Georgia football got punched in the gut last Saturday against Alabama, and it was evident the Dawgs didn’t look the same as they had all season long.
The Dawgs let the limelight get to them, and they got away from what worked all season.
Granted, that is the easiest way of saying it, but instead of dwelling on every little thing, Georgia needs to focus on getting back to themselves instead of what everyone wants them to be.
In his postgame press conference, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said he felt like they got away from what worked, and why would they in the biggest game? Who knows, but thankfully there is plenty of time to fix the issues ahead of the Michigan game in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs.
Instead, they let Alabama play their game and gain all the momentum.
Georgia football needs to fix these three things for the College Football Playoffs.
These three things go hand-in-hand, so they all go together while also being things Georgia must do individually.
3. Georgia Football needs to stick to what works
The Dawgs came into this game as the No.1 passing defense in the SEC, and then they gave up 421 yards to Bryce Young and the Tide. Georgia gave up three passes that went at least 40 yards, including a 40-yarder, a 67-yard touchdown, and a 55-yard score.
Smart said after the game, they changed some of their coverages up, which did nothing but hurt them.
The Dawgs need to go back to keeping everything in front of them by sitting in two deep safeties. They went away from that during this game, and it wasn’t successful at all. Georgia should have tried to push Alabama’s wideouts to the outside, but instead, they went with zone, and the Tide ate it alive.
By keeping everything in front of them, they can use their speed to make things happen. This strategy also keeps things from getting broken down on the back end, so our speedy defensive backs can get to the guy before too much damage happens.
Plus, they can use their strong tackling skills instead of trying to run down the wideout. Lewis Cine led the team with seven solo tackles, so he knows how to bring down guys.
Georgia needs to realize it doesn’t have the secondary it did last year and that they need to play to their strengths instead of doing what it did against Alabama. The Dawgs have talent back there, but they also have guys that likely aren’t up to the same level as the other ones.
William Poole was a big weakness for the Dawgs as he got beat a lot more than the other guys. He wasn’t always doing what he needed to do against the Tide, and it was tough to watch.
Why change for the best game of the year? It’s understandable to want and try to do something they’re not expecting, but instead, it was disastrous and now Georgia’s secondary got exposed in a big way.
2. Georgia football needs to play within themselves
The next thing Georgia football needs to fix is remembering to play within themselves. They need to stop trying to do other players’ jobs and instead make sure they’re doing their own job correctly.
To put it simply, play assignment football.
William Poole was one guy on defense who had a few busted coverages happen on his watch. He lost his guy, which allowed that wideout to get open, and bam, a 67-yard touchdown pass occurred.
Poole wasn’t paying close enough attention. He was trying to do more than he needed to, and it was apparent.
On the offensive side of the ball, there were times Stetson Bennett tried to do more than he needed to at times. That pick-six happened because he forced that pass. His first interception wasn’t all the way his fault because Brock Bowers stopped running the route, but that second one shouldn’t have happened.
Bennett should have waited a little longer or baited the safety because then he would have hit Jermaine Burton for six. He tried to be a hero instead of just playing his game. Bennett needs to play within himself and up to his strengths. When he tries so hard, he creates mistakes and turnovers.
So if he is going to be the guy against Michigan, Bennett needs to remember he doesn’t have to be perfect to lead Georgia to victory. Just manage the game, and success will happen.
That mindset goes for every playing that suits up in the Red and Black, play your assignment and don’t try to do more than needed. This team has talent and the ability to be successful, so when they play their position like they need to, the success comes easier.
1. Georgia football gets back to playing disciplined football
Georgia football got away from playing disciplined football like they have all year. There were costly penalties, players trying to do more than they needed to when they should have just fallen on the ball.
The Dawgs got in their head and created mistakes they hadn’t done in weeks.
Nolan Smith knows to fall on a ball when a fumble happens. Instead, he tried to do more by attempting to scoop up the ball. This situation can go with playing within himself too, but at the same time, it was undisciplined of him not to fall on it.
Smith not falling on the fumble allowed Alabama to keep the drive alive and end up scoring, putting the game away by one more touchdown. That play proved to be one of the final nails in the coffin of putting the Dawgs away for good on Saturday.
Six penalties, including a costly pass interference later in the game, gave Alabama another fresh set of downs. Plus, only converting three third downs showed the Dawgs couldn’t find a way to stand tough and convert when they needed to.
Georgia got in their head, quit doing their job, and it proved costly. After that first quarter, the Dawgs got away from their values when Alabama jumped on them. After that 67-yard pass, the Dawgs had to play catchup and forgot everything they knew.
If they want a rematch against the Tide in the national title, they need to fix these three things because Michigan will study film and try to eliminate the Dawgs.