Georgia football at the crossroads

Georgia football has clawed to within a whisker of Alabama. Now, the Tide is responding. Can Kirby Smart keep his Big Red Machine on the right road?

In less than a year, Georgia football has come to the brink of back-to-back SEC Championships and a National Championship. Twice in less than a year, Georgia football stared down Alabama, falling moments short of doing what no one else has come close to – beating the Tide twice.

Now, Georgia football has lost its defensive coordinator, its quarterback of the future, and the nations most coveted offensive recruit, one that plays in the Bulldogs backyard, is looking twice at the Georgia depth chart,

Georgia and head coach Kirby Smart are at the crossroads. Turn right , and the Dawgs stay on the Glory Glory Road: equality with Alabama, National Championships, and the fan energy to feed the machine . Turn left, and it’s also ran national status, an occasional SEC Championship, and fan doubts that will grind the machine to a halt.

Georgia football at the crossroads

So far, Kirby Smart has battled through assistant coaching losses, on field disappointments and head to head recruiting match-ups with top programs to bring the Bulldogs to within a single step of the top of the college football hill.

Almost, but not quite.

Can Kirby Smart grab Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide and pull them down while claiming the summit?

We will probably find out Wednesday.

The Tide rises

Alabama, inspired by last year’s recruiting failures and rejuvenated by two close wins over the Dawgs, has not only earned a number one recruiting class, but the best recruiting class ever. Georgia must answer.

The Dawgs have almost no chance of catching Alabama in the recruiting race, but they don’t have to. They just need to make a right turn at the crossroads and keep the Big Red Machine between the ditches by back stopping the talent they laid in the last three years, proving on the recruiting trail they are, in fact, here to stay. Make that right turn, and the hood of the Big Red Machine stays inches from the Crimson Tide’s taillights.

Priority One

Suddenly, the top priority for Georgia football is at the quarterback position. While Georgia is behind in quarterback recruiting, Kirby Smart no doubt had more than a clue Justin Fields would be leaving the program. Now that the big cat is out of the bag and on his way perhaps to Ohio State, Georgia can put the depth chart in front of the nation’s top uncommitted gunners. Georgia needs to get one.

Priority Two

The Georgia offense, as splendid as it has been, still lacks the super elite game changer at wide receiver. The answer is short and sweet – Jaden Haselwood.

Haselwood wants to catch the ball.

“Mr. Haselwood, meet Mr. Fromm. He can throw the ball. He can throw it to you.”

Priority Three

While Georgia is building an offensive juggernaut, Kirby Smart’s bread and butter will always be great defense. Same for Nick Saban.

If the Georgia struggle to catch Alabama is boiled down to one recruiting battle in 2019, it’s the battle for Mississippi five-star linebacker Nakobe Dean.

Dean broke down he differences between Alabama and Georgia for Dawgnation.com’s Connor Riley

Alabama: “All the culture. The type of coaches they bring to the table and how will I feel and where I fit in at the university and how they will develop me on and off the field.”

Georgia: “The same. The culture. It is just they have a similar culture as ‘Bama but it is a little different feel at Georgia. Little more of a ‘homey’ feel. It is business but it is a little less. It is business.

So there it is, a difference as thin as your Aunt Marianas pastrami.

If Kirby Smart can regularly convince the nation’s top linebacker recruits to spurn Linebacker U for Running back U, the Dawgs can catch Alabama.

Nakobe Dean is the 2019 bellwether for Georgia football. Snag him, and the Dawgs will be tailgating the Tide on the Glory Glory Road. Lose him to Alabama, better pull over and change the oil because it may take a bit longer to settle into the Tide’s rear view mirror.