Less than a month ago, the then-No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs traveled to Auburn to take on the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

That game didn’t go so well for coach Kirby Smart’s crew, as the Tigers rolled to an easy 40-17 victory over the undefeated Bulldogs.

On Saturday, though, the two teams met again in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, and to say it went much better for Georgia this time around would be a massive understatement.

After allowing the Tigers to score on their opening possession, Georgia’s defense stepped up to the challenge and didn’t allow any more points en route to an impressive and decisive 28-7 victory.

So, what changed? According to Smart, it was all about two things — fewer costly penalties and better play along both lines of scrimmage.

“Composure and physicality. That’s all it was about,” Smart said immediately after the game to CBS.

To be fair, Georgia still had seven penalties for 91 yards (while Auburn only had five for 39 yards), but they weren’t nearly as costly as the penalties were a month ago. In that game, personal fouls, late hits and other mental mistakes cost the Bulldogs dearly, especially when the game was still close in the first half.

It’s clear that Smart issued a challenge to his players — specifically his seniors — and they stepped up to that challenge. Defensively, the Bulldogs looked like an entirely different team than they did less than a month ago at Jordan-Hare.

Yes, it would be foolish not to mention that Auburn’s star running back, Kerryon Johnson, was incredibly limited with a shoulder injury, but Georgia’s defense was fantastic regardless of that fact.

After allowing 488 total yards to the Tigers earlier this year, the Bulldogs only gave up 259 on Saturday. Additionally, the defense recovered two fumbles while the offense turned it over zero times, a big change from the -1 turnover margin in the first meeting.

Senior LB Roquan Smith was absolutely everywhere for the Bulldogs, recovering both fumbles, recording 13 tackles (two for a loss) and one sack while earning game MVP honors.

The offense (and true freshman QB Jake Fromm) played well, too, but Saturday was all about the Bulldogs’ defense, which stepped up to the challenge in a huge way. Allowing 33 fewer points this time around is a huge accomplishment, and one DC Mel Tucker should be proud of.

When you consider the other teams likely to make the College Football Playoff — Clemson, Wisconsin (or Ohio State) and Oklahoma — everyone but Oklahoma has an elite defense. With Smith leading the way, the Bulldogs are every bit as good, if not better, than those other teams.

... Smith is the heart and soul of the Georgia defense, and if the Bulldogs are going to advance to the national title game, he’s going to have to lead the way.

Lorenzo Carter, Deandre Baker and D’Andre Walker, among others, also came up with big plays, but Smith is the heart and soul of the Georgia defense, and if the Bulldogs are going to advance to the national title game, he’s going to have to lead the way.

Georgia’s offense works best when the defense is keeping opponents off the scoreboard, so Smith is going to have to continue his MVP level of play to keep the Bulldogs’ season alive. Fortunately for Bulldog fans, it appears he’s up to the challenge, as Auburn entered Saturday’s game as the hottest team in the country.

Winning a national championship with a true freshman quarterback is a nearly impossible task (just ask last year’s Alabama team with QB Jalen Hurts), but if any team is capable of doing it, it’s the 2017 Bulldogs.

Fromm has the support he needs in star RBs Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and D’Andre Swift, and has a defense that can overcome some of the freshman mistakes he sometimes makes.

The Bulldogs will have their chance to win a national title in Smart’s second year at the helm of the program, and if he keeps pressing the right buttons, Georgia fans could have a lot to celebrate when the calendar flips to 2018.