Latest / Mike Check - A College Football Podcast / GAME OF THE WEEK: GEORGIA VS ALABAMA PREVIEW
Transcript
- Jackson: Game of the week this week in college football. Number two, Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa to face number six. Bama line here has moved. Actually, it's now Bama one and a half over under has dropped because of the the hurricane heading towards Tuscaloosa under over-under set of 52 and a half. it's a big game. It's always a big game. Kirby Smart playing against his former team. obviously last time they Davis: And I have that stat off the I have that stat ready. Kirby Smart's two and seven Jackson: Yeah. Davis: against Alabama. Jackson: Is he t yeah, I forgot. Championship. And then last year they they just, you know, smoked him in the SEC Davis: Yeah. Jackson: championship game. So so yeah, it's it's always a big game. I think just kind of jumping into the keys of the game for me, Keelan Russell and Alabama's offense have just been like dynamite. They've been explosive, they've been efficient. So to me, if you're Georgia, you have to find a way to slow that offense down. Somehow, some way. Georgia has a great defense, but at the same time you could argue that they haven't played any good offenses yet. Arkansas, Vandy, and Oklahoma. So three teams in the SEC that are not necessarily known for their offense. So it'll be a big change of pace on Saturday with Keelan Russell. Davis: Yeah, and they haven't played great teams, but they've done what they're supposed to against lesser teams. And I don't wanna get into the whole like just because we haven't seen them do it against great teams doesn't mean they can't do it against great teams. You know, th th Jackson: Yeah, I agree. Davis: there's nothing like I stru I struggle with this game 'cause when I like dive into the numbers I try to find, you know, where where's an edge, where's a a mismatch that you can That one of these teams can try to exploit, try to put myself into the shoes of, you know, one of these coordinators and saying, If this was me, what would I try to attack? And I'm just diving through the numbers and it's like, Georgia's great against the run. well, Alabama's great run of the ball. And it's just you just go down the list and it's like, I mean, i it it's a reason why these two teams are the top two teams in the nation. I think that The winner of this game declares themselves as the best team through six weeks. Alabama's been playing great. Georgia's great. and and funny enough, the SEC champion has been one of these two teams for nine of the last ten years. only year that was not one of these two teams was LSU in twenty nineteen. So we've gotten to see a lot of these teams against each other. like you said, Alabama's kind of had their number, especially during Nick Saban. did Kirby give Nick Saban his first loss to a former assistant? Jackson: I think it was actually Jimbo Fisher at A and I believe that was the first one. I could be wrong on that, but I believe that is correct. so going back in this game, at least in the regular season, It's they've they've been great games. I mean, Bama's gotten the best of them in the regular season the past few years, but I think the key, like when you go back and really study those games, is with the Calen De Boer team specifically, Calin De Boer has had a plan, a new plan for his offense and for his quarterback in both of those games that Georgia hasn't seen yet, that was not on tape. Two years ago was Milro in the run place. the different design run plays that Georgia hasn't hadn't seen yet on film. And then last year with Ty Simpson, I feel like there was a lot more play action, like gadget plays, if you will, that that weren't on the tape. So I think it'll be interesting to see if Deborah and Grubb have something up their sleeve for for Keelan Russell in this game. you know Georgia's gonna throw all the blitz packages and and different looks at him that that they can. One stat that that I saw was that Keelan Russell When he's not blitzed, has a seventy-nine percent completion rate, which is sixth in the country. When he is blitzed, that drops to sixty percent, which is seventy-seventh in the country. And then Georgia blitzes the eighth most, they have the eighth highest blitz rate in the country. So they're they're gonna be coming. And I think if you're Alabama and Calen DeBoor and Ryan Grubb, you you've gotta know that. So I think maybe try to scheme up some plays and draw some plays up that are a little bit easier to have success against the blitz. So then it just becomes kind of a chess match. I mean, if you're Georgia, do you kind of change your whole defense and not blitz? Or do you just kind of go all in and hope that your guys can get home and and rattle Keelan Russell? Because the the danger of that is he's been so explosive and so accurate throwing the ball downfield that usually when you're playing a team that blitz a lot, They're kind of just trusting the corners to make those plays and trusting that the quarterb the opposing quarterback's not going to make that throw. But Keelan Russell has shown that he can make the the downfield throws. So it'll be interesting. It'll it'll definitely be interesting to see that matchup and how those sides of the ball scheme up against each other. I really found it hard to like pick a winner in this game. Like you said, it's just It's best on best. I know Georgia hadn't played anybody, but at the same time, I mean, look at the logo. You know they're gonna be good. You know what you're getting. You're getting a physical team that's very good on defense. Georgia offensively hasn't been just outstanding against their opponents. haven't been bad, but they haven't just mopped it up with with scoring points. sorry, I'll I'll pause there for a second. You got any any comments on On the rant I just had. Davis: no, I think it is worth noting just how good Keelan Russell has been in the run game. Georgia does have obviously they have amazing talent. One to watch out for is their linebacker, Chris Cole. just a freak, sideline to sideline linebacker. do want to see how they deploy him if it's I know they they blitz him a little bit, but could use him as a spy. could drop him uncovered, so I'm interested to see how he is utilized in this game. Jackson: Yeah. Yeah, so we've talked about Georgia's defense against Bama's offense. I think I think the key there is you you have to keep Bama in the low thirties or or upper twenties. I don't think Georgia's gonna score in the mid to high thirties in this game. They may touch thirty, but if I had to predict their score it'd be probably mid to upper twenties. another Davis: I mean, th th this game is between Alabama, who is first in the nation scoring offense against P four opponents with fifty points per game, against Georgia, who's third in the country against P four opponents at forty one point three. So don't want you Jackson: Yeah. Davis: to sell Georgia's offense too short. Jackson: Okay, here's a stat on Georgia's offense. First off, they played Vandy. P4 opponents opponents were Vandy, Arkansas. I know Oklahoma's got a good defense, but there were basically two defensive touchdowns in that game. A Davis: Yeah. Jackson: little little fun fact on on Gunnar Stockton. So they have not really pushed the ball downfield. I know we're filming this late, and maybe everyone's already seen this, but Gunnar Stockton has only attempted thirty passes on the season that have traveled more than ten air yards. So Davis: Wow. Jackson: it it hadn't been a lot of downfield passing. It's been a lot of short routes where his receivers are just taken off with it. They have a lot of yard after catch numbers. I don't think I thought I put that stat on here, but maybe I didn't. but their their yak, their yard after catch has been just insane in a lot of these games. So in that stat, the you know, not throwing More than thirty passes ten yards down the field is also kind of crazy when you're five games through the season. But because, you know, ten yards is that's n I wouldn't call that a deep ball. Like ten yards Davis: Yeah. Jackson: is a pretty s pretty standard pass. So I think the key for Bama's defense is is put make him uncomfortable. I mean, you gotta stop the run and put them in in situations where he's gotta throw the ball downfield. Take away the underneath stuff and and I'm I'm not Davis: And and to add on to that, Georgia right now, you said they love to stay ahead of the chains. that's evident in you know, they don't ask Stockton to do to do a lot. They run the ball with Nate Frazier. their third down, average third down distance is second in the country. So when they have third downs, they're typically in a third and short, and that's because they're such a good running like They stay ahead ahead of the chains, whether that's running the ball, whether that's screen passes, getting the ball in their playmakers' hands. What's interesting is that Alabama is one of the better Alabama's defense is one of the better defenses at like creating havoc, whether that's tackle for losses, sacks, batted balls. So I think that I think that if Alabama can get Georgia in third and longs, you're gonna put a lot of pressure onto Gunnar Stockton. And I just I just haven't been impressed with him like even dating back to the previous years with when the pressure's on him, can he like r rise above it, so to speak? Great game Jackson: Yeah. Davis: manager, but don't know if he can, I guess, be that bus driver. Jackson: Yeah, and I I mean I'm I'm reading all these stats about Gunnar Stockton. He's not a freshman, he's not a rookie. I mean, he's been he's been in this offense for a few years now. So, you know, he can do it. I'm just saying he hasn't done it yet, and it's a big start on the road. So I know we've kind of rambled a lot here, given a lot of analysis. I think to me it's a coin flip. King George's offense Davis: Yeah. Jackson: slowed down Bama. I know the weather may be a factor. I think the latest thing I've seen is that it should be gone by kick, but Georgia's got to slow that offense down and Bama's got to stop the run on the other side and and make him throw the ball. So I'm gonna go with I'm gonna go with Bama here. Coin flip game. I'll take the home team. I like Keelan Russell and the explosive offense to just be able to outscore Georgia. I think I think they'll put up some points. Davis: Yeah, you literally took the words right out of my mouth. I was gonna say fifty fifty, give me the home team. Jackson: Yeah. Base I'll I would have I mean, I probably would've gotten Georgia in this game if if this was an Athens, but I'll ride with Bama. Davis: It is worth noting Nate Fraser was on the injury report, Georgia's running back. Okay, I just looked it up. No longer on the injury report. So I guess Jackson: Yeah, but their other back is out. Davis: What'd you say? Jackson: Their other back is out. Their back up or I guess I don't know if they use him in like pass passing downs or or how they use that specific guy, but he is he is I think inactive for the Obama game.