Why Jalen Milroe is the X-factor in Alabama vs. Georgia | College Football Power Hour

Yahoo Sports’ Caroline Fenton, Jason Fitz and Adam Breneman look ahead to this Saturday’s monster SEC showdown in Tuscaloosa. Listen to the full conversation on the College Football Power Hour podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

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Video transcript

I would say that fits with what I was looking at. This matchup tried to figure out what the X-factor is in this game.

I kept coming back to the fact that Jalen Mil Roe could play the football.

Georgia’s rushing defense ranks 42nd in the country.

By far her worst stat on her team, Jalen Mil only threw the ball 17 times against Wisconsin with two rushing touchdowns against Wisconsin.

If Jim Murre can find a way to use his legs to open up that Alabama offense and get ahead against Georgia, I think that’s the way Alabama will win the game.

If he doesn’t make it, I see Alabama having trouble getting the football to Georgia and I think Georgia wins the game, but Jalen Mro is the X factor.

I’ll be watching from the beginning.

So let me ask you this: What do they do?

Because the fact is that teams have tried to spy on Mro.

Now I understand that there is a lot more team speed in Georgia’s defense.

So it makes a lot of sense to spy on Mro, but everyone who has tried to spy on Mro so far has been simply overwhelmed by his speed.

Like he’s a lot faster than we give the quarterback credit for, who looks like Jalen Mro, like he doesn’t look like he’s a burner when he starts running, but no one seems to spy him.

So what is Georgia doing?

They can’t just spy on Jalen Mil because then they’ll throw the ball into the fence.

They’re going to do it, so that’s what Joe Murrow does when he runs with his legs, but he has to use those first, use the legs and be able to get to the rim so Georgia respects it and him have to spy.

I don’t think they are spying on him from the start, but when he starts escaping and then they have respect for them, they have to spy on him now.

It opens up everything else on offense.

That’s why it’s the X factor for me.

I don’t think Georgia scores enough points to keep up with Alabama. Still, I don’t forget that there are three quarters against us.

F is for Alabama.

I won’t forget the sloppy game.

You have the advantage of playing at home.

Absolutely.

But they also played against us at home.

Q So that’s something I keep in mind.

But the other crazy thing is, listen to all three of us doubting Kirby Smart.

Kirby Smart is nine and one after a nine-in-one win.

Kirby Smart is the bulletin board material.

King Alabama seems to be the most popular choice.

You don’t think Kirby Smart is going to collect all of this, play it around in the locker room and say they don’t believe in you.

Maybe that’s not enough, but maybe this is the kick in the ass Georgia needed.

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