I have no idea if this Georgia team is going to Atlanta, making the College Football Playoff, or playing for a national title. I’m also not sure I care yet. Four games into the season, I know one thing: this team is ridiculously fun to watch.
Georgia is 4-0 after beating Oklahoma 41-13, but the path there hasn’t felt sterile or predictable -- anything but.
There have been explosive plays, defensive touchdowns, special teams touchdowns, young players emerging, offensive weirdness, and moments when the Bulldogs look unstoppable -- followed by stretches when they look absolutely mortal.
It's been a hell of a ride, and we haven't even gotten to the teeth of the schedule yet.
If the Top 25 rankings were based on entertainment value, Georgia would be a consensus No. 1
This Georgia team can beat you in ways you don’t see coming.
Chris Cole scooping up a fumble and sprinting 85 yards for a touchdown against Oklahoma is the perfect example. Georgia’s defense has already scored twice this season, and special teams has added a touchdown too.
Then you’ve got Talyn Taylor ripping off explosive catches, Dwight Phillips Jr. breaking a 54-yard touchdown run, Chauncey Bowens being unstoppable when he smells the end zone, and Gunner Stockton making plays with both his arm and mobility.
And the physicality may be at its highest level seen during the Kirby Smart era. You may not be hearing the regular mentions of bona fide first-round NFL-caliber players, but these young Bulldogs are ferocious -- one might even say...savage.
The imperfections actually make this Georgia team more enjoyable
This Georgia team isn't flawless, not in the least. But something interesting and unexpected is always threatening to happen.
Georgia scored 41 against the Sooners and still left us wondering what Mike Bobo was doing in the third quarter. Gunner Stockton can look sharp and then miss throws. The running game can disappear and then suddenly produce a 54-yard touchdown.
That uncertainty is keeping me engaged -- and wreaking havoc with my blood pressure. Maybe Georgia should provide free Lisinopril with game tickets.
There have been Georgia teams where the only real question by halftime was whether the Bulldogs would win by 24 or 31. Sure, that's comfortable. But this team feels more like, "What are they going to do next?"
That’s fun. And so are the personalities
Gunner Stockton attempting to prove that he's been overlooked in the national discussion of top quarterbacks, without losing his everyman, Joe-the-quarterback persona. His trademark toughness has already been on display.
Talyn Taylor emerging as a genuine explosive threat, becoming that guy who can take the top off a defense, and who Stockton can just put it near him and know he'll win the battle. The receiving room has been deep from the beginning; Georgia had 15 different players catch passes in the opener, with five different receivers scoring touchdowns.
Dwight Phillips Jr. flashing game-breaking ability. Chris Cole turning into the next big defensive star playmaker. Raylen Wilson becoming the big sack threat on the team. The list just never ends.
And that's the beauty of it. You don’t need one superstar carrying the entertainment value.
Georgia doesn’t need to look like the old Georgia to be worth enjoying
Georgia fans naturally compare every Kirby Smart team to his national championship teams. Does the defense look like 2021? Is the offense as efficient as 2022? Is this roster as talented? Can the Dawgs go undefeated again?
But maybe that’s the wrong way to experience this season. This team doesn’t have to resemble Georgia’s most dominant teams to be enjoyable on its own terms.
There’s a little more mess ... a little more volatility ... a few more moments that make you yell at the television ... more opportunities to spill your drink or drop your food.
Maybe Georgia wins the SEC. Maybe the Bulldogs make another deep playoff run. Maybe this team eventually runs into somebody who exposes every flaw we’ve already seen. With the upcoming schedule, we're sure to find out.
But college football seasons are too short to spend every Saturday worrying about where they end. Right now, Georgia is unbeaten, explosive, imperfect, occasionally maddening, and almost never boring.
I don’t know how far this team is going. I just know I’m having a hell of a lot of fun watching it get there.
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