Kirby Smart gives his take on Jalen Milroe

Kirby Smart's sons have a set strategy in the Madden video game.

They always play with the Baltimore Ravens. Why? Because they are ability to utilize the impressive athletic skills of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, running around opponents and firing the ball downfield with ease.

Now their father has his own Jackson-esque challenge ahead of him in Alabama's Jalen Milroe.

"This guy is a bigger, more physical version of that," Smart said. "He's playing at a different speed than everybody else when you watch him."

Milroe had his struggles earlier in the season. But in recent weeks he has become one of the top quarterbacks in college football, hurting opponents with his arm and his legs.

On the season Milroe is completing just over 66 percent of his passes for 2,526 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has also rushed for 439 yards and 12 touchdowns, although the yardage total is higher when sacks are taken out.

What makes Milroe so dangerous is his ability to extend passing plays with his legs. Some of his biggest plays this season have come on scrambles when everything down the field is covered. A quarterback spy is something many opponents use against Alabama, although Smart noted that's far from a foolproof solution.

Of course, Milroe can also hurt opponents in the designed quarterback run game. Georgia Tech had success with designed runs against the Bulldogs in Saturday night's game. Smart said the keys to defending that are fitting gaps and getting off blocks, similar to how the more traditional run game is defended.

Those scrambles also open up huge plays in the passing game, as the Crimson Tide receivers eventually shake loose of coverage and haul in long receptions.

"Some quarterbacks have to throw it away. Some quarterbacks have to take off and run. They turn plays into massive explosive plays," Smart said. "Part of their plan, they know their quarterback’s going to be able to extend plays. He has the longest time to throw in the entire NCAA. They make plays out of those plays. I think that’s really a contribution that they’ve made as a receiving corps—the ability to get open on plays that may not have been by design.”

In the biggest game of the season, Milroe and the Crimson Tide present the sternest test yet for a Georgia defense that has had its issues at various points this year. Smart knows the defense won't be perfect on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.

It just has to be good enough.

"Every week, it's win the next moment. Certainly that applies to this game, but I would not sit here and say it does not apply any of the last 12 games. How you respond to it matters a lot more than what happened," Smart said. "He's going to make plays and we're going to make some plays. You've got to have confidence you're going to make more than they are going to make."