Gurley gives hope for the SEC East
November 01, 2014 | Sports,
By: John Saltzman, KCOU Sports
All season the SEC West has dominated the college football landscape. The volume of talented teams is unmatched anywhere else in the nation and this couldn’t be more evident with the first release of the playoff committee’s rankings, which awarded 3 of the 4 top teams SEC West teams. On the other hand the SEC East has been underwhelming this season with marginal talent at best and really only two teams left with any chance of creating some chaos. At the top of that list is the Georgia Bulldogs.
The class of the SEC East was led all season by superstar running back Todd Gurley who was leading the country in rushing before he got suspended for accepting cash in exchange for autographs. Gurley was sidelined the past two games and will miss the next two. However, Georgia have found ways to win games, whether it be from freshman Nick Chubb coming in for Gurley, or Hutson Mason playing well at quarterback. The Bulldogs have set themselves up nicely for a Gurley return, just in time for Auburn.
Before we get to the monster matchup with Auburn in a couple weeks, let’s take a look at why Todd Gurley gives Georgia a shot against any SEC West team in a potential championship matchup. In just five games this season Gurley has rushed for 773 yards which is good for fourth in the SEC, even though he hasn’t played in three weeks! His yards per carry of a whopping 8.2, which leads the SEC, will be key for Georgia down the stretch in terms of efficiency. In his five games he has rushed for over 130 yards every game except a 66-0 blowout of Troy where he rushed for 73 on just 6 carries. Gurley is dynamic to say the least and his skillset will give Georgia that extra notch needed to challenge for an SEC title.
When Gurley comes back against an Auburn team that is currently ranked third in the playoff committee rankings, we will see whether or not Georgia is a legit threat to the Western powers. One thing is for certain, Todd Gurley gives Georgia a chance that few if any SEC East teams have and the college football world will welcome him back with open arms and marvel at his jaw dropping skills throughout this stretch run.