Alabama to reload; Georgia has question marks

Not sure if you are following the narrative, but the sports information folks in the SEC think Alabama and Georgia will earn a re-match in the SEC Championship game. That is, of course, if Georgia's young defense can gel quickly.

No one is questioning Georgia or Alabama's offenses. Both are returning senior QBs, top tier running backs, and top receivers. Both Georgia is returning an experienced offensive line.

Wait, Alabama lost three All-American offensive linemen? Seriously? Can you imagine if Georgia were replacing three All-Americans on the offensive line? Instead we are returning 1000 starts or something. Taking nothing away from Alabama's play makers and trying not to make too much of Georgia's offense, I can't make sense of people dismissing that little fact when comparing the two teams.

As far as Alabama's defense goes, they lost their shutdown corner, their stud LB and their entire starting front line. They will have two new starters at corner back, with the possibility of having a recently converted WR in the mix as a possible starter/nickle CB. All this secondary overhaul on a team that wasn't all that great against teams that could pass the ball.

Even with those losses, Alabama is a clear pick to win the SEC BCS National Championship World Cup everything forever.

Ask yourself, if this were any other top tier team from last year (Georgia, Florida, Notre Dame, FSU, Ohio State, LSU, Louisville, South Carolina, Oregon, Stanford, Texas A&M, Clemson), would they be a presumptive and prohibitive favorite to just reload with no hiccups after losing five offensive and seven defensive starters, including four All-Americans? Even their early season schedule makes me wonder, facing Virginia Tech in Atlanta, then traveling to Texas A&M. Again, Georgia's schedule is tougher, but neither of those games are cakewalks.

I guess the upside is that people think Georgia should be in the discussion. I am still up in the air about how this season will go, but I am pretty shocked at how easily folks think Alabama will just be dominant, if for no other reason than "cause they always are."

TD