Georgia offers the college football world a stark reminder

Consider Saturday night a reminder.

A pat on the shoulder for the rest of college football.

Georgia is not going anywhere.

May have stubbed his toe a few weeks ago in Alabama. May have struggled with Kentucky and played a little loose last Saturday against Mississippi State.

But the No. 1 team in the country heading into the season remains as good a bet as any to win it all.

The Bulldogs let their play do the talking in Austin, manhandling previously undefeated and No. 1 Texas, 30-15.

Exposing the Longhorns ahead on both sides of the ball. Holding them to season lows of 259 total yards and 15 points in a 15-point road victory. Producing seven bags and forcing four rotations.

In fact, for the first time since the season-opening blow to Clemson — and that win feels even better now, as the Tigers are undefeated — Georgia looked like Georgia.

Physically opposing each other on both lines. Loaded with next-level talent.

It wasn’t necessarily a perfect performance. Quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions, which allowed Texas to hang around.

But Georgia was clearly superior, beating Texas quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning (by a few possessions). If not for the questionable officiating — a defensive pass interference flag that negated a Texas interception was picked up after booing and fans throwing water bottles and other trash onto the field — the end result wouldn’t have been so close.

Two plays later, Texas scored, making it a one-possession game at 23-15 with 2:12 left in the third quarter.

Georgia responded with an 11-play, 89-yard drive that ended the game, one of those physically dominant, we’re-better-than-you possessions that left little doubt about who the winner would be.

This performance by the Bulldogs was the first normal thing to happen in the SEC in weeks.

Consider that since that win over Georgia, Alabama is 1-2 and the only win, a two-point win over South Carolina, could easily have gone the other way. Texas A&M and LSU, which lost in Week 1, are the only undefeated schools in the conference. Vanderbilt already has five wins, which it has achieved just once since 2018. Preseason contenders Ole Miss and Oklahoma are much closer to the SEC cellar than the cover.

Coming into this matchup, there was uncertainty about Georgia. He had lost that game at Alabama when he found himself in a 23-point gap at halftime, rallied and couldn’t close the comeback. It nearly lost to offensively challenged Kentucky and allowed 31 points to last-place Mississippi State.

Then came Saturday night. Against undefeated Texas on the road. For one night, Georgia erased the doubts many of us had about them. The Bulldogs – not the Longhorns – looked like the No. 1 team in the country.

There is no better story in all of college football than Indiana. With a new coach (Curt Cignetti, formerly of James Madison) and quarterback (Kurtis Rourke of Ohio). Somehow having the kind of season no one could have expected, not even Bloomingtonians.

After the Hoosiers’ 56-7 defeat of Nebraska on Saturday, they are 7-0 for the first time since 1967. They are second in the nation in points scored (45.2) and 11th in points allowed (14.8 ). They are on pace for the first double-digit winning season in program history after going 9-27 the last three seasons under Tom Allen and being picked 17th in the league’s preseason media poll. .

Now, No. 16 Indiana has not faced a ranked opponent. His seven opponents are a combined 22-27. Still, they outscored them 341-96, which shouldn’t be downplayed. The Hoosiers aren’t just surviving.

Don’t expect this race to end in the next few weeks. Indiana gets mediocre-at-best Washington and Michigan State the next two Saturdays and should be the home favorite over weakened Michigan on Nov. 9. The Hoosiers could be undefeated and firmly in the playoff mix heading into what would be a massive visit to powerhouse Ohio State on Nov. 23.

Week 9 doesn’t have the blockbuster matchup of the previous two weeks. There are no clashes between the top five next Saturday. But there is one fascinating game that will be played locally at MetLife Stadium.

That’s where No. 12 Notre Dame meets No. 25 Navy. The Irish have won five straight since their stunning home loss to Northern Illinois. But this will be their best opponent in that period. Navy is undefeated, has a plus-151 scoring differential and is one of only two AAC teams – Army is the other – without a loss. A win here, and the Midshipmen (second in the country in rushing yards at 295.6 per game) can start dreaming of an expanded playoff berth.