To the regular eye, the Georgia Bulldogs are the SEC Champions for the second year in a row. Georgia not only secured back-to-back championships, but they also defeated what has seemingly been their kryptonite in Alabama by three touchdowns.
While many fans see this as Georgia's present success, it might speak more on the future of the SEC and Georgia than one might think.
SEC Championship could hint at continued Georgia domination
Georgia just won the SEC Championship by the largest margin of victory since LSU beat the Bulldogs in 2019. Keep in mind, that LSU team had one of, if not the greatest offenses in college football history. Georgia also has a significantly younger team this season than LSU did. In fact, Georgia has the second youngest roster in the SEC with 70 percent of their players being either freshmen or sophomores. Think about that. One of the youngest teams in the conference just routed the Crimson Tide.
The Bulldogs also faced significant turnover heading into this season. Georgia had to start a new quarterback in Gunner Stockton and lost their two most productive pass rushers in Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams. Most teams however, like LSU in 2019, had success with experienced rosters.
Typically, after the season is over, those players are lost to the NFL and create some of the biggest draft classes ever. LSU had a record-breaking class that season with 13 players selected. Georgia in 2022, Ohio State last year, Michigan in 2024 were all examples of huge draft classes that came after a championship season.
The difference? Georgia only has two players currently projected to be first round selections. They are expected to have one of their smallest draft classes in recent memory. This team is going to grow more than they already have. Players like Ellis Robinson who have seen tremendous growth over the season are only going to get better. Stockton still has another year of eligibility with Georgia as well.
Winning an SEC Championship in back-to-back seasons is very impressive and worth mentioning. However, winning a championship in dominant fashion with one of the youngest teams in the country is terrifying for every other team in the conference.