Georgia’s Offense Finds Its Groove Under Mike Bobo - And Just in Time for the CFP
As Georgia gears up for yet another College Football Playoff appearance, there’s a different kind of energy around the Bulldogs’ offense - and a familiar face at the center of it. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, once a lightning rod for criticism, now finds himself calling plays for a unit that’s quietly become one of the most efficient and balanced in the country.
Meeting with the media for the first time since August, Bobo wasn’t interested in any “I told you so” moments. He easily could’ve taken a victory lap - after all, he’s one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
He’s also the only offensive coordinator in that group, standing out among a sea of defensive minds. But instead, Bobo kept the focus where it’s been all season: on the players.
“It’s satisfying to coach a group of kids that we have this year that have come in and gotten better every week and worked extremely hard,” Bobo said after a Sugar Bowl practice in Athens. “We carry a lot of offense and put a lot on them each week.”
That workload has paid off. First-year starting quarterback Gunner Stockton has stepped in and delivered, and Georgia’s ground game - once a sore spot - has turned into a real strength.
The Bulldogs’ offense has evolved into a unit that doesn’t need to chase flashy stats or tempo gimmicks. They just grind you down.
When asked if winning a national title as a play-caller would silence his critics, Bobo didn’t flinch.
“You hear the noise, but you don’t listen to it,” he said. “You focus on what’s important.
What’s important is those coaches and those players and me doing my job here at the University of Georgia for our head coach, Kirby Smart. As a competitor, you want to win every game you play.
If there’s a championship to be won, you want to go win.”
Bobo will get that chance soon enough, calling plays in a CFP quarterfinal showdown in New Orleans against Ole Miss. But for Bobo, this season has always been about more than just the scoreboard. The son of longtime high school coach George Bobo, Mike has long viewed coaching as a way to shape young men - and it’s clear that mindset still drives him at 51 years old.
This is Bobo’s third time as a Broyles Award finalist - previously honored in 2012 and again in 2023 - and this season might be his most impressive work yet. Georgia’s offense entered the year with major question marks: four offensive linemen off to the NFL, a new quarterback under center, and two true freshmen starting up front. Yet somehow, the Bulldogs didn’t just survive - they thrived.
“Mike’s done a great job,” said head coach Kirby Smart. “He’d be the first to credit his staff.
We’re not a stat-padded, hurry-up, take-a-ton-of-snaps offense. He doesn’t chase numbers.”
And the numbers back that up. On the surface, Georgia’s total offense hasn’t changed dramatically - a modest bump from 405.4 to 406.9 yards per game, and a slight uptick in scoring from 31.5 to 31.9 points per game. But dig deeper, and the improvements are striking.
The Bulldogs’ rushing attack, which ranked 102nd nationally last year, has surged to 31st, averaging 186.6 yards per game. On third down, Georgia has jumped from 78th to 29th, converting at a 45.2% clip. Turnovers have been slashed - from 87th to 18th nationally - and time of possession has skyrocketed, moving from 69th to 3rd at nearly 34 minutes per game.
“Look at what they’ve done in the red area,” Smart said. “It’s been incredible. The ability to run the ball has been really well.”
Georgia now ranks second in the country in red zone touchdown percentage at 79.3%, up from 70% a year ago. That kind of efficiency speaks to Bobo’s ability to scheme smart, situational football - especially with a reshuffled offensive line that’s dealt with injuries all season long.
That includes center Drew Bobo - Mike’s son - who’s expected to miss his second straight game with a foot injury. While Bobo didn’t comment on the situation, reports suggest Drew likely won’t return this season.
Still, the offensive line has held its own, and then some. Bobo credited the unit’s resurgence to a back-to-basics approach.
“We went back to square one,” he said. “We went back and talked through every run, our alignment, our steps, our aiming points - we took nothing for granted.”
That attention to detail has resonated with the players. Tight end Oscar Delp, one of the many weapons in Georgia’s offensive arsenal, said Bobo’s background as a former Georgia quarterback makes a difference.
“He’s been in the same shoes as us,” Delp said. “He trusts his players and we trust him. When we’ve got an offense like we have and all the talented guys we have on the team, everyone kind of makes it all possible to call the plays that he calls and have them execute the way they are.”
Now, with the biggest games of the season looming, Georgia’s offense enters the playoff with confidence - not just in its talent, but in the man holding the play sheet.
“We’ve had an outstanding season to this point, but we’ve got to finish,” Bobo said. “That’s our mindset right now.”
And if the Bulldogs do finish the job, don’t be surprised if Mike Bobo’s name is etched a little deeper into Georgia football lore - not just as a former quarterback, but as the architect of a championship-caliber offense.