Even though the odds were against him, former Georgia quarterback and current Miami starter Carson Beck has the opportunity to get the sweetest revenge possible by beating Fernando Mendoza and favored Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Beck is far from Captain Checkdown, and the Hurricanes will be counting on him to challenge a Hoosiers defense that has been as difficult to throw on as any team in the country. As many a Bulldog fan is well aware, asking Beck to win a big game with his arm can lead to problems.
Beck ended the first quarter with just nine passing yards, all of which came on short throws to Malachi Toney. Miami never even got into field goal range against Indiana, which helped them waste a tremendous defensive start to the game. The Hurricanes trailed 3-0 entering the second quarter.
Beck has tons of talent, and dozens of programs would relish the chance to bring him in as a starter, but Miami is getting a crash course in the realization that when asked to elevate the talent around him in a pressure situation, he often can fall short.
Georgia fans saw Carson Beck struggling in National Championship coming
Beck's biggest problem is that he has always struggled when pressure gets right in his face. Even though Miami, like Georgia, has future pros protecting him, Beck's combination of trying to force throws and an inability to escape from pressure in the pocket can be lethal against teams like Indiana.
It's hard to ask for more out of the Miami defense against a Mendoza-led Hoosiers offense that has been absolutely shredding teams all season long. Both Reuben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor are right in Mendoza's face, limiting the Hoosiers to just one field goal. Beck has left his defense out to dry. Sound familiar?
While some may argue Beck already has the last laugh over Georgia by even getting to the championship while Gunner Stockton, Kirby Smart, and the Bulldogs are watching the game at home on the couch, Beck is no stranger to getting carried in postseason games by a truly elite defense.
Beck has time to rewrite the narrative. However, if he continues to put together such a grinding, uninspiring performance in the national spotlight, not only will his collegiate legacy be set in stone, but he could cost himself a great deal of money and NFL Draft status in the pros.