The college football season is getting near, as most teams kickoff in just two weeks on Sept. 3. Georgia will be one of those teams, as they take on North Carolina at the Georgia Dome in this year's Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
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The Bulldogs face quite the conundrum under new head coach Kirby Smart. The team still doesn't have an official starting quarterback, although it seems that true freshman and five-star recruit Jacob Eason is starting to take a lead in the race.
However, some still have qualms about whether Eason should start Game 1. There is a thought that the Bulldogs should try easing him into the position, while letting veteran senior Greyson Lambert act as a safety blanket. After all, North Carolina did win 11 games last year and they are ranked No. 20 in this year's preseason Coaches Poll; that can make some people have reservations about throwing a true freshman into the fire so soon.
I am not one of those people, however, and here are three reasons why Eason needs to be the undisputed starter for the Bulldogs when they open the season.
1. North Carolina's run defense is absolutely awful
Sure, this doesn't affect Eason directly; he's not a dual-threat quarterback. But if you are looking for a security blanket, let it be Nick Chubb and your run game. Chubb is expected to be healthy for the game, and the Tar Heels allowed a whopping 5.15 yards per carry last year. That ranked 109th in the nation, and they ranked 122nd in overall rushing yards allowed per game.
Carolina did rate well in passing defense and red zone defense last year, so there may be some hesitation to throw a rookie out there. However, Georgia should let their own defense running game control the pace of the contest, allowing Eason to learn and pick his spots with his throws.
If Eason makes mistakes, that is fine; he has to learn to play at this level, and Georgia has the talent on the field to cover for mistakes at quarterback.
2. If he doesn't start Week 1, then what's the point? When is he supposed to start?
One argument I have heard is that Georgia has a forgiving schedule later in the season, and that Eason taking over then would make things easier for him.
If that's the case, why not just redshirt him? Seriously, if you don't want him playing in the big games early in the year — like at Ole Miss and against Tennessee — then when do you expect him to be ready for a "big game"? Florida? The SEC Championship? Does he even start the SEC Championship if they make it there and he wasn't starting earlier in the season?
Eason clearly has skills. The one thing he lacks is college experience and big game experience. You might as well let him get that early on instead of holding it off. That leads me to my third point...
3. If Eason is the most talented quarterback on the roster, then he should be out there under center
They haven't been calling him the savior of the Georgia program for no reason.
Georgia knows what Lambert is at this point; it's unlikely that he gets too much better than what he did last year, or what he did at Virginia. Brice Ramsay is a punter at this point.
Simply put, if Eason is already taking a majority of the snaps with the first team in practice, then he should be the one out there to open the season. Georgia has a legitimate chance of making the SEC Championship Game, and if they get there, I feel it will be more because of Eason than of Lambert or Ramsey.
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