Georgia: 2023 Orange Bowl Champions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Georgia football dropped a boulder on the remnants of Florida State’s team in Hard Rock Stadium Saturday.

The Seminoles did not at all resemble the bunch that went 13-0 and were left out of the College Football Playoff. Its roster was decimated by players that pulled out of playing after being crushed to not be able to play for a national title.

Georgia took advantage in a 63-3 shellacking of the No. 5 Seminoles in the Orange Bowl.

Coming off an SEC championship game loss to Alabama that knocked it out of the playoff, the Bulldogs rolled to a 42-3 halftime lead behind 383 yards of total offense and finished the season 13-1.

Here are three things we learned about the Bulldogs after its second win in this bowl game in the last three seasons:

Georgia footballs shows no mercy in the Orange Bowl

Georgia’s offense played without two projected NFL first-round draft picks in tight end Brock Bowers and offensive tackle Amarius Mims.

The Bulldogs still had way too much firepower for a Florida State missing eight defensive starters to opt outs and injuries. That included three new names that came to light on gameday: defensive linemen Joshua Farmer and Braden Fiske and linebacker Tatum Bethune. The Seminoles had 14 starters out in all.

Georgia set a program record for most points in half in a bowl game with 42 and the 39-point first halftime lead was its largest ever in a bowl.

Kendall Milton rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on 9 carries, all in a first half as Georgia rolled up 180 rushing yards on 16 carries. Milton went left then cut back and went right and into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown run and later added a 5-yard score. Daijun Edwards 15-yard  touchdown run made it 21-7.

Georgia scored touchdowns on nine straight possessions after turning it over on downs on the first time it had the ball. That includes with Gunner Stockton at quarterback for the last three of those.

Carson Beck was 13 of 19 for 203 yards and touchdowns of 12 yards to Arian Smith on a screen and 2 to Dominic Lovett. Beck was lifted at halftime.

Dillon Bell laid out to make a diving catch for 35 yards and then made another spectacular catch for 40 yards later in the half.

Georgia football defense clamps down on Seminoles

Jordan Travis, Florida State’s star quarterback who was lost for the season and missed the final two games before the Orange Bowl, went to the locker room using crutches and in a walking boot with the Seminoles managing just a field goal in the first half.

Brock Glenn, the true freshman third stringer, was 7 of 22 for 122 yards and an interception. He got the start when backup Tate Rodemaker opted out before Christmas.

Georgia was missing starting inside linebacker Smael Mondon who was held out due to nagging injuries.

Cornerback Daniel Harris, who posted on social media he was going in transfer portal but hasn’t, got in the game on the second defensive series.

He was in coverage on a well-placed deep ball to Kentron Poitier for a 55-yard gain early in the second quarter. That was two yards shy of the longest pass play given up by Georgia this season.

Mykel Willaims and CJ Allen combined for a 1-yard loss on a Glenn run and the Seminoles settled for a short field goal.

Allen, a freshman linebacker, had a team-high 6 tackles. Williams forced a fumble and recovered late in the second quarter.

Playmaker Ladd McConkey scores on 'touchdown run'

Running back Kenny McIntosh threw a touchdown pass in the 2021 Orange Bowl and Ladd McConkey looked like he would throw on a throw behind the line of scrimmage.

Instead the wide receiver weaved his way from in front of the Florida State sideline all the way on the other side down the Georgia sideline for what went as a  27-yard touchdown run. He broke a tackle at the 20-yard line.

McConkey put his arms across his chest and broke out a big smile in the end zone.

Coach Kirby Smart was smiling broadly on the sideline as well.

It was the fourth rushing touchdown of McConkey’s career.

The redshirt junior had two touches in the game. His other was a 22-yard catch.

Georgia: 2022 NCAA Division I FBS National Champions

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- For so long, Georgia was the flagship program of the really good but not quite great. It produced a few decades of pretty nice seasons ending in pretty nice bowl games played by a lot of really good players dressed in red, white and black. But the Dawgs were always a few steps behind the sport's elite.

They were always one play shy of beating Alabama. Always a few five-star recruits behind Florida. Always a few inches short when measured against the true ruling class of college football, even as the head of that class rolled through different eras and teams, from Miami and Nebraska to Southern California and seemingly every team in the SEC except for the one in Athens, Georgia.

But on a damp Monday night outside Los Angeles, the Georgia Bulldogs didn't simply engrave their names onto the measuring stick by which all other college football programs are measured, they pulled that stick off the desk and beat the TCU Horned Frogs with it. Now, the conversation about Georgia football isn't about what it hasn't been able to do. It's about what it might be able to do that few have ever done before: move past building championship seasons and move into building a championship era.

"I don't know about that word, era; I'm not even sure what an era is," Kirby Smart confessed as he headed from the confetti-covered SoFi Stadium field to the cigar-smoke-filled locker room after winning the College Football Playoff National Championship. "But I know what a great program looks like, a program that is built to last. I was part of four national championships as an assistant coach at Alabama. I know how hard it is to get to the peak of the sport, and I know it is even harder to stay there. I know what the foundation of that looks like. I think we are building that foundation. I hope we are."

Consider it built. Concrete poured, cured and seemingly built to last.

UGA won its second national title in a row, only the fourth team to do so since 1990 and the first in the nine-year College Football Playoff era. It did it via a beatdown the likes of which hasn't been seen in a college football title game of any format in 152 years of college football. Not the 1971 Orange Bowl (Nebraska 38, Alabama 6). Not the 1972 Rose Bowl (USC 42, Ohio State 17). Oklahoma 1985 (25-10 over Penn State). Nebraska 1995 (62-24 over Florida). USC in 2004 (55-19 over Oklahoma). Florida in 2006 (41-14 over Ohio State). Not even the previous standard-bearer for title game dominance: Alabama over Notre Dame 42-14 in the 2013 BCS championship. Miami in 2001, LSU in 2019, whatever comes up while thumbing through the record books ... not a single one of those juggernaut teams or lopsided evenings on the gridiron comes close to approaching the 65-7 Bulldogs bulldozing that took place Monday night at SoFi Stadium.

It demoralized the upstart Horned Frogs and sent shivers into the souls of any team hoping to stand in TCU's cleats anytime soon. It was the most lopsided postseason victory since bowl games made their debut in Pasadena, California, in 1902, capping a 17-game winning streak, the longest for Georgia since 1947. The Bulldogs' 29 wins ties the mark for any major college team over a two-season span and is the most ever for an SEC school. Monday's victory rewrote page after page of the college football history book.

"Georgia, obviously you've seen them in the past couple of seasons now, really, they've taken hold of college football." That declaration was made by former Georgia All-American linebacker turned TV analyst David Pollack during ESPN's halftime coverage of the game, when the score was 38-7.

He said it while sitting beside the network's guest analyst for the evening, Alabama coach Nick Saban.

If it's possible to say it, the game was even worse than the score. It was such a throttling that Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, shortly after tying LSU signal-caller Joe Burrow's CFP title game for points responsible for (36), was pulled from the game ... with 13:25 remaining in the fourth quarter.

This is a team that lost 15 -- yes, 15! -- players to the 2022 NFL draft, five more than any other team, and simply reloaded. A defense that was supposed to take a step backward after a 2021 unit that was statistically speaking among the greatest of all time instead limited TCU -- which came into the game averaging 474 yards and 41 points per game -- to 188 yards and one solitary TD. A team that looked emotionally and physically exhausted after a New Year's Eve thriller comeback win over Ohio State in the CFP semifinals responded by embarking on a week of practice that Bennett described in the days leading up to the title game as "a damn reconstruction project."

"You attack every aspect of this as a challenge," Bennett, 25, recalled of the week, quick to praise the UGA scout team that played the role of tough-as-railroad-spikes TCU quarterback Max Duggan. "Now I am done, but I think that those who are still here, and maybe those of us who are gone, have a responsibility to make sure this keeps rolling. Make sure you feel the pressure of keeping up what has been built."

The comment showed shades of those all-time teams that Georgia once chased. The legendary Miami Hurricanes calling out from NFL locker rooms to those youngsters now in their beloved orange and green to ask what happened after a loss to a rival or one that ended a streak. Saban's Alabama veterans showing up to spring practice to talk to their heirs about maintaining the principals of the process.

"That's what we all have to guard against, complacency, and I am talking about coaches, players, even fans, never taking a night like this one for granted," said Smart, who played defensive back on a lot of those good but never great Bulldogs teams of the 1990s. "You have to expect to be in these games and expect to win these games, but you can't assume that it will happen. And I think that's why trying to win a third straight championship will be an even steeper challenge than this one was. We lost so many guys last year and have so many more guys coming back next year. That's more chances for complacency."

It's also more chances to benefit from experience, to lean on been there, done that. More than half of this season's starters were redshirt sophomores or younger. They'll be paired with what will be Georgia's seventh consecutive top-three recruiting class.

Smart is only 47 years old. His former mentor, the guy sitting awkwardly next to Pollack, is 71. The GOAT was fully focused on what was in front of him. Saban always is. "I have hard time watching football because it's always work," Saban confessed the morning of the game. "How would we scheme against this? How are they accomplishing that? And in the case of what Kirby has done at Georgia, that is especially true. That's the greatest compliment I can give any program, that everyone in our business has to watch everything you do."

Yes, there are plenty of cautionary tales when it comes to college football dominion collapses. The transfer portal; name, image and likeness (NIL); an expanded playoff -- the list of what has derailed the mighty and could do the same to Dawgs in the future is ever changing. All of those teams listed earlier, from Miami to Nebraska to USC, have fallen from "they can't be beaten!" to "whatever happened to those guys?" It was just four winters ago when Clemson was playing in its fourth CFP title game in five years, and it has since slowly started sliding from the national conversation.

But even the players and coaches from those ruling-class programs, hailing from every spot along the timeline of college football history, likely spent their Monday night like the rest of us, watching the Georgia Bulldogs and wondering if what we witnessed against TCU might be a lot closer to the beginning of something big than it is to any conceivable end.

"I want to enjoy tonight, and I will," said Georgia's Brock Bowers, the All-American tight end who hauled in seven catches for 152 yards and a TD. He also is one of those sophomores. "But we go back to work as soon as we get home. There is always work to be done."

That's how it goes when you're building an empire.

Georgia: 2022 Peach Bowl Champions

ATLANTA -- Just when it looked like the Georgia football team was in deep, deep trouble, the Bulldogs found a way to survive.

The No. 1 Georgia football team's quest for a second straight national championship seemed all but lost in the fourth quarter of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl late Saturday night. Trailing No. 4 Ohio State by 14 points, the Bulldogs made the critical plays in all phases of the game to rally for a 42-41 win in the College Football Playoff semifinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

With eight seconds left, and a crowd of 79,330 holding its breath, the Buckeye's kicker, Noah Ruggles, missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt that would have sent Ohio State (12-1) to the National Championship Game. He missed and the Bulldogs (14-0) were able to survive and advance.

Georgia will meet No. 3 TCU in the National Championship Game on Jan. 9, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The Horned Frogs upset No. 2 Michigan, 51-45, in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.

Georgia outgained the Buckeyes 533-467, with quarterback Stetson Bennett completing 23 of 34 passes for 398 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception. OSU's C.J. Stroud finished 23 pot 34 for 348 yards and four touchdowns.

The Bulldogs' opening drive, after a quick stop of the Buckeyes that included a 10-yard sack by linebacker Smael Mondon, Jr., included some bright spots, including two receptions by Adonai Mitchell. But it ended in a 47-yard field-goal attempt by Jack Podlesny that was wide left, giving the Buckeyes the ball back at their 29.

Ohio State went right to work, with Stroud hitting Marvin Harrison, Jr., for a 24-yard gain on first down. Later, on second-and-7 at the UGA 31, Stroud rolled to his right to avoid pressure, waited a moment, and then hit Harrison on the right side of the end zone for the game's first score, putting the Buckeyes up 7-0 with 8:16 left in the opening quarter.

Georgia responded quickly with a drive that showed off a lot of weapons. Bennett hit Dominick Blaylock on the left side for a 20-yard gain on third-and-10 at the UGA 25. Two plays later, Daijun Edwards pinballed off of a Buckeye and scampered for an 18-yard gain to the OSU 47. On the next play, Bennett rolled right and hit Brock Bowers for a 17-yard gain.

Bennett was sacked for a 7-yard loss on the next play, but on second-and-17 at the 25, he threw a quick strike to Kenny McIntosh, lined up in the left slot, and the running back made one cut and then took off for the end zone. Podlesny's extra point tied the game 7-7 with 3:15 remaining in the first. Bennett completed 9 of 10 passes for 110 yards and the touchdown in the first quarter.

The Buckeyes regained the lead, 14-7, on their next drive, on Miyan Williams' 2-yard run. The Bulldogs' nearly got a takeaway earlier in the drive when cornerback Kelee Ringo punched the ball out of Harrison's arms on a 24-yard completion, but the ball rolled out of bounds before any men in red could dive on it.

Ohio State got the ball right back, deep in Georgia territory, after a Bennett pass was intercepted by Steele Chambers and returned 15 yards to the UGA 30. The Buckeyes pushed their lead to 21-7 with 10:56 left in the half on Stroud's 16-yard touchdown pass to Harrison in the back right corner of the end zone. The deficit was the largest the Bulldogs had faced all season.

In need of a response, Georgia delivered it quickly. Edwards broke free for a 21-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing drive. Later, Bennett hit wideout Arian Smith deep for a 47-yard gain to the 11. On the next play, running back Kendall Milton ran the ball in on the right side for a touchdown, cutting OSU's lead to 21-14 with 9:16 on the clock.

Georgia's defense got a big stop on OSU's next drive, with linebacker Mykel Williams sacking Stroud for a 9-yard loss to the Buckeye 19 on third down. The Bulldogs started their next drive at their 38, with 7:41 to play in the half. They ended it with a 3-yard Bennett touchdown run, and Podlesny's extra point tied the game 21-21 with 6:07 to play in the half.

The drive began emphatically, with McIntosh taking a handoff and bursting free up the left hash after a couple of cuts. But he tripped after looking behind him and fell at the OSU 10, after a 52-yard gain. Edwards then ran the ball for 7 yards, to the 3, and Bennett did the rest. After that drive, the Bulldogs were averaging 11.9 yards per play for the game.

Georgia's defense got a second straight quick stop, and after a punt the offense took over at the Georgia 32. On third-and-6, Bennett fired a strike to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint for a 28-yard gain. Milton then ran for 15 yards to the 20 on the next play. On fourth-and-4 at the 14, with 1:49 left in the half, Georgia opted for a 32-yard Podlesny field goal that put the Bulldogs in front for the first time, 24-21, giving Georgia 17 unanswered points after falling behind 21-7.

Ohio State got the ball back with 1:44 to play in the half and very quickly found the end zone, regaining the lead, 28-24, on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Xavier Johnson with 49 seconds remaining. The 28 points were the most Georgia's defense has allowed this season and the second-most it had allowed in a game.

Georgia was forced to punt on the opening possession of the second half, and Ohio State's offense went back to work against a Bulldog defense struggling to defend the pass. A couple of big completions helped the Buckeyes move into the red zone, and a 10-yard touchdown pass on third down, from Stroud to Emeka Egbuka, make it 35-24 with 10:37 left in the third.

With 31 seconds left in the third quarter, the Buckeyes added to their lead with a 25-yard Noah Ruggles field goal that made it 38-24. Podlesny cut into the lead with a 31-yard field goal with 10:14 left in the game, making it a 38-27 game.

After Georgia's defense forced a punt, Bennett on the first play of the ensuing drive hit Smith for a 76-yard touchdown to cut the margin 38-33 with 8:41 remaining. Georgia tried for a two-point conversion and Bennett hit Ladd McConkey on the right side, making the score 38-35. Smith somehow got way behind the Buckeye defense and had nothing between him and the end zone but about 30 yards of green turf.

Ohio State added a Ruggles 48-yard field goal with 2:43 to play to push its lead to 41-35, giving the Bulldogs at least a shot at pulling out the comeback win. And Georgia made the most of its shot, executing a 5-play, 72-yard drive in 102 seconds that culminated in a 10-yards touchdown pass from Bennett to Mitchell in the left corner of the end zone. Podlesny's extra point put the Bulldogs ahead 42-41 with 54 seconds left.

Stroud led the Buckeyes down the field on their final drive, running and throwing Ohio State into Georgia territory. His 27-yard scramble reached the 31-yard line with 24 seconds left, setting up Ruggles for a 50-yard attempt with eight seconds left. It never had a chance, missing well left.

Georgia got the ball back with three seconds on the clock and Bennett, his eyes clearly filled with tears on the TV broadcast, ran out to kneel down and send the Bulldogs to the National Championship Game.

Georgia: 2022 Southeastern Football Champions

ATLANTA - Georgia swatted away the field goal attempt, the ball spinning to a stop at its 4-yard line. The LSU players trudged off the field, thinking the play was over.

Christopher Smith knew better. He suddenly scooped it up and took off the other way, sprinting 96 yards for a touchdown that epitomized the Bulldogs program.

They were a step ahead of LSU on Saturday.

They've been a step ahead of everyone for two years now.

With all sorts of turmoil behind them in the rankings, Georgia headed to the College Football Playoff as the clear No. 1, dismantling the No. 11 Tigers 50-30 in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday.

Stetson Bennett's threw a season-high four touchdown passes in another stellar postseason performance, while Smith's heads-up play gave the Bulldogs an early spark.

"I've got good players around me. I'm not that bad at football, either," Bennett said with a smile. "We've got a good team."

Georgia (13-0, No. 1 CFP) also caught a big break when Smith deflected a pass that bounced off an LSU receiver's helmet and wound up being picked off by the Bulldogs, setting up a score that contributed to a 35-10 lead by halftime.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels re-injured a sore right ankle late in the second quarter, giving way to Garrett Nussmeier in the second half.

The backup guiding the Tigers (9-4, No. 14 CFP) to three second-half touchdowns, but it wasn't nearly enough.

Georgia accomplished something that not even last season's national championship squad could could do - win its first SEC title since 2017. The Bulldogs were denied in this game a year ago by Alabama, before bouncing back to beat the Crimson Tide in the title game.

"I don't want one kid to walk out of our program without an SEC championship ring in their careers," coach Kirby Smart said. "That could've happened. They said enough is enough and got 'em one tonight."

Georgia heads into the playoff assured of a return trip to Atlanta for a de facto semifinal home game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just 75 miles from its Athens campus.

LSU's outside hopes of crashing the four-team playoff field were wiped out a week ago by a stunning loss at Texas A&M, one of several upsets that will give the selection committee plenty to think about before its announcement Sunday.

Tennessee and Clemson also ruined their playoff hopes with losses late in the regular season, while No. 4 Southern California is presumably out after getting blown out by Utah in the Pac-12 title game Friday night.

Just as the SEC game was kicking off, No. 3 TCU lost to Kansas State in overtime for the Big 12 championship, further clouding a playoff picture that suddenly looks much more favorable for No. 5 Ohio State and No. 6 Alabama.

No matter who makes the elite field, Georgia is firmly focused on becoming the first repeat national title since Alabama in 2011-12, having won all but one game this season by double-digit margins.

"I've tried not to play attention to any of it," Smart said of all the chaos. "It didn't matter to me. That's so far away."

The Bulldogs showed they are more than just a bunch of talented athletes - this is a smart, well-coached group.

When Nazir Stackhouse burst through the middle of the line to block LSU's 32-yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter, Smith knew what to do.

"That's a scenario we go over a lot in practice," he said.

He looked toward the sideline to see if it was OK to grab it.

"You're not allowed to pick it up unless you can score with it," Smart said.

Smith took care of the rest.

LSU coach Brian Kelly blamed himself and his staff for allowing the play to happen.

"Obviously, we did a poor job if coaching," he said. "It's our responsibility to have our guys alert in that situation. They were not alert."

LSU quickly tied it up on Daniels' 53-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte, only to have Bennett take control from there.

The sixth-year senior, a former walk-on who was offensive MVP of both Georgia playoffs wins a year ago, struck for four TD passes in a less than 15-minute span: 3 yards to Brock Bowers, 22 yards to Ladd McConkey, 14 yards to Darnell Washington and 3 yards to Dillon Bell.

Just like that, Georgia led 35-7.

"I was in a zone," Bennett said.

It's been that way for two years now.

THE TAKEAWAY

LSU: Kelly's debut season turned a bit ugly the last two weeks, but the Tigers are on the right track. "We want to get back here next year. That's our goal," Kelly said. "Get back here and win it."

Georgia: Win or lose in the SEC title game, the Bulldogs were assured of a spot in the playoff. But Smart continues to impress with his ability to keep the team motivated. While there were some huge defensive lapses in the second half, this game was never in doubt.

GOING FOR 2

When Georgia scored its final touchdown early in the fourth quarter for a 48-23 lead, Smart surprisingly called for a 2-point conversion.

The Bulldogs converted it with a trick play, but Smart insisted that he wasn't trying to run up the score.

"The books says you go for 2 there," he said.

When asked about the play, Kelly stumbled over his words a bit before finally saying, "I don't get too caught up in what other teams are doing."

INJURY REPORT

While Daniels went down for LSU, Georgia also lost a couple of players to injuries in the first half.

McConkey landed awkwardly making a catch along the sideline, inflaming a knee issue that's been bothering him all year. Tight offensive tackle Warren McClendon sustained what appears to be a mild MCL sprain.

Neither returned after halftime.

Georgia: 2021 College Football Playoff National Champions

INDIANAPOLIS -- No. 3 Georgia exorcised myriad demons Monday night, overcoming No. 1 Alabama, coach Nick Saban and decades of close calls to win the 2022 College Football National Championship and claim its first crown since 1980. What started as a field goal fest opened up in the second half with the Bulldogs creating big plays on both sides of the ball and ultimately stemming the defending champion Crimson Tide, 33-18.

After being clearly rattled in the first half, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett played poised and confident over the final 30 minutes, throwing the final two offensive touchdowns of the game while completing 17 of 26 passes for 224 yards. Alabama QB Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, coughed up a deep interception -- his second turnover of the night -- that defensive back Kelee Ringo returned 79 yards for a touchdown to ice the game with less than a minute to play.

The Dawgs scored the game's final three touchdowns. Bennett found star freshman tight end Brock Bowers for a 15-yard score with 3:33 to play. On Georgia's prior possession, Bennett hooked up with Adoni Mitchell for an astounding 40-yard touchdown on a free play created by an offsides penalty on the Tide.

Alabama went with a pass-heavy attack despite leading most of the game as Young finished 35 of 57 for 369 yards with a touchdown and two picks. It's the first time in his career that Young finished a game with more interceptions thrown than touchdowns. However, Young was without his top two pass catchers for most of the game due to another significant injury suffered in this second Alabama-Georgia meeting of the season.

Bama booted field goals of 37, 45 and 37 yards in the first half. The Tide hit on two big plays with Young finding Jameson Williams for 40 yards and later Cameron Latu for 61 yards. However, Williams -- Bama's leading receiver -- suffered a non-contact knee injury on his catch, leaving the Tide shorthanded for the duration of the contest.

Georgia connected on kicks of 24 and 49 yards to trail 9-6 at halftime. Bennett linked up with George Pickens on a deep post for 52 yards to create their team's first field goal and its best play of the opening 20 minutes.

Young committed the game's first major miscue early in the third quarter as he sailed a pass intercepted by Georgia's Christopher Smith at the Bama 43. He responded by driving the Tide down the field on the next possession only for Georgia's defense to come up big again by blocking a 48-yard field goal attempt.

A 67-yard run by James Cook, the longest allowed by the Tide since 2015, put the Dawgs into the red zone. They found paydirt later for the first touchdown – and their first lead -- of the game as Zamir White rumbled into the end zone to give Georgia a 13-9 lead. On the next possession, Young found Agiye Hall, who dropped a key pass on the prior drive, for 28 yards down to the UGA 5; however, Alabama stalled again and kicked its fourth field goal of the game from 21 yards out.

Bennett gave the Tide the ball back a couple plays later in the fourth quarter as he fumbled while being sacked on third down. Defensive back Brian Branch, scooping up a ball he thought was an incomplete pass, lucked into a fumble recovery with Alabama taking over at the UGA 16. Young hooked up with Latu for a 3-yard TD reception, putting the Tide back on top 18-13 after a failed two-point conversion.

"I just knew there was going to be no way we were going to let a turnover like that stop us from winning a national championship," Bennett told ESPN after the game. "I wasn't going to be the reason we lost."

The Dawgs took off from there, responding with Mitchell's touchdown, extending their lead to eight points on the back of Bowers' score and then clinching their national championship win with the game-ending pick six.

Let's take a look at our five major takeaways from Georgia's national championship win.

1. Recruiting matters: At least, it does when you want to win national titles. Georgia winning its crown Monday didn't happen by accident. There's one thing Kirby Smart learned coaching under Saban that was more important than any schematic advantage: The most brilliant coach on the planet can't win a national title with good players. You need great ones. That's why recruiting has been a priority at Georgia since Smart took over.

Smart's first season at Georgia in 2016 saw him bring in a class ranked sixth nationally in the 247Sports Composite. He's never hauled in a group ranked lower than fourth in the five classes since. The depth of the Dawgs' talent was evident throughout the night as Georgia's defense flew all over the field and stopped an Alabama offense few teams could even slow. Georgia is a team that is so talented, it somehow managed to win a national title using a former walk-on at quarterback.

2. Georgia's pass rush was helped by its run defense: One of the reasons Georgia could get so much pressure on Young was that it could blitz from anywhere it wanted because it knew Alabama couldn't run the ball consistently. The Tide tried to do so in plenty of different ways but only had inconsistent success. Early in the game, Alabama tried to get Brian Robinson on the edge with tosses and sweeps. Those didn't work. Georgia loaded the box with defenders, playing only one high safety. Later in the game, the Tide tried to run at the heart of the Dawgs defense and outmuscle it. That didn't work then, either.

Alabama finished with only 30 yards rushing on 28 carries, but even if we take away sack yardage (Young finished with -43 yards), it managed only 73 yards on 24 carries (3.04 yards per touch). Robinson was held to 68 yards on 22 totes a week after tearing Cincinnati's defense apart for 204 yards and 7.85 yards per carry.

3. Stetson Bennett was Stetson Bennett, and for Georgia, that's enough: It wasn't a great game by Bennett. He was not overly efficient and held onto the ball for a second longer than he should have before releasing it across multiple plays. That includes the aforementioned fumble that occurred as he was sacked from behind, a mistake that led to Alabama's lone touchdown of the night. It was a moment that immediately brought to mind Bennett's turnovers in the SEC title game that ultimately led to Georgia's downfall.

They didn't this time. Instead, Bennett kept his cool and atoned for fumble with two touchdown drives. One ended with a beautiful throw to Mitchell, who made a spectacular grab to secure the six points, while the other was more methodical. Ironically, it was a drive reminiscent of the one Young led late in the Iron Bowl to lead Alabama to victory over Auburn and keep the Tide in the playoff race.

4. The Jameson Williams injury was massive: It's hard to say whether the outcome would've been different, but you can't ignore what Williams' loss meant to the Alabama offense. Latu stepped up to fill the void, catching five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, but he doesn't provide the kind of home-run threat Williams offers. Hall tried to play that role, but he caught only two of the eight passes thrown his way, and his third-quarter drop led to a series of events that turned the game around.

Williams' injury was the second straight suffered by one of Alabama's top two wide receivers against Georgia. John Metchie III, the team's second-leading pass catcher, tore his ACL in the SEC title game. Once Williams was hurt, Young was down his two best game breakers. Coupled with the absences of two key defensive backs on the other side of the ball, it's only fair to note that the Tide were hardly at full strength in the game.

5. Like it or not, you may see this game plenty more: This is already the second time we've seen Alabama and Georgia play in the CFP National Championship. I don't think it'll be the last. These are two teams built to win national titles, and they weren't even the best versions of themselves this season. While Alabama had a tremendous year, few will tell you that this was one of Saban's best teams. As for Georgia, while its defense is elite in every sense of the word, there are still holes on offense. Bennett played capably well, but he's not a five-star game-changer type, and the Dawgs hardly had elite receivers.

So not only are these two great teams, but they're two great teams that can get better. As I said, we're going to see them in this game again. At least in more SEC Championship Games. Probably in the CFP, too. It might even be next season. If that doesn't help speed up playoff expansion, nothing will.

Georgia: 2021 Orange Bowl Champions

We’ve got a rematch for the national championship.

No. 3 Georgia put No. 2 Michigan away in the first half of the Orange Bowl on the way to a 34-11 win Friday night. Georgia’s win sets up a game with No. 1 Alabama for the national title on Jan. 10.

Alabama beat Georgia, 41-24, to win the SEC title on Dec. 4 and take the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The rematch between the two teams is the first in the playoff era and just the second national title rematch since the BCS was put in place in 1998. The only other title game rematch in the BCS and playoff era came in January of 2012 when Alabama beat LSU for the national title after LSU beat the Crimson Tide in the regular season.

That Alabama win over LSU was the first all-SEC title game of the 2000s. The second came after the 2017 season when Alabama beat Georgia in overtime to win the national title. 

Michigan never led in College Football Playoff semifinal

It was clear from Georgia’s first two drives of the games that Michigan was overmatched. The Bulldogs (13-1) got the ball to start the game and went 80 yards in seven plays for a 7-0 lead. After Michigan (12-2) turned the ball over on downs in Georgia territory, Georgia then went 59 yards on six plays for a 14-0 lead with 4:41 to go in the first quarter after running back Kendall McIntosh threw a TD pass to Adonai Mitchell.

The game was over from there.

The lead was 27-3 at halftime after Jermaine Burton caught a 57-yard TD pass from Stetson Bennett with 1:38 to go in the half. The only low spot of the half for the Bulldogs came right after that TD; Georgia immediately got the ball back after an interception of Michigan’s Cade McNamara but an apparent miscommunication between coach Kirby Smart and Bennett led to Georgia running out the clock for the rest of the first half instead of trying to get more points.

Stetson Bennett’s great game

Bennett had his worst game of the season in the SEC title game as Georgia was unable to come back in the second half. The days between the title game and the Orange Bowl were filled with speculation from Georgia fans if Bennett was actually the team’s best quarterback or if J.T. Daniels — the USC transfer who supplanted him at the end of last season and opened this season as a starter before an oblique injury — should be the guy at QB for the Bulldogs against the Wolverines.

All Bennett did in the first half on Friday night was deal. He was 16-of-22 passing for 234 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs built that three-touchdown lead at the break. He also had a key 20-yard scramble.

Save for the snafu at the end of the first half, Bennett was in command of the offense as Georgia put the game away early. That was evident in the way that Georgia attacked the Michigan defense before the game got out of hand. The run-heavy Bulldogs rushed the ball just 13 times in the first half while Bennett and McIntosh combined to throw 23 passes.

Bennett finished the game 20-of-30 passing for three touchdowns after throwing a long TD pass to RB James Cook in the fourth quarter. 

Michigan’s line struggles with Georgia’s front

Michigan’s offensive line was one of the best in college football and won the Joe Moore Award for the best line performance of the season. The UM line dominated Ohio State in the final game of the regular season and bowled over Iowa in the Big Ten title game. It was going to hold its own against Georgia’s marauding front, right?

Not exactly. Georgia’s defense pushed around Michigan up front, bullied McNamara and Michigan’s powerful running game was stifled.

McNamara has been at his best in 2021 when he’s been able to play off of Hassan Haskins and one of the best rushing offenses in the country. But without a run game to scare the Georgia defense, Michigan’s offense was incapable of coming back. The Wolverines had a chance to get back into the game at the start of the third quarter, but McNamara miscommunicated with his receiver and was picked off by Derion Kendrick in the end zone.

Georgia and Alabama's recruiting domination pays off

Michigan’s loss also ensures that the national championship will be won by a team in the South. A team from either Louisiana, South Carolina or Alabama has won every year since Ohio State won the first College Football Playoff at the end of the 2014 season. And Ohio State is the only team outside of those three states and Georgia to even appear in a College Football Playoff title game since the Buckeyes beat Oregon in January of 2015.

The rematch between Georgia and Alabama is also another sign that recruiting rankings matter. Either Georgia (3) or Alabama (2) has finished with the No. 1 class in Rivals' recruiting rankings over the past five seasons and neither team has finished outside the top seven in that span. 

Another chance for Kirby Smart vs. Nick Saban

Alabama coach Nick Saban's famous unbeaten streak against his former assistants ended earlier in 2021 when Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher knocked off the Crimson Tide. Saban is 25-1 against his former assistants and four of those wins have come against Smart. 

The last two haven't been particularly close, either. After Georgia lost by a combined 10 points in Saban's first two wins over Smart, the Bulldogs have lost 41-24 in each of the last two seasons with Bennett starting both games. 

How will the rematch change things in 10 days? Georgia has now had plenty of time to see what went wrong in the SEC title game and Alabama will be without wide receiver John Metchie III after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in that game on Dec. 4. Alabama and Heisman winner Bryce Young hurt the Georgia defense with a quick passing game in the conference title game. Metchie's absence — and Georgia's ability to adjust — could affect how Alabama prepares this time around. 

Georgia: 2021 Peach Bowl Champions

No. 8 Cincinnati came into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with a chance to top No. 9 Georgia, finish off a perfect season and make a big statement not only for the AAC, but for the entire Group of Five. That statement wasn't made ... but it was exciting nonetheless. The Bulldogs topped the Bearcats 24-21 in what was a phenomenal opening act to Saturday's bowl action. 

Georgia kicker Jack Podlesny nailed a 53-yard field goal with two seconds left after a frantic drive from quarterback JT Daniels and the Georgia offense got to the fringe of field goal range. That capped off an eight-play, 44-yard drive with no timeouts that included five straight completions from Daniels to save the Bulldogs from the brink of disaster. Georgia padded the 22-21 lead with a safety on theCincinnati came out firing in the second half when Alabama transfer Jerome Ford took off up the middle for a 79-yard touchdown that put the Bearcats up 21-10. That proved valuable because, outside of that run, Ridder and the offense struggled to not only string together drives, but even gain first downs. 

Motivation was not an issue in this one -- especially for Georgia. There didn't seem to be any lack of motivation by the SEC East power. Wide receiver George Pickens, running back Zamir White and the rest of the Bulldogs' offense came out with pads popping, which led to a feverish first quarter that got 2021 started out with a bang.

Here are the top takeaways from Friday's thriller in Atlanta. 

1. Second-half defense

The Bulldogs' strength all season long was its defense, and that showed on Friday afternoon -- especially in the second half. Aside from Ford's 79-yard touchdown run, the Bearcats managed just 28 second-half yards and Georgia's defense sacked Ridder six times in the final two frames to suffocate and semblance of momentum away from the Bearcats sideline. 

Linebacker Azeez Ojulari was the star of the show, racking up three sacks and two forced fumbles on the afternoon. The biggest of those plays was a sack-strip of Ridder on the third play of the fourth quarter. Georgia's Adam Anderson recovered on the Bearcats' 25-yard line and Zamir White took it in from 9 yards out two plays later to cut Cincinnati's lead to 21-16.

This was Georgia's calling card all year, so it's only fitting that it closed out the season in the same way that earned it the Peach Bowl berth. In this game, it was necessary. The Bulldogs struggled mightily to run the ball due to a fast, physical and fundamentally-sound Cincy defense that lived up to the hype generated from its dreams. 

2. JT Daniels' big statement

With the rushing game struggling, it was on Daniels to lead the offense. He had no problem with responsibility. The USC transfer was 26-of-38 passing for 392 yards, one touchdown and one interception. That despite having no help from White, Kenny. McIntosh, Kendall Milton and the rest of the Bulldog running backs.

Daniels was 11-of-15 passing for 137 yards in the fourth quarter, and those 137 yards were the only ones gained by Georgia in the final frame. That's right -- they had two carries for 0 yards and still found a way to make a comeback. It was an unreal performance by Daniels, who didn't see the field until late November in the win over Mississippi State. 

There's more to this than just the game, though. Daniels' big day will serve as the tone-setter for a team that should have legitimate national title aspirations next season. All of their running backs can return, as will George Pickens, youngsters on the offensive line and a talented group of young linebackers who have been stockpiled through recruiting.

3. Respect

There's always a David vs. Goliath feel to the Group of Five vs. Power Five matchup in the New Year's Six Bowl matchups. In retrospect, that was unfair to Cincinnati. Luke Fickell's team isn't a "cute little story" that was handed a spot in a major bowl. It not only earned every bit of this spot but looked the part of a college football power that will be in the CFP and New Year's Six discussion for years to come. 

Ridder is a flat-out baller. He threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns, and was the catalyst for a Bearcats team that didn't relinquish control until the second half. But the loss of all-conference offensive lineman James Hudson to a targeting foul late in the second quarter proved costly and led to the massive fire he felt in the final two frames. That's a depth issue -- which is usually a problem for Group of Five teams vs. Power Five teams. Despite that, Cincinnati played its tail off thanks to top-notch coaching from Fickell and his staff, veteran leadership and remarkable execution. 

Cincinnati isn't a flash in the pan. It's a force to be reckoned with in not only the AAC but national landscape. final play of the game just for good measure.

Georgia: 2020 Sugar Bowl Champions

Those not as well versed in SEC depth charts likely didn’t notice the large absence of Georgia starters at the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday. The Bulldogs were missing six regular-season starters and 13 rotation players in New Orleans, but Kirby Smart’s squad still managed to overwhelm Baylor and quarterback Charlie Brewer in a 26-14 victory. The Bears didn’t score in the first half late Wednesday night. They committed three turnovers, and starting quarterback Brewer spent most of the second half running for his life before exiting the game in the fourth quarter due to a potential concussion. A short-handed Georgia squad handled Baylor with relative ease for much of the evening.

We shouldn’t completely dismiss the effort by coach Matt Rhule’s squad to close the slate of New Year’s Day games. Baylor mounted a 75-yard drive to pull within 12 late in the third quarter, and the Bulldogs’ offense stalled in spurts for portions of the second half. Yet it was a backup Bulldog who ultimately pierced Baylor’s front line in Georgia’s victory.

Freshman Zamir White logged just 60 carries entering Wednesday night, but he led all players with 92 rushing yards on 18 carries in the Sugar Bowl victory. White bullied Baylor midway through the third quarter, bursting into the end zone from 13 yards out. White is no ordinary backup. He joined Georgia as the nation’s No. 1 running back recruit in the class of 2018. After waiting his turn behind D’Andre Swift for much of 2019, White arrived on the national stage Wednesday.

Another Georgia standout freshman, wideout George Pickens finished the evening with 12 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown, bullying the Bears’ secondary with his 6’3” frame. Pickens was one of Georgia’s five five-star recruits in the class of 2019. The Bulldogs currently sport the nation’s No. 4 class for 2020. Smart continues to keep Georgia stocked with the nation’s top talent on a yearly basis.

The Smart era has yet to bring Athens its first national championship since 1980, and back-to-back years outside the College Football Playoff is a minor disappointment after coming so close to the title against Alabama in January 2018. Yet it’s hard not to be encouraged as Georgia enters the next decade. Smart is 36–7 in his last three seasons. Georgia is 6–4 against Top-10 teams since 2017. A standard of success has been re-established, with Smart’s last three years matching the height of the Mark Richt era from the previous decade. With a steady stream of talent arriving each year, a return to the playoff could be imminent.

Georgia will certainly be among the top tier of title contenders entering 2020. LSU will likely lose Joe Burrow, and the potential departure of Tua Tagovailoa for Alabama could leave the conference with no true favorite. Quarterback Jake Fromm’s future may swing the odds entering September. The junior tossed 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 2019, and he could sneak into the back of the first round if he performs well in the months between now and the 2020 draft. But Fromm could be well served by another year on a collegiate stage. If he stays, Georgia will likely cruise to the SEC East title. The road will be different if Fromm bolts, though the Bulldogs have proven they have enough talent to withstand any single departure. Smart has built a true power, one that’s in fine shape as we roll into 2020.

Georgia: 2018 Rose Bowl Champions

PASADENA, Calif. -- After ending the first overtime Rose Bowl, one of the greatest Granddaddies of Them All, Sony Michel was swarmed by Georgia teammates as he broke down in tears.

The senior tailback had gone from possible goat to all-time hero for Georgia, sending the Bulldogs to the national championship game with one last burst in a game full of them.

Michel raced 27 yards for a touchdown in the second overtime to give No. 3 Georgia a 54-48 victory against No. 2 Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinal Monday night.

Michel, who had a fumble in the fourth quarter returned for a go-ahead Oklahoma touchdown, ran for 181 yards and three scores for the Bulldogs (13-1), but none bigger than the last one.

"I made plays. I gave up plays. My team just had faith in me," said Michel, who did all that damage on just 11 carries and got a hug from former Bulldogs great tailback Garrison Hearst after scoring the winning TD. "That's what this team is all about. They showed true character today."

In the final game of his great career, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass that gave the Sooners a 17-point lead with 6 seconds left in the first half.

But the Heisman Trophy winner could not get the Sooners (12-2) into the end zone in the first overtime when a touchdown would have ended the game.

"It's tough to describe right now," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said of the loss. "It's a hell of a college football game. You know, an epic Rose Bowl game."

The Bulldogs will play Alabama on Jan. 8 fin an all-Southeastern Conference national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, about 70 miles from their campus. After Georgia made its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1943 a heart-stopping success, the Bulldogs will play for their first national title since 1980.

"We got to get back to work. It's not done," Michel said. "Now we got to finish. Let's just finish this season off right."

The 104th Rose Bowl was also the highest-scoring, surpassing last year's 52-49 USC victory against Penn State. There was a lot more on the line in this one, the first CFP game to go to overtime as well.

After an offside penalty on Georgia gave Oklahoma a first down on third-and-five in the second OT possession, the Sooners stalled again and Austin Seibert came out for a 27-yard field goal. Leaping through the line, Lorenzo Carter got his outstretched hand on the kick and the ball fluttered down short of the uprights.

Any score would have ended it for the Bulldogs, and on the second play Michel slipped one tackle and was home free. The Bulldogs sprinted off the sideline and toward the corner of the end zone to mob Michel. Confetti rained down. Meanwhile, Mayfield stood motionless on the sideline for several seconds, bent over with his hands on his knees and head down. Mayfield battled flu-like symptoms the week leading into the game, but he played just fine.

"I can't believe it's over. It's been a wild ride," said Mayfield with a hoarse voice before he started to cry.

Michel and his roommate and running mate Nick Chubb were awesome for Georgia. Chubb ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including a 2-yarder on a direct snap with 55 seconds left in regulation to tie it. The Sooners had taken a 45-38 lead when Steven Parker returned Michel's fumble for a TD with 6:52 left in the fourth.

"I told him that he had to keep running and trying to hit the corner," Chubb said. "We had a long game and after the fumble, we went down and he made up for it with that run to win the game."

Both teams settled for field goals in the first overtime. First, Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship hit from 38 to make it 48-45.

Then it was Mayfield's turn. A touchdown would have sent the Sooners to Atlanta, but on a third-and-2 from the 17 Georgia All-America linebacker Roquan Smith nailed Jordan Smallwood a yard short of the first down.

Seibert kicked a 33-yarder and the Bulldogs and Sooners played on, but not for much longer.

THE TAKEAWAY

Georgia: The Bulldogs came in with the sixth-best defense in the country, but Mayfield and the Sooners sliced it up in the first half, including a nifty reverse pass to the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback that made it 31-14 with 6 seconds left in the second quarter. Oklahoma had 360 yards in the first half, the second-most the Bulldogs had allowed in a game this season.

Coach Kirby Smart said the defense "stunk it up" in the first half, but there were no dramatic changes in the second. Smith and company just played better. Oklahoma managed only 171 yards and one touchdown in the second half and OT.


Oklahoma: The Sooners' defense has been an issue all season, but it did look for a while like it might make the decisive play. Linebacker Caleb Kelly lowered a shoulder into Michel trying to turn the corner on a sweep and the ball popped loose. Parker picked it up on the bounce, tight-roped the sideline and sprinted 46 yards for the score.

But with a chance to close out the game with 3:22 left in the fourth, Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm led a game-tying drive. Fromm finished 20-for-29 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

UP NEXT:

Georgia: It's back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Bulldogs, where they beat Auburn to win the SEC championship and get in the playoff a month ago.

Oklahoma: The Sooners start the post-Mayfield era next fall at home against coach Lane Kiffin's Florida Atlantic team.

Georgia: 2016 Liberty Bowl Champions

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- No matter how difficult it was to find running room early on, Georgia kept trying to establish its ground attack.

That stubborn approach eventually paid off.

Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined to rush for 229 yards and two touchdowns Friday as Georgia came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat TCU 31-23 in the Liberty Bowl.

"At the end of the day, we were able to run the ball when we had to run the ball and they knew we had to run the ball," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "That's a mark of two good backs. That's the mark of some tough guys up front."

Chubb rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Michel ran for 87 yards and a score on 16 attempts. Michel also had a 33-yard touchdown catch. The two juniors already have announced that they plan to return to school for their senior seasons.

Held in check for much of the game, Chubb closed the third quarter with a 48-yard burst that set up Rodrigo Blankenship's field goal to put Georgia ahead 24-23 with 13:27 left. Chubb then rushed for 57 yards in the final period, including a 13-yard touchdown with 2:48 remaining.

"We never stopped," Chubb said. "Nobody on our offense stopped. Nobody on our team stopped. We kept pounding."

Georgia (8-5) restored some pride to the Southeastern Conference. The SEC had entered the day with a 1-4 bowl record, a major step back for a league that went 9-2 in bowl games last year to set a record for bowl victories.

The Bulldogs also sent TCU (6-7) to only its third losing year in Gary Patterson's 16 full seasons as coach. Missed opportunities proved costly for the Horned Frogs, who led 16-7 in the first half and carried a 23-21 advantage into the fourth quarter.

"It was a game that we could have easily won, but you've got to make plays," Patterson said. "For us, it's kind of been the story of our season."

Brandon Hatfield was wide right on a 47-yard field goal attempt that would have put TCU ahead with 7:57 remaining. He earlier had missed an extra point attempt as well as a 41-yard field goal.

Both of Hatfield's missed field goals came after Trenton Thompson sacked Kenny Hill in third-down situations. Thompson set a Liberty Bowl record with three sacks and was named the game's most valuable player.

After Hatfield missed his 47-yarder, Georgia went on a 70-yard touchdown drive to extend its lead to 31-23. Deandre Baker clinched the victory by breaking up Hill's fourth-and-4 pass from the Georgia 44 with 1:14 remaining.

Hill threw a pair of touchdown passes to John Diarse and also ran for a third score, but he was sacked five times and lost a fumble. Georgia's Jacob Eason was 12 of 21 for 164 yards with two touchdown passes.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Georgia: The Bulldogs established themselves as potential SEC Eastern Division favorites next season, assuming Eason improves in his sophomore year. Chubb and Michel should form one of the nation's top running back tandems next season, and Georgia figures to have a quality defense.

TCU: The Horned Frogs end up with a rare losing season, but Hill's gutty performance offers at least some cause for optimism. Hill struggled with consistency all season but kept TCU in the game Friday as he eluded pressure while playing with a bad ankle.

ENTERING THE DRAFT

Georgia wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie announced after the game that he's passing up his senior season to enter the NFL draft. McKenzie had four catches for 103 yards, including a 77-yarder that set up a touchdown.

MOVING INTO SECOND

Chubb's 142-yard rushing performance increased his career total to 3,424 and made him the second-leading rusher in Georgia history. Chubb overtook Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley, who rushed for 3,285 yards in his college career.

The school record is held by Herschel Walker, who ran for an SEC-record 5,259 yards from 1980-82.


NOTABLE NUMBERS

Thompson had posted just two sacks in the regular season before delivering three more Friday. ... Diarse had caught just one touchdown pass in the regular season before scoring twice in the Liberty Bowl. ... The announced attendance of 51,087 was the Liberty Bowl's smallest crowd since 1997. ... Georgia's Lorenzo Carter forced two fumbles.

NEXT UP

Georgia: will open the 2017 season Sept. 2 against Camellia Bowl champion Appalachian State.

TCU: kicks off the 2017 season Sept. 2 by hosting Football Championship Subdivision program Jackson State.

Georgia Bulldogs: 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl Champions

Much of Saturday’s TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., had the feel of a bowl game college football could’ve done without. A post-New Year’s Day Bowl with two underwhelming teams “playing for nothing” in the minds of many college football fans, the game saw Georgia steadily build a lead on a Penn State team that lost quarterback Christian Hackenberg to an injury in the second quarter.

Yet a combination of diminishing production from Georgia’s offense and the ability of Penn State to steadily creep back in the second half kept the game closer than it seemed on pace to be. Georgia ultimately held on for a 24–17 win, but Penn State turning a 24–3 deficit after three quarters into a one-touchdown loss marks a solid silver lining for James Franklin’s Nittany Lions, and it gave the late bowl slate a jolt of energy.

Penn State’s chances seemed ruined when Hackenberg left in the second quarter after sustaining an apparent shoulder injury on a short run early in the Nittany Lions’ fifth drive of the game. His right shoulder appeared to be jammed into the ground on the tackle, but he briefly remained in the game and completed a 51-yard pass to Chris Godwin. Two plays later, he was pulled after continuing to favor the shoulder. Trace McSorley, a sophomore, entered in relief and PSU settled for a field goal on the drive.

McSorley did all he could, but he faced an unenviable task from the start in going against Georgia, which entered the bowl game with the nation’s top-ranked passing defense at just over 146 yards allowed per game. After the field goal, Penn State’s subsequent drives ended on a four-play turnover on downs, a punt, time expiring before halftime, another punt and another turnover on downs.

McSorley did throw a pair of impressive touchdown passes, first on a 17-yard bullet to Geno Lewis in the corner of the end zone on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter, and later on a 20-yard connection with DaeSean Hamilton with 6:14 remaining in the game. Penn State’s disappointing final drive of the game consisted largely of checkdowns and short passes over the middle of the field, although it’s hard to fault McSorley too much for being thrown into the fire. He finished 14 of 27 for 142 yards and the pair of touchdowns.

As for Hackenberg, he declared for the NFL draft after the game, ending his career at Penn State after three seasons. Long considered a top NFL prospect, an up-and-down season for both him and Penn State’s offense might have taken some steam out of his draft stock. The extent of his injury was also not immediately disclosed, outside of Penn State ruling him out for the game at the beginning of the second half.

Georgia is happy to get a bowl win despite the significant turnover on its coaching staff. After Mark Richt was fired and quickly hired by Miami, he elected not to coach in the bowl game. His successor, former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, is remaining with the Crimson Tide during their College Football Playoff run. The Bulldogs also lost offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, leaving wide receivers coach/associate head coach Bryan McClendon to coach the TaxSlayer Bowl.

A big-name program playing in a supposedly “meaningless” bowl game following a disappointing season and coaching transition can be a recipe for disaster, but credit McClendon for getting Georgia ready to play. Running back Sony Michel led all players with 20 carries for 85 yards with one touchdown, while Keith Marshall also rushed 14 times for 62 yards. Wide receiver Terry Godwin caught four passes for 62 yards and one touchdown, and also threw a 44-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter after lining up as a Wildcat quarterback.

The win moves Georgia to 10–3, and at least the Bulldogs can begin the Smart era coming off two consecutive 10-win seasons. A narrow win in the TaxSlayer Bowl won’t afford Smart too much leniency from Bulldogs fans, however, so he’ll need to start fast in 2016 to engender some early support.

Georgia: 2014 Belk Bowl Champions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Freshman running back Nick Chubb ran for a Georgia bowl-record 266 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 13 Bulldogs defeated No. 20 Louisville 37-14 in the Belk Bowl on Tuesday night at Bank of America Stadium.
Chubb carried a season-high 33 times, including a 30-yard sprint before his 8-yard touchdown scamper with 2:02 left.
Chubb finished 17 yards shy of Herschel Walker’s single-game school record set against Vanderbilt in 1980.
Georgia starting quarterback Hutson Mason did his damage in the first half in his final appearance for the Bulldogs (10-3).
Chubb’s 82-yard run — a Belk Bowl record — on the first play after a punt pinned the Bulldogs at their 3-yard line set up running back Sony Michel’s 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Mason didn’t play after late in the second quarter because of what school officials referred to as vision issues.
Georgia’s Marshall Morgan kicked three field goals, including a 41-yarder with 5:20 remaining.
Georgia safety Dominick Sanders intercepted two passes. Bulldogs safety Damian Swann picked off a fourth-quarter pass one play after Louisville’s defense made a fourth-down stop.
Georgia also lost safety Quincy Mauger to a second-quarter concussion and receiver Michael Bennett to a third-quarter knee injury.
Louisville (9-4), completing its first season as an Atlantic Coast Conference member, couldn’t crank up enough offense after scoring at least 30 points in its last five regular-season games The Cardinals scored 30 or more points in their last five regular-season games.
Cardinals running back Brandon Radcliff scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter on a 10-play drive. Senior receiver DeVante Parker notched eight catches for 120 receiving yards, eclipsing 100 yards for the 10th time in his career.
Georgia, which led 20-7 at halftime, put together a strong second quarter, taking the lead on Morgan’s 41-yard field goal. Chubb’s tackle-breaking, 31-yard touchdown run pushed the lead to 17-7 with 6:40 left in the first half.
Sanders made a 40-yard interception return to set up the Bulldogs at the Louisville 9. This time, Georgia settled for Morgan’s 22-yard field goal with 4:58 remaining.

Georgia got the ball back at the Louisville 31 when punter Ryan Johnson’s fourth-down pass on a fake punt was underthrown. On the next play, Cardinals cornerback Terell Floyd intercepted backup Ramsey’s pass at the Louisville 3.

Earlier, Georgia cashed in on its first possession with a touchdown as receiver Chris Conley caught a 44-yard touchdown strike from Mason. That capped an eight-play, 90-yard drive.

Louisville’s first scoring drive went 84 yards, with the highlight coming on tight end Gerald Christian’s one-handed grab in the back of the end zone of a Kyle Bolin pass. It came on a third-and-goal play from the Georgia 11.

NOTES: This was the first meeting between Georgia and Louisville. … For the first time, there’s a Top 25 matchup in the Belk Bowl’s 13-year history. … It’s a new era for the Belk Bowl by adding the Southeastern Conference providing one of the teams. … Louisville lost to North Carolina State in the 2011 Belk Bowl. … This is Georgia’s 50th bowl game, with its first postseason outing in Charlotte. … This was Georgia’s third ACC opponent of the season, opening by defeating Clemson and closing the regular season with a loss to Georgia Tech. … Both teams posted November victories against Kentucky. … Louisville RB Michael Dyer was removed from the team’s bowl roster because of academic issues. … In days leading to the game, Georgia announced that standout RB Todd Gurley is entering the NFL Draft. He has been out with a knee injury, preventing him from playing in his home state’s bowl.

Georgia: 2013 Capital One Bowl Champions

ORLANDO – The players wore hats reading “CHAMPIONS” in all cap letters. The fact that “Capital One Bowl” — and not SEC or BCS — also was stitched on the caps in a much smaller script might deflate that declaration a bit, but it doesn’t take away from where Georgia may be headed.

Were the Bulldogs great in their final game of the 2012 season? Hardly. The defense, purported to be loaded with NFL talent, too often played sloppy and undisciplined. The quarterback, Aaron Murray, threw two interceptions in the team’s first three possessions. It is what happens sometimes in bowl games. The Dogs didn’t save their best for last. Their best came in the next-to-last game against Alabama.

But ultimately, what came out of Georgia’s 45-31 win over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl were signs that this program isn’t likely to take a step back next season.

There will be new players. There will be a different team personality. The schedule will be tougher. But the Bulldogs just finished a season that saw them go 12-2 and come within five yards of winning the SEC championship and going to the BCS title game. They rebounded from the crushing loss in the SEC championship game to win a significant bowl game. They showed resiliency by losing two starting wide receivers (Marlon Brown, Michael Bennett) during the season and a third in Tuesday’s game (Malcolm Mitchell). They endured several early season suspensions on defense and played without two defensive starters against Nebraska (John Jenkins, Abry Jones).

Jarvis Jones and several defensive starters now are expected to leave for the NFL. Maybe Murray comes back, but probably not. But Georgia is in a good place now, a player again on the national scene, and nobody could have seen that coming two years ago in Memphis when the team schlepped off the field a loser to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl, dragging a 6-7 record.

“The seniors started a legacy here,” freshman running back Todd Gurley said Tuesday. “They’re passing it down to us, and we’re just going to keep moving forward and winning each year. I know a lot of teams will have the goal of going to the national championship next year, but we really believe that. We’re going to bring in a great recruiting class and we’re going to get it done next year.”

Todd Gurley, here breaking through for a 24-yard touchdown, finished with 125 yards rushing to lead the Bulldogs. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)

As flawed as the Dogs looked against Nebraska, the result and the season projected well for the future.

It starts with the two freshmen in the backfield, Gurley and Keith Marshall. There were questions about the running game going into the season following the excommunication of Isaiah Crowell, but the two quickly eased concerns. In the final game of the season, Gurley rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown and Marshall made a difficult back-shoulder, 24-yard touchdown catch to give the Dogs a 38-31 lead early in the fourth quarter.

There’s the future.

It doesn’t matter if the starting quarterback is Murray or Hutson Mason. Georgia’s offense should function well, and the team should be in the middle of things again.

When asked about Marshall’s catch, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, “We’ve kept things pretty simple for him and Todd because they’re freshmen. But that play there gives us a level of confidence next year that we can expand their package.”

Gurley, Bobo said, brought “a physicality to the offense that we needed. He did a great job leading us as a freshman. I told him after the game, ‘You had a great year, but now you have a chance to be great. So let’s go to work.’”

Marshall said he battled knee tendinitis before the season, affecting his workouts. “I lost some of my explosiveness,” he said. “But it’s finally feeling better. I’m looking forward to getting started on my workouts.”

And then this: “Honestly, I feel we’re the best team in the country. We can play with anybody. We were one play away this year.”

There were hiccups Tuesday. The first half took nearly two hours. The two teams combined for 47 points, five offensive touchdowns, three interceptions (including Nebraska’s pick-six against Murray), a field goal and a blocked punt for a safety. The Dogs trailed 24-23, then 31-23. But Murray, after starting 11 for 24, stopped scaring NFL scouts. He connected with Chris Conley for a 49-yard touchdown, then later scrambled away from pressure to connect with Marshall. Later, he found Conley again on a “jailbreak screen” against Nebraska’s blitz — nice call by Bobo – for an 87-yard score. Checkmate.

It ended well. There’s reason to believe it could end well next season, too.

By Jeff Schultz

The morning after

Hawaii 10
Georgia 41

At least I warned my folks on YT about the trolling remarks that will follow. I'm sure the people up top are also aware of the spammers who constantly pollute YT with their garbage.

Back to mulling about the Beach, then.