No team has cost us more glory than Alabama, if not for them we would have 4 more sec championships and 2 or 3 more national championships and one could argue for more. Alabama football is our problem and playing then in Atlanta is the last main hurdle for Kirby Smart
2012 - Sec championship, we lost they won and the winner of that game wins the national championship easily because ND was not a match for either team. In this game the story of the game was that we were beat on the LOS, we had a hard time protecting Murray and they ran the ball all over us in the second half. We had a very good qb and good skill but could not overcome the LOS.
2017 - National championship game Alabama sneaks into the playoff after not winning their own division, we had a better team but they had more talent. Alabama ran the ball better but we threw the ball better but we also had 2 picks one was flukey and then the refs ruined the game for us and then a busted coverage cost us a National Title. Credit Kirby for a great defensive plan for most of the game and taking their qb out of the game, credit Saban for gambling with the freshman after the half to win the game.
2018 - Sec championship we had a team that was growing into a great team after struggling on defense for the first half of the year the defense really started to gel and Fromm was playing better than ever. In the game Fromm played a great game the stats were relatively even, we defended Tua extremely well and caused him a lot of issues and got to him a lot till finally he got hurt and Hurts comes in flips the script and saves the day, they made the plays down the stretch, they were the more talented team overall. Refs had a few bs calls in this game too.
2021 - Sec Championship we had the better LOS they had the superior skill and negated our LOS advantage and whipped us because we simply could not cover them, plus we made mistakes that cost us greatly.
2023 - Sec Championship we have the better team, and we have the better skill (like them in 21) but this time our skill is banged up and can't play to full ability and this time they have the better LOS. Refs destroy us again, we had a mostly good defensive game plan but our LOS disadvantage could not make up for our losses at skill (like then in 2021 nc game)
We out recruited Bama in the 1st 4 years of Kirbys tenure, those classes brought us the talent and depth to start winning and playing for championships and the depth that got us 2 nc. Bama has out recruited us the last 4 classes and now that our elite talent is in the NFL and some on other rosters due to NIL, we saw a lot of tight games that we pulled out and then finally lost to an elite team talent wise that is young in a lot of areas and finding its groove.
Bama will be good in 24, I wanted this 3peat bad because I thought we would get past Bama this year and that next year they would be great and we would take a bigger step back than we have in a while especially with the new sec schedule that for us is brutal. The pendulum seems to be swinging back our way in recruiting but we have holes in our roster. We have holes at RB, WR, DL and possibly OL. We need difference makers on the defensive line, we cannot generate any pressure without a blitz. This year was our worst year in a while at RB. While I love Edwards and Im so proud of Milton for being a great teammate and sticking with the work, we didn't have a back that could take it to the house or bust our wide and beat the edge of a defense unless blocking was perfect. Our WR recruiting is not bad but it's not great, we are missing at some elite talent due to NIL and the diva nature of WR. I think we have done really well at recruiting on the OL, similar to DL, but who is the next Mims or Thomas? Are we signing anyone that will be?
The 3 constants in our losses to Bama in these big games are as follows
1. We made crucial mistakes when we could not afford to, some were self inflicted some they forced, credit to them.
2. In each game it seems that each team had an advantage, each time, it seemed that they had the most effective advantage for winning the game in that game and many of the times they had the most talent.
3. The refs have been the equalizer or pushed Bama over the edge in most of the games, its been real and its not just UGA fans that have noticed, its a problem that we cannot fix and we will never see fixed. The only solution is to be that much better than them and that much more disciplined and to take care of the football so that they cannot make up the difference because they damn sure will try.
The solution to this Bama problem is going to be taken care of on signing day and in the portal. The team that handles this the best is going to come out on top in the coming classes. I think we have a great staff and our development is probably the best in the country but we have to re stock the talent in the areas that we have come up short and we have to find ways to keep them on campus if we are going to get over the final hurdle.
2012 - Sec championship, we lost they won and the winner of that game wins the national championship easily because ND was not a match for either team. In this game the story of the game was that we were beat on the LOS, we had a hard time protecting Murray and they ran the ball all over us in the second half. We had a very good qb and good skill but could not overcome the LOS.
2017 - National championship game Alabama sneaks into the playoff after not winning their own division, we had a better team but they had more talent. Alabama ran the ball better but we threw the ball better but we also had 2 picks one was flukey and then the refs ruined the game for us and then a busted coverage cost us a National Title. Credit Kirby for a great defensive plan for most of the game and taking their qb out of the game, credit Saban for gambling with the freshman after the half to win the game.
2018 - Sec championship we had a team that was growing into a great team after struggling on defense for the first half of the year the defense really started to gel and Fromm was playing better than ever. In the game Fromm played a great game the stats were relatively even, we defended Tua extremely well and caused him a lot of issues and got to him a lot till finally he got hurt and Hurts comes in flips the script and saves the day, they made the plays down the stretch, they were the more talented team overall. Refs had a few bs calls in this game too.
2021 - Sec Championship we had the better LOS they had the superior skill and negated our LOS advantage and whipped us because we simply could not cover them, plus we made mistakes that cost us greatly.
2023 - Sec Championship we have the better team, and we have the better skill (like them in 21) but this time our skill is banged up and can't play to full ability and this time they have the better LOS. Refs destroy us again, we had a mostly good defensive game plan but our LOS disadvantage could not make up for our losses at skill (like then in 2021 nc game)
We out recruited Bama in the 1st 4 years of Kirbys tenure, those classes brought us the talent and depth to start winning and playing for championships and the depth that got us 2 nc. Bama has out recruited us the last 4 classes and now that our elite talent is in the NFL and some on other rosters due to NIL, we saw a lot of tight games that we pulled out and then finally lost to an elite team talent wise that is young in a lot of areas and finding its groove.
Bama will be good in 24, I wanted this 3peat bad because I thought we would get past Bama this year and that next year they would be great and we would take a bigger step back than we have in a while especially with the new sec schedule that for us is brutal. The pendulum seems to be swinging back our way in recruiting but we have holes in our roster. We have holes at RB, WR, DL and possibly OL. We need difference makers on the defensive line, we cannot generate any pressure without a blitz. This year was our worst year in a while at RB. While I love Edwards and Im so proud of Milton for being a great teammate and sticking with the work, we didn't have a back that could take it to the house or bust our wide and beat the edge of a defense unless blocking was perfect. Our WR recruiting is not bad but it's not great, we are missing at some elite talent due to NIL and the diva nature of WR. I think we have done really well at recruiting on the OL, similar to DL, but who is the next Mims or Thomas? Are we signing anyone that will be?
The 3 constants in our losses to Bama in these big games are as follows
1. We made crucial mistakes when we could not afford to, some were self inflicted some they forced, credit to them.
2. In each game it seems that each team had an advantage, each time, it seemed that they had the most effective advantage for winning the game in that game and many of the times they had the most talent.
3. The refs have been the equalizer or pushed Bama over the edge in most of the games, its been real and its not just UGA fans that have noticed, its a problem that we cannot fix and we will never see fixed. The only solution is to be that much better than them and that much more disciplined and to take care of the football so that they cannot make up the difference because they damn sure will try.
The solution to this Bama problem is going to be taken care of on signing day and in the portal. The team that handles this the best is going to come out on top in the coming classes. I think we have a great staff and our development is probably the best in the country but we have to re stock the talent in the areas that we have come up short and we have to find ways to keep them on campus if we are going to get over the final hurdle.
