Georgia football: 10 takeaways from the 2022 regular season

The common season has come to an in depth, and for the 2nd yr in a row Georgia is 12-0.

The Dawgs haven’t misplaced an everyday season sport since enjoying Florida on Nov. 7, 2020. That’s 27 wins. Counting postseason video games, the Dawgs are 30-1 of their previous 31 contests.

From the second Georgia hammered Oregon within the opener to the dominant win towards Tennessee, it’s been clear this crew has an opportunity to do one thing particular.

Now, after an ideal begin, the Dawgs are 3 wins from back-to-back nationwide titles.

There are a variety of causes they’re on this place:

Georgia is perhaps the brand new Bama

Alabama is the crew everybody has been chasing for years. Clemson was on par with 2 championship seasons. However all roads have come again to Tuscaloosa.

Georgia might have caught up.

One nationwide title and a 12-0 common season doesn’t get you all the best way there. This job is unfinished. Nevertheless it feels just like the hierarchy of school soccer shifted after the Bulldogs beat the Tide to win all of it final season.

The Dawgs are a near-unanimous No. 1. They’re the betting favorites to win all of it once more. They’ve gained 27 consecutive common season video games. They’ve dominated each large sport they’ve performed this yr. With 3 extra wins, the acquainted phrase for title contenders additionally will regulate.

It’ll be: “We would like Georgia.”

A brand new customary in Athens

For the higher a part of 2 many years the query was at all times: “When will Georgia recover from the hump?” There at all times was expertise, there at all times was recruiting, there often was teaching. However that subsequent stage remained elusive; 10 wins and a New 12 months’s Day bowl sport typically had been the targets.

Not anymore. Not after final season.

With coach Kirby Sensible got here larger expectations. Recruiting has skyrocketed. On-field efficiency has adopted. The Dawgs have performed in 2 nationwide title video games and gained 1. Now, simply successful isn’t ok. They’ve obtained to be dominant.

For essentially the most half, they’ve been. Within the few video games they haven’t, the response has been disappointment. There’s a new customary at Georgia, and the one factor that issues is {hardware} on the finish of the season.

Proper now Kirby Sensible is faculty soccer’s greatest coach

Look, it’s not a degree about all-time recognition. Nobody can take away or ought to understate what Nick Saban has completed at Alabama. He’s arguably the best coach in faculty soccer historical past, and has the rings to show it.

However proper now? Proper now, one of the best coach in America resides in Athens, Ga.

Take into consideration what’s been seen from Sensible and his teaching workers this yr:

Georgia misplaced 15 gamers to the NFL draft after its championship season final yr. That’s the most gamers taken in a single draft. 5 of these – all on protection – went within the 1st spherical. There was no method the Dawgs would merely reload and are available again with an elite crew in 2022.

Proper?

Besides they did. After fielding final yr’s all-time nice protection, Georgia as soon as once more ranks No. 1 nationally with fewest factors allowed.

Whether or not it’s recruiting, efficiency or the event of unheralded recruits like Ladd McConkey and Stetson Bennett, Sensible has his program getting one of the best returns of any within the nation.

Stetson Bennett is a Georgia Corridor of Famer, possibly its greatest QB

Expectations of Stetson Bennett had been onerous to pin down for his super-senior season. However he’s surpassed most real looking projections. He’s among the many nation’s leaders in passing yardage, even with a few low passing video games to shut out the season, and he’s obtained this offense enjoying at a top-tier stage.

The knocks on Bennett are well-known: his measurement and his arm power. However not as soon as this season have followers clamored for his job like they did in 2021. He has performed like one of many nation’s greatest and has risen up the all-time Georgia passing ranks.

If he can lead the crew to a different nationwide title he might need a declare to the title of high Dawg, all-time, below heart.

Positive, Matthew Stafford has gone on to an ideal NFL careers. Sure, Aaron Murray has all of the crew data (and fairly a number of within the SEC). However contemplating Bennett’s origins, a second ring positively places him within the dialog.

Dawgs’ protection stays the nation’s greatest …

It’s already been mentioned however bears repeating: Georgia remains to be one of the best protection in America.

It isn’t excellent. It’s not almost as dominant because it was a yr in the past. It has shortcomings in its go rush. However total, from a consistency standpoint, no different unit compares.

The emergence of Jalen Carter, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Christopher Smith and Malaki Starks, amongst others, has powered this group. It’s an enormous motive Georgia shall be favored to win the remainder of its video games.

… however they’re greater than only a defensive powerhouse

However that’s not the one motive. Georgia isn’t a crew that merely suffocates its opponents. The offense is an equal accomplice.

Heading into yesterday’s sport, Georgia was ranked No. 11 in scoring, No. 27 in speeding, No. 12 in passing and No. 6 in whole offense. Within the absence of a real possession extensive receiver the Dawgs have been artistic in how they get explosive performs. They’ve used Kenny McIntosh within the passing sport. They’ve used Brock Bowers within the operating sport. They’ve let Bennett use his legs, they usually’ve expanded the position of McConkey.

It’s secure to say that Georgia has constructed a crew that may win a low-scoring grinder or an up-tempo barnburner.

SEC East enhancing however Georgia nonetheless clearly tops

It’s most likely not but correct to say any crew has “closed the hole” on Georgia within the Southeastern Convention’s East division. That mentioned, there actually has been sufficient enchancment to make this a extra aggressive division within the subsequent few years.

Tennessee has had a improbable season. It’s going to look much less spectacular than it might have by season’s finish, however what the Vols did for 10 weeks established them as a contender within the coming years.

How about South Carolina? Wins towards top-10 groups in its last 2 common season video games. Missouri isn’t nice – and even good – however it’s improved, and gave Georgia a tough time. Even Vanderbilt seemed extra aggressive at instances than it has in recent times.

That the division appears prefer it’s on the upswing. However no crew is near Georgia proper now. At this second, it appears just like the Dawgs have the identical type of stranglehold on the East that Alabama has had on the West for the previous decade.

Dawgs’ file is ideal, however the crew shouldn’t be

There’s been plenty of reward for this crew however in reality the Dawgs do have points. They may preserve them from successful back-to-back titles.

Regardless of an ideal file, there have been instances when Georgia would hurt itself with turnovers. The minus-2 margin ranks 85^th within the nation and is one thing to watch within the remaining video games.

The Dawgs have simply 18 sacks – only one.5 a sport – and rank No. 99 within the class nationally. Sure it’s true that not all strain leads to sacks, however that is nonetheless an imperfection for an in any other case stellar protection.

On offense Georgia is No. 1 nationally in red-zone conversions, scoring on almost 97 p.c of drives that get contained in the 20-yard line. However on landing proportion within the pink zone, although, the Dawgs convert at about 65 p.c, No. 51 nationally.

So, nearly as good as this crew is, there are some areas of concern.

Kenny McIntosh extra than simply third man

Again to the reward …

McIntosh has had a improbable yr. After his 86 yards and 1 landing speeding towards Georgia Tech on Saturday, he now has 654 yards and eight scores on the bottom. However his contributions within the passing sport have been most spectacular.

He started the season by main the crew in receiving yards in every of the primary two video games. In opposition to the Yellow Jackets, he had a reception that went for 83 yards. In whole he has 437 receiving yards, giving him by far essentially the most all-purpose yards on the crew.

After years of seeing McIntosh has the operating again who would spell Zamir White and James Cook dinner, it’s been enjoyable to see him enter the highlight and present why he’s such a harmful participant for opposing defenses.

Is “dynasty” subsequent “D” phrase related to Georgia

The final takeaway is the largest. And it’s nonetheless a little bit of a “what if.”

There are video games to be performed, performs to made, trophies to pursue. But when – if – Georgia can end the job in the middle of 3 postseason video games, the opposite “D” phrase dialogue can start.

The final crew to win back-to-back nationwide championships was Alabama in 2011 and 2012, and it helped launch one of many best dynasties faculty sports activities has identified. Georgia has an opportunity to place itself in that unique group. A second consecutive title would provide an opportunity to be the primary crew within the trendy period to go back-to-back-to-back – it’s all on the desk proper now for the Dawgs.

Keep tuned.