Let’s Talk About Georgia/Oklahoma

PA Tide Fan said:

I suppose the "UGA destroys OU" camp already has a test case to back up their claim. The 2015 NC game between Ohio State and Oregon seems to be a perfect example of this where OSU had the strong running game and good defense, won the TOP and held Marcus Mariota and the Ducks to 20 points. I'll stay in the other camp however even though I don't have an example game to give.

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This is the problem a lot of us have with the whole thing.....I can give you example after example after example of "high powered offense tears through season like tornado through a trailer park and then faces good defense and loses," but I can't recall ONE SINGLE example of "high powered offense with mid-level defense wins national championship."

Again, I'm not saying it CANNOT happen, but I am saying the EVIDENCE supporting it is pretty much nonexistent.


Here's something I don't think folks want to take into account - Baker Mayfield HAS LOST GAMES!!! It's not like he's undefeated as a college quarterback. He's lost to a 5-7 Texas team that fired their coach, Clemson (hard to fault him there), Ohio St, and a mid-level Houston team that lost to both Navy and Memphis....oh, and to Iowa State.


Oklahoma scores 44.9 ppg. This whole "nobody has seen an offense like this" is monumentally absurd.

This Oklahoma team scores a touchdown a game LESS than 2013 FSU, the all-time scoring champ. And I seem to recall that FSU actually trailed an above average Auburn defense by 18 points early on. Yes, they DID win the game, but they needed a comeback and didn't score the winning points until the final 12 seconds.

And then remember this: Auburn's offense in that game outgained FSU by about 60 yards or so. Auburn had more first downs, more rushing yards, and held the ball longer. Indeed, Jimbo Fisher himself has implied he could not have beaten the good defense of Alabama that year if he had played them.


And now let me remind you of a critical point.....FSU had the #1 defense in the nation in 2013.....



1983 Nebraska

In 1989, Colorado's wishbone attack averaged 41.1 ppg.....they got six in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame's #12 ranked defense that had played an absolutely brutal schedule. The nation's best defense statistically (Miami) also won the national title.

Washington's 1991 offense averaged 41.9 ppg, best in the country among Power Five schools........but they also had the nation's best defense.


Actually, I can think of ONE possible counter-example....the 1991 Fiesta Bowl. Alabama had the nation's best defense and Browning Nagle lit us up. Of course, we'd already lost four other times that year so.....

I read that Baker Mayfield has been practicing but did not attend Disneyland or the event they did last night. I wonder if he is really sick or just wants to lay low and focus on the game. Or, maybe he is in trouble again and not allowed to attend the "fun" events?

I don't like his character but do think he is a great player. I don't want anyone to be sick on any team (especially BAMA). I hope if some of our players do have the flu as reported, that they get better quickly and can practice/play.

This is my first post, I have to say I am quite impressed with the opinions and analysis on here. What a refreshing change from other boards. Well done!

selmaborntidefan said:

...They fear Clemson because the Tigers rolled them two years ago.

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And three years ago.

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UGADawginVA said:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/946548130161364992

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I have to admit, I've always liked Barkley.

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I just don’t get why people believe Baker is going to single handily beat UGA. Unless OU forces Fromm to beat them then I say UGA wins by a 10 point minimum.

It's worth noting that we performed better against high octane, misdirection teams when Kirby left.


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crimsonaudio said:

The closest thing I can think of was 2010 Auburn. That was a mediocre defense and the offense put up 41 ppg.

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But even that Auburn defense - admittedly average save for Fairley and maybe 1-2 others - held Oregon's 50 ppg attack to 19 points. In essence, even that one example is almost a bad example since BOTH teams in the game ran fast offenses. Even then, Auburn's was a bit different from what they run now even though it's the same coach - in part because of the obvious talent of Cam Newton.

He is a Senior who hands down won the Heisman trophy and has other weapons on offense. Georgia starts a true freshman QB.That will be the difference. Oklahoma will hang 35 on the Dawgs with no issue.

81usaf92 said:

I just don’t get why people believe Baker is going to single handily beat UGA. Unless OU forces Fromm to beat them then I say UGA wins by a 10 point minimum.

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ptw1961 said:

He is a Senior who hands down won the Heisman trophy and has other weapons on offense. Georgia starts a true freshman QB.That will be the difference. Oklahoma will hang 35 on the Dawgs with no issue.

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Yeah, but what's to stop GA from hanging 50 on the Sooners?

UGADawginVA said:

This is my first post, I have to say I am quite impressed with the opinions and analysis on here. What a refreshing change from other boards. Well done!

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Hang around. Just abide by the rules. They are enforced.

That's a really nice first post, Dawg.

crimsonaudio said:

Yah, not really a perfect example which is why I said 'closest thing I can think of' - even AU's mediocre D shut zerOregon down...

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And honestly that's the ONE example I can think of - but even it's not a 'real' example.

Everybody recalls those powerhouse Nebraska teams in the 90s. But go back and look - they had some good to great defenses.

Yes, Nebraska averaged 52.4 ppg, but they also only surrendered 13.6 ppg for the fourth ranked scoring defense.

And let's be honest - they were probably better than fourth, but they had backups playing a lot.

My point is that every single example folks can give is - quite frankly - proof of the opposite. High octane offenses with lousy defenses don't win.

ptw1961 said:

He is a Senior who hands down won the Heisman trophy and has other weapons on offense. Georgia starts a true freshman QB.That will be the difference. Oklahoma will hang 35 on the Dawgs with no issue.

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Johnny Manziel never could beat LSU because they had the best dbs with a great front 7, and ate up the clock on the ground. If Baker doesn’t score on a drive then he might not see the ball for at least 6 minutes.

81usaf92 said:

Johnny Manziel never could beat LSU because they had the best dbs with a great front 7, and ate up the clock on the ground. If Baker doesn’t score on a drive then he might not see the ball for at least 6 minutes.

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Oklahoma averages giving up 4 yards per rush. The UGA guys might make quick work to where the offense can't eat as much clock as Kirby would like.

RTR91 said:

Oklahoma averages giving up 4 yards per rush. The UGA guys might make quick work to where the offense can't eat as much clock as Kirby would like.

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I expect at least 2 really long TD runs for GA.

B1GTide said:

I expect at least 2 really long TD runs for GA.

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As do I. Might end up being a shootout with quick rushing TDs by UGA and quick passing TDs by OU.

FiveThirtyEight had an interesting piece on this game(click here). OU's offense is really really really good, but defense normally wins these kinds of games. But again, OU's offense is scary good so if there is an exception to that rule it very well could be this year.