Saturday went almost perfectly for Georgia. Sure, the Bulldogs probably would have preferred beating Vanderbilt by 40 points and possibly holding them to just a field goal.
But if Kirby Smart could have designed the perfect Saturday to prepare his team for a trip to Alabama, what actually happened might not have been far from that perfection.
Georgia won comfortably without playing comfortably. Alabama went into Starkville and looked every bit like the team everyone expects Georgia to have trouble beating in Tuscaloosa. In other words, Georgia received a warning while Alabama received validation.
That's not a bad combination one week before the Bulldogs try to do something they haven't done since 2007.
The absolute last thing Georgia needed was an angry Alabama team
The way Mississippi State and quarterback Kamario Taylor had been playing, particularly at home in Starkville, there were some sideways glances at Alabama, hinting that the Tide could suffer their first upset of the year.
That was not what Georgia fans or the team should have wanted.
Georgia did not need Alabama coming off a road upset, pissed off and with a gigantic chip on their shoulders shaped like a red Power G. That kind of Alabama team is the most difficult to face, whether under Nick Saban or Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide do not lose consecutive games, particularly after an upset.
Thankfully, Taylor showed that he actually is human and the Bulldogs from East Mississippi had some flaws exposed. Alabama rolled to an easy win in Starkville.
But just imagine the alternative.
Mississippi State upsets Alabama in Starkville. Suddenly, Alabama's unbeaten season is gone. Everyone spends the week questioning the Tide. DeBoer has every motivational button imaginable to push and is once again under fire.
Then Georgia walks into Bryant-Denny Stadium against a team playing like its season depends on the next four quarters (and it very well may have)
No thanks.
Let Alabama spend the next seven days hearing how good they looked. Let Vegas favor the home team on Saturday. Georgia doesn't need Alabama angry; it needs Alabama comfortable.
Georgia didn't need another game that made it feel invincible
Through the first four weeks, Georgia went from "a good team that hasn't played anybody" to "the most complete team in the country" after decimating their first four opponents. Smart preaches, "Don't listen to how good people say you are," but you know those kids have to feel it.
Imagine coming out of Week 5 with a 45-3 win or worse against Vanderbilt.
You'd have an undefeated Georgia team going to Tuscaloosa after consecutive blowouts, hearing all week about how dominant it is, and probably believing it. They've walked into a buzzsaw against Alabama before while feeling 10 feet tall and bulletproof, and came out riddled with holes.
But instead, Vanderbilt made Georgia work. Not incredibly hard, but the Bulldogs hardly cruised.
The Commodores actually outgained Georgia in the first half, stayed within one score at halftime, and found vulnerabilities in Georgia's defense. Then Georgia responded by holding Vanderbilt to just 59 yards after halftime and pulling away to what looks on paper to be an easy victory.
It wasn't.
Smart doesn't have to invent problems or adversity this week, because Vanderbilt gave him plenty of film to point at. But he also doesn't have to rebuild his team's confidence because Georgia still won by 24 points.
Vanderbilt gave Kirby Smart exactly the ammunition he loves
Kirby is famous for finding motivational material. This week he barely needs to look.
The secondary had problems; Vanderbilt hit a 60-yard touchdown pass; tackling was sloppy. A backup quarterback created some issues with his legs, and Georgia didn't completely take control until the second half.
And yet the Bulldogs still amassed 471 yards, 26 first downs, and scored on six meaningful possessions. So now, Smart gets to deliver the message, "You're good enough to beat people by 24 when you're imperfect. You're not good enough to be this imperfect in Tuscaloosa."
That will hit and stick.
Meanwhile, Alabama gets to hear how scary Alabama looks again.
Alabama just went on the road against a ranked, previously unbeaten Mississippi State team and scored 56 points.
Keelon Russell looked good... really good. Better than he has all season (and he's looked pretty damn good all season). The Bama offense generated 483 yards. The defense got after the quarterback. Alabama scored exactly two touchdowns in every quarter
That's going to generate a very different week of conversation than an upset loss would have. There will be confidence oozing from that Alabama locker room. They'll hit the field at Bryant-Denny with the same (over?)confidence Georgia might have had with an uncontested blowout win in Week 5.
Georgia should want to walk into Tuscaloosa as the team with something to prove
Georgia is No. 2 and undefeated, and if Alabama ends up being favored at home it will give Smart another little psychological gift: Either way, Georgia gets to walk into Tuscaloosa as Georgia without having to carry itself like invincible Georgia.
The Bulldogs can embrace being the team people aren't entirely sure about and the team that many will doubt. Georgia doesn't need to be told it's the best team in the country this week. They might be better off spending seven days hearing that Alabama is even better than Texas and Georgia.
Georgia hasn't won in Tuscaloosa since 2007. That's almost hard to believe, considering what Georgia has become under Smart. So this is the Dawgs' chance to knock down one of the few walls left standing from the pre-Kirby era.
Maybe Alabama's rout of Mississippi State means exactly what it looked like. Maybe the Crimson Tide really are hitting another gear at exactly the right time. And maybe some of the problems Vanderbilt exposed will follow Georgia to Tuscaloosa.
But Saturday still gave Georgia something valuable.
The Bulldogs were reminded that they aren't invincible, without having to suffer the consequences of a loss. Alabama left Starkville looking every bit like the Alabama the nation is used to seeing. And now Georgia gets a week to hear about how difficult winning in Tuscaloosa is going to be.
Good.
Let Alabama feel good about itself. Let Georgia hear about everything it did wrong against Vanderbilt. Let the Bulldogs walk into Bryant-Denny with something to prove.
The table couldn't have been set much better for Georgia to finally do something it hasn't done in almost 20 years.
Win in Alabama's home stadium.
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