The #10 ranked Georgia Bulldogs got another win over the UMass Minutemen 59-21. This win helps Georgia improve to 9-2 on the season, while UMass drops to 2-9. Looking at the score alone, the game appears to be lopsided in favor of the Bulldogs. However, the game did not become a blowout until the second half and UMass put up a surprising fight. This has many questioning the true strength of the Georgia Bulldogs and the SEC that college football fans hear about constantly. If UMass, a 2-9 team, can play a close half on the road against Georgia, then perhaps the SEC is not as strong as everyone claims.
The Georgia Bulldogs Defeat UMass
Joshua L. Jones, Athens Banner-Herald USA TODAY NETWORK
The game got off to a hot start as UMass scored a touchdown on their opening drive. The Minutemen marched down the field, taking up nearly six minutes in ten plays and taking a 7-0 lead. This made fans raise their eyebrows, but the Georgia Bulldogs responded, scoring four straight touchdowns in the first half. UMass hung around, though, with another scoring drive that made it 21-14. Then, in the second half, UMass scored again, making it 31-21. From there, Georgia pulled away for the win, but UMass stayed competitive for far longer than anticipated.
UMass is a team that has struggled all season. They are 2-9, with their only wins being over Wagner and Central Connecticut. While the Georgia Bulldogs did win convincingly and never trailed outside of the opening drive, letting a team like UMass hang around is an indictment. It never looked like Georgia would lose the game, but they did not put the dagger in until the third quarter. Against UMass, with their resume and the obvious talent gap, that is too long.
The offense was not a problem for the Georgia Bulldogs. They scored nearly every time they had the ball and most of their scoring drives were touchdowns. But the defense gave up 21 points at home, which is more than they have allowed against many SEC teams. This could be explained by the effort from both squads. Georgia may have been complacent, taking UMass lightly. On the other hand, UMass was playing in their biggest game of the season, so they could have come out with more fire. Regardless, as a top ten team in the country, it is a bit concerning that this game was close for as long as it was.
What This Means for the SEC
Joshua L. Jones, Athens Banner-Herald USA TODAY NETWORK
This game also had many questioning the true strength of the SEC. Every college football season, but especially recently, the SEC is believed to be the best conference in the country. In the current College Football Playoff rankings, there are multiple SEC teams with two losses, including Georgia, that are ranked over other power four teams with one loss. The SEC is held on a higher pedestal than the rest of the NCAA, to the point where some have thrown around the idea of a three loss SEC team making the College Football Playoff. A two or three loss team in any other conference would barely be considered for the playoff.
UMass scored 21 points against the Bulldogs. This is more than multiple SEC teams, like Kentucky, Auburn, and Florida. Even College Football Playoff hopefuls like Texas and Tennessee could not score on Georgia as much as UMass. So, it makes many college football fans question how strong the SEC truly is. If a 2-9 UMass can have more offensive success than Texas, then perhaps a one or two loss Big10 or ACC team should be above a three loss SEC team.
Thankfully, the Bulldogs did pull away and won by 38 points, so their ranking should not suffer, unlike other SEC teams this week. Next week, Georgia will finish their regular season with a rivalry week matchup against Georgia Tech.
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