Georgia football: Buckle up. Bulldogs’ chase for 3-peat isn’t going to be easy.
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Over the course of its 22-game winning streak, Georgia has left a path of destruction in its wake. Two national championship runs marked by blowout victories.
In 2021, there were shutouts (3 of them) and 8 games in which opponents failed to score 10 points. In 2022, it was a little less dominant on the defensive side of the ball, but still very little stress with the exception of wins against Missouri (26-22) and Ohio State (42-41).
Saturdays were, for the most part, a breeze.
If you’re planning for a similarly relaxing experience on the road to championship No. 3 this year, you’re not going to get it. After 5 weeks, I think we can confidently say that this is what this team is. And if you’re along for the ride, you’d better buckle up.
Let’s get a few things straight:
The Bulldogs can absolutely win the national title this year. To a degree, they have been victims of their own success. To expect teams to go out and win by 20 and 30 points every week isn’t normal. Sure, Georgia made it seem normal over the course of its two championship runs in 2021-22, but that isn’t always the case.
Despite its faults, Georgia has found ways to win, and if it pulls out 10 more 1-score victories, the hardware will be the same at the end of the season.
But there’s a reason no one has achieved the three-peat in the modern era: because it’s really, really hard to do it. There have been a handful of teams with a chance at a third straight title, and to a team they have failed — and for similar reasons.
- You’re getting everyone’s best shot on Saturday. There are no more lovable underdogs here. Georgia isn’t still that team that just couldn’t get over the hump. The Bulldogs are the class of the country, and every opponent is out for blood. When coaches across the country are putting “Beat Georgia” periods into their practice, you know how much extra preparation they are giving to the Bulldogs.
- There is a lot of pressure. You might think that pressure would wane after you’ve overcome adversity to win a national title. And then 2. But consider the legacy these players are now trying to live up to. Carson Beck must follow one of the greatest underdog stories of all time in Stetson Bennett. Nazir Stackhouse must try to live up to the reputations of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. Smael Mondon and Jamon Dumas-Johnson are chasing Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean. It’s not easy.
- The complacency. Yes, there’s pressure. But there’s also complacency. This team has been there and done that. And, heck, it did it by running up the score against everyone. What team on this weak schedule could possibly compete on the Bulldogs’ level? Right?
- The roster quality simply drops. The final reason, and probably the most impactful, is that no matter what recruiting rankings say, it’s really difficult to maintain that impeccable quality on your roster for that many consecutive years. Georgia’s is really, really good. But it’s also clear there are some cracks.
With all of this being said, maybe it’s time to quit measuring this team by the margins of its victories, and instead by its makeup and mettle. Sure, you can look at a scoreboard, see a 28-point win and know that a team is dominant. But you can also watch a game and see the quality of throws in crucial situations, fourth-down stops near the red zone and more to know that this team still has a special ability about it.
This isn’t going to be easy, Bulldog Nation. I’m not even certain it’s going to be fun—unless fun to you is chewing your nails down to stumps. But perhaps it may be just a little more rewarding.
If they can keep winning.
