Has anyone considered what would happen if David’s one stone missed the forehead of Goliath? Even those who haven’t spent time in the Bible have been inundated with this underdog story. And who among us doesn’t enjoy a great underdog story? Well, in this national championship game, we all got a 4K view of what happens 99 out of 100 times when Goliath and David meet on a football field. The Bulldogs were the best team all season, and they left no doubt against an overmatch Horned Frog squad. Georgia repeats as national champions by a score of 65-7
Georgia Repeats With Relative Ease
Coming into the game, the on-paper talent advantage was highly in favor of the Georgia Bulldogs. That blue-chip talent advantage was on full display early and often against TCU. Defensively, Georgia was suffocating. TCU wanted to duplicate the same tempo LSU and Ohio State had been successful with against Georgia in the last two games. The problem is a team can’t establish tempo if they don’t get first downs. TCU only ran 26 plays on seven drives in the first half.
Duggan and TCU never looked comfortable. On their lone touchdown drive in the first half, it was set up by a blown coverage and a 60-yard completion from Duggan to Derius Davis. Duggan was limited to just 14-for-22 passing for 152 yards, two interceptions, and only one touchdown rushing. Future NFL wideout Quentin Johnston’s best play was being a decoy on Davis’ longest reception. He only had one reception for three yards on three targets.
Bulldog Offensive Physically Imposing
And while TCU has dealt with half-time deficits multiple times this year, the depth of the hole they had dug themselves was roughly the size of the Mariana trench. That’s also equally in part because the 3-3-5 defense of TCU offered zero resistance to the Bulldog offense. Georgia constantly re-established the line of scrimmage two-to-three yards down the field on every running play. Quarterback Stetson Bennett’s jersey was just as clean after the game as it was pre-game. With no pressure all night, Bennett stuffed the stat sheet in his final season as the greatest Georgia quarterback of all time.
Bennett finished 18-for-25 passing for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also added 39 rushing yards on three carries and two touchdowns. Tight End Brock Bowers had an absolute field day against Horned Frogs. Bowers had seven receptions for 152 yards and one touchdown. By the way, he has to come back for one more year of college football as he is only a true sophomore.
It Was Fun TCU
The story of the 2023 Hypno Toads was a fun ride for college football fans (outside of Big 12 opponents and Michigan). Sonny Dykes took over this TCU program coming into this year with mild expectations at best. Just look back at where they were selected to finish in the Big 12 preseason media poll. Their starting quarterback, Max Duggan, could not even win the job out of fall camp. And yet, here they found themselves, playing for a national championship. TCU suffered the soul-crushing conferee shower of red and black as the clock struck zero at SoFi stadium. But this team will eventually get back to Fort Worth. And when they do, TCU fans, celebrate this season as one of the best in program history. It ended with a sour taste, but it doesn’t take away from what this team achieved.
The Dawgs Are Now College Football’s New Standard
But this night was all about the Dawgs. Georgia repeats as national champions, are 29-1 in their last 30 games, and will now wear the new title. Oftentimes, struggling programs after winning the first game in forever, the television broadcast will find the ironic sign that an overly ambitious fan scribbled on a poster “We Want Bama.” Sometimes, the crowds will even chant it. It is now time for those unoriginal college students to update those posters with “We Want Georgia.”
Kirby Smart’s team became the first team to repeat as national champions in the playoff era. Since 2017, the Bulldogs have never lost more than two games in a season. This isn’t an indication that Nick Saban and the Tide are “done.” But the reality is two consecutive playoff titles earn any team the top spot in this sport. And once a team climbs to that mountain top, they get to hold it until someone knocks them off.
