UGA crushes TCU 65-7 in National Championship

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:

• Best headgear: Broderick Jones
• Best exit: Quarterback and MVP Stetson Bennett leaving the field to a standing ovation.
• Most dedicated: The AJC’s Greg Bluestein, who, after being treated for a kidney stone, still managed to make the game. 
• Best duck: Sideline photographers who (for the most part) avoided Kenny McIntosh

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