Paul Finebaum cautions Georgia 'can't keep living on the edge' after 2nd-half rally vs. Alabama

The Georgia Bulldogs fell in a thriller to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday night. It was a frustrating loss where their second half rally came up short, but it’s also a game that the Bulldogs will expect to bounce back from.

In an appearance on SportsCenter the morning after the game, analyst Paul Finebaum shared that he believes Georgia can still make the College Football Playoff, though they’ll need to stop living on the edge in games.

“They helped their case yesterday in terms of being taken seriously,” Paul Finebaum said. “I say that, not because they were number one or two in the country going in, they were number two, but they looked better than they did against Kentucky and even at times against Clemson offensively. They can’t keep living on the edge, though. They can’t keep starting games slowly.”

The Georgia offense has struggled early in multiple games this season, only scoring six first-half points against Clemson and three first-half points against Kentucky. Then, against Alabama, the entire team struggled, falling behind 28-0 at one point, which they managed to comeback from to take the lead briefly in the fourth quarter.

“Yes, I’m well aware. We all saw the same game,” Finebaum said. “They were down and they were out, but they came back and I think that has to give Kirby Smart hope and faith that this program is going to get on track and make the Playoff.”

Georgia will have one week to get ready for another rivalry game. This one is against Auburn and getting out to a fast start is going to be a key to the game for head coach Kirby Smart. If the Bulldogs can do that, they should be able to build momentum moving forward into a difficult SEC schedule.

Heather Dinich evaluates College Football Playoff chances for Georgia after Week 5 epic

In the wake of the Alabama game, ESPN college football insider Heather Dinich shared her thoughts on Georgia’s chances to make the College Football Playoff.

“When you look at the Georgia aspect of this, because they played such a tough game in the second half, they changed the narrative and the perception of this game in the committee meeting room. So, this is what would be considered a good loss. However, they lost some cushion that they’re going to need down the stretch, because when you look at the rest of Georgia’s schedule, it’s extremely difficult: at Texas, at Ole Miss, home against Tennessee, they are not expected to win all of those games, according to ESPN analytics,” Dinich said.

“And if they’re fighting for an at-large bid, also at stake in the 12 team playoff is a first round home game that’s awarded to teams seeded five through eight. So even though the 12 team playoff has changed and is more forgiving, there’s still a lot on the line from this game.”