Why Georgia Will Be Fine Without Todd Gurley vs. Florida and Kentucky

In the interest of forthright disclosure: There's never a good time to be without the best running back in the country.  The Georgia Bulldogs will rightfully miss junior star Todd Gurley against Florida and Kentucky over the coming weeks.

But Georgia will be fine without him.

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Todd Gurley, University of Georgia football student-athlete, must sit a total of four games, or 30 percent of the season, for accepting more than $3,000 in cash from multiple individuals for autographed memorabilia and other items over two years. Gurley, who acknowledged violating NCAA rules, must repay a portion of the money received to a charity of his choice and complete 40 hours of community service as additional conditions for his reinstatement. Gurley will be eligible to play on Nov. 15.

-NCAA.com

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Within the context of the season, Gurley's suspension, which will last a full four games if not overturned, could not have come at a better time.  

The prospect of traveling without him to Missouri and Arkansas once felt daunting, but the Dawgs outscored the Tigers and the Razorbacks by a combined margin of 47 points.  While neither Florida or Kentucky should be overlooked, the Gators (at a neutral site) and Wildcats present no more ominous of a challenge than Georgia's previous two contests.

After all, Florida recently suffered a 42-13 loss to the same Missouri team that Georgia absolutely manhandled.  And Kentucky, despite showing signs of improvement, is still a year away from upsetting a Top 10 team like Georgia.  At best, the Wildcats are wildly inconsistent, looking great in a win against South Carolina and respectable against Mississippi State while looking mediocre in a close loss to Florida and disastrous in a 38-point loss to LSU.

Stretching beyond the quality of opposition is one constant change that has come to define Georgia: steady improvement.

Offensively, Georgia has never been better—literally—as the Bulldogs are on pace to set a school record with an average of 43.4 points per contest.  Gurley is out, but freshman running back Nick Chubb has stepped up, and he will improve each and every game.  Sony Michel, another freshman running back who has averaged 9.7 yards per carry, is closer to returning.  And, veteran running back Keith Marshall should soon be contributing as well.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Combine that still stellar running game with ongoing improvements from quarterback Hutson Mason and the recent returns of playmaking receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley, and there's no reason to think this offense will suddenly stall out against Florida and Kentucky without Gurley.

Furthermore, Georgia's defense is one of the most improved units in the entire country.  

Florida struggles mightily on offense, and its hard to imagine a scenario in which a true freshman (Treon Harris) would solve Georgia's pressure and tight coverage in his first collegiate start.  Meanwhile, Kentucky's offense has averaged just north of 25 points per game in SEC play.

Make no mistake about it: Gurley's absence is disappointing.  It's undoubtedly frustrating to teammates and coaches, and fans are justifiably befuddled.  And on a broader scale, the general public feels admittedly—though not necessarily wrongfully—left in the dark.  

The anticipated length of Gurley's suspension has changed from two games to four, but the on-field results won't be altered by his prolonged absence.  Georgia will beat Florida and Kentucky and inch closer to playoff consideration even without the one-time Heisman candidate. 

Todd Gurley will be missed along the way, but he'll also be patiently awaiting an opportunity to remind everyone why he's the best running back in the country.  He'll get that chance on Nov. 15 against Auburn.  And that game matters much more than any contest he's missing.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.