Georgia maintained firm control of the SEC East on Saturday.

But did the No. 7 Bulldogs’ 36-17 victory over Florida impress the Playoff selection committee? We’ll know more about that Tuesday night, when the first rankings are released.

All that mattered Saturday was that the Bulldogs claimed their second consecutive Cocktail Party victory. Two might not sound like a lot, but the Bulldogs have enjoyed just two winning streaks in this series since 1990. They won three consecutive from 2011-13, and now they have back-to-back wins.

The primary reason? Florida didn’t protect the football, and Georgia made the Gators pay. Two turnovers set up 10 Georgia points. And on a day both defenses dominated, that was plenty.

Florida had its chances. The Gators didn’t need Feleipe Franks to be perfect, but they needed him to be at least occasionally spectacular.

He wasn’t often enough.

On Florida’s opening drive, Franks overthrew Van Jefferson on a flea flicker. Had they connected, it would have been a walk-in touchdown and 7-3 lead. Instead, Jordan Scarlett fumbled two plays later. The Dawgs recovered and returned it to Florida’s 13. On 3rd-and-13, Jake Fromm lofted a perfect pass to Jeremiah Holloman in the back corner of the end zone, extending Georgia’s lead to 10-0.

That was a 14-point swing, and it will be a sequence that Florida coaches replay all winter when they discuss how the SEC East slipped just out of reach.

Florida’s second drive ended similarly, though this time because Franks woefully under-threw Josh Hammond. Tyrique McGhee easily intercepted the pass.

Florida’s defense held that time. And then the Gators’ offense responded.

The Gators leaned on the running game to drive 74 yards for a touchdown. Franks contributed, too. On 3rd-and-8 at Georgia’s 30, it appeared Dan Mullen would play for a field goal when he dialed Franks’ number on a designed draw. But Franks picked up 7. Florida went for it on 4th-and-1, rewarded when Georgia was flagged for pass interference. Scarlett then ripped off a 14-yard run and Franks dived in from 1-yard out to make it 10-7.

Georgia added a field goal just before halftime, but as Brad Nessler astutely noted, the Bulldogs’ two best drives in the opening half netted three points apiece.

Credit the Gators’ defense for keeping it close.

Franks opened the second half with his most impressive throw of the day, maybe the year. His 36-yard laser to Freddie Swain gave the Gators their first lead at 14-13.

That lead lasted all of 3 minutes.

Georgia drove 72 yards, the go-ahead score coming when Fromm again hooked up with Holloman near the left sideline for a 9-yard TD to make it 20-14.

Momentum shifted — and that was before Franks lost a fumble at the Gators’ 1-yard line on the ensuing possession. But just when it looked like Florida’s bend-don’t-break defense might finally give way, it responded with a goal-line stand for the ages. Georgia ran 7 plays from the 1-yard line — a penalty gave them a fresh set of downs — but couldn’t gain 3 feet. All the Dawgs could muster was a third field goal to make it 23-14.

Florida fought back, a field goal again making it a one score game until Fromm threw his third TD pass, a strike to Terry Godwin to make it 29-17. D’Andre Swift unofficially started the party with a 33-yard TD run in the final minutes. That run pushed Swift over the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career.

For three quarters, Saturday’s game was more competitive than last year’s blowout. The gap might be closing, but Georgia reiterated that it is the team to beat in the SEC East.

After that? Well, the Dawgs still have some work to do to show they’re on the same level as Alabama.