No. 6 Georgia clinches SEC East with statement win over No. 9 Kentucky
Georgia is head and shoulders above everyone else in the SEC East.
The No. 6 Bulldogs wrapped up the division with a convincing win 34-17 over No. 9 Kentucky on Saturday and has nearly a month to prepare for a second consecutive SEC championship game.
Running back D’Andre Swift broke the game open with an 83-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Georgia was up 21-3 at that point but Swift’s score made it a four-possession game. And against a Kentucky offense that is not exactly explosive, the touchdown was more than enough for the winning margin.
Kentucky had been ranked in the top 10 of the first College Football Playoff rankings because of its defense. That defense couldn’t do it all again on Saturday. Georgia had two touchdown drives of over 70 yards in the first half as the offense could only muster a field goal.
The Bulldogs ran for over 300 yards as Kentucky and running back Benny Snell couldn’t break 100. Georgia averaged nearly seven yards a carry and scored three rushing touchdowns against a defense that entered the game giving up just 3.3 yards per carry.
No one came close to Georgia
Want to know why Georgia is clearly the best team in the SEC East? Take a look at the scores of its games against teams within the division. The closest game was 14 points.
Georgia 41, South Carolina 17
Georgia 43, Missouri 29
Georgia 38, Tennesse 12
Georgia 41, Vanderbilt 13
Georgia 36, Florida 17
Georgia 34, Kentucky 17
But the SEC East title is simply the first step in the journey back to the College Football Playoff. This Georgia team isn’t perfect and it’s not as good as it was last year. But it’s still damn good.
The Georgia win also presents a potential quandary for the CFP committee. If No. 3 LSU loses to No. 1 Alabama like most expect, does Georgia move ahead of the Tigers? LSU handed Georgia its only loss of the season in a 36-16 game in October. LSU would have two losses, perhaps allowing Georgia to leapfrog the Tigers.
And with games against Auburn, UMass, and Georgia Tech remaining, the Bulldogs have a great chance to move to 11-1 before the end of the regular season. A win in the SEC championship game would undoubtedly mean another playoff berth.
– – – – – – –
Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Kershaw staying in L.A., but how long will he stay elite?
• Report: Rangers turn to Dodgers for new managerial hire
• Cavs All-Star Love to miss at least six weeks after foot surgery
• Tebow rips Maryland for not standing by Durkin decision
