It’s looking more and more like the Geogia Bulldogs will have to navigate the waters of the College Football Playoff without their most famous player: their starting quarterback.
Carson Beck, who was injured in the Bulldogs’ Southeastern Conference Championship Game win over Texas on Dec. 7 in Atlanta, has been pursuing different options – or at least, opinions – in what, if anything, could be done that would allow him to take the field in the playoff.
The Bulldogs, as the SEC champion, are off in this weekend’s first round, and will be a participant in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 1. They’re awaiting an opponent, and that opponent will be either Notre Dame or Indiana, who meet tonight in South Bend. That’s an 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 Central kickoff.
Beck’s point of injury is his right elbow, his throwing arm. He hasn’t practiced since the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over the Longhorns.
If the status quo holds, then it’ll be sophomore Gunner Stockton getting the start. Stockton, a highly-valued in-state recruit out of Tiger, Georgia, hasn’t had much action this year, and it would be his first start, if Beck can’t go. Stockton is 25-of-32 for 206 yards and an interception this season.
Stockton was a star in high school at Rabun County High: 13,652 passing yards, 177 touchdowns, and 4,372 rushing yards and 77 rush TDs.
Beck, mentioned by NFL Draft analysts as a possible early-round pick, is from Jacksonville, Fla., and was an early-season favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Beck has thrown for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this year. We’ll soon see if those are his end-of-season numbers.
