Kirby Smart, the head coach of Georgia football, provided a significant injury update on one of the Bulldogs’ top offensive players. Tate Ratledge, an offensive guard, has missed the last four games for the nation’s second-ranked team. The 2023 first-team All-SEC selection suffered a high ankle sprain during the Bulldogs’ September 14 victory over Kentucky, 13–12.
With Georgia football’s recent, crucial victory over No. 1 Texas, Kirby Smart’s squad is truly beginning to gain momentum despite this significant loss more than a month ago. According to ESPN senior writer Chris Low, the head coach’s announcement that he is “hopeful” Tate Ratledge will return versus Florida was another positive development.
Georgia’s chances of winning the championship will be greatly impacted by Tate Ratledge’s health.
The senior is a two-time national champion and among the nation’s top interior linemen. Ratledge was included to the shortlist for many end-of-season honors, including the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award, during the preseason. Given how their offense has played so far this season, Georgia football will need the Chattanooga native to be on the field for them as soon as possible.
The Georgia offense has scored 33.3 points per game on average thus far. Miami, the top club in this statistic, is more than 13 points ahead of that metric. The Bulldogs’ incredibly poor run game has been their biggest shortcoming on this side of the ball.
The Bulldogs were predicted to have a strong rushing offense going into this season. This was particularly true after Georgia football acquired Florida’s much sought-after transfer, Trevor Etienne. However, as of right now, the offensive is a weakness that could cost Georgia a chance at their third championship in four years, ranking 95th in running yards per game.
Even though Georgia recently traveled to Texas and Alabama, things won’t get much easier over the coming weeks. The Gators are typically a tough opponent for the Bulldogs, but Florida football coach Billy Napier is under fire.
Following “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” there will be consecutive games versus teams with rankings. First up for the Bulldogs is a road game versus Ole Miss, ranked 19th. Next up is a crucial home matchup with Tennessee, ranked seventh. Therefore, even if Georgia football is in control of its fate for a berth in the SEC title game and the College Football Playoff, they will face numerous obstacles in the future.
