Georgia makes a loud statement (college football winners and losers)

There was one, single thread running almost uninterrupted through all of last season. It started on Labor Day weekend when Georgia smothered a brand-name opponent in an NFC South stadium.

[{"selector":"#anim-f9467c87-e996-45a6-81ba-3dd527048a7a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f64db9f0-fb03-4c33-a747-f7c45ce9b4e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-94937bab-50c9-4766-b788-bc536f034ab0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

It continued until January with only one hiccup along the way — against a team the Bulldogs later clubbed to win the national title.

[{"selector":"#anim-992bd216-588e-43eb-9ccd-5c27b866744b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4e4d317-715d-458d-afec-98c1cc7c68b8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bc8cdd0d-702e-4d18-8194-431b1680efdb","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Georgia’s defense was not just a sure thing in 2021. It was The Sure Thing. And after Saturday? Sure, things look about the same.

[{"selector":"#anim-ab5388b7-5ecb-4edb-b6ba-5b572d9073a4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8b6a35d0-1085-40a8-9885-95baed513260","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-96c774bf-215b-4823-90e2-929fd43f9b41","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The Bulldogs did just about everything right in a 49-3 rout of Oregon, a team coached by former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.

[{"selector":"#anim-b3e09199-872a-459a-bc80-77de748b7bf3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45f7b4fc-a84b-424d-8ec1-3f0f8487e6bb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cb349034-669f-4cb7-8977-572e24694e9c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

If anyone was going to have a notion of what was awaiting in Atlanta, it was the guy who would have been on the Bulldogs’ sideline a year ago.

[{"selector":"#anim-9c4023ec-7cb2-493c-9327-89088bdcb72f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1e5716d8-2570-4b5d-9ec5-a58760bed6fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6431b0c8-d8e3-4006-8a20-754f4785a86b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

It was hardly a defense-only effort. Georgia scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions. Stetson Bennett IV threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs averaged 9.2 yards a play, and they went 9-for-10 on third down.

[{"selector":"#anim-94cc72b7-114d-4b97-a3b9-07e5f341b31d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-40812b7c-4e05-42a0-83b6-1f207a7089d1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e49eb8d-8272-4cb6-ac44-dccb6090fa15","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Still, Oregon managed a mere field goal, and padded its yardage total into semi-respectable territory (313 yards) with a 100-yard fourth quarter

[{"selector":"#anim-458cbbb0-c45a-4fe3-b831-3cb92173432f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28e573b8-8d31-422c-a6e6-b644cdc3df4b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d042017d-b998-4ce3-bbdd-7a4239acff26","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]