Georgia football legend Aaron Murray thinks a west coast contender could end the Dawgs' championship run.
The Georgia Bulldogs have won back-to-back national championships. Kirby Smart is not only defensive genius and schematic master; he's also the best recruiter in the sport. The Dawgs have lapped the field in recruitment over the last few years, setting them up for an extended reign at the top of college football.
That said, the run has to end at some point. Three-peats are virtually unheard of in college football and the Bulldogs will face no shortage of competition next season, both inside and outside of the SEC.
Aaron Murray, UGA's quarterback from 2010-13, presumably has a soft spot in his heart for his former team. That didn't prevent him from picking another contender to end Georgia's run next season.
Georgia football legend Aaron Murray picks USC to dethrone Dawgs
Murray went on the 3 and Out Podcast and picked the USC Trojans to dethrone UGA. His reasoning is sound.
"They could easily win the national championship this year. You don't need an incredible improvement on defense. I don't think all of a sudden you need it to be — they were giving up high 20 points per game — you don't need all of a sudden to be giving up 18 points a game to be a national contender. With Caleb at quarterback and that offense and how good they're gonna be this year, you just need to be a team that gives up, instead up 28 points per game, gives up 24 points per game. That's it. You look at their games last year, their losses were one-score games. So if you can just get a little bit better, which personnel-wise they're significantly better on defense, which should translate into points per game." (h/t On3)
Murray further noted the Bulldogs' reliance on defense, and how both Ohio State and Alabama were missing key offensive pieces during Georgia's run.
The Trojans have the best quarterback in college football and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Caleb Williams, not to mention a strong receiving corps headlined by Tahj Washington, Mario Williams, and Dorian Singer.
Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns last season and the Trojans averaged 41.4 points per game, fifth most in the FBS. Now, the defense has improved just enough to, in Murray's mind, push the Trojans over the Bulldogs.
Georgia is also losing key personnel from last season, starting with QB Stetson Bennett IV. While Bennett wasn't highly recruited or a traditionally flashy athlete, he was the arm behind two championships. He wasn't far behind Williams in Heisman voting last season and there's no guarantee new UGA starter Carson Beck can reach the same heights.
That said, the Bulldogs actually averaged more points per game (41.6) than USC last season. It's not like the Bulldogs have been starved for touchdowns, and the team's wealth of future NFL talent absolutely spills over to the offensive end.
The Dawgs will have to scrap their way through the rough and tumble SEC next year. The Trojans will have a much easier path through the Pac-12. We have seen what the Bulldogs do to dominant offensive teams in inferior conferences (lookin' at you, TCU), so it's hard to express much confidence in Murray's pick here.
Yes, the Trojans have the offensive firepower to combat Georgia's defense and yes, the Trojans will likely allow fewer points to opponents. But, move past the QB spot, and Georgia will have personnel advantages across the board.
Maybe Georgia finally gets knocked off its pedestal. Maybe not. But can the Trojans — hailing from the Pac-12 with a track record of shoddy defense, in Lincoln Riley's second year at the helm — really be the favorites to topple the Dawgs' dynasty? Probably not.