The Georgia Bulldogs are the future of college football

While Alabama has dominated the last decade and a half of college football, there’s a new boss in the big chair. That boss is none other than the Georgia Bulldogs.

Oftentimes, in this sport, dynasties are declared before there is reason to do so. As college football fans, we get tired of the same old same old in a sport where things are built on the same old thing. Yet, after last night, one thing is for sure; the Georgia Bulldogs are the sport’s next true dynasty.

Yesterday, the Dawgs came in as a 13.5-point favorite according to the sportsbooks. What they did was nothing less than a savage thrashing that will likely never be seen again in a national championship game. The 65-7 Bulldog win was accompanied by mind-popping stats. Georgia posted 589 yards compared to TCU’s 188. They out-first downed the Horned Frogs 32 to nine, and had a success rate in the 99th percentile.

Of course, one cannot talk about Georgia without talking about the sawed-off shotgun from Blackshear, better known as Stetson Bennett. He’s been the heart and soul of a Georgia team this year that needed it after losing 15 players to the draft last season.

In the national title game, Bennett finished 18-of-25 for 304 yards and four touchdowns, with zero interceptions. His throw velocity and touch could see him play at the next level as a backup, and his stick-to-it-ness is there in spades. Truly, he is one of college football’s greatest ever winners, with only one loss in the last two years at the point.

Georgia’s run to dynasty status

The Dawgs had been building to this point for years. After an 8-5 year in Kirby Smart’s first season in 2016, Georgia took the SEC crown in 2017, as well as getting to play for a national title. They didn’t win that game, but they did take the next step.

Sometimes, the big boss at the chair gets a hold of you before you can grab his seat.

From there, Georgia had some outstanding years, but nothing major. They always won about 80 percent of their games, and were a tough out for anyone coming through Athens.

In 2021, though, they took another step. Ranked fourth in the preseason, they mauled teams on the way to a 12-0 record in the regular season. With multiple first round picks on defense, they recorded one of the best yards per play allowed stats in the modern era. On offense, Zamir White and James Cook were the head of a bountiful rushing attack.

Stopped by the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game, the Dawgs bounced back, crushing Michigan in the semi-final, and winning a hard-fought contest against Alabama in a rematch for the national title.

It was Georgia’s first title in 42 years. But, they weren’t done.

Some thought that 2022 could be a down year for the Georgia Bulldogs. After all, they’d lost so much talent to the draft. Besides, what was their quarterback? A game manager? As if.

It didn’t matter to the Dawgs, though. While they had some clunker games in the regular season, more so than they did in 2021’s regular season, they still dominated where it counted. A rather easy win against the top ranked Tennessee Volunteers at the time showed that they were for real, and a good win against the LSU Tigers in the SEC title game put them on a path to the number one seed.

Then came Ohio State, which was the toughest of fought contests. Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud had the game of his life. Still, right as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s, so too did the clock strike midnight on the Buckeye title chances.

A missed field goal to the left sealed Georgia’s place in history.

Looking ahead

The Georgia Bulldogs’ schedule in 2023 may be as easy as a defending champion will ever get. Although the Dawgs were set to play Oklahoma in what would still have been a relatively easy victory, given Brent Venables’ is still rebuilding, the Sooners are replaced by Ball State. UAB appears to be the hardest out-of-conference game on the schedule.

Georgia’s SEC West opponents are a rebuilding Auburn in late September, and a formidable-but-beatable Ole Miss in November. Tennessee may well be the toughest out for the Georgia Bulldogs, given that game will be in Knoxville.

It appears likely that Georgia will reach a win streak of 30+ games next year, even if they’ll have further losses to the draft. Although a team could certainly break out (as TCU did this year), the Bulldog talent advantage is far too superior.

The 24/7 recruiting rankings tell a story of Dawg superiority as well. Georgia is currently second in this year’s rankings, and finished third in last year’s ranking. Even more importantly, Georgia’s team talent this year was second as well.

In other words, the vital blue chip ratio is skewing in Georgia’s favor, which suggests their run of wins will continue.

Alabama may be done

The only obstacle now is Alabama, who will not want to lose their crown. Yet, Nick Saban is 71 years old, and the defense this year – ironically coming to prominence under current Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart – showed some cracks. They also had to fight off a close challenge from a middling Texas team as well this year.

In the video game Metal Gear Solid 3, Big Boss doesn’t become Big Boss until he kills the Boss. The Boss takes on a nurturing, almost parental role in Big Boss’ ascent to boss status, but eventually, what must be done, must be done.

Georgia learned from the best. Nick Saban, whether he knows it or not, nurtured and cared for the Bulldog dynasty by hiring Kirby Smart, and showing Georgia the ropes on how to win titles. The 2017 national title game was merely the first act in this ongoing drama.

Yet, when Georgia needed to eliminate Alabama, they did so. As a result, Georgia is now the top dawg.