Alabama Football: Can anyone take down the onslaught of the Tide?

The newest playoff rankings are out, and Alabama football is still No. 1. Is there a team in college football who can take down the Crimson Tide?

The question remains whether anyone can beat Alabama this season. In my opinion, the only two teams with a shot are Michigan and Georgia.

I’ll let someone else tackle the Michigan hypothesis; in this Alabama doomsday scenario, we’re going to opine how UGA can beat Alabama. I’ll grant you it may be unlikely, but this is my party so I’m going with it.

And I’m going to say this — Georgia was the best team in college football last year, period. They may not have the national title to show for it, but they gave Alabama a fantastic game last season. If the game had gone on even five minutes more, Georgia could have won it.

Here’s how the Bulldogs can win against the Tide in 2018.

The Georgia offense: OK, I’ll admit that Tua Tagovailoa is possibly one of the best players in the country. But he’s not doing it alone — Alabama has some of the fastest receivers that comprise the Tide’s lightning-strike offensive line. The fact is, Georgia’s receivers are equally talented, and quarterback Jake Fromm has the poise and resilience to match him, even if his accuracy isn’t as high.

Tagovailoa’s accuracy at 20-plus yards is a jaw-dropping 66.7 percent. Fromm is no slouch in that regard—he’s clocking an impressive 72.5 percent. One more weapon in the Georgia arsenal is the untried signal-caller Justin Fields. He has the same kind of talent that Tagovailoa does, and if Kirby Smart decides to unleash his arm at the SEC Championship Game, Alabama fans should be nervous.

Georgia’s offense excels in several regards, and running the ball is one of them.

I cannot overstate the importance of this. Georgia wins games by running the ball. The fact is, Georgia can run the ball better any team in the country. They also have a weapon in the aptly-named back D’Andre Swift, a human wrecking ball of a player that can change the outcome of a game in seconds. If Georgia can tame their red-zone issues and improve their vertical passing game, they can give the ‘Tide a game.

The secondary, pass defense: I’m going to be kind to Coach Smart and call Georgia’s pass defense a work in progress. Well, they were. Now, the Bulldogs’ pass defense is improving with every game. The Dawgs are 10th nationally in passing yards allowed with 172 per game.

They have veteran leadership, and cornerback Deandre Baker and safety J.R. Reed are explosive. Baker is up for the Bednarik and Thorpe awards. He has 33 tackles already this season. Reed has amassed 44 tackles and an interception.

Georgia’s safeties are outstanding — because of them, the Bulldogs have given up the fewest plays of 20-plus yards in the SEC. To stop Alabama, the defense needs to be all about speed, and Georgia’s defense has that in spades. Georgia’s unit is definitely fast enough to prevent Tagovailoa from making big plays.

In the end, it might come down to which team wants it more, and the Dawgs are definitely hungry. Either way, this game is going to be a great one.