INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Georgia was No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, becoming the 12th back-to-back national champion in the history of the rankings after routing TCU on Monday night.
Stetson Bennett flashed a wry grin as he walked off the field, stopping to hug coach Kirby Smart as the crowd roared.
It was all standing ovations and sideline snacks in the fourth quarter of college football’s most lopsided title game.
In emphatic and overwhelming fashion, Georgia became the first team to repeat as College Football Playoff national champions and left no doubt the ’Dawgs are the new bullies on the block.
Bennett threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores — in the first half — as No. 1 Georgia demolished No. 3 TCU 65-7 on Monday night.
The Bulldogs (15-0) are the first repeat champs in major college football since Alabama went back-to-back a decade ago. There appears to be a new dynasty emerging from the Southeastern Conference.
“We wanted our kids to play without fear,” Smart said. “All year I told them, I said, ‘We ain’t getting hunted guys, we’re doing the hunting, and hunting season’s almost over. We’ve only got one more chance to hunt,' and we hunted tonight.”
TCU (13-2), the first Cinderella team of the playoff era, never had a chance against the Georgia juggernaut. Unlike Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal, the Bulldogs would not succumb to the Hypnotoads' spell.
Georgia turned in one of the all-time beatdowns in a big game, reminiscent of Nebraska running over Florida by 38 in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, USC's 36-point rout of Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl and Alabama's 28-point BCS blowout over Notre Dame in 2013.
But this was worse.
Too much talent. Too well-coached. Two straight titles for the ’Dawgs.
“That was special,” said Bennett, who finished 18 for 25 for 304 yards and four touchdown passes. “I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”
Georgia offensive linemen were munching on chicken wings on the sideline as the game wound down. Then, for the second straight year, the Bulldogs were showered by confetti and presented a championship trophy.
“I love this team, I love those fans, I love our band. I love everybody,” Bennett said during the presentation ceremony. “Back-to-back, baby. Back-to-back.”
Kirby Smart is now 81-15 in his first seven seasons at Georgia with two national titles. His mentor, Alabama coach Nick Saban, was 79-15 with three titles in his first seven seasons with the Tide.
The Bulldogs were a different kind of dominant this season after losing 15 NFL draft picks from the 2021 team: not quite as stingy on defense, but more explosive on offense.
“Last year’s team probably had more talent on it,” Smart said. "But this year’s team was different, like they had this eye of the tiger. They weren’t going to lose.”