Georgia Is Still The Team To Beat, Until Proven Otherwise – Breath of Fresh Air

A lot of noise has occurred during the college football season, but one item stands as the loudest

During the course of any season, there are many “statements” that are made, and college football isn’t any different. Texas going on the road to defeat Alabama is one. Oklahoma beating the aforementioned Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry is another. The latest statement wins came when Washington outlasted Oregon in a Pac-12 showcase, and one can bet Ohio State defeating Penn State will qualify as such noise from the Big Ten perspective. Many voices will scream and rant about which team is the best after said statement victory, while others will act as if they’re taking an extra step in their analysis to pick the top team. Through it all, one constant remains, and that is Georgia, the two-time defending national champion and reigning No. 1 rated team, is (and will be until someone knocks them off) the top dog.

It’s no secret how dominant the Bulldogs, and the SEC as a whole, have been recently and in the past two decades. Including Georgia winning the last two versions of the College Football Playoff, the conference has won four in a row (LSU in 2019, Alabama in 2020). Going back to 2003, the SEC has won 14 of the 20 national championships. While the Crimson Tide went through an unprecedented run of dominance since Nick Saban became the head coach before the 2007 season (and remain a threat for titles), the Bulldogs have emerged as a team that can get on a roll similar to that under Kirby Smart, who took over at Georgia in time for the 2016 campaign after being Saban’s long-time defensive coordinator. Their team is constantly loaded with NFL-caliber talent, and it’s to the point where the roster is reloaded instead of rebuilt. The statement wins haven’t been on Georgia’s schedule so far in 2023, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less dangerous.

That’s not to say the Bulldogs come without flaws, and just like anyone else in sports, they can be beaten at any point. Georgia is still first and undefeated, but it’s been far from pretty. They have had slow starts in many of their games, and needed big second halves to stave off challenges from South Carolina and Auburn. The ones who look for the new hot thing would look at these performances as signs of weakness, but the reality is not many champions go through seasons without being tested a time or two. It’s about surviving and advancing, and the Bulldogs have done that for over a year and a half without defeat. Instead of looking at it as a team being far from perfect, how about giving credit to the fact Georgia hasn’t lost a game since Alabama got them in the 2021 SEC Championship Game? Every program dreams of having the consistency the Bulldogs have enjoyed in recent years, and still enjoys up to this point. It’s funny how people want to say they strive for sustainability, but want something to derail the train when it’s happening in their faces.

Now, the question to ask is who can take Georgia down. In the SEC, the Crimson Tide (as usual) seems to be the most logical choice, but could Florida, Ole Miss or Tennessee rise up? Maybe a surprising Missouri squad could get the Bulldogs “between the hedges.” Going outside of the SEC, the Buckeyes were a missed field goal away from defeating Georgia in last season’s CFP semifinal, but questions remain about how good they truly are. Oddsmakers have made Michigan as the favorite to win the title this year, but we’ve seen the Wolverines crumble under the CFP spotlight the last couple of years. Does Oklahoma and/or Texas make some noise from the Big 12? Is this the season the Pac-12 (in their final season of existence) breaks through and win a championship for the first time since USC in 2004? Washington, Oregon and Utah appear to be the biggest threats from that conference. How about Florida State from the ACC? The point is while Georgia reigns over the college football world, it may not be as clear cut as it has been lately.

Understand this is a forum that welcomes multiple perspectives and dialogue. Everyone has opinions, and the reasons for them could take us anywhere. If you’re on the side wanting the Bulldogs to lose, then any reason validating that will dominate the thought process. Georgia fans would obviously disagree with those views, but that’s what makes these debates interesting, at least the non-scripted ones. No matter what side is taken, there’s no debating the fact the Bulldogs are still the team to beat, even if oddsmakers and analysts want to push narratives that say they aren’t. Georgia hasn’t lost in quite a while, and someone has to go through them to see their own title aspirations come true. Until that happens, the Bulldogs still own the yard, like it or not.