Paul Finebaum: Georgia 'stubbing its toe' was biggest story from college football offseason

This should be the best summer ever for Georgia. Coming off two national championships with a bright future ahead, the Bulldogs’ victories should be the talk of the town. Instead, the nation is focused on UGA’s mistakes, including Paul Finebaum.

“I live in the south, Matt, and it wasn’t, ‘Can Georgia repeat?’ It’s, ‘Can Georgia quit stubbing its toe?’ And I’m using that phrase gently,” Finebaum said in a discussion with ESPN’s Matt Barrie.

Georgia has done more than “stub its toe.” The program has been littered with scandals this offseason. Since winning the National Championship in January, five Georgia players have been arrested, four for reckless driving.

Two of those incidents, involving Samuel M’Pemba and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, happened last week. Of course, all of the Bulldogs’ recent legal troubles seem trivial compared to Jalen Carter’s reckless driving in January that led to a crash, killing recruiting analyst Chandler Lecroy and UGA offensive lineman Devin Willock.

History repeating itself

The Georgia program is on top of the world but has seemingly forgotten how to stay grounded. Barrie is scared he’s seen this pattern before.

“The one thing that can bring down a dynasty, the one thing that can wreck any period of domination, is a scandal, or its controversy,” Barrie said. “Look at Miami and what they were dealing with back in the day. They were untouchable until that thing got a little bit too big for what Miami wanted to deal with.”

Miami and Georgia’s similarities don’t stop at success on the field and scandal off it. Both teams are in massive media markets. Georgia is directly next to Atlanta. Press organizations surround Miami. Finebaum wonders if this reality is behind the relentless ugly news coming from Georgia.

Kirby Smart will answer for Georgia’s crimes

“This is not a cover for Kirby Smart. How much of this goes on elsewhere that we just don’t know about, and I think a lot of it does. And I mean, I kept hearing from fans why can’t these young guys learn? Well, because they’re young guys.

“And when you’re young and foolish, you do young and foolish things and that goes for everyone. So I don’t think it’s quite as big a story as some media outlets have made it even in Georgia,” Finebaum said.

Smart has to answer for the scandals, whether big or small. With the SEC Media Days beginning on July 17, fans won’t have to wait long to hear those answers.

“Kirby Smart will address that issue. Whether he says very much or whether the problem has been rectified, is open-ended,” Finebaum said. “It comes with the territory. When you are the hunted, and they are now the definitive college football program in America, bad things usually come your way.”