It’s difficult to overlook a defending national champion, but does anyone else get the impression that maybe we all jumped the gun on the two primary contenders for the 2022 title a bit?

All offseason, the talk was that the College Football Playoff will run through Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Columbus, Ohio. And look, it’s probably fair to consider Alabama and Ohio State the betting favorites. Alabama did what Alabama does in an easy win over Utah State on Saturday, and Ohio State held off No. 5 Notre Dame in another big opening showdown.

They’re great teams.

It’s impossible, however, to overstate just how good the Bulldogs looked in their 49-3 domination of No. 11 Oregon on Saturday in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic. And maybe, just maybe, this is a clear three-horse race for gold.

Let’s look at each facet of the game.

The offense

It’s strange after a year in which Georgia was historically good on defense, but this felt like the more settled unit coming into the season. There were questions about whether quarterback Stetson Bennett could continue to elevate his play – and boy did he answer those – but otherwise, this was looked at as a unit with a lot of weapons with a high probability of efficiency.

We might have undersold them.

To say Bennett has weapons probably doesn’t give Georgia enough credit. Household names like sophomore tight end Brock Bowers and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Ladd McConkey looked great. Bowers didn’t fill the stat sheet, but he did have a 29-yard reception that indicated he hasn’t missed a step from last season. McConkey had 5 receptions and a pair of touchdowns, 1 receiving and 1 rushing.

Kenny McIntosh played at an elite level, rushing for only 18 yards but receiving for 117 yards. Taking the place in the offense for James Cook, it appears as if the Bulldogs have big plans for the senior running back in the passing game.

The size mismatch Darnell Washington was targeted on 3 passes, catching 2 for 38 yards. AD Mitchell, who came on strong late in 2021 as a freshman, showed why many love his potential at wide receiver. He had 4 catches for 65 yards overall, 2 of which he played the ball perfectly on back shoulder fades.

And none of this is to mention just how good Bennett looked.

Yes, he has weapons, but if you think this is only about the strong offensive line, the wealth of pass catchers, or the consistent rushing attack, you would be dead wrong. Bennett looked different. He looked in control. He looked stronger. He looked more confident in the pocket.

Quite frankly, he looked like a man who considers himself one of the best quarterbacks in the country. And, well, he just might be.

The defense

The offense performed so well, it may be that we overlooked the defense. I know I did.

I had a few questions about the unit following the mass exodus to the NFL after last season. The talent is there, obviously, but any time you turn over as much personnel on one side of the ball as the Bulldogs did you have to wonder how they’ll click.

Well, they clicked.

It isn’t to say they were perfect. Oregon was able to sustain a couple of drives (kinda, sorta), and the fact that Georgia never reached quarterback Bo Nix for a sack has to be some matter of annoyance.

With that said, 313 total yards allowed and 2 interceptions is pretty darn good.

The standout: Malaki Starks. One game is a small sample size, but goodness gracious the freshman cornerback looks like a star in the making.

Starks, who led the team in tackles with eight, made as acrobatic an interception as you’ll see in the first quarter. Ranging back in single coverage on a long pass down the left sideline, Starks turned to face the ball jumped backwards and snagged the ball with his fingertips as he fell to the ground. It was a play you might see a seasoned veteran make every once in a while.

A true freshman? In his first quarter of action? Wow.

In a talented secondary, he might be the cream of the crop.

Overall, it was a good performance. We want to see where the pass rush will go with guys like Nolan Smith, Robert Beal, Jalen Carter, Jamon Dumas-Johnson and others. That’s a minor nitpicky complaint in the broad scheme of a dominating performance, however.

So, what does all this mean?

We’ve established that Georgia is still among the elite tier of national title contenders. If you think that is still up for debate, I don’t know what to tell you.

The question for Georgia fans – even the most pessimistic among you – must be: When is this team going to lose?

On paper, Oregon looked like one of the few tests the Bulldogs would face in the regular season. As of this week, the only other ranked team on their schedule is No. 20 Kentucky. They are heavily favored in every contest, including against the Wildcats, and a potential rematch with Alabama in the SEC Championship must already be on some minds.

All of that is accurate. It is certainly hard to consider a scenario where Georgia loses any game, much less a pair that would eliminate it from contention.

Still, pay attention to Auburn and the development of quarterback TJ Finley. Keep an eye on Florida, which firmly established itself in an upset over No. 7 Utah. Follow Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and see whether Kentucky continues to take the next step.

There are land mines out there if you look closely. But boy are they hard to find.