Greg McElroy, former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and ESPN college football analyst, has expressed two significant concerns regarding the Georgia Bulldogs as they prepare for the 2024 college football season. On his podcast, “Always College Football with Greg McElroy,” McElroy identified key issues that could be troubling for Georgia.
Although McElroy places Georgia as the top team in the SEC, he has concerns similar to those he sees across the conference. McElroy noted, “If I were Kirby Smart, what would keep me up at night would be the front seven defensively. However, I do believe there is room for improvement in that area.”
Georgia’s run defense concluded the 2023 season ranked 18th nationally, allowing 13 rushing touchdowns and an average of 113.6 rushing yards per game. This performance fell short of the high defensive standards set during Kirby Smart’s tenure. Additionally, with the defensive line already dealing with injuries as they head into fall camp, McElroy sees this as a significant concern, especially with the Bulldogs facing a tough opponent, Clemson, in their season opener on August 31.
Another major worry for McElroy is Georgia’s demanding schedule. He pointed out that the Bulldogs have six home games, two neutral-site games, and four challenging road games. The road games include matchups against Kentucky, a consistent bowl team; Alabama, a regular playoff contender; Texas, a team that made the playoffs last year and is expected to contend again; and Ole Miss. McElroy described these as extremely tough road challenges.
McElroy admitted that while Georgia’s schedule is indeed very difficult, the expanded College Football Playoff format offers the Bulldogs more leeway. This added margin for error could help Georgia navigate their challenging season. Despite the tough road ahead, McElroy believes that Georgia’s season could be memorable due to the high level of competition they will face.
