Georgia Football Season Preview & Predictions l Kirby Smart, Carson Beck, Trevor Etienne l CFB

the chase Thomas podcast for people who have nothing but time to [Music] kill which was a bunch of big- time regular season games uh that are probably going to be pretty close um by and large this isn't the schedule I was waiting on I was waiting on the 2025 schedule that some of these good ones are at home or more of these good ones are at home I should say okay well 10 and a half M green um what say you about the dogs here and that number going into this year are you taking the over or the under I'm absolutely hammering the over sir are you kidding me this team Georgia of the gate here Georgia has not lost two regular season game or I guess I should say Georgia has lost two regular season games one time in the last seven years and it was the covid year like the co year I mean you basically throw that out for everybody right like whatever it was a disappointing season what I forget how many games they played one of them got canceled but it was like nine and two or something eight- two a two loss regular season um yeah I mean you just did they play 10 that year I think so I know the Vanderbilt game like they forfeited or something like that I I don't know it was a weird thing but um Georgia obviously the schedule is tough you go at Alabama you go at Texas you go at Old Miss but I mean all those teams also have to play Georgia and Georgia is a really good team right now and like obviously the weakness a year ago you would have to say was the the uh the run defense you know it's the worst year since 2018 the only other year under Kirby smartr where they gave up over 100 yards on the ground so you got to think that gets improved if if it doesn't you know we could be looking at another Georgia team that doesn't win the national championship but I mean even with those flaws there's a lot of people that think you know Georgia was still the best team in the country a year ago so that cleaning up the the run defense is a matter of like can Georgia win a National Championship or can they be the best Georgia team yet so I it's I think it's really they're still a contender regardless of you know if they have any Elite run defense like they did in 2021 and 2022 but uh that that's ultimately like the uh the really the the only real weakness I see on George's team going into 2024 interesting um the first thing I want to think throw out about this are they going to be the first team to sit starters in regular season SEC games is Georgia going to be the one who get becomes Enemy Number One I'm curious how the fan base the dogs fan base reacts like I want to know in the green household when you're explaining to your mom and dad when you're watching the Vanderbilt game and it's announced like Carson Beck is going to play the first series and then he's out like they're just going to bet that gunar and Company can can hold this together um and that they're going to start saying I mean that's not even that different what I'm not saying I'm saying like one game I'm talking about one series I'm saying like they're going to be I think this is year one of exception there I think there's going to be load management with Georgia and I think it's going to be a storyline this year that George is the first one that gets attached to it that they're playing the long game and they're going to sit guys in important spots or maybe not even just important but games that they would not have sat guys in before cuz you just had a 14 playoff and every game just still felt huge that I I think there's going to be some load management stuff that pops up with Georgia do you agree or disagree that Georgia is gonna be that's they're gonna be the team that's under the microscope here I that's a hard disagree for me personally like I think of all the coaches to do something like that Kirby Smart seems like the last one like he's just the ultimate motivator just like approach every single game the same way you start getting into like hey you know this game isn't that important H you now you might be playing by the second quarter like that's that's I feel like when you get upset and you just don't come ready to play like you have to approach every game like it like maybe yeah you take Carson Beck out Midway through the second quarter if you're beating Vanderbilt 35 to zero or something like like sure like I mean that happened in 2021 they were up like 28- Z I think JT Daniels came out at the end of the first quarter so I mean in a game like Vanderbilt yeah like all all bets are off but I they might not start them is what I'm saying like Mississippi State in that spot like I think guys might not start I think they might just hold guys out and it's like a byee for them it's like an addy that to your team that like I'm saying that's you're going to play this game isn't important so he's not GNA play but you still have to play like I thought the same thing the same thing watching the Hall of Fame game with the Bears and whoever it's like hey you know Caleb Williams isn't gonna play in this game we're a little worried about the turf and stuff it's like oh so these other 50 guys can play like who gives a about them like but but our shiny first round pick he's not going to play here's a good over under Carson Beck sits out one of over under he just doesn't dress for Mississippi State UMass or Georgia Tech over under one and a half or even half that he just doesn't dress I think Carson Peg sits out zero games if he's healthy like I I just don't think that's I don't think that's a thing and also like George's schedule is is pretty tough this year like start to finish like well how about this what if you're 11 And1 what if you're 11 And1 going to the tech game like if you lose that or yeah if you lose that game you're still game whatever like it's a rivalry game and everyone's like oh you got to play and it means some like what if Georgia sat all their guys for the tech game because they're like who cares we're still in the SEC title game and we're going to the playoff no matter what that's in you don't know about you just don't know about good clean oldfashioned hate I'm telling you that's in play in the modern college football playoff like you can't get Carson hurt in that game if you're already clinched like a playoff burst basically you can't play losing games like yeah you might have some load management and like terms of like guys sitting more fourth quarters and stuff than you would normally do but like the game's on the line you can't be No No One's Gonna beig you hate this I you hate that I've thrown this in your in your wheelhouse I'm I don't know why it would be specific to Georgia like I didn't say it was gonna be specific to Georgia I think they're the team that gets it gets attached to because I just I could see Kirby being ahead of the curve here because I think Saban if he was still around he would take advantage of it I think Harbaugh would do it like I think a lot of the best coaches will I mean Tennessee is going to rotate Tennessee is going to be careful to be fair that might be what Kirby Smart is already ahead of the curve on is just playing so many guys because me you look at people love to talk about how Georgia heading out a thousand yard receiver since 2002 you know it's like but not many people talk about like five six guys getting 30 catches on a season you know it's like they do spread it around a lot in general and I remember one thing when James Cook was coming out of high school like that was one thing as was like was keying on was the fact that Georgia had zamir white committed in that class that Georgia was going to be the kind of team that didn't just run the running back into the ground while he was in college they they basically were just trying to kind of save him for the NFL and obviously you look at James Cook his NFL season was better than anything he's done he ever did in college just in terms of production not saying he wasn't good in college but I think Kirby Smart could already be ahead of the curve in terms of kind of spreading the the wealth like that and getting a lot of guys playing time and you know maybe keeping guys happy like you're saying but I don't think you're ever I don't think you're ever at any point saying like this game isn't as isn't that important so we're gonna put in a lesser player like I just don't think I don't think that's ever going to be the case especially not someone like Kirby Smart who just like seems to so just systematically approach every single every single week like that's what Nick sabbin did like that's that's like if there's any calling card of the Alabama Dynasty it's bringing their aame every single week and I don't think you can do that if you're worried about load management I think it's coming to the SEC in the Big 10 but we shall see we I think it's where it's likely to happen I think is like the Michigan Ohio State game if they're 11 and0 and 10- one going into that game and they're already gonna play the next week I think you're yeah you're definitely going to see something like there like maybe you don't show everything but I don't know you can't just be benching people for the instate rivalry like I I just I don't know I don't see it I don't see it I'm going to make the prediction I'm going to say if Georgia is 11 and one or better going into the Georgia Tech game Carson Beck does not play in the Georgia Tech game that's my prediction I would bet you a lot of money if he is healthy that he will start that game this will be fun if I were big man this will be fun to revisit um Bama feels like the most logical loss to me if I had to pick one that's most likely Georgia does not have a lot of success playing in tuscalo a lot of teams don't have a lot I understand it's a little bit different uh going into uh Tuscaloosa now with kayin dor to me that one feels like the most difficult and most likely for the dogs to go down I think there I think Texas especially going down multiple backs I think Texas is the one that people are going to circle but I I think Georgia is going to win at Texas I think Georg is going to beat Old Miss UT at home will'll see how Tennessee season's going to that point I still probably uh would lean Georgia there um Florida is always going to be weird in a neutral site in October I don't really know but I don't the thing about this schedule too that I think is interesting and this is why I'm just going to go and tell you I'm still going 10 and two I think Georgia goes 10- two and makes the playoff um I think they they lose to Bama and then I think they lose one of at Old Miss at Texas Tennessee at home Florida in a neutral site they play all those games in mid October to Mid November um I don't trust their receivers I think um losing raah ra is a sneaky important thing for them I don't love I I think what's going to be really interesting is I like their running back room a lot I think Jordan fans are going to be happy with the running backs whether it's the Robinson Nathaniel Frasier whether that's obviously whatever ATN like I think they're stacked there U I think the defensive Line's going to be good I think they're going to be getting the secondary um but I just I think the schedule is just arduous I think it's it's set up for them to drop two games um and it's going to surprise some Georgia fans that they they dropped two here but I think they still end up in the SEC title game could see them still in the conference I think it they're as close to a playoff lock as it gets um they were number one in third down conversions a season ago what if that goes down a little bit uh they were first in Long scrimmage plays um a season ago what if they come back down there they only can go back down a little bit uh in terms of this offense and I think they have less Firepower than they did a season ago I think losing last and Brock um are going to be hard to replicate um I think Oscar Delp is a good player but he's not going to be Brock Bowers I think um Aran Smith needs to have a big year I think they need someone to pop and replace that production with lad makoni um I don't know they have some guys who could be that it's just unknown I don't think Dylan Bell has like Superstar potential I think he could be solid um Kobe young could be solid we'll see I don't know I I think there's just a lot of sorry go ahead oh I think Dominic lit is really the only Sure Fire receiver at Georgia right now that you're you can go ahead and pencil in is going to be a dude this fall and should be really really good um with Carson Beck everyone else I think is a question mark um in that receiver room in terms of what they'll actually do production wise I think George is going to be okay they're I just think they're going to go through growing paints I think it's going to take some time for Carson to get comfortable with this receivers I think it's going to take some time for him to get comfortable with the new tight ends I think they're going to lean on On The Run game a lot early um because I think they're just loaded there with the Robinson's and etn and Frasier so I don't know I'm very curious how it unfolds but that's that's my that's my gut is I'm taking the Ender 10 and two and I think they lose at Bama is the one I would say is the most likely lock and then they lose one of those those four that I I I said there so do you I I obviously you disagree but is that a fair uh Fair take to have here Matt Green um I would say Dylan Bell in that receiving group is probably the one I think has the most like Star potential but I think you've seen a lot of Georgia receiving groups that are just like a four five really solid guys and that's all all you really need obviously Bowers and makoni you had a couple you had a couple stars there but I mean returning the quarterback like I think most people kind of question after Todd monin left like oh George's offense only going to have to go down from there and and George's offense I would argue was better in 2023 than it was in 2022 under Mike Bobo so you look at the schedule and I will have to I will have to say just to just a fact check Georgia played in Tuscaloosa three times in the 21st century and they're two in one that that's all I'll say so are has had some success in tes are we counting the co year yeah that's the only time Georgia lost oh is it okay only they lost it helps my argument so I'll keep that one and then exactly were the other two no when were the other two 2002 and 2007 that's what I thought okay so one of those was not Sabin and the other one was was that even it was year one of sa Yeahs it out so they're they're 0 and one and that was the year Alabama was on suspension they couldn't play in the SEC Champion probation they went like nine and three they were like a good team in aesome toome and what what were they in the title games what is the hold on we're looking as a I think Pat said like Georgia wasn't I think Pat D enough you lost you were the better team L you lost to Bama why are you still confident Bama has still quietly owned Georgia like it's simply just saying you said Georgia doesn't have success going to tuscalo well I I should have said Georgia doesn't really have success against Alabama is what I would say yeah exactly I I'm not going to dis I'm not going to dispute that but I had to dispute the Tuscaloosa lot I think it was Pat Dy back in like o02 said that like Georgia wasn't man enough to go into Tuscaloosa and win and so that was like the cap like the headline after that week that man enough that whole thing but it was also supposedly tongue and cheek Like Pat Dy said it to try to amp Georgia up obviously Pat Dy uh wait am I am I confusing Pat D was a ug grad right am I confusing it um Pat die about the legendary Auburn Pat die yeah he was ug grad and then Vince douly was an Auburn grad that's kind of what went to like uh George Auburn rivalry was friendly for long time DJ yeah um great all time record I digress so I just had to fact check that one point so I obviously Alabama Georgia has not had a lot of success against Alabama in recent years I just feel like Georgia knows Alabama and they don't know Texas and I think with some inexperience in the secondary like if I'm pointing to one regular season loss like Texas just feels like that feels like the one that Georgia loses if I have to like like what was the Missouri or not Missouri what was the old Miss score last year like 50 50 something they George put up a 50 spot uh on Old Miss right yeah they're going all Miss I think all Miss is better of course but it's like is Georgia that much worse they put a 50 spot on them like that game was like barely competitive after the and again I'm not predicting Old Miss I am saying one of that's just a brutal monthlong stretch like Florida we'll see what they look like but it's the world's largest outdoor Play It's to R rivalry game we'll see what that looks like Tennessee at home we'll see where Tennessee's at like is Tennessee undefeated at that point are they having another 2022 season are they rolling what does Nico look like that's going to be interesting to look at um and the other one is at Tex so we'll see it's definitely a tough schedule it's definitely a tough schedule I just look at with with what Georgia did to Tennessee and all Mist a year ago like those team be better it's it's it's hard to be that that worried when it's when it was just such comination in both of those games well we disagree right out of the gate here I'm curious on the vs aspect of this nine and a half Matt green or eight and a half excuse me because I'm just gon say yeah I got eight and a half here yeah it's the lock of the Season out nicey done nephew the chase Thomas podcast hell yeah [Music]