- A recap of the key topics after Saturday's SEC Spring Game: Is Alabama's QB competition legit or contrived? And is Georgia full?
- Georgia's Carson Beck threw for nearly 4,000 yards last season. Forget the two interceptions in the spring game. He is the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.
- Jalen Milroe should be a strong candidate to be Alabama's starting quarterback, but coach Karen DeBoer has not designated him as such yet.
Georgia's Carson Beck and Alabama's Jalen Milroe are among the preseason favorites for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
But forget about awards for a second. Will any of these quarterbacks have to fight to keep their starting jobs?
Not so in Georgia. Beck remains Georgia's QB1. End of discussion. He had two interceptions in Georgia's spring game on Saturday, but coach Kirby Smart said it was a “great spring.”
What about Milro? He played well on A-Day on Saturday. Substitute Ty Simpson also did well. There is a lot of uncertainty in the tournament with the arrival of a new coaching staff, but listening to Milroe, it seems like he and DeBoer hit it off and have good control of the offense. He will likely remain a starter at Alabama.
The hosts of this edition of USA TODAY Network's podcast “SEC Football Unfiltered” are: blake topmeyer is participating chase goodbred of the Tuscaloosa News and Athens Banner-Herald. mark weiser We recap the spring game between Alabama and Georgia, discuss quarterbacks, and set expectations for 2024.
What is a reasonable standard for DeBoer's first season?
What questions does Georgia have after spring practice?
Top Meyer:Nick Saban becomes hype man before Jalen Milroe and Karen DeBoer steal the show
Good bread:Alabama football's Jalen Milroe goes from hero captain to A-Day contestant
Weiser:Strong spring, so-so G-day for Georgia football starting quarterback Carson Beck
They discuss those topics and more. Excerpts from the conversation follow:
Expectations for first year for Alabama football's Karen DeBoer
Top Meyer: Nick Saban went 7-6 in his first season at Alabama. Much has changed since then. Saban also inherited a team that was 6-7 the year before he took over. Mr. DeBoer's situation is different. He inherited some talented works such as Milro. However, some areas of the roster need attention, especially defense. Additionally, Alabama's schedule ranks as one of the toughest in the SEC. So what is the bar for reasonable expectations for DeBoer's Alabama debut?
Good bread: Qualifying for the 12-team College Football Playoff is a natural expectation. Would it be a catastrophic failure if he ends up on the No. 13 team in the country in his first year and misses the playoffs? no. But keeping Alabama in the playoffs is a strong and reasonable goal.
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Do you believe there is competition for quarterback in Alabama football or is this Jalen Milroe's job?
topmyer: I don't buy the story that there's going to be a quarterback competition in Alabama. Milroe still looks like that person. He does things that others can't do. His big-play ability remains appealing. Granted, something unexpected could happen between now and Opening Day, but I see Milroe as QB1 and Simpson as QB2. Any story to the contrary seems like off-season material. Am I off base?
good bread: There are two ways to look at this: From the eye exam, it's Milro's work. Last season, he led the team to the SEC Championship. He remains perhaps the best athlete in the state of Alabama. But the wrinkle in all of this is the coaching change. DeBoer has revamped Alabama's offensive line. If you're DeBoer, you need to base your depth chart on what you saw this offseason, not what you saw on tape a year ago. I expect Milroe to remain the starter.
topmyer: Let's say you're a handicapper in Las Vegas. Is it possible that someone other than Milroe will be Alabama's starting quarterback in the season opener?
good bread: 6 to 1.
topmyer: I'll go 8-1.
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Will Georgia's Carson Beck be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy?
topmyer: Beck performed well in his first season as a starter at the University of Georgia. As of mid-November, I was considering him as one of three spots on the Heisman ballot. His season was slightly overshadowed by other standout quarterbacks last season, LSU's Jaden Daniels, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix. Now that they're in the NFL, should Beck be viewed as a front-runner for the Heisman?
Weiser: Beck threw for nearly 4,000 yards last season. Earlier this offseason, I spoke with BetMGM and Caesars experts who had Beck as either the No. 1 or 1A pick in their Heisman odds, along with Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. Beck is Georgia's best Heisman candidate so far. If Georgia becomes a top-four seed for the playoffs, I think Beck will at least come to New York as a Heisman finalist.
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What are Georgia's greatest strengths and questions that still remain?
topmyer: Georgia has one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Beck. We need to pick up the load again on defense. What do you say?
visor:I expect our offensive line to be our biggest strength. This group was very impressive, with four of the five linemen who started in the Orange Bowl returning. As for quarterback, if Beck goes down, will Gunnar Stockton be able to win at the level Georgia needs? That remains to be seen. He played well against Florida State in the Orange Bowl, but FSU's roster was decimated. Georgia lost three players in its secondary. The Bulldogs have talent, and they don't want to lose that talent. We also need defensive linemen to take the next step.
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Blake Toppmeyer is the SEC columnist for USA TODAY Network. chase goodbred Sports columnist for the Tuscaloosa News. mark weiser Covers Georgia for the Athens Banner-Herald. SSubscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered Podcast and check out the SEC Unfiltered Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
