Paul Finebaum: Georgia's starts have become a real problem

Paul Finebaum is still a believer in the Georgia Bulldogs following their loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, but there’s one glaring weakness that he’s honing in on as the season progresses.

The Georgia offense has struggled to start fast 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.

Still, one has to wonder how different Saturday night could’ve gone in Tuscaloosa if Georgia was able to get off to a better start. Finebaum would like to see Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs figure out what’s ailing them, before their slow starts cost them another game in 2024.

“There’s so many elements to the game, and in the end, I don’t think any of them matter at this point, because Georgia can live with that loss,” Finebaum explained, via The Matt Barrie Show. “They may be the only — they’re not going 9-3, but if they did, that might be enough — that’s that one that we’ve been talking about, ‘How can you penalize a team for doing what they did, in that stadium and that environment?’ But I still can’t figure out why Georgia can’t get off to a (good start) after the opening kickoff. I mean, this is a real problem for them, and it nearly was insurmountable last night.

“Ultimately, it cost them the game, because, you know, they started the Clemson game the same way. But Alabama just looks, just beyond comprehension, and I think we’ve been hyping the wrong game on Oct. 19, with Georgia–Texas. What about Alabama at Tennessee? I mean, that might be the first five-and-a-half hour game in college football history.”

While Georgia did make a nice comeback, and Finebaum believes it helped save them in the eyes of the voters, the ESPN analyst would like to see the Bulldogs right the ship over the next couple of weeks.

“They helped their case yesterday in terms of being taken seriously,” Finebaum added, via SportsCenter. “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.”

Georgia may be able to live with their loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, even if it still stings for a couple of days following. If their slow starts cost them another game though, the morale in Athens could go lower than we’ve seen in quite some time.