Georgia is in a prime position to not just make the College Football Playoff, but to make a deep run in the CFP this season. That is something they failed to do last year as they dropped their first game of the playoff against Notre Dame, but the Bulldogs look ready to make it further in the playoff this season.
But this Georgia team is not perfect. They have some flaws that could really hurt them once they make it to the College Football Playoff and ultimately be the reason they don't win a National Championship this season.
But there is one flaw in particular that could hurt Georgia the most, and ESPN writer Bill Connelly shared the "fatal flaw" that could impact Georgia's CFP hopes.
“The defense only shows up when it has to.”
ESPN's "fatal flaw" for Georgia is impossible to disagree with
Connelly believes the inconsistent play from Georgia's defense will be the thing that ultimately catches up to UGA and prevents them from making a deep run in the College Football Playoff this season. And after offering that up as his "fatal flaw" for Georgia, he went on to explain why he thinks that way.
“Georgia tried something novel Saturday, showing up before the fourth quarter and putting away Mississippi State early with a 38-0 run,” Connelly said via espn.com. “But the season stats are still alarming: In the first half, the Dawgs rank 74th in points allowed per drive (2.1) and 106th in success rate allowed (44.8%). It's hard to beat a string of elite teams if you're taking 30-45 minutes to play your way into the game.”
Connelly detailed how Georgia's defense has had horrific starts most of this season. They have allowed their opposition to put a lot of points up early before finally waking up and playing good enough defense to help Georgia storm back and win the game. Connelly believes this trend is what will eventually lead to Georgia's failure this season.
If that trend continues then it's impossible to disagree with Connelly, but Georgia is showing some signs that this flaw is not an issue anymore. This past weekend during their win over Mississippi State, Georgia jumped out to 38-7 lead. They played nearly perfect on both sides of the ball from the opening kickoff, and they didn't have to rely on a comeback effort to win a game for once.
This is a great sign that Connelly's "fatal flaw" no longer applies, but Georgia will have to prove they can play a complete game more than one time before they can be fully trusted. Thankfully their next opportunity against Texas this weekend is the perfect time to show that the flaw mentioned by Connelly is no longer a flaw at all.