Heisman Watch: No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama could have big early season Heisman implications

How far will Saturday’s massive matchup go in swinging the race for the Heisman Trophy?

September is typically too early to start talking about games that will have a significant impact on voters’ minds at the end of the season. But No. 2 Georgia’s trip to No. 4 Alabama is no typical September game. The rematch of December’s SEC title game features two Heisman favorites in QBs Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe and also will go a long way in determining the participants of this year’s SEC title game given the conference’s move to get rid of divisions as it expanded to 16 teams.

Ten months ago, Alabama got into the College Football Playoff at the Bulldogs’ expense with a 27-24 win. Milroe had the better game of the two quarterbacks, as he was 13-of-23 passing for 192 yards with two touchdowns and iced the game on the ground. Beck rushed for a score and was 21-of-29 for 243 yards.

Both players were in their first seasons as starters in 2023 and Beck spent much of the offseason as the favorite for the 2024 Heisman after he returned to Athens for another season. Milroe was at the top of the BetMGM board too, but he was also entering the season with a new offense to learn under coach Kalen DeBoer.

So far, Milroe (+700 at BetMGM) has had the better season. He’s completed 67% of his passes and is sixth in the country at 11.3 yards per attempt. He has 14 total touchdowns through three games; no player in college football is responsible for more scores on a per-game basis.

Beck (+1600) played well against Clemson to open the season as he completed 70% of his passes and threw for two scores. After beating up on Tennessee Tech in Week 2, Georgia had a sluggish game against Kentucky in Week 3. The offense couldn’t get out of neutral in a 13-12 win. Beck was just 15-of-24 passing for 160 yards.

Was that game an…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/heisman-watch-no-2-georgia-at-no-4-alabama-could-have-big-early-season-heisman-implications-130007990.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-25 12:57:22

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.