Reaction: Thoughts and Observations

Like any game, but especially the big ones, turnovers/penalties/mistakes do as much to help one team lose the game as the other actually winning it. That was the case last night, as Georgia turned the ball over three times and committed very untimely—if at times questionable—penalties, and Alabama's offense proved too explosive as the Tide rolled to the 41-24 victory.

In the offseason, Dayne Young and I examined analytics and value in today's football. Offense is more valuable than defense, and passing is more valuable than running. Over those last two games against a No. 1 offense, Georgia's No. 1 defense has surrendered 1,045 yards and 88 points.

Here's the key, though. There's not a whole lot the defense can do about it. In each game, they held the opponent over double digits below its season point average. Alabama scored on seven of its 12 meaningful possessions (58 percent), 12 percent below its season average of 70 percent on scoring drives. It's just the way football is played now at the highest level. As I said in Friday's prediction column, when you combine an elite/accurate quarterback with elite playmakers on the outside and the advantages play-action/run-pass options provide, the goal just becomes to slow them down, because you are not going to stop them. Last night, outside of Jaylen Waddle's deep touchdown and a little bit from DeVonta Smith, Georgia basically eliminated Alabama's yards after the catch. The defense only missed five tackles in the game.

Also, please don't look at the final game statistics and think that Alabama was balanced. At the point in the game when Alabama took a 10-point lead at 34-24, the Crimson Tide had called 37 pass plays and only 21 runs. Against the best offenses, if a defense can get off the field on half its third downs, force multiple field goals, and create turnovers to keep the opposition under 30 points, it's done its job.