As Nina Simone famously sang, “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day….” The lyric continues to say, “And I’m feeling good”; however, a majority of college football fans beg to differ.
Today the College Football Playoff announced the expansion to 24 playoff-team format, putting an end to conference championship games and the current 12-team playoff.
With NIL, the transfer portal, conference expansion, and realignment happening in the past two years, college football is in constant change and a different space once again.
As for head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, the Bulldogs are ranked number two in the College Football Playoff rankings and number one in the AP Poll. They are coming off a dominant 42-7 victory against quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Rebels, the very quarterback who ended its season in the Sugar Bowl last season.
The Bulldogs are arguably the best team in college football and are seeking their third national title in this decade.
You may ask, “Why is this the most important year for the Bulldogs to win a national title? Didn’t they break the long streak of not having won since 1980 by winning in 2021? Didn’t they get over the ‘Saban’ and ‘Bama’ hump?”
While this may be true, here is why:
NO SEC team has won a national title since 2022
Let’s address the elephant in the room: The SEC has not won a national title since 2022 (Georgia). To add more gas to the fire, since the playoff expanded from four to 12 teams, the SEC has yet to make it to the title game. The Big 10 is the conference to win the past three seasons consecutively.
While many will agree that Smart and the Bulldogs are the standard of college football, some are also questioning the fact that Smart has yet to win a championship in this day of college football with NIL, the transfer portal, and expansion.
Nobody can forget the SEC winning seven consecutive years and having a team play for the national title eight consecutive years (2015-2022). However, the Bulldogs’ quest for a three-peat in 2023 was derailed by Saban and the Crimson Tide, causing the SEC to not have a representative in the national title game ever since then.
This goes into the next point:
Georgia vs. Alabama (possible round 2, maybe 3)
If you are a Bulldogs fan, you may want to not remember this part. For many years, the Crimson Tide tormented the Bulldogs. Who can forget the last time the Bulldogs beat the Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium, in 2007 (a streak that was broken this season)? How about the 2012 SEC Championship game with a winner-take-all (The Bulldogs do not spike the ball in the last few seconds, you know the rest). What about the 2015 regular season matchup at Sanford Stadium in the rain where the Tide dominated in a 38-10 win? Who can forget the Ryan Coleman-Williams) catch in 2024? How about the 2018 national championship game, the 2019, 2021, and 2023 SEC Championship games? I think you get the point.
While the Bulldogs ultimately got their revenge against Saban and the Tide in the 2022 national championship game, this rivalry never disappoints. It also gives Bulldogs fans nerves because of past history with the Tide.
Last season, the Bulldogs fell at home to Alabama before getting revenge in the SEC Championship game. This season, the Bulldogs defeated the Tide on the road but may possibly play them again. Currently, both teams are the top two SEC teams that would play in the SEC Championship if both win out.
Also remember the SEC Championship game; this goes into my next point.
The last SEC Championship game
The SEC Championship game has been a mixed experience for the Bulldogs and their fans, although they’ve won four SEC championships since Smart arrived. In a way, you can argue that while the Bulldogs have won, the losses have hurt more than the wins.
This will be the last year of the SEC Championship game, a game originally started in 1992. In the SEC, “It means more” to SEC teams and fans. If you understand the history of this game, you know how this game has elevated and ruined SEC teams’ chances of a perfect season and a chance for a national title.
While it is likely this year’s game will not have as much weight as years past, it is the last one and something fans will miss.
How fitting would it be if it were the Bulldogs and the Tide to play in the last game? Deep down, I think football fans want that.
Conclusion
Whether Bulldogs fans will admit it or not, they are living in the glory days. These are times that fans imagined, and nothing more than a national title will be the perfect ending. Smart has continued to recruit and retain high-level talent, win at a high level, and create a formula for success. With new changes coming to the sport, it only gets tougher from here on out.
Before the playoff expanded to 12 teams, the Bulldogs missed the playoffs (thanks to Bama), missing out on the opportunity for a three-peat. Since then, the Bulldogs have been seeking to reach the top of the mountain.
This year will be an opportunity for the Bulldogs to close another chapter and end on a high note.
