Paul Finebaum details Georgia's chances of winning, competing with Alabama in 2022

SEC talking head Paul Finebaum joined Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic on their show Monday morning and gave his official word on Georgia‘s chances to beat Alabama this season. Finebaum argues that Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs lost too much talent after winning the title last year. He’s betting on the Crimson Tide getting the edge, even if they play them twice again in 2022.

“I wouldn’t leave them out (of the picture), I don’t think Georgia can beat Alabama this year – I don’t know how to say it in any clearer terms than that,” Finebaum said. “I just think that they’ve lost way too much but I think it would be interesting though if they played twice again.

“You almost want to skip the first game. You’re in Birmingham, how many SEC championship banners do you see on cars and in Walmart, I haven’t seen any. I don’t think it would be a problem this year. To me, Alabama is a hair better than Georgia, unless Stetson Bennett becomes a Heisman Trophy candidate, which, I’m not going to take him on my list.”

Smart and his staff have the tall task of replacing a historic number of NFL Draft picks from the 2021 roster. Alabama isn’t the Bulldogs’ only threat this season. The road back to the national championship for Georgia begins with a date versus the Oregon Ducks in Atlanta.

Kirby Smart: ‘Our concern is our roster’

Kirby Smart’s squad is going up against former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning for the first time, but according to Smart, it’s the last worry on his mind.

“The last thing I’m worried about right now is Dan Lanning,” Smart said at his first press conference of fall camp. “We’ve got a million battles to face before that, I’m not even thinking about Oregon. Our concern is our roster. How do we build depth? We’re not even thinking about that, we’re so far away from that right now. We’re focused on us, our team, our connection, and getting the right players in the right spots.

“If we do that, that’s going to control the outcome of the game more than what he knows about us and what I know about him.”

With Sept. 3 less than a month away, the Georgia head coach isn’t ready to move on to what Dan Lanning might be cooking up to spoil the Bulldogs’ season opener.