Georgia’s National Championship Odds Tumble After Loss to LSU

• Georgia lost to LSU this week, 36-16
• Their national title odds tumbled to the longest we’ve seen all year
• Can Justin Fields get the Bulldogs back in contention?

In a shocking turn of events, the Georgia Bulldogs have lost a football game, just their third since the start of the 2017 season. While Georgia’s still at the top of the SEC table, the loss has bettors worried about Kirby Smart’s powerhouse program.

Georgia 2019 National Championship Odds

Georgia’s average title odds went from +670 to +1300 with their loss to LSU. This is the first time this season that Georgia has been higher than +900 in average odds. For more on the history of the National Championship odds, check out our National Championship Odds Tracker.

Here’s the current odds on the national title:

2019 National Championship Odds

Georgia Isn’t Done Yet

I know it seems like Georgia will never win another football game. However, look at their schedule after the bye week:

They can still win the East, and do it by winning games they’ll be favored in. Will I bet on Kentucky in that game? Of course I will. But I’ll get great odds.

Winning those games will earn them a spot in the SEC Championship game. Winning that game, which will almost certainly feature the Alabama Crimson Tide, would propel Georgia to the top of the Playoff Committee’s rankings. It might even exclude the Tide from the Playoff altogether, shortening everyone’s odds.

Is it Time for Justin Fields?

The loss to LSU put Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm on something of a hot seat. The sophomore went 16/34 for 209 yards, one touchdown and two picks. For those keeping score at home, that’s a QBR of 16.7. Not great.

However, Georgia’s never really expected Jake Fromm to be great. They’re a run-first team through and through, and Fromm has previously been able to do just enough to make a national title game. That fell apart against LSU, who were able to stop the run and ask Fromm to make plays. That’s never been his job before, and it more or less went as expected.

Doing some Film Room stuff on #Georgia QB Jake Fromm. Man, missed three TDs in the first quarter against #LSU: 1 overthrown, 2 didn’t see open man, 3 high and behind. pic.twitter.com/ygZYSuVnJ1

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 17, 2018

If Fromm isn’t the quarterback Georgia needs to kickstart the offense when the run game slows down, Justin Fields could be.

The Bulldogs have only used Fields sparingly, but he has incredible potential. He was just as highly-touted a recruit as Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, and some scouts rated him as the #1 prospect in his class. His mobility is obvious, and he can almost certainly run the ball better than Fromm, but his real selling point is arm talent. He’s one of the best passers to come out of high school in a very long time, and it seems silly for Georgia to keep him on the bench.