Georgia Football: Remember, one game doesn’t define your season

Georgia fans, take a moment and remember, we’ve felt like this before, sure it wasn’t in the SEC title game, but still.

Leaving Jordan Hare Stadium on November 11, 2017, it felt the dream season had ended. Georgia was No.1 in the country, and Auburn had already lost earlier in the season.

The Dawgs came into the Auburn game as a 2.5 point favorite. When it was over, Georgia would lose 40-17 — getting dominated after jumping to an early lead.

Sound familiar? Early lead against a one-loss SEC team, then getting smashed for the rest of the game? Well, we saw it last night against Alabama. Just like that cold night in 2017, last night felt like the season was over.

Georgia football knows one game won’t define its season.

There are other similarities to note between these two games. Georgia fans are not feeling too good after the beat down by Alabama. Trust us, we get it, but it’s important to point out why losing the SEC Championship does not end or define the season.

Let’s go back in time to that Auburn game. Georgia got the ball and drove right down the field, and punched in a touchdown for a 7-0 lead.

After that, Auburn would turn it up and shut Georgia’s vaunted rushing attack away. The Dawgs had a three-headed monster at running back in Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and Deandre Swift, who would combine for 66 yards on 24 carries.

In this year’s SEC Championship, Georgia would jump out to a 10-0 lead. Once Georgia got their first touchdown, Alabama flipped a switch. This season’s rushing attack was the Georgia defense.

Alabama destroyed it. The Tide gained 536 yards on Georgia. The Tide scored 41 points on a defense that only allowed an average of 6.9 points all season.

The loss to Alabama does not mean Georgia’s defense is overrated, just like the loss to Auburn didn’t mean the rushing attack was. In 2017 Georgia got a second chance to prove that it was not who they were.

The 2017 SEC Championship would be Georgia’s chance. In the rematch with Auburn, Chubb, Michel, and Swift would combine for 210 yards on 27 carries.

Georgia would blow Auburn out, winning 28-7 — leaving Mercedes Benz Stadium that night nobody was thinking about November. Nobody thought Georgia’s rushing attack was a fraud. They got another round and answered the bell.

Fast forward to now — Georgia fans, we are feeling pretty low. The media and other fanbases will now say the Georgia defense is overrated. They will try to convince us that Georgia is a fraud. All I can say is they better hope Georgia does not get that second chance.

The past has shown one game does not make you who you are.

Eating a big ole slice of humble pie can be good for you. Georgia did not eat humble pie against Alabama. Instead, the Tide shoved it down the Dawgs’ throats, which is OK too. Now,  we have a month to hear how bad the Dawgs are.

We all want one more second chance, and the Dawgs could get it, but first, Michigan is up, and it’s a prime opportunity to prove to the world that Alabama and Georgia are the two best teams and deserve to be in the title game.