The Georgia Bulldogs are the top college football team in the country right now. With the Alabama Crimson Tide losing to the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday night, Georgia moved to No. 1 in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches poll, which is the first time that has happened since 2008. But can the Bulldogs stay on top and win their first national championship in 41 years? PopCulture.com recently caught up with ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit who revealed how the Bulldogs become champions.ย
“Well, the worst thing that can happen is what you just said. People see how Georgia’s playing,” Herbstreit told PopCulture. “They see that Alabama lost and it’s like, ‘Okay, Georgia’s in the National Championship.’ That’s how you lose. “I’ve just seen it too many times. The best thing, that’s what Kirby [Smart’s] working on, and I think he’s got a really mature group. The best thing Georgia can do is just look at Kentucky. And if they played Kentucky and they beat Kentucky, all right. They have a buy week, let’s focus on Florida, and then they play Florida.”
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Georgia has looked dominant all year despite playing two different quarterbacks. So far, this season, the Bulldogs have earned wins over Clemson and Arkansas, two teams that were ranked in the top 10 at the time. And last week, Georgia won their first true road game of the year by running past Auburn. A big reason the Bulldogs are No. 1 in the country is their defense. They have the top-ranked defense in all of college football, allowing just 5.5 points per game through six games this year. Georgia has allowed just two offensive touchdowns during that span and have recorded two shutouts.ย
“You don’t look at the totality,” Herbstreit said. “If you’re climbing a mountain, you don’t look from the bottom or the middle of the mountain and look up at the apex like you’re already there, because you have so much work to do to get up that mountain. And so the best thing you can do when you’re climbing a challenging peak is to just look where you are, where you’re stepping and where you’re going.”
Georgia has come close to winning a title over the years. In 2017, the Bulldogs played Alabama for the national title but lost in overtime. Head coach Kirby Smart has done a good job recruiting and building a roster over the years, which is why they are in a position to win it all this season. But like they have done the first six weeks this year, the Bulldogs have to take it one week at a time in order to reach the ultimate goal.ย
“They’ve got everything you need,” Herbstreit revealed. “They’ve been through a lot of injuries, they’re still a great team. And I think they’re the team to beat right now, but that does not mean they’re going to win a championship. It just means after six weeks they’re in a really good spot, there’s a number one team in the country. And now let’s see if they can keep it going.” ย
