Georgia’s road to the College Football Playoff national championship just got harder.
On Thursday, ESPN college football insiders Pete Thamel, Mark Schlabach and Chris Low reported the Bulldogs are “preparing to play the College Football Playoff without starting quarterback Carson Beck.”
In a social media post, Thamel wrote that Beck “is exploring surgery options to repair an injury to his elbow on his throwing arm.”
Beck suffered his injury on the last play of the first half in the SEC Championship game against Texas.
Backup QB Gunner Stockton, who will start in the CFP, led Georgia to a 22-19 win in the conference title game after entering the game with the Bulldogs trailing 6-3.
Beck’s injury is a disappointing end to his 2024 season. The fifth-year senior regressed from 2023. His completion percentage dropped 7.7 points, and he threw a conference-high 12 interceptions.
But Beck had played arguably his best football during the last three weeks of the regular season, going 73-of-114 (64%) for 941 yards (8.3 yards per game), 12 total touchdowns and no interceptions.
After missing out on the four-team CFP last season, Beck will likely end his collegiate career without starting in a playoff game.
As for Georgia, it’s anyone’s guess how Stockton will fare on such a big stage for his first career start. The moment wasn’t too big for him in Atlanta in the SEC Championship game, but the CFP will be another beast.
And the further the Bulldogs go, Stockton will be under more pressure.
Georgia did a good job of not overwhelming the sophomore, giving him easy throws to complete. In the SEC title game win, Stockton was 12-of-16 for 71 yards (4.4 yards per attempt) and one interception.
As talented as the Bulldogs are, they don’t need Stockton to carry them to a third championship in four seasons. But he still must show more than he did against Texas for them to feel good about their chances.
Per Pro Football Focus data, eight of Stockton’s 16 pass attempts were on throws behind the line of scrimmage. A primarily horizontal passing attack isn’t a recipe for sustainable success.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they still have 13 days until the CFP quarterfinal, giving them time to prepare Stockton for his first collegiate start.
Georgia will play either CFP No. 8 Indiana (11-1) or No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1) in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.