Aaron Murray – ESPN College Football Analyst

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Get started at Stamps.com today with code program for a four-week trial, free postage and a digital scale. We continue this Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio continuing to go through the college football season. Let's go out to the guest line right now and welcome in the former Georgia quarterback. Big matchup this weekend, Georgia up against Kentucky.

And you can find Darren Murray all over the place, ESPN, Sirius and the volume. And he's kind enough to join us right now. Aaron, appreciate the time as always. How you been? Good, man.

Appreciate you. We're in the thick of a very entertaining college football season. It is it's wide open, man, which is which is exciting.

It kind of feels closer to the NFL product. I know there's a lot of college football fans that kind of are a little disturbed with some of the direction we're going with in the transfer portal, yada, yada, yada. But I don't think you can complain with how exciting each Saturday has been because of some of these new rule changes. And I think the future for college football is pretty bright. So it should be another great weekend of some great action. Yeah, it's so funny where we're at with your program because we know they're the kings of college football.

And now it's not just when you got to win with style points. That hasn't been the case with South Carolina and Auburn. When you look at Georgia right now to the first few weeks of the season, where's your confidence level at with them? Not as high as it's been for the past couple of years. And I think that's kind of the sentiment among Georgia, the Georgia faithful right now.

There are some question marks. And I guess I'll give one big excuse in Kirby kind of hit this coming out of camp. They had a really bad camp in the sense of not like it wasn't competitive or they didn't feel good about their players. But they got banged up.

It was a very and that's that's the one thing that you always talk about with elite teams. Like what will hold the team back from winning a championship that has a tip, the type of talent that Georgia has. The first thing is injuries.

Can you stay healthy? You know that that will derail a season right away. And it hasn't yet. I mean, there's still five and oh, they're undefeated. They're finding ways to win football games.

But they've yet to be healthy. Latima Conkey, their best receiver, finally played this weekend versus Auburn, but in limited snaps. One of their best offensive lineman Mims has been out for three weeks. They've been shuffling the offensive line around. So the running back position has been banged up. Edwards has only played two games.

Kendall, Kendall Milton's only played a couple of games. So I think they're trying to just survive right now as guys work their way back to being able to compete week in and week out in an SEC type SEC schedule. So that I think you'll see improvement once all those guys are on the field. But they're not as dominant in the trenches. And if you think about Georgia football over the past two years, like why is Georgia one? Well, they've kicked everyone's butt the line of scrimmage.

Two years ago, Jordan Davis and company and Nolan Smith. Last year, Jalen Carter, and we're seeing him what he's doing in the NFL right now for Philadelphia, was in absolute terror. They don't have that guy in the defensive line spot right now. They're not getting after the quarterback as consistently as years past. And they're not running the ball as consistently as they have in years past either. So as a part of that to do with injury, especially in the offensive line.

But I just think plenty of people are just not as dominant in the interior as we're used to seeing it. How about the quarterback? What is Aaron Murray's evaluation of Carson Beck so far?

I think he's great, man. Like there's so many fans just drives me crazy. And I think the problem is when you watch a game, you watch just in the box, like that's all you're seeing. You're not watching it. And it's unfortunate.

I would love for more fans to get the all 22 and be able to get the access to see plan and play out what truly is going on on the back end. I think he's been awesome this entire season. He's taking care of the football. He's he's getting the ball out of his hands. He's not taking sacks.

He's doing a better job. These past two weeks have taken some more shots down the field. But in crunch time, because that was a big thing, like in close games in the past couple of years, Stetson Bennett has found a way to win football games. Does Carson Beck have that in his DNA? And I think based on what we've seen in the second half for South Carolina and in the game winning drive, first Auburn on the road, a quality defense, hostile environment.

He did not flinch for a single second. There was not a moment watching the game versus Auburn that I felt like this kid is going to lose it. He doesn't have command of the offense. He's the moments too big for him.

You could tell by his demeanor in the pocket and the throws he was making the type of the way in which the ball was coming out of his hands. This kid's got it. This kid's got got got that juice you need and crunch on the gut there and win.

And he's done that. So I think he's had a hell of a start to the season. And I think he's only going to get better and better as we get further along.

This is a really fun matchup, Aaron Murray, on Saturday. Mark Stoops is one of the more underrated coaches in the country on a scale of one to ten. One, no confidence. Ten, the most confidence in the world. Where's the confidence level at with Georgia going up against Kentucky that they'll find the way to get the job done?

I think being at home helps. And then I know there's a big worry of like, oh my gosh, Auburn ran the ball over Georgia last week, you know, over 200 yards the first time it's happened in five years or four years, whatever it's been. And you look at Ray Davis and you know just how good the big blue wall was last week for Florida. Oh my gosh, two very different running style offenses. Auburn did a great job of essentially creating a triple option style attack where Robbie Ashford was running well, Payne Thorne was running well. It was it was it was it was a modern day trip option.

Plain and simple. Hugh Freeze had an incredible game plan. Hugh Freeze took over the play calling last week and Philip Montgomery just assisted the OC there.

And I thought he did a great job getting on the edges. Obviously did a great job of incorporating the quarterback, adding that extra blocker with the running back, giving Georgia a lot to handle. You know, that's what the triple option does. You have to worry about the dive. You have to worry about the quarterback. You have to worry about the pitch.

And it's just really tough. Kentucky is more traditional. Kentucky is yeah, the offense line is looked and proved from what they were last year. Ray Davis is a hell of a running back, but you're going to get the traditional running schemes, which I think is a little bit easier for a defense to kind of handle that. So I think that will be more manageable on that side of the football. But Kentucky is a really good football team.

Like I love what they can do. I think their defense can get after you. I think they're talented on the back end. Devin Leary has not clicked yet.

Is this the game where he clicks? You've seen a couple of moments here or there, but nothing special in the passing game, but you look at them, you're like, all right, you had a quarterback like Devin who we saw two years ago was dominant in T state. You got receivers like Robinson and Berrien Brown and Dane Key and Jordan Dingell at the tight end position.

Like you should be good throwing the football. Once again, it just has not come together for Kentucky. So I think for Georgia fans, you're hoping that it's not this week where all of a sudden they're able to run the ball with Ray Davis.

And then on top of that, being able to play action, take some shots down the field. So we'll see. But I still think Georgia fans feel pretty confident that they can take care of business for Kentucky this weekend at home. Do you trust either Alabama or A&M when they go up against one another this week? Because Bama, the quarterback situation's been a mess. And now Wegman's done for the year for the Aggies. I love Max Johnson.

Like I'll start there first. Like Max, to me, you go back a couple years ago, what he was doing at LSU on a not very good LSU football team was like, man, this kid's got it. He was a young kid making a lot of big time throws. And it has a lot of talent, good size, good arm shape, throws with anticipation, or it's gotten better throwing with anticipation. And he's athletic.

He can beat you with his legs too. And he's shown that over the course of his career. So I don't think it was an upgrade with Wegman.

Obviously he was a starter, but I don't think it was a downgrade either. I think what you thought about A&M prior to the injury is how you should view A&M with Max Johnson as your quarterback now. So you have two really good quarterbacks. And I know A&M feels pretty good about that going forward. I've been impressed since that USF game though, with Alabama flipping it over to that side with now what their mentality is. It's we are going to just run the damn football because they're a really good defense, man.

They're big, they're fast, they're physical on that side of the football. Just don't force Jalen to throw the ball more than 20 times in the game. I think if A&M could put them into a situation where he's having to be in known passing downs, advantage A&M. So it's all going to be first and second down success, plain and simple. You have, I think the most physical offensive line who's great at run protection, not great at pass protection, great at run pro, going against one of the best, if not best front six front sevens in college football. A&M is big, they're faster physical up front. That wasn't what beat them versus Miami.

It was more the secondary and we're starting to give Miami some more respect when it comes to throwing the football this year. So it's going to be a battle. It is going to be an all-out war. Alabama's offensive line, A&M's defensive line. Can Alabama get to third and five and under? Can A&M hold them to third and six plus? That's going to be determining of what this ball game is going to be when it's all said and done. When we get to Red River between Oklahoma and Texas, Aaron Murray, is it horns up this week or horns down?

I think it's horns up. I think I like Oklahoma, what they've done this year. And it's funny if you look at the stats of breaking down everything of offensive production, defensive production, you know, Oklahoma is like one, Texas is two in that conference, but Oklahoma hasn't really played anyone yet either. So they've done what they've needed to do against Leicester competition. But to Texas is more battle proven right now. Like when in the Tuscaloosa won that football game, Wyoming's four and one.

Yeah. Like like you kind of like like, oh, they barely escaped the way they have a great fourth quarter beat Wyoming. Wyoming's four and one and beat Texas Tech. That's a good football team. Down 17-2, Wyoming was when they beat them.

Yeah. So and then you beat Kansas. I know Kansas didn't have their quarterback last week, but they still have two ranked wins on your resume. I think Texas is better at more positions.

They're more physical in the interior. I just don't think Oklahoma has faced a team that can punch them in the mouth that can get after can get after Dylan Gabriel. And I think it's going to be somewhat tough sledding. But I think Oklahoma is a good team. I don't think Texas is just going to roll.

I think this is a single digit game. I think Oklahoma has the personnel. I think in a year or two with Venables, you're seeing that defense play more fundamentally sound football. They're not as talented as Texas, but they also do a lot on that side of the football to create havoc.

Different fronts, four down fronts, three down fronts, bare fronts, exotic blitzes. Danny Stutzman at linebacker has had a hell of a season. So like they do things to take advantage schematically of maybe not being as physical as what Texas is. But I still think at the end of the day, Texas is a better football team. Texas has the better quarterback. Texas has the better receivers. They got the run game going right now.

I do think horns up like you alluded to when it's all said and done. Last thing I'll ask you, when we look at the Pac-12 and the Big Ten, Aaron Murray, who do you have as the best team right now in the Pac-12 of the best team in the Big Ten? I'll go Michigan first in the Big Ten. I think they're more complete, the most complete team. And finally, Nebraska is not a great football team, but it was a a defense at least was one of the best defenses and being able to stop the run this year. They kind of just ran right through them.

JG McCarthy's taking his game to another level. So I like Michigan in that conference. I don't buy Penn State. I think Penn State's a bunch of friends.

I think Penn State's going to be 10 and 2 when it's all said and done. They have no explosive plays on the offense. They're not running the ball well. They don't have elite receivers. I like their quarterback, but he's not a superstar right now in this point of his career.

And he doesn't have the support. Like I don't think they can score against Ohio State or Michigan. Like they're going to be 10 and 2 once again this year.

They got a great defense, but their offense lacks explosive plays. And they have to go on the road to Ohio State and Michigan's just better than them. So Penn State will be 2 and 0 or 10 and 2 when it's all said and done. So I like Michigan out of the Big Ten. Pac-12, I like Oregon.

I like Washington. USC doesn't have that dog in them. I think when push comes to shove, Oregon has shown me this year that they want to beat you down. USC to me does not have that feeling. They feel like they're a little bit soft. They're just happy to be out there.

They're happy that they got Caleb, but they don't got that dog in them, man. They don't. We saw this week versus Colorado.

You watch both tapes. Oregon wanted to embarrass Colorado. Oregon wanted to make them quit. USC doesn't have that. And if you want to win a championship, you have to have that dog-like mentality. USC doesn't.

Oregon does, so I give them the advantage. He's Aaron Murray, does a great job. ESPN, Sirius, The Volume.

You catch him everywhere, the former Georgia quarterback. Aaron, appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this as always. Appreciate you. Have a great week.