Georgia Bulldogs Football

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart wasn't in a celebratory mood Friday night after the Bulldogs' Orange Bowl blowout of Michigan, which set up a rematch with SEC rival Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

"I'm not interested in celebrating that," Smart told reporters. "We'll look back on that win and that'll be great, but we're focused on the task ahead, and that's the objective. They worked their tail off for three to four weeks to get this opportunity, and it was a one-game season, and now it's another one-game season."

It was a dominant New Year's Eve for the SEC. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 27-6 victory over Cincinnati, while the Dawgs cruised to a 34-11 win over the Wolverines.

Now Bama and UGA will face off for the second time in five weeks on Jan. 10 with the national title on the line. The Tide won the season's first meeting, 41-24, in the SEC Championship Game.

Smart noted his team drew motivation from all the talk about what went wrong in the first matchup with Alabama, and it helped the group bounce back in a major way in the CFP semifinals.

"I really never had questions about this team," he said. "The resiliency, the bounce back, the amount of character—I've seen it all year. We didn't play well, and we turned the ball over and didn't get any turnovers and played poor in the red area. You can list all the things we did in the last game. That's all our kids have heard about for three weeks."

It was a particularly strong rebound performance from UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett, who completed 21 of his 31 throws for 310 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks. He threw two picks and was sacked three times in the SEC title game.

The vaunted Bulldogs defense also returned to form, holding Michigan to 325 total yards and a garbage-time touchdown while forcing three turnovers.

"Champs not at all. The job's not finished," Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean said. "We didn't do everything we did this whole season just to win the Orange Bowl."

The biggest question heading into the championship game will be which version of the Georgia defense is going to show up Jan. 10.

Aside from the loss to Alabama, the Dawgs won their other five games against ranked opponents this season by a combined score of 145-37, good for an average score of 29-7.4.

So, even given the Tide's status as the nation's premier program, it was surprising to see UGA give up 536 total yards and 41 points in the first matchup. The defense must be significantly better in the rematch.

From a neutral fan's perspective, the hope will be for a competitive battle for the title after the three biggest games of the season to date—the two CFP semifinals and the SEC title game—ended with lopsided results.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart believes the Bulldogs will be close to full strength when they face Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Friday after several players dealt with COVID-19 issues over the past month.

"We increased a lot of things around our building and our awareness of our players and understanding what's going on," he told reporters Wednesday. "They've really adhered to the policies we've asked them to and been able to steer clear for the most part.

"We had a little bout the last couple of weeks, when we lost some guys, but we got most of those guys back. The biggest thing is really being at full strength when you have to be, and that's what we're aiming toward."

The COVID-19 pandemic and omicron variant have hit college football hard, with five bowl games already canceled: the Holiday Bowl (UCLA vs. NC State); Arizona Bowl (Boise State vs. Central Michigan); Military Bowl (Boston College vs. East Carolina); Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Virginia vs. SMU); and Hawai'i Bowl (Hawai'i vs. Memphis).

Two more bowl games had to change their matchups. The Sun Bowl saw Miami withdraw and added Central Michigan to face Washington State. And Texas A&M pulled out of the Gator Bowl, with the game pivoting to replacement Rutgers to take on Wake Forest.

Smart said despite the issues with the pandemic, Georgia's players have still been able to safely attend team dinners and trips to the beach, taking precautions such as avoiding crowds and wearing masks indoors.

"The players have been able to do the outings," he said. "The CFP has made it very safe for them to do that. I think probably the worst thing you could do would be to have these kids come to a hotel and just be in the hotel for four days and not move and not do anything.

"They've made it safe for our players to function, and as a matter of fact, being outside probably helps them more than anything else as long as they're in a safe environment and not around crowds of people they don't know."

Georgia spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the country before losing the SEC Championship Game to Alabama. Both teams are represented in the CFP, with No. 1 Alabama facing No. 4 Cincinnati at AT&T Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN. 

No. 3 Georgia's matchup with Big Ten champion and No. 2 Michigan will follow at Hard Rock Stadium at 7:30, also on ESPN.

One certainty for the game is Stetson Bennett will make his 10th straight start for the Bulldogs.

"Stetson's our starting quarterback," Smart told reporters. "Again, the JT [Daniels] situation will be, is the situation right [in the game] and is he healthy enough?"

Georgia landed a potentially elite pass-rusher in Marvin Jones Jr. on Wednesday.

The 5-star prospect announced his commitment to play college football at Georgia, choosing it over other prestigious programs such as Alabama and Florida State.

According to the 247Sports' composite rankings, Jones is the No. 22 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, as well as the No. 2 edge and No. 4 player from the state of Florida.

Jones, who is the son of longtime New York Jets linebacker Marvin Jones, has starred at American Heritage Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the high school level.

Per 247Sports, he broke out as a pass-rusher in a big way in 2020, finishing with 13 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 55 tackles.

His numbers weren't as good in 2021, as they dipped to five sacks, six tackles for loss and 46 tackles, but he showed more versatility in being a stand-up pass-rusher from the edge.

At 6'4½" and 245 pounds, Jones already has good size for an outside rusher and shouldn't have much trouble transitioning to the collegiate level from a physicality standpoint.

Andrew Ivins, the Southeast recruiting analyst for 247Sports, has compared Jones to current Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former University of Washington pass-rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who has three sacks as a rookie first-round pick.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is widely regarded as one of the best defensive minds in college football, and he has recruited at a high level on that side of the ball as a result.

With Smart at the controls, the Bulldogs lead the nation this season with just 9.5 points allowed per game.

Jones could help Georgia maintain that level of defensive dominance and help keep the team in national championship contention moving forward as well.

Daylen Everette, a 5-star cornerback, has committed to Georgia after decommitting from Clemson on Dec. 10 following Brent Venables' departure to Oklahoma.

Everette, who attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is the No. 6-ranked cornerback prospect in the 2022 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He is also the sixth-ranked prospect out of Florida and 29th-ranked overall. 

Here's a highlight video he shared in October:

247Sports Southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins had this to say about Everette:

Well-put together athlete with longer limbs. Has developed some muscle in the arms. Sprinter-like quads. A bigger cornerback that thrives in bump-and-run situations. Also capable of mirroring in off coverage with his quick feet and loose hips. ...One of the top corner prospects in the class of 2022 given frame and movement patterns. Has the skillset to develop into an impact player for a Top 25 program and eventually a Day 1 or Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft.

Everette was the third high-profile player from IMG Academy to decommit from Clemson after Venables was announced as the new head coach of the Sooners. Safety Keon Sabb and defensive end Jihaad Campbell announced their decommitments on Dec. 6 and 9, respectively. 

Georgia was one of Everette's top schools during the recruiting process, so it's no surprise he circled back to the Bulldogs.

In an interview with 247Sports in May, the young corner lauded Georgia for the program's ability to develop cornerbacks and prepare them for the NFL. 

“With Clemson it’s just a great program over there and very professional with everything they do and how they develop you on and off the field,” he said. “Same thing with Georgia, they just put five DBs in the league. They can develop me and take me where I want to be."

Now, he will have a chance to develop in the Georgia system.

Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young was named a first-team All-America selection by the Associated Press on Monday, joining teammates Will Anderson Jr. and Jameson Williams. 

Alabama's three first-team All-America selections led college football, while Georgia, Michigan, Oregon and Texas A&M each had two first-teamers. 

Here is the full list of first-team selections:

Quarterback: Young, sophomore, Alabama

Running backs: Kenneth Walker III, junior, Michigan State; Breece Hall, junior, Iowa State

Tackles: Ikem Ekwonu, junior, North Carolina State; Darian Kinnard, senior, Kentucky

Guards: Kenyon Green, junior, Texas A&M; Zion Johnson, senior, Boston College

Center: Tyler Linderbaum, junior, Iowa

Tight end: Trey McBride, senior, Colorado State

Receivers: Jordan Addison, sophomore, Pittsburgh; David Bell, junior, Purdue; Jameson Williams, junior, Alabama

All-purpose player: Deuce Vaughn, sophomore, Kansas State.

Kicker: Jake Moody, senior, Michigan

Edge rushers: Aidan Hutchinson, senior, Michigan; Kayvon Thibodeaux, junior, Oregon

Linemen: Jordan Davis, senior, Georgia; DeMarvin Leal, junior, Texas A&M

Linebackers: Will Anderson, Jr., sophomore, Alabama; Nakobe Dean, junior, Georgia; Devin Lloyd, junior, Utah

Cornerbacks: Ahmad Gardner, junior, Cincinnati; Roger McCreary, senior, Auburn

Safeties: Verone McKinley III, sophomore, Oregon; Jalen Pitre, senior, Baylor

Defensive back: Marcus Jones, senior, Houston

Punter: Matt Araiza, junior, San Diego State

Young's selection comes as no surprise after he threw for 4,322 yards, 43 touchdowns and just four interceptions on the season, completing 68 percent of his passes. He led the Crimson Tide back to the College Football Playoff, where they seem to end up every season under head coach Nick Saban. 

Anderson's inclusion wasn't any more of a surprise, as he led the nation with 15.5 sacks. And Williams added to the recent tradition of superstar receivers in Tuscaloosa, catching 68 passes for 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was a no-brainer selection after being the Heisman Trophy runner-up in a season that saw him register 14 sacks. He very well could be the top overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. 

Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux could be in the running for that selection as well after a season that saw him seven sacks and two forced fumbles. He's long been considered a top-five talent among draft evaluators. 

Michigan State's Kenneth Walker III was in the Heisman conversation for much of the season, rushing for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns. 

The College Football Playoff teams—Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and Cincinnati—have eight first-team All-America selections between them and 15 All-America picks in total. 

Ohio State led all schools with seven All-America selections in total, including three receivers, with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave on the second team and Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the third team. 

Heisman finalist and Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was the second-team selection, while fellow Heisman finalist, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, was the third-team quarterback. 

Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis has won the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given annually to college football's best defensive player. 

Davis earned the honor at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday.

Alabama sophomore linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Oregon junior defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and Notre Dame junior safety Kyle Hamilton were also named as finalists.

Here's a look at all four finalists' resumes, starting with the winner.

Georgia DT Jordan Davis

The 6'6", 340-pound Davis anchors the No. 1 defense in the country. Georgia has only allowed 9.5 points per game thanks in part to Davis, who has 28 tackles and two sacks.

Davis can do a little of everything, including run defense, running the football and running the school band:

Georgia opponents have only rushed for 2.6 yards per game in part because of Davis, who can count himself as one of the bedrocks of one of college football's most dominant teams.

The Bulldogs will be heading to the College Football Playoff as the No. 3 seed after a 12-1 campaign. They were 12-0 before falling 41-24 to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr.

No defensive player has been more productive than Anderson, whose 15.5 sacks lead college football. He's also made 91 tackles (54 solo).

That performance follows up a 2020 season in which Anderson had 52 tackles and seven sacks for the undefeated Crimson Tide.

Take a look at some stats from the year that showcased just how good Anderson has been:

At 6'4" and 243 pounds, Anderson is an unstoppable force in the Alabama defense.

It hasn't always been easy for the Crimson Tide this year, as they suffered a 41-38 loss to Texas A&M and had to escape some close games against Florida and LSU, but having Anderson aboard has put Alabama in position to compete for another national title

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux

Thibodeaux is the No. 1 option on many NFL draft boards, and for good reason: At his best, he's a ferocious, game-wrecking pass-rusher. Take his strip sack against Fresno State in a 34-31 season-opening win for example:

Despite missing time because of injury, Thibodeaux amassed 49 tackles (12 for a loss) and seven sacks in eight games. He left one of those games early with an injury and played limited snaps in a second one upon his return.

At 6'5" and 258 pounds, Thibodeaux is a force to be reckoned with, and he's a key reason Oregon was able to stay in the College Football Playoff picture late into the season.

Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton

Hamilton's season has been limited to seven games because of a knee injury suffered against USC on Oct. 23. He was productive in those matchups with 34 tackles (19 solo) and three interceptions. 

NFL draft analysts love Hamilton, who is currently fourth on the NFL Mock Draft Database's consensus big board. So does Brian Kelly, who provided his own scouting report:

Hamilton's versatility helped Notre Dame stay in the College Football Playoff picture for yet another year as the one-loss Fighting Irish looked to earn a top-four spot. They finished just shy at No. 5 but will play in the Fiesta Bowl versus Oklahoma State.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart believes Saturday's 41-24 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game reinvigorated his squad entering the College Football Playoff. 

"It didn't do any damage," Smart told reporters after the loss. "What it did was reinvigorate our energy. It re-centers you, right? Their greatest thing is when [the Tide] lost their game against Texas A&M, they garnered some focus and some attention. To me, that's an opportunity for a wake-up call, if anything."

Saturday's game was Georgia's seventh consecutive loss to Alabama, though it was the team's first defeat of the 2021 season. 

It was a surprising loss for the Bulldogs as they entered with the top-ranked defense in college football. The Bulldogs were allowing just 230.9 yards and 6.9 points per game entering Saturday's contest.

The Crimson Tide put up 536 yards of total offense against Georgia, making Smart's defense look foolish. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young completed 26-of-44 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 40 yards and a score. The sophomore signal-caller also broke SEC title game records for total offense and passing yards. 

The Georgia offense, meanwhile, was limited to 449 yards. Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett also tossed two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in the loss. 

While Smart is disappointed with how his team played, he also lauded Young and the Alabama offense in his postgame comments, saying, "Give their defense and Bryce Young and their offensive skill players a lot of credit. They played really well, very accurate, explosive, and [Young] is hard to get down on the ground, which caused us a lot of problems defensively."

Alabama head coach Nick Saban also spoke after Saturday's game, saying the win for his team made people gain "a little respect" for the Crimson Tide moving forward. 

Smart and the Bulldogs might get another shot at Saban the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff. It's widely expected that Georgia, Alabama, Cincinnati and Michigan will be the final four, but the seedings won't be known until the is released on Sunday.  

The SEC Championship Game had massive College Football Playoff implications, and the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide came out on top, defeating the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs 41-24 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

While Alabama's win essentially guarantees a berth in the CFP, Georgia likely had already clinched a top-four spot despite the loss.

Alabama has played in 14 SEC Championship Games, including appearances in three of the last five. The win marks its second straight season as the SEC's best and 10th overall championship.

The Crimson Tide are now 10-4 in the conference title game.

Notable Player Stats

Bryce Young, QB, ALA: 26/44 for 421 YDS, 3 TD and 3 CAR for 40 YDS, 1 TD

Stetson Bennett, QB, UGA: 29/47 for 340 YDS, 3 TD, 2 INT

Jameson Williams, WR, ALA: 7 REC for 184 YDS, 2 TD

Brock Bowers, TE, UGA: 10 REC for 139 YDS, 1 TD

Bryce Young Makes his Case for the Heisman

Young had one of his best games of the season on Saturday night against Georgia, and his efforts have the Crimson Tide headed to the College Football Playoff for the second straight year.

The 20-year-old got out to a rough start, though. Alabama punted on its first two drives before Young led the Crimson Tide on two consecutive touchdown drives.

Young hit Jameson Williams for his first touchdown on a 67-yard pass with 14:12 remaining in the second quarter.

That's when things started to click for the Alabama offense. Young recorded his second touchdown on a 13-yard pass to John Metchie III with 9:46 remaining in the second quarter to give the Crimson Tide a 14-10 lead.

Young then led Alabama on a 79-yard drive before Will Reichard knocked in a 33-yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 17-10 lead. While Georgia responded with a quick touchdown to tie the game, Young came up clutch just before halftime, rushing in for an 11-yard score with 26 seconds remaining in the half.

Even though Metchie was ruled out in the second half with a leg injury, it was no problem for the Alabama offense, as Young opened the second half with a 55-yard touchdown strike to Williams.

Though the offense stalled thereafter, Young had already done enough damage to not only lock in a CFP berth but significantly help his Heisman Trophy resume, too.

While his Heisman odds improved with a 317-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl, Young's performance against Georgia may have made him the front-runner for the award, as he shredded what had been the best defense in all of college football:

Players such as C.J. Stroud and Matt Corral also have strong cases in what has been a close Heisman race, but none have accomplished the historic feats that Young achieved on Saturday night.

Georgia Defense Doesn't Live Up to the Hype

The Georgia defense entered the SEC championship game allowing just 230.4 yards and 6.9 points per game. However, the Bulldogs were unimpressive against the Crimson Tide and failed to meet the expectations that they had established during the regular season.

Young and the Alabama offense put up 365 yards and 24 points in the first half alone. 

The team's defensive struggles continued into the second half, as it allowed Young and Alabama to score a touchdown on their first drive of the third quarter.

Many took note of how poorly Georgia's defense played on Saturday night.

Georgia's top-rated defense entered Saturday's game allowing just 151.5 passing yards per game—by far the best mark of any team in the nation—yet Young nearly tripled that mark.

The Bulldogs were also allowing just 78.9 rushing yards per contest before the SEC championship game. It allowed Alabama to rush for 116 yards.

While their impressive regular-season stats should be commended, it may have been partially fueled by the unranked or low-ranked teams they faced all season. Tennessee and Florida were arguably the best offenses the Bulldogs played.

The Gators have averaged 470.2 yards of total offense per game, while the Volunteers have averaged 459 yards per contest. Most of the other teams Georgia faced didn't even come close.

Stetson Bennett's subpar play didn't help either, tossing two interceptions, one of which Alabama returned for a touchdown. Regardless, if the Georgia defense plays like they did on Saturday in the CFP, the Bulldogs can kiss their national title hopes goodbye.

What's Next?

Both teams are most likely on their way to the College Football Playoff. Now they await the official bracket.