Hayes: Jalen Milroe took down LSU -- and sent a message to Georgia
We have to look at this through the lens of Georgia. Because that’s where everything begins and ends.
It has been nearly 2 months since we watched the most painful game of Nick Saban’s glorious career at Alabama.
What unfolded Saturday night in Tuscaloosa against LSU is high up there on the list of best moments — for what it meant to a team finding itself.
And the message it sent to Georgia.
“We had a couple of stops on defense, and that kind of changed the game for us,” Saban said on the CBS broadcast moments after of Alabama’s 42-28 win.
That’s not all it did. For the first time this season, Georgia has to legitimately look at a threat in the SEC.
It’s no longer a cakewalk to the Playoff, a free pass to the 4-team tournament where it can compete for a modern day record 3rd straight national championship. There’s an obstacle now — a significant obstacle.
His name is Jalen Milroe.
The same quarterback the staff didn’t believe in earlier in the season. The same guy who was benched for the ugly USF game — and then held out because he didn’t take the benching well — is now the key to everything.
He makes the Alabama offense go, he changes the way Georgia must deal with the Tide when they’ll eventually meet on Championship Weekend in Atlanta — with a spot in the Playoff on the line.
Before we go further, let’s not forget that the LSU defense was playing 3 freshmen in the secondary because of injuries, and the overall unit hasn’t played well all season. In fact, it has been horrific, entering the game 12th in the SEC (76th nationally) in scoring defense.
But both things can be true. LSU can ben sketchy defensively, and Milroe can be growing into a force at the most important position on the field. He’s not Jalen Hurts, or Tua, or Mac or Bryce.
If you’re looking for an elite thrower, he’s not your guy. But if you need a playmaker, a guy who can create significant problems with his arm and legs, Milroe is your guy.
Saban was dead-on when he said the game changed when the Tide defense broke serve twice in the 2nd half. But even if it hadn’t, there was little doubt Milroe was exchanging huge plays with LSU star QB and Heisman Trophy leader Jayden Daniels — before he left the game with a concussion — until the last play of the game.
Milroe was marvelous, accounting for 374 yards (155 rushing) and 4 rushing TDs, and completing 65 percent of his passes. Alabama converted 11-of-14 3rd downs (79%), nearly every one because of Milroe’s arm or legs.
It’s hard to argue with big pass plays of 42, 35, 22 and 21 yards. Or big running plays of 23, 21, 20 and 18 yards.
In 2 short months, we’ve gone from wondering where and how Alabama would manufacture points week to week, to wondering if the Georgia offense can keep up with the Tide. If Saturday’s win over LSU taught us anything, it’s that Alabama is not only getting better and more comfortable with who and what it is on both sides of the ball — but more comfortable putting the ball in Milroe’s hands no matter the circumstance.
You want a grind-it-out, defense-wins game? Yep, Alabama can do that (Ole Miss).
How about a win in a tough environment away from Tuscaloosa (Texas A&M), or a rivalry game (Tennessee), or after a big blown lead (Arkansas). Milroe has checked every box.
Against LSU, it was time to play a Big 12 game. Texas and Oklahoma will feel right at home next year with these big games.
This may as well have been a typical November Big 12 game, where defense is optional and first team that blinks loses. It wasn’t that long ago when Alabama and LSU played in what many have called the greatest game in SEC history.
They combined for 15 points that night in 2011 in Tuscaloosa, an overtime classic with NFL players all over the field. It was as close to an NFL game as you could get. They combined for 543 yards — and every yard gained came with a physical cost.
They had 613 yards at halftime Saturday night, and it seemed like every yard was uncontested. Then the Alabama defense got a stop. Then another with a tipped ball interception.
And the next thing you know, thoughts immediately turned to Georgia. Can this Alabama team, left for dead after a home loss to Texas and a near-loss to USF, really win the SEC?
It can if Milroe, left on the bench for — I can’t believe I’m writing this — Tyler Buchner in Week 2, continues his meteoric rise, Alabama can certainly beat Georgia and win the SEC.
Then win the whole damn thing.
How’s that for a message to Georgia?