What is Georgia football’s angst level about facing Alabama? Bulldogs mailbag

ATHENS, Ga. — A long time ago, after being dumped for the first time, a friend who had been through that situation offered this advice about the angst and heartache he knew I was feeling: You’ll get through it, and then after a while, you’ll remember that heartache and actually miss it. It’s hard to explain why, but you will.

Weirdly, he was right. Once happiness is finally attained, you look back on the angst, and while you don’t want it back, you look back on it fondly. It was something you got past, a personal life accomplishment, and smile at it being in the past. And the person who dumped you could walk in the room right now, and you’d smile at them and remember the heartache, but the smile is real because you really are past it, no matter what happens next.

That must be what it’s like to be a Georgia fan these days, getting ready to face Alabama. At least most fans.

Note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

I get a sense amongst the fan base that in spite of our success these past two-plus seasons there’s still a good bit of trepidation at the thought of having to face our old nemesis. Does a victory in this game exorcise the demons of years past? Certainly, it would cement our legacy as the dominant dynasty in CFB, but will there always be this level of angst as long as Nick Saban walks the sideline? — Drew S.

Keep in mind, every program in America will feel angst when Saban is on the other sideline. Georgia just has more history than most.

As someone who has chronicled this rivalry from the Mark Richt days, when Kirby Smart was at Saban’s side, this game seems to have the least amount of angst and personal storylines, at least from the Georgia side. Smart’s news conference on Monday was dominated by questions about stopping Jalen Milroe and running quarterbacks in general. My conversations with Georgia about this game are much more football-oriented, rather than history or Saban voodoo. The championship win in Indianapolis two years ago seemed to eliminate all that.

But this game would be a chance to absolutely eliminate all of it. What Georgia hasn’t done is beat Alabama in Atlanta or in the SEC Championship Game, and if things don’t go well early, that angst will creep back into the Georgia half of the crowd and the sideline. That’s where this team’s journey will help: The 2021 team was so unused to being hit in the mouth that when Alabama did, it folded. This 2023 team is so used to it, that it’ll just shrug and try to come back. This game won’t seem over even if it’s 21-0 in the first quarter. In a way, it’s almost like the voodoo will have switched: Georgia was the team that led Alabama at halftime of so many big games — you know them, no need to recite them — so maybe the best storyline for Saturday would be Alabama holding a big lead and Georgia pulling off a comeback. As it did in Indianapolis.

Or it may play out differently. Alabama could win, and the hot takes will be that it still lives rent-free in Georgia’s head. We’ll see, but I don’t think that would be my takeaway. Before previous games, I was one of those who felt Georgia might be the better team, but I had to see it beat Alabama first to believe it. Now that we finally saw it, this seems much more about X’s and O’s and Jimmy’s and Joe’s, not demons and dreams.

But I also reserve the right to say there is something about that venue, or Atlanta, when it comes to these two teams. That leads into the next question.

How serious is the Alabama threat to knock UGA out of College Football Playoff? It needed a miracle to beat Auburn. — Brad T.

Yes, but …

Alabama needed overtime to beat a bad Auburn team before its last SECCG and took us to the woodshed the next week. — Richard G.

Brad’s point is well-taken. On two base levels, this is a toss-up: Both teams have good head coaches. Both are talented, Alabama first and Georgia second in the 247Sports Team Talent Composite. But if you went on blind the resume, or the eye test, Georgia clearly seems the better team.

There are four common opponents:

Ole Miss (both games at home): Alabama won by 14; Georgia won by 35.

Kentucky: Alabama won by 28 (on the road); Georgia won by 39 (at home).

Tennessee: Alabama won by 14 (at home); Georgia won by 28 (on the road).

Auburn (both on the road): Alabama won by three; Georgia won by seven.

The stats, as far as SEC rankings, are a bit closer:

Offensive yards per play: Georgia second, Alabama sixth.

Passing yards per attempt: Alabama second, Georgia fourth.

Rushing yards per attempt: Georgia third, Alabama sixth.

Defensive yards per play: Georgia first, Alabama second.

Passing yards per play: Georgia first, Alabama second.

Rushing yards per attempt: Alabama fourth, Georgia ninth.

That last number is what stands out, which is why it was the focus of my story off the Georgia Tech game and off the Monday availability with Smart. Ultimately, it comes down to what basically every Georgia game has come down to this season: The offense has been able to take control of games and force other teams to have to pass, and that plays right into the hands of the strengths of Georgia’s defense, which are its secondary and its tactics. If Smart, Glenn Schumann and company know the other team is probably going to pass, they can turn the edge rushers loose, have a spy on Milroe’s running and let their talented secondary play man coverage. But if the other team can run the ball, a la Cody Schrader in the second half of the Missouri game, things get dicey.

This Georgia defense hasn’t been dominant, like the past two years. It has been flawed, especially at the start of games, and has had occasional issues later in games. But it has never given up more than 23 points. That has been more than enough for the Georgia offense. And while Alabama’s defensive yardage numbers are good, it has given up at least 20 points to its past six SEC opponents. Georgia, meanwhile, is averaging more than 40. And while Alabama’s pass rush has been great, especially Dallas Turner, Georgia’s offensive line has been great as well.

Georgia is a slight favorite for a reason. But Alabama is obviously the best team Georgia has faced. This will not be the day to bring the B-game.

Here’s an uneasy topic, but what are Georgia’s bowl outlooks if it doesn’t make the Playoff? Will it be a draw to stick close to home (Peach Bowl) or a bowl game it hasn’t played in a long time (Cotton) or ever (Fiesta)? Are the powers that be more inclined to match up Georgia with a more desirable opponent (Ohio State or the Oregon/Washington loser) instead of Tulane or Louisville? — Kelvin M.

There has been an amazing lack of discussion about this, but it is a real possibility: Georgia is less than a touchdown favorite, and if it loses, it’s likely out, barring cooperation from Louisville, Oklahoma State or the selection committee. And considering the two Playoff bowls are the Rose and the Sugar, arguably the two best locations, any other bowl would be a letdown for the fans (0r at least certain media members who love New Orleans food).

But good news for those at least wanting to travel: The Peach Bowl is almost certainly out. The most likely destination for Georgia would be the Orange Bowl, which gets the highest-ranked non-champion among the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame. It won’t be the latter, so it would come down to whether Georgia fell behind Ohio State. That seems unlikely unless it’s a blowout, but if it does happen, the Fiesta and Cotton are in play. The permutations of that are too complicated — my colleague Scott Dochterman tried to explain, but it made my head hurt — but the Peach Bowl is out largely because it almost certainly will get a Group of 5 team this year and also because it had Georgia last year.

If Georgia did go to the Orange Bowl, the opponent likely would be Louisville, unless the Playoff committee takes Texas over Florida State, in which case it would be Georgia vs. Florida State. But that’s a better bet to be an actual Playoff matchup in New Orleans.

Or … ya know what, let’s check back in Saturday night, if necessary. My head hurts enough.

Do you think Carson Beck will get an invitation to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony with a strong game? — Raj K.

A few more votes, perhaps but not an invite. The top three seem set with Bo Nix, Michael Penix and Jayden Daniels. The next most likely to get an invite is Marvin Harrison Jr., and if someone else has made a run to get an invite, it might be Schrader, but I doubt it.

The bigger thing to wonder about with Beck is whether he plays in such a way that his NFL stock keeps going up. My understanding is he’s more likely to return, if for no reason than that has been the plan, not expecting his stock would go up so quickly. But it has, and being projected as the third quarterback (after Caleb Williams and Drake Maye) could be enough to think he would go in the top half of the first round.

That said, Beck is still in only his first year as a starter. That will give pause to NFL personnel and Beck. He’s enjoying being back on the field after sitting for three years. Does he want to give up on that for no guarantees about starting in the NFL?

Why are we less effective against the run this year? Did the Bear Alexander transfer bite us? Or is it something else? — Paul S.

It’s the personnel. And let’s be clear, it hasn’t been bad. Georgia may rank ninth in the SEC in opponents yards per rush, but much of that has come on quarterback runs. Tailbacks are only averaging around 3.5 yards per carry against Georgia. And in total rushing yards per game, Georgia is a respectable fourth in the SEC. Of course, that stat is impacted by opponents having to throw more.

Still, it has not been terrible, but it has been far short of Georgia’s recent standards: It was top three in the nation in run defense from 2019-2022, a period when the defensive line had Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Jalen Carter and Travon Walker and the linebackers included the likes of Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith. Even as well as Georgia has recruited, it’s hard to maintain that level every year, so this is a bit of a lull, exacerbated by Alexander’s departure. But if the coaches had it to do all over again, I don’t think they would beg and plead Alexander to stay. It was a situation that had reached a point of mutually necessary separation.

But a step down in stopping the run isn’t surprising. It was something I mentioned before the season as a potential stumbling block, but luckily for Georgia, it has been overcome by an elite secondary and a high-scoring offense. It wasn’t helped this year by defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins not being healthy until the second half of the season, just in time for inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson to get hurt. There was perhaps too much of an expectation that Nazir Stackhouse would be the next star on the line, which wasn’t fair to him. Still, the defense is getting by with a solid group of veterans and could be very good again soon if some of the young defensive linemen (Jordan Hall, Jamaal Jarrett) develop as expected and Georgia nabs someone out of the transfer portal. It definitely will try.

We hear how much deeper UGA is than everyone else, how it’s reloading not rebuilding, etc. But doesn’t that conflict with the fact that last year it started two true freshmen on defense, and this year, in a very key position that it recruits well, it’s playing true freshmen without Dumas-Johnson? If Georgia is so deep, why are freshmen getting key playing time? Or is it just too difficult to be stacked everywhere? — Katie A.

It’s mostly the latter. But the two true freshmen who started last year were five-star prospects (Malaki Starks and Mykel Williams), and Starks is a Thorpe Award finalist this year. This year, the only true freshmen starting are because of the Dumas-Johnson injury, and they’re starting over a third-year player who was a five-star prospect (Xavian Sorey), so they’re doing something to earn it.

It’s hard to have depth everywhere in the portal era. For instance, Georgia had a veteran inside linebacker last year in Trezmen Marshall, who transferred … to Alabama, where he’s the team’s seventh-leading tackler.

Georgia is playing in Austin next year on the same day as the Formula 1 race. So call the Grim Reaper for your hotel/rental. — Trey D.

This is in reference to ESPN’s report about a few dates on the SEC schedule, the full one to be announced in December. Georgia reportedly goes to Texas on Oct. 19, and that’s when there’s a race in Austin, and I checked hotel availability and … well, I’ll check again later, hoping for the best. From what I’m told, the actual race is far enough away from the stadium that it’s not like the two events will be overlapping. And I suspect Georgia will have a bye week after the game and before the Florida game.

Next year’s trip to Alabama is reportedly set for Sept. 28. It’s a bit surprising those two dates aren’t flipped, with Texas earlier in the year because you’d think the SEC wanted to give Texas and Oklahoma two big welcome-to-the-SEC games early in the year.

But hey, maybe Georgia and Texas will meet before then. Perhaps in a month or so. But first, Georgia and Alabama definitely have another date with each other. Just another championship at stake. Same as always between these two.

(Top photo of Kirby Smart: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)