Georgia Finally Has An Advantage Against Alabama - The Quarterback

Georgia has had the same hurdle for two of the last three seasons under Smart... Alabama. Though, for the first time, he's got the advantage at Quarterback.

The same question has faced Georgia for two of the last three seasons. Can you beat Bama? 

And in a year when the Dawgs play them once in the regular season and presumably would face off with them in the SEC Championship Game, that looming hurdle has seemingly gotten even taller. 

Though for the first time since Smart has arrived in Athens with the task of needing to beat his former team in order to have a shot at the college football playoff or a national title, Georgia has the most important advantage. 

The quarterback position. 

This isn't a shot at Jake Fromm because he certainly played well enough to win the National Championship game in 2017, as well as the SEC Championship in 2018. And you can even make the case he outplayed them for the better part of the game. However, both of those quarterbacks that beat him, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts, were certainly more talented. If you don't believe me, check the draft positions of all three in the 2020 NFL Draft:

• Tua Tagovailoa: 5th overall selection
• Jalen Hurts: 53rd overall selection
• Jake Fromm: 167th overall selection

Georgia has gone out and brought on Jamie Newman and J.T. Daniels. Now it's Georgia with not only the more experienced quarterback, but the two most talented players at the quarterback position compared to Mac Jones and the freshman Bryce Young — who by all accounts is tremendously talented but by week three it's presumed it will still be Jones's job. 

Not only does Georgia have the advantage at the quarterback position, but all signs are pointing towards Kirby Smart finally having come around to the modern style of college football. 

OC, Todd Monken

Gone are the days of controlling the clock, running the ball, and playing conservatively on the offensive end. You've got to have an offense that can score in bunches and do so on a consistent basis. 

This change was very much needed, but it took Smart quite a while to finally come around. 

• 2017 National Championship: 20-7 lead vs Bama
• 2018 SEC Championship: 28-14 lead vs Bama
• 2019: 3-score leads vs Florida, Auburn, and TAMU dwindled to 1 score late.

What he's learned, it seems, is that no longer can you build a lead and continue to run the ball and play defense. Even with the nation's best defense a year ago, you can't trot them out there for 45 snaps in the second half alone and expect them to hold. Even a true freshman in Bo Nix managed to put up considerable yardage in the second half against Georgia after being held scoreless in the first half. And he had two chances late in the fourth quarter to tie the ball game. 

All while Georgia's offense punted on 5 of their 6 possessions in the second half. That's no longer going to be the case it seems in Athens. 

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