There is making a valuable point, and then there is spewing utter nonsense into a microphone... Hutson Mason may have played well that one year over a decade ago, but the former Georgia starting quarterback has once again failed to realize that Kirby Smart is this juggernaut team's head coach, and not Mark Richt in his penultimate year of leading this team. Buckle up for the wildest take ever...
Over the air waves on 680 The Fan, Mason went to great lengths to explain how Georgia is absolutely going to finish with an 8-4 record over a 10-2 this season. The last time Georgia won fewer than 10 games in a non-COVID season was during his first year on the job back at his alma mater in 2016. Last year was a down year for the Georgia program, but Smart still had the Dawgs in the playoff field.
At some point, Mason thought he was really onto something, but now he seems to be on something.
Former Georgia QB Huston Mason does not believe in this year's team
Here is the transcription of what Mason had to say about Georgia being led by Gunner Stockton.
"Of all the statistics that you just threw out, I mean, Georgia still won the SEC title last year, and their offense was extremely inconsistent, and their defense really underperformed, compared to what Georgia's defense is. And so maybe that is a compliment of Kirby Smart's floor now at Georgia. But regardless, if they don't play better around him this year, they are probably going to be more of the 8-4 range, instead of the 10-2 range."
In between not taking any breaths, Mason failed to realize Georgia gets all its tough games at home.
"If they finish 12th again in the SEC in rushing, and they have the amount of inconsistencies and the drops and the slow starts and all that. Like, copy and paste last year's team into this year, they're not going to be sitting in Atlanta."
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While there is parity in the SEC, Georgia's coaching advantage is why the Dawgs win those games!
"I think there is too much parity around the league. I don't think they're as dominant at their depth as they've been the years past where they just rolling five-stars and top-five draft picks and first-round draft picks. A lot of that is because of the portal and things like that, but they've gotta play better around him, which is why I think maybe the most important unit in the SEC this year is Georgia's offensive line."
Here is a clip of Mason's comments over on 680 The Fan, firmly believing Georgia is going ... 8-4?!
While there is a chance Georgia may miss the playoff, the odds of the Dawgs making it are quite high.
Why Hutson Mason is spewing nothing but nonsense about Georgia?!
There are a few things at play that Mason grossly overlooked here. First off has to be the schedule. Georgia does not play Clemson in the non-conference, a game in which the Dawgs won by imposing their will on the Tigers in the second half. Yes, Georgia Tech may be better, but the Yellow Jackets have not beaten Georgia in Atlanta since before their starting quarterback Haynes King was born!
Not once did Mason say anything about the schedule working in the Dawgs' favor. Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas will have to come tee it up Between the Hedges. Georgia has not lost a home game since before COVID. That could end this season, but road games to Athens have been a death sentence for everyone the last five-plus years. On the road, Georgia has to play the likes of Auburn and Tennessee.
While it may take a lot for Georgia to go undefeated, the Dawgs still own Texas and have had Auburn's number for the better part of two decades now. Florida still cannot get right vs. the Dawgs down in Jacksonville. Everything stated about Georgia Tech above holds true. In short, where are these four losses Mason seems to be certain he has found? This program has a defined 10-2 floor under Smart.
Overall, there are roughly seven teams that feel like locks to make the College Football Playoff. In alphabetical order, those would be Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Texas. Other teams like Alabama, Arizona State, Boise State and LSU are right there in the mix as well. Georgia may have its faults in terms of roster construction, but no other team employs Smart.
Ultimately, Georgia starts the season out with a top-five team in the country and a quarterback with something to prove in Stockton. There is a chance he may actually be better for Georgia than his predecessor Carson Beck ever was. Stockton is far more mobile, which could alleviate offensive line concerns a bit. The other factor is his running ability may open up wider passing lanes than with Beck.
And above all else, Georgia should be elite in the secondary and could have a phenomenal defense.