Randy Smith
In college football history, there have been a few schools that have totally dominated their opponents. Those dynasties usually last a few years...mostly less than a decade. The Southern Cal teams of John Robinson come to mind, as do Oklahoma, Nebraska, Notre Dame, etc. Alabama under Nick Saban has had the longest, most successful dynasty in history with six national titles. Most Alabama football fans might say, we're still in the middle of the Crimson Tide dynasty, yet 2020 was the last 'Bama national championship year.
However, the University of Georgia seems to have replaced Alabama on the national scene.
Under head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia has won two national titles in a row and the Bulldogs have played in the College Football Playoffs three times, making the championship game all three years. Since Smart took over the job at his alma mater in 2015, his Bulldogs have posted an amazing 81-15 record. The 'Dawgs have won five SEC East titles in a row and claimed three SEC championships. That's about as dominate as you can get.
To answer my own question, yes...Georgia is already in the midst of a college football dynasty. The Bulldogs have the nation's best program right now. The previous best was Alabama, though I'm sure Nick Saban isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. In 2022 while Alabama failed to make the SEC Championship Game, Georgia was hardly tested at all until they had to come from behind to beat Ohio State 42-41 in the national semi-finals. Then they totally demolished TCU 65-7 in the championship clash. That Georgia squad could be the best ever, though that's completely debatable.
How has Coach Smart been able to do it? Recruiting. He has always had a good group of assistant coaches but the talent level in Athens has been unbelievable. In the 2023 recruiting rankings, Alabama is first by a big margin, ( I told you Saban wasn't ready to throw in the towel ) but the Bulldogs are right behind them. Currently 'Bama has nine 5-star commitments while Georgia has five. And in the class of 2024, Georgia is number one, while Alabama isn't even in the top ten. ( Tennessee is currently seventh.) To dominate college football, you must first dominate the recruiting classes, as Alabama has done and Georgia is doing. And speaking of dominance....the SEC is far and away the best conference in football, with four championships in a row and six of the last ten. Now, think about how dominate the SEC will be when Texas and Oklahoma come on board.
The landscape in college football in changing. I look for another super conference to be formed within a year or so...perhaps the ACC and Big Ten combining or the Big Twelve and the Pac 12 joining together. But as for right now, Georgia is certainly the top dog!
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Randy Smith can be reached at rsmithsports@epbfi.com