Why Another National Title Would Mean More Than Just a Trophy for Georgia

This time a year ago, Georgia was gearing up for a rematch of the ages against the Alabama Crimson Tide in hopes of ending the program's national title drought and proving they had what it takes to beat to slay the giant of college football. Now, they find themselves on the cusp of claiming another national title but a win in this year's title game would mean a bit more than just another title.

First and foremost, a win in this year's national championship game against TCU would make the Bulldogs the first team in the college football playoff era to win back-to-back titles. They would also be just the third team to do so in the last 32 years. However, the implications of this title game extend even further than just Georgia etching their name into the history books.

After the conclusion of last year's title game, Georgia's championship run was perceived diversely amongst its peers. There was no denying what Georgia had just pulled was a monumental moment for the program. Still, it wasn't enough to persuade everyone into thinking that Kirby Smart had built a dynasty that would last.

A major reason being Georgia was about to experience a mass exodus on its roster. That historic 2021 team had NFL-caliber talent littered all over the field which meant very few players would be returning the following season, especially on defense. In fact, the Bulldogs would go on to lose 28 total players off of its roster. Fifteen of them would be selected in the NFL draft and the other 13 left via the transfer portal.

The 15 players selected in the NFL draft set a new record for the most players ever taken from a single program. A very prestigious accolade but one that typically comes with a downside.

In recent history, teams that went on to have a record-setting number of players taken in the draft went on to take quite a step back the following season. LSU after their insane title run in 2019 had 14 players drafted and went 5-5 the very next year. Alabama in 2018 had 12 players drafted and finished second in their division after going 14-1 the year prior. The list goes on, but Georgia will not be a team that is added to that list.

While Georgia did lose a lot of talent to the draft and the transfer portal, they also had several key contributors announce their return to the program. One of those players was quarterback Stetson Bennett. At the time, and despite just winning a national title, there were many claims that Bennett didn't belong as the starter of a championship-caliber team. That his team won in spite of him.

Well, Bennett has now led his team to a national title game appearance for the second year in a row and helped get his team to this point by throwing for 398 yards and three touchdowns to defeat Ohio State in the Peach Bowl.

Everything that has been stated and displayed above shows exactly why a victory in this year's national title game would mean more than just another trophy on display at the University of Georgia. It would prove that Smart has formulated a dynasty that is built to last. That Georgia defied the odds and made history despite the amount of talent that they lost. That Stetson Bennett always belonged in the elite conversation and was able to do something that hardly any other college football player accomplished before him, even with the deck stacked against him.

All of these statements would remain true even if the Bulldogs were to lose to TCU. But winning it all would force every single college football fan in the nation to do nothing but tip their cap and give Smart and his team the respect that they have all earned.

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