The Georgia Bulldogs’ pursuit of a third national championship in four years took a significant blow on Saturday as they fell to the Ole Miss Rebels 28-10 in Oxford.
At the heart of the Bulldogs’ struggles is quarterback Carson Beck, who chose to forgo the NFL draft and return to Athens for what he hoped would be a title-winning season.
Instead, the year has become more of a trial than a triumph for the senior QB who is clearly missing Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey.
Beck’s performance has come under intense scrutiny after a string of turnovers, tallying nine interceptions over the last four games and a total of 12 this season.
Beck’s difficulties have sparked debates about whether Georgia should consider a change under center.
But head coach Kirby Smart made it clear on that he has no intention of swapping quarterbacks.
“Absolutely not,” Smart stated emphatically. “We’ve got the quarterback we’ve got, who is completely competent and capable and understanding of our system and gives us the best chance to win.”
Smart’s remarks leave no room for doubt: Carson Beck remains his starter going forward. Period.
It’s easy to pile on Beck right now. It’s true that he’s been a tad reckless, and the interceptions need to stop if the Dawgs are to have any chance at winning another national title.
Beck entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and some projected him to wind up being the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Hopes of the Heisman have long been dashed, and the majority of evaluators now project him to be a day two draft pick.
Having said all of that, the criticism of Beck has been too harsh. In many ways, some people have forgotten just how talented he is and what he’s capable of.
One person who hasn’t forgotten is Smart. To his credit, he has never wavered on his commitment to Beck.
Every game going forward is a must-win for the Bulldogs, and Smart knows it’s foolish to think that one of his backup quarterbacks gives the team a better chance to win than Beck.
This isn’t to take away from the fact that Beck needs to play better. He knows it. Smart knows it. And Georgia fans certainly know it.
Georgia should be able to get back on track this weekend when they play host to the Tennessee Volunteers.
Both College GameDay and SEC Nation will be live from Athens and the primetime kickoff should make for a great atmosphere.
After the Tennessee clash, Georgia will face a relatively easy end to the regular season as they’ll take on UMass and the feisty Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
What are your thoughts on Smart’s decision to stick with Beck? … Do you agree that it’s an absolute no-brainer?
More importantly, do you think the Bulldogs will be able to get back on track and ultimately prove to be as tough of a playoff out as we all originally expected them to be???
