If Georgia is going to win the SEC championship, it may need to do so without quarterback Carson Beck. On a chaotic play to end the first half, Beck was injured and remained on the ground following a sack. But his replacement, Gunner Stockton, stepped in and led the Bulldogs to an immediate touchdown and a 10-6 lead over Texas.
Georgia opted to go with Stockton, the backup, coming out of halftime. On the sideline just before the third quarter began, Beck stood with his helmet off as Stockton and two other Georgia quarterbacks got loose. Just before the third quarter began, Beck embraced Stockton.
Georgia trailed Texas at halftime of the SEC championship, 6-3.
Stockton put an immediate charge into the Georgia offense, leading the Bulldogs on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. It marked the first time either team had reached the red zone in what, to that point, had been an ugly game. Beck had been 7-of-13 for 56 yards passing in the first half prior to the injury, and two separate Texas interceptions were overturned by penalties on the Longhorns.
The question now for Georgia is whether this will impact the Bulldogs’ CFP chances. Last year, Florida State was left out of the four-team College Football Playoff despite being undefeated due to an injury to then-Seminole QB Jordan Travis. Then-CFP selection committee chair Boo Corrigan defended the snub by saying, “You can lose a running back, you can lose a receiver but when you lose a quarterback as dynamic as Jordan Travis, it changes their offense in its entirety and that was a really big factor.”
Texas will still have a say in the matter, but if Georgia is unable to win the SEC championship, there will be some tough questions for the CFP selection committee, and some nervous waiting for the Bulldogs.
