.
Reasons Why Georgia Will Make the Playoff
QB Jake Fromm
Experience has to count for something and junior quarterback Jake Fromm has it. With two SEC seasons under his belt, including two SEC Championship Games, he is as seasoned as any other quarterback in the conference, including Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Fromm will have to make up for the loss of his top two receivers, Riley Ridley and Mecole Hardman, along with tight end Isaac Nauta, but if there is one thing Georgia has going for them across the board it is that they are deep in talent.
Jeremiah Holloman is the leading returning target after pulling in 24 passes for 418 yards with five touchdowns. Look for Tyler Simmons, Demetris Robertson, Matt Landers, Trey Blount, and freshman Dominick Blaylock to fill the void this season. Can at least one of them emerge as a consistent target for Fromm?
Stable of Running Backs
There are two question marks on the offensive line for Georgia at center and right guard, but the trenches should be an overall strength. With a stout line returning and defenses needing to respect Fromm’s arm, the ground game should be potent yet again. Few teams are lucky enough to have a back with 1,000-yard potential must less one who has already accomplished the feat. If Zamir White can stay healthy, he has all the potential in the world and can also rush for 1,000 yards in 2019. White missed the 2018 season after suffering a knee injury and tore is ACL in the second round of the playoffs during the 2017 season with Scotland High School.
Adding depth to the position is sophomore James Cook. Cook rushed for 296 yards with two touchdowns a year ago. If White cannot stay healthy, there are options on the roster.
The Schedule
While the 2019 schedule is not easy, it does lay out in favor of the Bulldogs. Georgia has four true road games this season traveling to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia Tech. In each game UGA will be favored. The potentially challenging home games includes Notre Dame, South Carolina, Missouri, and Texas A&M; again, Georgia will be favored to win each. And then there is the annual neutral site game against Florida.
As the schedule unfolds, Notre Dame is sandwiched between Arkansas State and Tennessee, and then followed by South Carolina and Kentucky. If the schedule is to get tricky, it will happen in November facing Florida, Missouri, on the road to Auburn, and then back home for Texas A&M. Rolling off LSU for A&M is a victory in itself in 2019. The Aggies are talented on offense but do not have the returning talent the Tigers have on defense.
Three Reasons Georgia Will Not Make the Playoff
SEC Championship Game
A debate can be had if Alabama or LSU will win the SEC West, either way time will tell. And, either way, both squads beat Georgia in 2018. The Tigers dismantled UGA 36-16 in Baton Rouge and Alabama scored 14-unanswered points in the fourth quarter to punch their ticket to the next round in the SEC Championship Game.
Both LSU and Alabama will be in the mix this season for a run to Atlanta. Their meeting on Nov. 9 in Bryant-Denny Stadium could settle the debate in the West. When Georgia made the CFB Playoff in 2017, they took down Auburn. For the Bulldogs to take that next step as an SEC elite, they need this SEC title game win.
Georgia’s Defense
While the stats from the 2018 season paint a rosy picture, in the challenging games against LSU and Alabama, the defense was not as dominating. What really showed was UGA’s red zone defense allowing a score 89 percent of the time once opponents were within striking distance. To put it another way, out of 37 opportunities, the opposition came away with 18 rushing touchdowns, three passing, and put 12 field goals through the uprights to finish ranked 106th out of 129 teams in the country; that is not elite.
Georgia’s defense may not get fully tested until Week 4 when the Fighting Irish come to town. Notre Dame was not an elite offense in 2018, but they do return eight including quarterback Ian Book and four of their five starting offensive linemen. A reprieve may be had until the Nov. 2 showdown against Florida, but the final three regular season SEC games (Missouri, Auburn, and A&M) could be a battle for UGA’s defense with the last team scoring winning.
New Coordinators
Georgia will take the field with a new offensive coordinator in James Coley and on the other side of the ball with Dan Lanning. Both coaches were on staff last season, but calling plays and being the person in charge as opposed to an assistant carries a different weight. How will each respond to their new roles with the team?
Lanning will have challenges at corner going up against some stout offenses. Coley will have to find a playmaker who can help stretch the field vertically to keep defenses honest and from stacking the box. If recruiting stars account for anything, Georgia will have talent and depth, but is that talent ready to take on the challenges of an SEC season?
Photo credit: sportsspectrum.com; No. 11 Jake Fromm