Tonight, college football crowns a new champion. Georgia’s reign will officially end when the clock strikes zeroes in Houston. Before Michigan or Washington stake their claim as the new championsions of college football, let’s take a moment to reflect on Georgia’s Back-to-Back National Championships.
Reflecting on Georgia’s Back-to-Back National Championships
2021 The First Championship
41 years. How many jokes did Georgia fans have to suffer through? After a slow start against Clemson, Georgia kicked it into high gear, finishing the regular season 12-0. Georgia entered the SEC Championship against their old enemy, the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide stampeded to a 41-24 victory, breaking the hearts and hopes of the Bulldog Nation. Georgia had their chances, having four drives go inside Alabama’s red zone, but unfortunately, they only came away with 10 points. Kirby Smart set the tone for the team after the game. “I’m disappointed with how we played. For the most part, this year, we’ve executed well. We didn’t execute well tonight, which had much to do with them. So give Alabama credit, and we have much to work on.”
Despite that setback, Georgia snagged the #3 spot in the College Football Playoff, where they went up against Michigan in the Orange Bowl. Georgia came out fired up and determined. The Bulldogs dominated the Wolverines, scoring seemingly whenever they wanted, causing three turnovers, and only letting Michigan score a garbage-time touchdown. In the end, Georgia secured a dominating 33-11 victory. The win gave Georgia a shot at redemption against Alabama.
Unlike the earlier SEC Championship clash, the National Championship game was a real nail-biter. The teams were evenly matched, trading blows throughout the first three quarters. But then, things took a familiar yet unfortunate turn for Georgia when, in the fourth quarter, a fumble by Stetson Bennett led to Alabama scoring a touchdown, putting them ahead 18-13.
However, Bennett or Georgia didn’t let the fumble get to them. On the next drive, Bennett went 3-3 and connected with receiver Adonai Mitchell for a 40-yard touchdown on 2nd-and-18, putting Georgia back in the lead for good. The momentum continued as Brock Bowers scored a 15-yard touchdown on the following drive. To seal the deal and secure the championship, Kelee Ringo made an iconic 79-yard interception return for a touchdown. The drought was over; the Dawgs were champions.
Kirby Smart's reaction to the Dawgs' pick-six is amazing 😄 pic.twitter.com/QEVnj72HKg
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2022
2022 A Historic Run
Smart set the tone for Dawg Nation and his team in his post-game comments after the National Championship game. “I just hope they remember this feeling and understand they don’t need to get spoiled; they need to stay hungry like these players.”The 2022 season was iconic. Georgia set the tone of domination in its opening game against former Defensive Coordinator and Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions to cruise to a 49-3 win.
Outside of a minor scare in Columbia, Missouri, Georgia dominated their non-conference and SEC play to earn their way back to the SEC Championship and face the LSU Tigers. LSU was flying high on offense with Jayden Daniels under first-year head coach Brian Kelly. Georgia had little problem scoring on offense, but one got a sense they had to keep scoring to keep the Tiger offense at bay. Jalen Carter highlighted the season and Georgia’s dominance in the SEC with his sack of Daniels.
So, Jalen Carter lifted Jayden Daniels with one arm and threw up the No. 1 😂 pic.twitter.com/qJm4UgGw7V
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 3, 2022
The real test of Georgia’s chance at repeating came in its semifinal win over Ohio State in the Peach Bowl. Georgia outscored the Buckeyes 18-3 in the fourth quarter to erase a 14-point deficit heading into the game’s final frame. The game’s final play was iconic and set the tone for the national championship. The Ohio State kicker missed a field goal wide left, securing Georgia’s win. The kick fell to the ground as the clock struck midnight, ringing in the New Year. Just like midnight ended Cinderella’s night, Georgia crushed TCU 65-7 in the national championship game to end the Hypnotoad’s Cinderella season.
2023 A Pause and a New Beginning
The 2023 season wasn’t supposed to end in Miami Gardens in the Orange Bowl. Georgia carried a 29-game winning streak into the SEC Championship but could not find their way out of behind again to defeat Alabama. It wasn’t enjoyable for Georgia’s team and its fans. The staying power and culture of Georgia showed up in the Orange Bowl. When most teams had to deal with opt-outs, Georgia’s players returned for one last ride and made a statement. The statement set the tone for the 2024 season. Georgia isn’t going anywhere, and they expect to be in the thick of it for the SEC and national championship. So, while Dawg Nation may be sad, the streak is over. The best is yet to come for Smart and the Bulldogs.
