Jan 10, 2023 - Sports

UGA crushes TCU 65-7 in National Championship

Stetson Bennett celebrates a touchdown pass

Stetson Bennett celebrates after a touchdown pass late at the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Photo: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Well, that was exciting.

Driving the news: For those who turned it off and went to bed, Georgia defeated — and we mean really defeated — TCU 65 to 7 Monday night to claim the school's second-straight national championship.

Why it matters: On a list of things Georgians would like to be ranked No. 1 in, college football has to be near the top. These Bulldogs are a championship program now, not just one winning team.

  • Georgia's the first team to win back-to-back national championships since nemesis Alabama won in 2011 and 2012.
  • It is Georgia's fourth overall title; only seven schools have more.

What happened: Minutes before the game, sideline reporter Holly Rowe asked Georgia coach Kirby Smart what he needed to see from his team.

  • "Aggression," Smart said flatly, in a Very Football Coach way. Rowe asked if that was all, and Smart went on: "That's what we want to do. We're going hunting tonight."
  • Hunting: Georgia scored on every possession in the first half to jump to a 38-7 halftime lead, and it only got better after that.

The big picture: The championship was an unofficial holiday for many folks around the state.

  • On Monday, the first day of the legislative session, state lawmakers made quick work of swearing in freshmen reps and senators so they could be in a position to watch the game.
  • The Georgia Department of Public Health canceled its January meeting scheduled for Tuesday because of the game, ending its announcement with “Go Dawgs!”
  • UGA fans pinched pennies all year to afford tickets (and the last-minute airfare). Or they packed four in a minivan and drove the nearly 2,300 miles. 

Other superlatives:

What we're watching: Which of these players is going to run for Senate in 40 years?

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