Mercifully, the matchup with Alabama is finally here. Some have been waiting for a week, others a few weeks..last fall..or since December 2018.
Is this a program-defining win for Georgia? Absolutely. Provided Georgia is able to do what is expected, a changing of the guard could happen. Much like Florida getting past Alabama in the early 90s and that reversing itself once Saban arrived, the upstart needs to get that one win to assert itself, and that time is now for Georgia.
It’s not too different than in NBA history and its progression of Magic Johnson - Isaiah Thomas - Michael Jordan.
The time is now for Georgia to beat Alabama. Whether or not it actually happens? Here’s three keys to the first Georgia win over Alabama since Mike Patrick pondered Britney Spears life decisions.
Contain the pocket
Georgia has not faced a quarterback that can extend plays more than Bryce Young. He’s the best quarterback talent Georgia has seen and may face. It’ll be one thing to apply pressure, as other teams have done to the Tide up front. It’ll be another to take Young down on the first attempt and not let him elude out and turn a yardage loss or incomplete pass into something that extends drives, or worse.
Never let up
The old analogy about killing a rattlesnake by stepping on its neck applies here. We’ve been in too many times, for ourselves or even last week on The Plains. Even on a bad day, Alabama thinks that it can win, and it either usually does or comes within an eyelash of doing so. If Georgia has a chance to gain a second-half advantage, it cannot afford to be tentative, that’s for sure.
Trench depth
In games like this, that recruiting of a guy that’s a second-team lineman pays off big. Guys get nicked up or tired as the game goes on. If there’s no dropoff in Georgia’s front seven or offensive line if guys rotate out, Georgia will win.
Go Dawgs!