Paul Finebaum reveals his level of concern in Georgia with no Carson Beck vs. Notre Dame

The Georgia Bulldogs got an extra bye week off for the College Football Playoff and were able to watch from home as Notre Dame moved on to become their next opponent. Still, even with that time off, the Bulldogs weren’t able to get quarterback Carson Beck healthy.

Now, with Beck likely out for the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame, ESPN personality Paul Finebaum shared just how concerned he is for Georgia without its starting quarterback.

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“I can easily see them getting in trouble,” Paul Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “But we overuse the word resilient. It’s kind of the new catchphrase, but nobody’s been more resilient than Georgia. This team really did have he most impossible schedule, and when you consider it, they had to play Texas twice, they were at Alabama, at Ole Miss, and had Tennessee at home. The fact they only had two losses is pretty remarkable. So, I like Georgia, a slight edge.”

Without Carson Beck, Georgia is going to turn to Gunner Stockton at quarterback. A former four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, Stockton has years of time in the Georgia system. When called in for duty in the SEC Championship Game, he completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards and an interception.

“You have to be worried about Gunner Stockton,” Finebaum said. “I can’t tell you how many, ‘Oh no, we’re fine.’ No, you’re not. You lost — I don’t think Carson Beck is related to Quinn Ewers but they’ve had the same type of year. It’s been all over the place. I think that’s what some Georgia fans are gravitating to, but in talking to Kirby Smart Saturday morning on our show, he feels pretty confident.”

Beyond just the quarterback position, Finebaum believes that Georgia is in a good spot moving forward against Notre Dame and in the Playoff.

“I think he feels confident because [Trevor] Etienne is healthy,” Finebaum said. “That’s a big factor. He’s not been healthy all year. He’s a dynamic running back, which we haven’t seen very much of…and their defense with Jalon Walker and so many other pieces, they can hold up very well.”

Matt Barrie, who Finebaum had been speaking to, added that both Notre Dame and Georgia have very similar styles. That makes Stockton replacing Beck a bit of a wild card to deal with.

“I find, stylistically, this game is going to be very, very similar in that Notre Dame, no bones about it, [Jeremiyah] Love and the other running back, [Jadarian Price], they’re going to line up. They’re going to run the ball,” Barrie said. “They’re going to be physical. The defenses are physical. We don’t expect much out of the quarterback but they can make the throw when they need to. Gunner’s the Wild Card. Riley Leonard is proven. I think this has potential to be a phenomenal game.”

Carson Beck suffered a UCL injury at the end of the first half of the SEC Championship Game. Since then, Kirby Smart has shared that he and his family have been pursuing the best options for him moving forward. However, his status for the entirety of the Playoff is uncertain.