What about Georgia? Bulldogs' title reign might be over, but the dynasty is still alive

In all the hue and cry over Florida State’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff (and Alabama’s inclusion), all the murmurings of dark conspiracies, all the theatrical displays of disgust and all the empty, pandering threats to bring Congress and the courts into the mix, there was one aspect of the entire fray that went all but unnoticed.

Seriously, did everyone just forget about Georgia?

When Alabama outlasted Georgia 27-24 on Saturday in the SEC championship, the Tide apparently didn’t just beat the Dawgs; they flat-out vaporized them, like Thanos snapping his fingers. How else to explain the fact that Georgia just vanished from the playoff conversation?

Look, the playoff selection ship hasn’t just sailed. It’s well over the horizon at this point, so any more argument is both pointless and silly. But “pointless and silly” is college football’s guiding ethos, so let’s dive in anyway.

Georgia came within a few games of achieving a feat not done in nearly 90 years: a college football three-peat. Before Saturday, Georgia had gone two entire years without losing a game, an astonishing testament to the excellence that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has instilled up and down the line. But past performance doesn’t factor into the committee’s decision — or, well, shouldn’t — so let’s focus on the facts at hand.

Although Alabama seemed to be in control of the SEC championship after Georgia’s first possession, the Dawgs kept it a whole lot closer than it felt. Three separate times, Georgia was down 10 points, and three separate times, the Dawgs rallied to close the gap. After the game, Smart lobbied for what he already knew in his heart was a fruitless endeavor.

“You’re going to tell me somebody sitting in that committee room and doesn't think that that Georgia team is not one of the best four teams, I don't know if they're in the right profession, 'cause it's a really good football team,” he said. "It's a really talented football team. It's a really balanced football team.”

You know what happened next. The College Football Playoff committee showed its hand when it ranked Florida State over Georgia.

“You look at what we've done this season,” Smart said, “to go on the road, the teams we beat, the teams that are in the top 20 that we were able to beat ...” Yeah, we’re going to stop right there, coach, because numbers and facts didn’t really matter in the final rankings. Hell, if we’re throwing undefeated teams over the side now, you could manufacture a strong argument that Georgia is better than Michigan and Washington, but heaven knows that wasn’t happening.

Shortly after the SEC championship loss, Smart indicated that Georgia is already on to next season. There’s no reason to expect that Georgia will pull a Cincinnati or TCU and fade after a stint at the top. Even without the expanded playoff, Georgia would still be a national title favorite next season.

“We play Alabama next year, I think early in the season [Sept. 28 in Tuscaloosa],” he said, “so we’re coming in to grade the film, evaluate, see what we can do better and different. The coaches will have to get on the road and go recruiting.”

Georgia already has a decisive win on the recruiting trail; Rivals ranks the Dawgs’ 2024 class No. 1 in the nation, with three five-stars and 28 total commits already on the books. Georgia has verbal commitments from incoming freshmen Dylan Raiola, the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2024 and No. 2 player overall, and Ellis Robinson, the No. 1 cornerback and No. 8 overall.

The Bulldogs have used the transfer portal sparingly in the past, mainly because they’ve been able to backfill losses and injuries with talent already on hand. Quarterback Brock Vandagriff has entered the portal, seeing the writing on the wall — between incumbent QB Carson Beck and the five-star Raiola, there simply wasn’t enough room for him.

There’s one task left for Georgia in 2023: an Orange Bowl date with, of all teams, Florida State. Georgia is favored by 14 points, which seems odd for a team the committee ranked behind — aw, forget it, it’s done.

On Sunday afternoon, while speaking alongside Florida State head coach Mike Norvell at an Orange Bowl media call that had the feel of a hostage video, Smart aired one last grievance before turning his grievance into motivation.

“I personally feel like we deserved to be in,” he said. “We've got a really good football team, and we're considered No. 1 in the country all year, then fail. We have a hornet's nest around here, too, of players that are disappointed.”

Soon enough, they’ll get their chance to set things right, first with Alabama and later with the rest of college football. The Dawgs aren’t anywhere close to done.