Paul Finebaum Is Worried About Georgia In The College Football Playoff
Georgia may have suffered a costly loss in Saturday's SEC Championship Game win over Texas.
After surviving an eight-overtime victory against Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs secured a 22-19 overtime triumph over the Longhorns at Atlanta. They played the second half without Carson Beck, who left after taking a nasty hit right before halftime.
Saturday's win bought Georgia extra time. After earning a first-round bye, the Bulldogs won't play until facing Notre Dame or Indiana on New Year's Day. However, Paul Finebaum joined the college football world in worrying about Beck's status.
"They are not fine," Finebaum said of Georgia on Monday's SportsCenter, via On3's Grant Grubbs. "As we get ready for the playoffs, this is the single biggest question going on: What is Carson Beck's condition?"
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 31: ESPN/SEC Network Analyst Paul Finebaum is on set prior to the college football Playoff Semifinal game at the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes on December 31, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Fans are anxiously awaiting the results of Beck's MRI. Finebaum speculated that Georgia already received bad news it's hesitating to confirm.
To that end, WSB's Zach Klein reported Monday that Beck has a UCL injury that will keep him out of the Sugar Bowl.
In Beck's absence, Gunner Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards and an interception. The sophomore got hurt on Georgia's overtime drive, leading an injured Beck to re-enter the game and hand the ball to Trevor Etienne for the walk-off touchdown.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, head coach Kirby Smart said Beck was "pretty somber" following his injury.
"A tough deal for him in terms of not being able to go out there and finish in the second half," Smart said. "But he’s also excited for his teammates and happy that it ended the way it did, and ironically, he got to be on the field for that."
Entering his senior season as a Heisman candidate, Beck has thrown 28 touchdowns with a 145.3 passer rating. However, his completion percentage has dipped from last year's 72.4 to 64.7, and his average yards per attempt dropped from 9.5 to 7.8.
Beck has also ceded 12 interceptions, double last year's tally. Yet he turned the corner by throwing 11 touchdowns to zero picks in three straight wins before the SEC Championship Game.
Georgia's status as a top College Football Playoff contender takes a significant hit if Beck can't play.
