Georgia Football: Bulldogs Go Back-to-Back With Historic Demolition of TCU in CFB Playoff National Championship

For the second year in a row and in dominant fashion this time around, Georgia is back on top of the college football world. The Bulldogs crushed TCU 65-7 on Monday night to become the first team since Alabama in 2011-12 to go back-to-back as national champion. The win also capped a perfect 15-0 season for Georgia, joining LSU and Clemson as the only teams to hit that mark in the CFB Playoff era.

Although TCU trailed 17-7 at the end of the first quarter, this game was never in doubt. The Bulldogs scored at least 13 points in every quarter, recorded 589 yards, and scored on 10 of 12 drives. Outside of a 60-yard gain that led to the Horned Frogs' only touchdown, Georgia's defense was dominant on Monday night. This unit simply suffocated TCU's high-powered attack, limiting quarterback Max Duggan to 152 yards and nine first downs. The Horned Frogs averaged only 3.7 yards a snap and converted just two of 11 third-down attempts. No rush went beyond 10 yards and Duggan was sacked five times.

If you missed Georgia's thrashing of TCU, here were the key takeaways:

Georgia Delivered a Statement and is CFB's No. 1 Program Right Now
The dynasty isn't over in Tuscaloosa, but Georgia is college football's No. 1 program right now. With the focus soon to shift to '23, the Bulldogs are the team the rest of the sport will try to hunt down and topple for that No. 1 spot. Over the last two years, Smart's team is 29-1 and went 16-0 in SEC play during the regular season. In the march to back-to-back titles, Georgia beat Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan - three teams likely to contend for the national championship next year - and won two of those games by double digits. Thanks to elite recruiting and talent development, the Bulldogs have fought their way to the top of college football and aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Related: College Football's Very Early Top 25 for 2023

SEC Dominance Continues
As Monday night illustrated, it truly does mean more in the SEC. Georgia's victory represented the SEC's sixth title of the CFB Playoff era and the fourth straight for the conference since Clemson took home the title for the '18 season. Also, since the BCS era (1998) started, the SEC has won 15 of the 25 titles. And get ready for '23. Georgia is likely to be No. 1, with Alabama, LSU and Tennessee all in the mix to be top-10 teams.

Talent (and Stars) Matters
It's obvious but also worth repeating. Teams need blue-chip talent to win a national championship. Since '19, Georgia signed 77 four- or five-star recruits compared to just 18 for TCU. The depth and overall talent of the Bulldogs were on full display on Monday night. 

Stetson Bennett Shines Again
The story of Stetson Bennett as a walk-on, then doubted as the starter and now a two-time national champion is known across the world of college football by now. However, it's worth reflecting on the story and overall performance of the Mailman, as he delivered again in the biggest of moments for Georgia. In Monday night's beatdown, Bennett was flawless through the air (18 of 25 for 304 yards and four touchdowns) and added 39 yards and two scores on the ground. In Bennett's four playoff games, he accounted for 15 total touchdowns, completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, and averaged 10.4 yards per attempt on his way to earning Offensive MVP honors for each contest. Bennett's career at Georgia is over, but he's now one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in college football history, a Heisman finalist and a two-time national champion. Not bad for a walk-on.

Georgia's Defense Stepped Up
Ohio State's offense is among the best (if not the best) in college football, so there was no shame in Georgia having trouble containing quarterback C.J. Stroud and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Peach Bowl. However, that performance was out of character for a unit that's largely dominated (see the Tennessee game) this season. Motivation to erase the disappointment from the Peach Bowl was certainly in the minds of Georgia defenders and they helped to deliver an early knockout punch to TCU. The Horned Frogs connected on a 60-yard pass in the first quarter to help set up the first score. However, the offense did not record another gain of more than 23 yards the rest of the night. Other than the 60-yard bomb, which was largely the result of a coverage bust, the Frogs managed only 128 yards on 50 snaps - just 2.6 yards a play. With its ability to win up front, get pressure and stop the run, TCU simply had no answer to move the ball or find open plays downfield. 

Georgia Owns the Trenches
A key storyline exiting the CFB Playoff Semifinals was TCU's ability to hold up in the trenches against Michigan. However, the Horned Frogs couldn't match that performance on Monday night. Georgia pushed around TCU's defense for 254 rushing yards (5.8 yards per carry). And on defense, the Bulldogs limited the Horned Frogs to 36 yards on the ground, recorded five sacks and nine tackles for a loss.

Appreciation for TCU
The season didn't end with confetti and a national title trophy going back to Fort Worth, but the '22 campaign was still a successful one for TCU. Under the direction of first-year coach Sonny Dykes, the Horned Frogs improved significantly off a 5-7 mark last fall. This program was picked in the bottom half of the Big 12 by most, yet won 12 consecutive games before falling in the Big 12 title game to Kansas State, won a CFB Playoff Game, and played for the national championship. Quarterback Max Duggan was terrific throughout the season and led the team on several second-half comebacks to secure the playoff trip on his way to finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting. No matter what the final scoreboard showed in SoFi Stadium, TCU exceeded all preseason expectations and has the foundation built for '23 and beyond. Yes, there's some turnover coming to Fort Worth, but Dykes has the right staff in place and is recruiting the right pieces on the high school level and through the transfer portal. And with Oklahoma and Texas off to the SEC in the near future, there's a massive opportunity for TCU to be the team to beat in the new Big 12.