Greg McElroy: Georgia ‘isn’t dead yet’ after beating Tennessee

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy came away thoroughly impressed by the total performance the 10th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs put on display during Saturday night’s 31-17 win over rival Tennessee, both on the field and off it.

McElroy praised the “phenomenal” scene in Athens on Saturday, from the Sanford Stadium fireworks and light show to the improved play from Carson Beck and the entire Georgia offense in a must-win game given the Bulldogs’ status on the College Football Playoff bubble entering the week.

“The funny thing is, while the scene in the pregame was phenomenal, the first quarter wasn’t so great for Georgia — just 21 total yards of offense, third-and-long, that’s kind of where things were. It wasn’t great. But here is what I think is fascinating: for as much criticism as Carson Beck and this offense had experienced, it was pretty amazing to me to see the response in light of early adversity,” McElroy said during Tuesday’s “Always College Football” podcast. “They’re down 10-0, things are not going that well — Carson Beck had thrown 12 interceptions in the last six games — but now we’re moving forward and it’s like, ‘Alright, who cares, let’s just throw haymakers.’ And I thought the offensive plan was excellent from start to finish.”

Following a season-low 245 yards of total offense against Ole Miss, the Bulldogs’ offense responded with 453 total yards against the Vols, including 347 yards through the air for Georgia’s third-best passing day of the season (behind only 459- and 439-yard passing performances against Mississippi State and Alabama, respectively). Carson Beck was on point, completing 25-of-40 passing and two touchdowns to tight end Oscar Delp to go along with a clean, zero-turnover game.

McElroy: ‘Better protection’ from Georgia OL was key

McElroy credited much of that success to steady improvement from the Bulldogs’ much-maligned offensive line, which allowed Beck time to make reads in the pocket and Georgia’s playmakers to get free downfield. The former Alabama quarterback specifically pointed to the consistency created by a finally-healthy Tate Ratledge, who missed nearly a month after undergoing tightrope surgery following the Kentucky game, in the heart of the Bulldogs’ offensive front.

“Tate Ratledge back at right guard, Monroe Freeling back at a left tackle spot that’d been a huge problem, and with better protection you now have better opportunities to dial up a gameplan that can keep Tennessee off balance with who they want to try to take away,” McElroy added. “And guess what? Pick your poison. … Five different guys and tight ends finished with 50-plus yards.

“The tight ends by themselves accounted for 10 receptions in the game, and it’s been awhile since we’ve seen Georgia really utilize a tight end not named Brock Bowers, and feature a tight end not named Brock Bowers,” he continued. “Well Oscar Delp had his opportunities, (Ben) Yurosek had his, you saw Lawson Luckie at times this year get loose. I think we’ve found out that right now, it might not be the Georgia offense of last year with explosiveness and dudes that can take over the game. But they are still, when they get good protection, very capable of methodically carving you up. I think this is the best performance we’ve seen from Georgia offensively in awhile, and I think it’s one that can be built upon as well.”

McElroy: Georgia ‘a pretty decent bet’ to win CFP national title

Ultimately, McElroy’s praise of Georgia centered around what Saturday’s performance showed him in regards to the Bulldogs’ potential in the College Football Playoff.

“Right now, if I told you your life depended on picking a team that’ll win the national championship, how many of y’all are choosing Georgia? Honestly. Honest question,” McElroy proposed. “For as much negativity as we’ve had in the court of public opinion about Georgia’s inconsistent performance, at the end of the day, when you’ve got to have it, are they the team that you’d probably want in your corner? Perhaps.

“I’m not saying they are, or they aren’t, but I think a lot of you listening right now would say: ‘Alright, if I’ve got to pick a national championship winner and my life depends on it, Georgia feels like a pretty decent bet right now.’ Especially considering what we’ve seen at times from Ohio State, and what we’ve seen at times from the Oregon Ducks, and all of the other teams that have been super up-and-down in the Southeastern Conference.”