Win the turnover battle, or just don’t have any.
Create explosive plays.
Stay out of third and long.
Get touchdowns and be efficient in the red zone.

Georgia did all of those things against Michigan and put up over 30 points in a “big game” for the first time since the Rose Bowl victory over Oklahoma.

The above are football "truths." Outside of those clichés, here are four specific offensive keys to the Bulldogs leaving Indianapolis as champs.

It just works. Outside of the noticeably increased use of play-action, the evolvement of the screen and RPO game has been the biggest difference in Georgia's offense in 2021. Look at the comparison of the last two seasons in just the screen game (Stetson Bennett and JT Daniels numbers combined):

- 2020 - 35 completions on 38 attempts, 226 yards, zero touchdowns

- 2021 - 68 completions on 73 attempts, 576 yards, 6 touchdowns

That's a big difference. Screens are obviously a potentially high reward, low risk play. They also work as an extension of the running game or even as a way to make the defense wrong when coupled with running plays and the quarterbacking reading whether to give the run or throw the bubble or screen. Bennett and the offense have had great success with these in the last two games.

Bennett against Alabama in the SECCG and Michigan in the Orange Bowl:

- Screens - 11 of 11, for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns

- RPOs - 9 of 9, for 67 yards and 1 touchdowns

Any offensive coordinator will take 20 of 20 for 179 yards and three touchdowns. Keep doing it and keep packaging your running game off the screen/bubble action. It's working.

Bennett is a true threat when running the ball. There's too much evidence to that fact now. He doesn't have "deceptive speed," nor is he "more quick than fast." He's fast, elusive and a great playmaker with his legs. He has 152 yards on designed runs and 173 on scrambles, including the touchdown at Tennessee.

I looked in detail at one play from the SECCG where Bennett had that opportunity but chose to try and make a difficult throw to Brock Bowers. This can't happen in the National Championship unless there is a wide-open touchdown throw available. If there are yards to be had with his legs, Bennett has to take them every time. His ability to make plays outside of the pocket with his arm have actually been very minimal. Look at his splits on his play from the pocket versus outside it.

- Straight drop-back: 248 drop-backs; 85.0 passing grade; 75% adjusted completion; 128.7 passer rating

- Roll or Scramble (right or left): 58 drop-backs; 44.7 passing grade; 55% adjusted completion; 34.5 passer rating

Those are quite different.

If you remember the Peach Bowl against the Bearcats, you might remember this action. It caused Georgia havoc and is the same action Jerome Ford scored on a 79-yard touchdown run. However, much like against Georgia, Cincinnati rarely chose to use this lethal weapon against Alabama.

The three plays above are three of the only four times Cincinnati ran this action against the Tide. The only other being a fourth and three where quarterback Desmond Ridder kept a clear give read and was sacked. The three plays above—nine-yard run, 19-yard reception, and nine-yard Ridder run—were all highly successful and put the defense into heavy conflict. The first two came on the Bearcats' initial drive of the game, and the third was the first play of the second half. That’s it.

The action is virtually unstoppable without heavy penetration or a missed assignment. A three-fold read for the quarterback: give the run action, keep and throw the quick pass to the flat, or run yourself if the defense plays the pass. Georgia runs this action consistently, but never with reads and a throwing option attached. They can do this. Bennett can do this.

Much like I ended the defensive adjustments breakdown, the offensive side is no different. Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, George Pickens, Jermaine Burton, and James Cook. Those are the clear best weapons on offense. Keep them on the field and involved as much as possible, especially Pickens. He worked to get back for this game. As long as he's feeling good and not fatigued, let him go. In his career, he's been thrown 96 "catchable" passes. He's gotten the reception on 89 of those, a staggering 93 percent. Much like the SEC Championship, give him chances and let him do his thing.

Do the names I didn't mention have a role and place in the game plan? Of course. In the end, though, if I'm Todd Monken, I want to go down knowing I got (or tried to get) the ball in my best players' hands. This is especially true on third downs and in the red zone.