Georgia Football: Sunday thoughts after Georgia crushes Ole Miss

Georgia football is your SEC East champion in 2023. The Dawgs had the East clinched before they even walked onto the field Saturday, as Missouri crushed Tennessee. But that did not affect their play, as they demolished Ole Miss 52-17.

Many thought this game would be tighter, given that Vegas set the point spread at 10.5. Early on, it looked like a back-and-forth shootout. But then the Dawgs’ defense, like always, made in-game adjustments and shut down the Rebels’ explosive offense.

You can have whatever opinion on the CFP rankings and your thoughts on who the best team is. The Dawgs are the best team in the country. If that upsets you, I’m sorry, but it is the truth. Michigan is not beating Georgia, nor is Ohio State. The more I watch each week, the more I am convinced the Dawgs will win yet another title. It will be hard to beat them because the Dawgs do not beat themselves.

The SEC Championship looks like a goliath of a title game. Alabama is the second-best team in the country. The Tide have only improved as the season has gone along. I’ve wanted Georgia to play Alabama all year because if the Dawgs go out there and win (they should), I do not want to hear one word from Alabama fans. There are two things: the University of Alabama is elite at football and what-ifs.

But back to the game. It can easily be lost on fans, but this time period of Georgia football is historic. I remember when the lights were the brightest in Athens, the Dawgs would embarrass themselves in front of the country. Those days are long gone; they now embarrass teams with hope and dreams.

We are living in the glory days. It will all end one day, much like it did for Clemson. But for now, I will enjoy every moment of it. Kirby Smart and company love it when the spotlight is on this Georgia program, and nights like last night make you feel lucky you were born a Georgia Bulldog. Having all those former players and celebrities on the sideline is pretty cool.

The coolest moment I saw was on Twitter. During Sanford’s 4th quarter light-up, you could see Stetson Bennett and Jordan Davis soaking it all in. I got a little teary-eyed watching that video. I cannot say enough about how special the University of Georgia is. I know I am an alum, so I am biased, but what a special place.

Now to the football. Georgia had one of its best nights offensively. I don’t know what is wrong with Bobo. He only schemed up 600 yards! Why not 1,000 yards? That is sarcasm for the folks who are a little slower on humor. But I think those complaining about Bobo at the start of the year need to apologize.

Carson Beck might be a special quarterback. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he might be in NYC for the Heisman ceremony. Beck passed for 306 yards, two touchdowns, and completed 18 out of 25 passing attempts. The guy is in complete control of this offense. Beck is highly confident and in control of the whole operation. But your job is much easier when you have Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey. 

Both had great nights, and both Bowers and McConkey had touchdowns. The Dawgs’ offense looks like it is rounding into shape, with Bowers, McConkey, and Mims all getting healthy. This offense could also be deadly, with Rara Thomas and Dominic Lovett being in the mix. There is a plethora of excellent receivers. I am excited to see what this offense can do as the Dawgs march to the CFP playoffs.

Look out if the Dawgs can stay healthy up front and if Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards can stay healthy. Milton had one of his best nights as a Georgia Bulldog. Milton had only nine carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Daijun Edwards had another great game running the ball. Edwards had 12 carries, gained 59 yards, and scored two touchdowns. Georgia ran for 300 yards! Unbelievable job by the big boys up front. Also, the O-line did not give up a single sack. It was just a great night, all for the offense.

Defensively, the Dawgs played lights out after the 1st quarter. I do not know what it is about this defense’s opening drives, but we might as well spot any team we play for 7 points to start the game. The Dawgs shut down the Rebels and, more importantly, shut down the run game in the second quarter. Quinshon Judkins only had 75 yards on 22 carries. Judkins only averaged 3.4 carries per attempt.

Most of the yards Ole Miss gained were in garbage time. Ole Miss probably had about 200 yards of offense when Kirby called off the dawgs (pun intended). It was one of the best performances by the defense in a while. I am excited to see what the Dawgs defense can do going forward. C.J. Allen is also a ball player and reminds me of a young Roquan Smith. So, I am extremely high on the guy.

It was a great day to be a Dawg. Georgia had a great win over a top-10 team. Georgia has a long way to go to do what it wants. But for now, it is the best team in college football. It will be hard to beat this team, and if you want to beat Georgia, you will have to play perfectly. There isn’t a team out there right now that can do that.

It is now Tennessee hate week, and let’s be honest, it is not that hard to hate them. So, let us all put our collective energy into beating (hating) the Vols.