PFF review of the game

Once they said that Chambliss had the second-highest grade for any quarterback against Georgia in the Kirby era, only behind CJ Stroud, it made me realize that last night was basically like the Midnight Miracle for the first 59 minutes and 50 seconds, but then the kicker made the long field goal at the end instead of missing.

The game also felt so much like last year's Sugar Bowl. Same venue and setup (SEC champion, first round bye, other team wasn't exactly god's gift to football). It was frustrating to watch and seemed like we got outcoached and no business losing, same as last year.

I can't ever remember a game that felt so much like two other games at the same time.

Even though the 2023 Peach Bowl and last night's game had so many similarities, the main difference is that Ole Miss wasn't nearly as good as Ohio State and we had no business losing to that Ole MIss team.

Somebody could say that it took some really heroic performances for Ole MIss to win, and they wouldn't be lying. The PFF guys argued that it was the best game from any quarterback this college football season. Also, the frigging kicker set the all time Sugar Bowl record for longest field goal on his first two kicks lol. He might be the first million dollar kicker in college football next season wherever he goes.

That's all true and everything, but we also got a gift defensive touchdown and a gift at the end of the first half when the Ole Miss guy didn't go out of bounds.

I'm most letdown by our pass rush. PFF said we blitzed Chambliss on half his dropbacks and we never sacked him and maybe put him on his arse twice the whole game. Chambliss had a few miraculous scrambles, but most of his yards were on where he was just sitting there in the pocket and patting the ball. Our edge rushers and bliztzing linebackers were sticking to their blockers like velcro. At what point does Schumann say frick this and stop blitzing.

The interior offensive line got destroyed. I remember at the time The Film Guy saying that losing Bobo was the player on offense we could least afford to lose other than Branch or Stockton, and now that seems pretty profound. Comparing our offensive stats in the five quarters before Bobo got hurt vs. the five quarters we've played since then would probably be pretty instructive.

Still not an excuse for the coaches, however. They had a full month to put together a plan at center. Those slow developing run plays where Stockton does a slow motion spin and fully extends the ball before handing it off were painful were painful to watch.

Stockton has got to stop telegraphing his passes so much. It seemed like Ole Miss linemen got at least 5 tipped passes.

It's always sad when any season ends, but it leaves an extra pit in your stomach when a season ends like that. We've now blown 2 really good chances to become only the second college football dysnasty in the last 30 years. 2023 was set up for us, and this playoff was set up for us. I really really wanted to buy so much shite that said DYNASTY on it that I had to rearrange my storage unit. Dynasty is the greatest word in sports.

"Blown" isn't an indictment of Kirby. To even be in position to become a dynasty is incredible and more than I ever could've asked for after all those watching Georgia football before Kirby got here.

But still, Kirby needs to ask himself why we haven't been nearly as dominant in the last 2 seasons. We averaged 5.65 yards per play on offense and 4.93 yards per play on defense. Other than Kirby's first seson, the only season remotely close to a .73 YPP difference was last season.

And people are quick to blame the portal, but the portal was in full effect in 2023 but we dominated. Averaged 7.26 ypp on offense and 4.77 ypp on defense. That 2.49 YPP difference was right up there with our championship teams (2.39 in 2022 and 2.83 in 2021).

This board is the last place Kirby should take his advice from, especially after we lose a game and the sky is falling again, and all of the immature "I told you so" adult children come back out of hibernation, but I can admit that there are some changes that need to be made. There are no easy answers and I don't know what those changes are, but in Kirby We Trust!