Georgia's Emergence Underscores Tennessee's Goals

Georgia football will play in the national title game this evening. While Tennessee seems a ways away from that, the Bulldogs were in their position a few years ago.

On November 5, 2022, Tennessee felt worlds away from Georgia. The Bulldogs won 27-13 in a much more convincing game than the final score. Head coach Kirby Smart and the defensive staff figured out how to slow down a potent Volunteer passing attack, shutting down the best offense in college football.

Games like that are why Georgia has risen to the top of college football. The red and black are in Los Angeles, California, awaiting tonight's action when they face off against TCU.

They enter as -13.5 point favorites, the largest point spread of a national title in the new millennium. Even if the Horned Frogs pull off a shocking upset, the fact is that Georgia has reached national dominance.

It's difficult to remove yourself from present circumstances. The team from Athens feels invincible every time they take the field, though they suffered close calls against Ohio State and Missouri.

However, a few years ago, the Bulldogs were exactly where Tennessee is. Smart won the SEC East and made it to the national championship in his second season. They ultimately lost to Alabama on a heartbreaking throw from freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel went 11-2 during his second season at the helm, beating Alabama in an all-time classic that propelled the Volunteers forward. 

While the metaphor isn't perfect, the point stands: both achieved success in their second season before running into a brick wall that plagued them moving forward. For Smart, Alabama was that wall, the monkey he couldn't get off his back.

Smart lost to Alabama four times before beating them in the national championship last season. In the leadup to the game, many pondered if he could ever beat his former mentor Nick Saban and remained skeptical until the final moments.

Heupel's narrative will be Georgia, ironically enough. The program that Tennessee parallels will be the one they must take down if they hope to achieve national prominence, much like the Bulldogs' journey.

Georgia hadn't won a national title since 1980 before the 2022 season. They are now on the brink of repeating and becoming the biggest force since Alabama in the early 2010s.

The last time Tennessee won a national title was in 1998. Heupel hopes to develop a foundation and culture conducive to top recruits and development, much like Smart did when he first took the Georgia job.

These things don't happen overnight. Again, Smart ran into a wall four times before getting over the hump. It won't be easy and isn't guaranteed, but the formula has been laid out for Tennessee. Now comes the hard part.

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