INGLEWOOD, California. Georgia defeated TCU 65-7 in the college football championship game, securing the program’s first unbeaten season since 1980 and a spot in history as two national champions.
Caring for the Horned Frogs as favorites with about two touchdowns, the Bulldogs are arguably replacing Alabama as the dominant figure in the Bowl Division. And by becoming the first program in the playoff era to win two championships in a row, Georgia is establishing a dynasty that is not going to slow down under coach Kirby Smart.
The first team in playoff history to score 17 points in the first quarter and lead 38-7 at halftime, the Bulldogs’ advantage in speed and depth was demonstrated from the opening shots of the game. Georgia had 354 offensive yards in the first half, scored on their first six possessions, and didn’t hit until the third quarter.
After Michigan tried and failed to run straight to TCU’s defense in the Fiesta Bowl, the offense moved from sideline to sideline and opened up opportunities for quarterback Stetson Bennett, who completed 18 of 25 attempts for 304 yards and four touchdowns and was named MVP . in the last game of his college career.
Set on fire by LSU in the SEC championship game and by Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, the Bulldogs defense was spilled by Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs, allowing just 188 yards for 3.7 yards per game with three throws.
It was a full performance that ended an unforgettable season. Here are three observations from the Bulldogs’ victory:
Georgia ranks in college football history
The list of programs with back-to-back unshared national championships since 1957 has added a new entrant: Nebraska in 1994–95, Alabama in 2011–2012, and now Georgia in 2021–2022.
And unlike the Cornhuskers and Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs did it in a playoff format, claiming victories over the top two teams in the country in just over one week.
This growing dynasty may not have an expiration date. This year, the group answered questions about Georgia’s resilience after seamlessly replacing a long roster of rookies from last year’s team, including many of the top defensive players.
The third team in the playoff era to go 15-0, Georgia won just two single-digit games—Missouri (26-22) on Oct. 1 and Ohio State (42-41)—and have beaten five ranked teams since A 49–3 rout of Oregon in Game One set the tone for a dominant regular season.
Even if they are not considered the best single team in the playoff format (a designation given to LSU 2019 or Alabama 2020), what the Bulldogs have done over the last two seasons cannot be ignored or exaggerated.
Next year’s team is likely to open the year at No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and be the preseason favorite to return to that stage and win the national championship. This is history in the making, and Georgia is not going anywhere.
The attack is in the lead and shows that this team from Georgia can do anything.
Almost everything worked out right in Georgia’s offense.
Bennett was kept clean in his pocket. The TCU was unable to handle the capture for loss or bag. He was a weapon in the running game, adding 39 yards and two points at 13 yards for a carry. The ground attack as a whole forced its will on the Frogs, gaining 254 yards on 5.8 yards per carry.
The offense continued to rely on a large amount of the skill of the players. Eight players rushed for at least 14 yards, led by Kenny McIntosh, who scored 50 yards on eight carries, and nine players made at least one reception, capping tight end Brock Bowers’ seven grabs for 152 yards.
This continued the season-long trend of relying on multiple members as running back and wide receiver to take full advantage of Georgia’s huge collection of talent.
Georgia’s defense was outstanding during the regular season, scoring just 11.3 points per game from a 12-0 start and ranking first in FBS’s yards allowed per game and per game. But at this stage, the Bulldogs offense has done most of the hard work against the top two FBS teams.
TCU won’t be forgotten soon
The loss of TK points ended one of the magical runs in FBS history: TCU finished seventh in the Big 12 pre-season poll, but won the championship in a rags-to-riches run that put the program in first place. national map.
Reaching this moment alone breathed life into what has become a predictable playoff race, owned by the same power programs as the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten. The season of the Frogs boosts the credibility of the Big 12 and demonstrates the transformative power of the transfer portal – after winning just five games in 2021, TCU added players with immediate effect and redesigned the roster in one off-season under new coach Sonny Dykes.
The Cinderella Frogs story ended with a blow to Georgia, demonstrating the vast distance separating teams that can challenge for a title like TCU and the few elites that have the talent, coaching and development to win it all.
But the legacy will last much longer than Monday night. TCU proved that an underdog can ruin a playoff party. The Frogs showed how uniqueness in offense and defense – with air raid on one side and an unpredictable 3-3-5 base on the other – can help overcome gaps in depth and experience.
Above all, TCU will allow other Power Five teams to dream big. The Frogs went 5-7 to the threshold of the national title. If they can do it, then others can too.
