It makes perfect sense, right? You have two of the top ranked teams in the country with two of the Top 5 rated Quarterbacks in the country. It stands to reason that the QBs will decide the outcome.
But why? Both of these teams have talent galore, as evidenced by the rankings of their recruiting classes over the past several years. They both are stacked with outstanding RBs, WRs, offensive lineman, defensive linemen, linebackers and edge rushers.
So why just focus on the Quarterbacks?
Four Reasons: Talent, Motivation, Historical Perspective, and Situational Football
Talent
In listing our FBS QBs at the Top of NFL Draft Lists for 2025 two weeks ago, we included both Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe. Carson was the highly recruited four-star out of Jacksonville, Florida who demonstrated incredible patience for three years in the UGA grogram to wait his turn behind Stetson Bennet lV. While Jalen Milroe, a 4-star from Tomkins HS in Katy, Texas waited in the wings in Tuscaloosa for the 2021-22 seasons behind Heisman winner Bryce Young. Both finally were handed the keys to their respective offenses in 2023.
Jalen Milroe and Alabama are the leaders in the clubhouse with this rivalry. Jalen not only went 11-1 in the regular season as a first year starter but he led the #8 Tide over #1 Georgia in the SEC Championship game 27-24 on Dec 2, 2023. The win ended Georgia’s 29 game winning streak and knocked the Dawgs out of the four-team CFP.
In the game Milroe completed 13 of 23 for 192 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions. But his two biggest plays might have been a 30 yard scramble, and another 9 yard run for a first down to the Georgia 34 on the game’s last drive. The dual-threat QB kept the ball away from Carson Beck and Georgia after the Dawgs had pulled to within 3 with under three minutes left following a beautiful 10 play, 75 yard drive. Carson Beck, who engineered the drive, was not without a voice in the game as he completed 21 of 29 for 243 yards, but, with no TD passes on the board.
What about Jalen?
The 2023 season for Alabama and Jalen Milroe ended with a tough 27-20 loss to eventual National Champion Michigan in the CFP semi-final on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl. For the season, Jalen would post impressive numbers including 2,834 yards passing with 23 Touchdown passes against only 6 interceptions. He would add an additional 531 yards rushing for an impressive 12 TDs, thus establishing himself as one of the premier dual-threats in the country.
DraftBuzz.com lists Jalen’s strengths as an NFL prospect as “elite athleticism with explosive speed,” “strong arm capable of making all the NFL throws,” and “demonstrates some serious poise under pressure, able to deliver in clutch situations. He was simply legendary in last year’s Iron Bowl.”
If you haven’t heard, on the last play of the Rivalry game with Auburn, Milroe completed an unbelievable 4th and 31 TD pass to win the game and enshrine himself forever in Iron Bowl lore. So Jalen Milroe is bringing big-game talent to the rematch with Georgia.
What about Carson?
Carson Beck made his own case in 2023 in be in the 2024 discussion for All-American, the Heisman Trophy, and perhaps the 1st pick in the NFL draft. He’s more of a traditional pocket passer, but at 6’4” and 220 lbs he has a commanding presence on the field. He led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record in 2023; the only blemish was the loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. For the season he posted monster numbers, including 3,941 yards passing (3rd in the country) and 24 TD passes with only 6 interceptions. Perhaps most impressive was the 72.4% completion rate, which ranked 4th in the country.
DraftBuzz.com analysis on Carson includes, “Displays a natural pocket presence, instinctively feels pressure, adjusts on the fly to craft clean passing lanes,” and “Generates elite torque, giving the ball zip and velocity.” This means he can bring it! They add, “Quick thinker with an innate ability to cycle through reads; Beck’s football IQ and instincts shine in high-pressure scenarios.” There is very little question that a healthy Carson Beck will be a first round NFL draft choice, it’s just a matter of how high.
Motivation
Carson Beck was already considered an NFL 1st round draft pick after the 2023 season, so why take the injury risk and return to Athens for the 2024? His answer to ESPN Senior Writer, Mark Schlabach:
“I came back to win a national championship… That’s my goal.” Think about that. This is the same player who waited three years to get in between the hedges at Sanford Stadium. You know how many 4-stars wait three years? Not many.
What Does Kirby Say?
In fact, according to Schlabach, half of the SEC’s starting QBs in 2024 began their college careers with another team. Across all Power 4 schools it’s more like 63%! Kirby Smart to ESPN, “You get contacted by schools about leaving and it never became that for Carson. He never used it for leverage with us… He’s very strong-minded. He wanted to prove a point to himself, and he stuck it out to do it.”
Carson Beck’s decision to return to Georgia for one more year was based on several factors, including Beck’s observation that what he enjoys most is the “chemistry and camaraderie” within the UGA program; his need to improve his draft stock with another season of SEC games on his resume; and finally, the fact that there was “unfinished business” left on the turf at Mercedes Benz stadium following the loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
What about Jalen Milroe and his path to the NFL? Like Carson, Jalen could have entered the NFL draft last spring but he chose to return to Tuscaloosa for another season. You could argue his decision was a bit harder since the coach who recruited Jalen, Nick Saban, announced his retirement following the 2023 season. Jalen knew if he returned he’d be facing the challenge of a new coaching staff led by Kalen DeBoer from Washington.
In a recent interview with the National Football Foundation Jalen shared his thoughts: “I had unfinished business in college with my teammates, for the state of Alabama, for my family and felt like there was so much left for me here at Alabama. I wanted to stay and continue down the path towards success that Alabama has put me on thanks to the many great resources they have for us as student-athletes.“
What do Nick and Kalen Say?
Nick Saban as commentator on SEC NOW: “He’s got great ability with his feet as well as with his arm. I think he’s going to have a great year this year. The one thing about Jalen Milroe that a lot of these other QBs can’t do is make you play different on defense.” And from Kalen DeBoer to Sports Illustrated: “You’re never going to question Jalen and his work ethic. You’re never going to question the “want to.” And it’s not just individually, it’s what he does leading our football team.”
So it is pretty clear that both Quarterbacks were highly motivated to return to their respective institutions for reasons beyond just personal gain. These are two individuals who waited two and three years before being anointed QB1. They both disdained overtures from other schools and NIL Collectives to enter the transfer portal. And BTW they both already have their undergraduate degrees.
Yes, they both want to improve their NFL draft stock, but it’s apparent they both love their teammates, coaching staff and University. In the end, if you are an elite Quarterback at an NCAA blue-blood football program you want to win it all. Both Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe came back to go after it!
Historical Perspective
Playing close to home and at D-ll Lehigh University (Now an FCS school) I was aware of the rivalry with Lafayette College well before I enrolled. In fact, along with most alumni from both institutions, I was aware that the Lehigh vs Lafayette game is the most-played rivalry (159) in the history of college football. Not the oldest, that’s Princeton vs Rutgers, but the most played. So the fact that I had the privilege to Quarterback Lehigh to three straight victories in this rivalry (recall freshmen were ineligible to play varsity back in the day), is something that my teammates and I will NEVER forget.
So imagine the awareness Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe must have regarding the Georgia/Alabama rivalry. This is a game that will be watched by some 90,000 fans inside Bryant-Denny Stadium as well as one of the largest TV audiences for the entire football season.
Need more historical perspective? The winningest FBS football program in the country is the University of Michigan. The Wolverines have posted 1,007 wins against only 354 losses. And right behind Michigan is… Alabama. The Tide has recorded 968 wins against 337 losses which ties both programs with a .734 winning percentage. Third place? The Ohio State University. Same winning percentage of .734 .
The University of Georgia is in the neighborhood, although just a few clicks down the list at #11 on the all-time wins list with 884 against 411 losses for a .666 winning percentage.
The Football Blue-Bloods
Clearly both of these SEC schools are NCAA blue-bloods when it comes to football, but when you dig deeper it starts to get pretty one-sided. Saturday’s game will be the 74th played between the Tide and the Dawgs. This is a border-state rivalry and Alabama holds a 17-game advantage in the series. Bama is 43-26-4 vs UGA. Ouch.
When you start talking Championships the great divide gets wider. Alabama claims 18 national championships since beginning play in 1892. That includes 6 under Paul “Bear” Bryant and 6 under Nick Saban (Saban also won one title while at LSU). Please note Princeton claims 28 but all prior to 1950 and 20 prior to 1900. Yale claims 27 with none after 1927. Georgia? The Dawgs rank below quite a few programs with 4 national championships. But in the “what have you done lately” category, they own 2 of the last 3 National Championships winning back to back in 2021 and 2022.
Additionally, Alabama claims 30 SEC titles in its history while Georgia is a distant second with 14. They are followed by Tennessee with 13 and LSU at 12. That’s SEC high cotton!
So Who’s Feeling the Heat?
You can see how the historical perspective starts to pile on the pressure, but it rubs both ways. If you are Carson Beck you are bearing the weight of last year’s loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game and seeking the revenge that your fan base is screaming for. But make no mistake, Jalen Milroe does not want to go out the loser in this series.
If you look at the more current trends in the rivalry, Kirby Smart is 1-5 against Alabama, and the sting is that three of those losses were in the SEC Championship Game. The Alabama dominance (meaning Saban dominance) over Kirby is astounding when you put it into the Kirby Smart UGA era perspective.
Check Out These Numbers
Smart is a flashy 97-16 overall and 57-9 against the SEC! He has 6 SEC East titles, 2 SEC Championships, and 2 National Championships in 8 years. Currently, UGA is on a 42 game regular season win streak and has 5 Top 5 finishes in the eight years. Wow! The Dawgs are back!
Just not so much when The Crimson Tide is on the schedule. Since the start of 2021 Georgia is 45-2. The 2 losses? Yup, Alabama. The lone win for Georgia under Kirby was in the 2022 National Championship Game 33-18. The win looked like a breakthrough until Alabama turned around and won again in the 2023 SEC Championship Game. Go back a bit before Kirby and Alabama has won 8 out of the last 9 games.
This week Kirby observed about that game, “Guys were upset in the locker room, Everybody handles that in different ways. But I think the motivation it gives to guys to want to come back and have an opportunity to win an SEC championship, which this group didn’t do last year, they have a chance to do that.” Smart did add “it doesn’t all hinge on this game, but that game did and I certainly think that a lot of our guys remember it.”
Of course Smart was referring to the expanded 12 team college Football Playoff format this year. Many teams will get in with one loss and probably several will get in with two losses. But last year one loss was good enough to knock a team out of the four team CFP.
Welcome to the SEC
On the Alabama side, Kalen DeBoer is coaching his first SEC league game at Alabama and naturally it’s against the Bulldogs. He told SI this week that there is no doubt of the playoff atmosphere surrounding his first SEC game. “You come to this place here at Alabama to be part of games that gather a lot of attention. To be in an atmosphere and an environment that’s just special and different… We came here, all of us different journeys, players, staff, came here in different ways to be part of something like this that you’re going to see on Saturday.”
Indeed, both Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe have had long and separate journeys to this historic confrontation between a #2 and a #4 this early in the season. They both had other options and arguably easier paths to extend their careers, but it’s very clear that they both want to be in this place at this time and with their respective teammates and coaches. It’s almost unfair that one will lose and one will walk away a winner. But hey, these two teams just might meet again in the SEC Championship. And how about again in the 12 team playoff? It could happen!
Situational Football
So why put so much emphasis on the Quarterbacks in this game? For several important reasons.
First, they are both big-time, big-play Quarterbacks who can carry their team on their shoulders. Beck is 16-1 as the starter at Georgia. Milroe 15-2 at Alabama.
Next, let’s take a look at a rather surprising trend in recent matchups between the two teams. Both of these teams have been winning SEC and National Championships recently with offenses that are balanced and feature not only dazzling Quarterbacks but NFL caliber running backs. They typically attack opponents with the run game and mix in quick strike vertical passes and play action. They also have monster defenses that leave the offense with good field position.
The Run has Been a Grind
But in the last three games, the 2023 SEC Championship (Tide 27-24), the 2022 CFP Championship (UGA 33-18), and the 2021 SEC Championship (Tide 41-24) the game plans have not gone as planned. Specifically, the running games for both teams have been either greatly diminished or non-existent. To wit:
In the 2021 game Georgia rushed for 109 yards on 30 carries which is a measly 3.6 yard average. Alabama not much better with 115 yards on 26 carries for 4.4 ave. Better but not great.
In the 2022 National Championship Game the Alabama run game was shut down. The Tide was held to 30 net rushing yards on 28 carries for a 1.1 average per attempt. Yikes.
Last year in the SEC Championship Game Georgia rushed for a mere 78 yards on 31 attempts for a pitiful 2.5 yard average. The winner Alabama rushed for 114 yards but an anemic 2.8 yards per attempt.
These last three matchups tell us the defensive game plans have centered on stopping the run first. Loading up the box. Challenging the Quarterback to put the game on his back.
Who Has The Edge in 2024?
The 2024 season is still a very small sample set. Alabama ranks 3rd in the SEC in scoring (49.0 pts per game) and is 5th in rushing (238 yds per). But they have yet to face an SEC defense, having wins over Western Kentucky, South Florida and last week against Wisconsin 42-10.
Jalen
Jalen accounted for 9 TDs in the first two games against non-Power 4 competition and with limited PT. He did showcase his dual-threat skills vs Big 10 opponent Wisconsin with 12 of 17 for 196 and 3 passing TDs plus another 75 rushing yards and 2 more TDs. That’s Heisman worthy!
Carson
On the other hand Georgia and Carson Beck have been accused of under-performing so far in 2024, but I’m not buying it. Georgia’s sample set includes a huge opening season win in Atlanta vs #17 Clemson 34-3. Clemson has since looked pretty good and is still ranked. In that game Carson Beck hit 23 of 33 for 278 yards and 2 TDs with no pics. That’s a big day in a big game.
He followed up with 5 TD passes vs Tennessee Tech. Then two weeks ago UGA hit a buzzsaw of a defense at Kentucky and barely got out alive. Georgia rushed for only 102 yards in the game and Carson passed for only 166 yards in the 13-12 win. Georgia dodged a bullet.
Is There an Edge?
So when #2 Georgia and #4 Alabama tee it up in Tuscaloosa Saturday night at 7:30pm, we have two Quarterbacks who are veterans of the Alabama vs Georgia wars. Jalen is one up in those games and playing at home. Carson is hungry for a win vs Alabama and somehow Georgia comes in as a two-point favorite.
At this point in time Alabama has more weapons for Jalen to exploit. Namely, a 17-year-old freshman WR named Ryan Williams. All Ryan has done in his first 3 college games in catch 10 passes for 285 yards and 4 TDs. That’s an average of 28.5 yards per reception! Yikes.
Where’s Brock?
Georgia is still waiting for their core of young receivers to demonstrate they are capable of replacing the three-time All-America TE Brock Bowers and the flashy WR Ladd McConkey, both of whom are already contributing big in the NFL. Georgia needs one or two of their highly recruited youngsters to demonstrate they can be the 3rd down go-to guy.
Watch the Edge (Rushers)
This game will come down to which defense is going to pressure the Quarterback. Jalen Milroe gets sacked more than Carson Beck for two reasons. First, he’s thinking run more so he holds onto the ball longer. Jalen has been sacked 5 times in 2024. Second, Carson Beck has one of the quickest releases in college football and he knows his job is to deliver the pill on time. Carson has been sacked once in 2024. Neither quarterback has thrown an interception in 2024.
If I’m Georgia I’ve got to put a “spy” on Jalen at all times or he will kill the Dawgs with off-platform passes and scrambles. He’s a big-play guy.
If I’m Alabama I’ve got to pressure Carson in the pocket with different looks and safety and corner blitzes to keep him off rhythm. If he’s given time he’ll shred any secondary in college football.
The Winner?
I like Kirby Smart cashing in on his 1-5 Nick Saban experience and introducing Kalen DeBoer to SEC football. Both Quarterbacks will shine in the national spotlight and come out winners.