"Very, very difficult team to watch": Greg McElroy breaks down how Kirby Smart's Georgia faltered last season

Kirby Smart has vaulted Georgia into the conversation regarding college football's most dominant programs. That's a big reason why it was such a surprise to see the Bulldogs have a relatively down season last fall. The team's coach thus has his work cut out this season.

Former Alabama quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy revisited the struggles Kirby Smart's squad had last season.

"It's a team that almost lost to Kentucky, a team that almost lost to Georgia Tech. The game against Auburn was much closer than you probably want to remember," McElroy said Monday on "Always College Football." "They almost had a win against 'Bama, but it was ugly there in the first half.

"It was a very, very difficult team to watch. When you're expecting a certain level of performance from Georgia and all you get are rollercoasters, it's a little bit troubling."

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The Bulldogs' rushing attack struggled, McElroy pointed out, adding that Tate Ratledge being banged up hurt the offensive line. Tailback Trevor Etienne also missed time as the team's feature ball carrier. If results are going to be different this time around, McElroy believes some things need answering.

"The big question for Georgia this year is, 'Can they find some offensive balance and some consistency amongst the wide receivers?'" McElroy said. "A lot of people will remember back to last year, and they'll think about Georgia through the lens of, 'Well, they won the SEC. They made it to the College Football Playoff. Yes, they lost to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, but that was a successful season.' It was."

McElroy highlighted the job Smart did despite offensive inconsistencies.

"The offensive line was a mess, the wide receivers dropped more passes than anybody in the county, and their quarterback – for a 2-3-game period — turned the ball over like crazy," McElroy said.

How will things look different for Kirby Smart and Georgia next season?

Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs will have a different look next year, especially on offense. Gunner Stockton takes over at quarterback after Carson Beck transferred to Miami. Stockton started Georgia's College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame but is relatively inexperienced compared to his predecessor.

The Bulldogs will also be breaking in four new starters on the offensive line in front of Stockton, "several of which are highly touted, so it should be a really good group," McElroy said.

Kirby Smart's team plays in a tough conference, and the team they beat last season in the SEC championship game, Texas, figures to be strong again this year as Arch Manning takes over. As always, Georgia will be loaded with high-quality talent. It will be interesting to see if the Bulldogs can remain atop their league.