Mark Schlabach, the phenomenal and distinguished college football scribe, is once again kind enough to share his insights with us. Mark grew up a Notre Dame fan and used to deliver Blue and Gold Illustrated. He is a graduate of Georgia. Mark has authored dozens of books and is a Senior Writer for ESPN. Mark and his wife Heather are the parents of Jane, Caroline and Jack.
What did you think of Notre Dame’s performance against Indiana?
It went about like I thought it would. Indiana’s resurgence under Curt Cignetti was one of the more remarkable stories in recent college football history. As someone who grew up in the state, I can appreciate how bad the Indiana program has been throughout its history. That being said, the Hoosiers’ 11-1 record in the regular season wasn’t as good as it looked. They didn’t play Oregon, Penn State, Illinois or Iowa and were manhandled in the second half of a 38-15 loss at Ohio State. IU largely feasted on the bottom half of the Big Ten and a few soft non-conference opponents. Again, I don’t want to take away from Indiana’s success because it has been so difficult to win there, but its schedule strength is what it is.
With the injuries, the schedule, and the target on the proverbial chest for Georgia this year, would you agree that this is one of Kirby’s best jobs yet this year?
There’s no question Smart and his staff pulled one out of you-know-where this season in winning the SEC. The receiver corps struggled after Rara Thomas and Colbie Young departed for off-field problems. The offensive line was plagued by injuries and missed guard Tate Ratledge for a big portion of the season. Tailback Trevor Etienne missed three games with a rib injury. Smael Mondon’s leadership and athleticism were missed on defense for much of the campaign. To go through that schedule and then beat Texas for a second time with a backup quarterback in the second half of the SEC championship game is pretty impressive.
How do you feel Gunner Stockton will play?
Everybody I’ve talked to who is close to Stockton seems confident that he won’t be overwhelmed by the massive stage. He played pretty well against Texas under the circumstances, but Georgia is going to need more from the third-year sophomore in the CFP. Stockton was one of the most accomplished players in Georgia high school history, setting rushing and passing records during his four-year career at Rabun County High. He’ll benefit from having a few weeks to prepare, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is very familiar with what Stockton can do. The rest of Georgia’s team will have to step up their play around him.
What does Georgia need to do to win?
Georgia needs to slow down Notre Dame’s running game, which won’t be easy. The Irish have a stout offensive line, and they’ve got three very capable runners in quarterback Riley Leonard and tailbacks Jeremiyah Love and Jadarin Price. If Georgia can contain the run, I’m not sure Leonard is going to be able to come up with big plays in the passing game. Georgia needs to establish its running game behind Stockton, Etienne and Nate Frazier and control the clock. Notre Dame’s defense took a big hit with star defensive lineman Rylie Mills going down with a right knee injury against Indiana, which will cause him to miss the rest of the CFP. The Irish were already missing All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison and rush ends Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore.
Do you think we’ll see playoff format changes next year? Or will it be 2026?
I’m not sure they can make massive changes until 2026 because of the existing contracts with TV networks and the big bowl games. The bracket is probably going to be expanded (again) for 2026, and I think the people in charge will tweak the seedings and automatic bids before then. The first-round games are going to be a crapshoot because there seems to be six to eight teams that are better than everyone else each season. Home-field advantage is a big factor, as we saw in the first round this season.
Where does New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl rank for you when it comes to big college football events?
I’d take the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day every season, but the atmosphere and energy of New Orleans makes these kinds of games a lot of fun. This one is going to be extra special for folks on both sides because of what happened in New Orleans 44 years ago.
What’s the score on New Year’s night?
Georgia 24, Notre Dame 21