Georgia's Title Defense Starts with a Terrifying Rout of Oregon

If the Dawgs show up all season, they should be in the College Football Playoff.

Don't crown them champion again. None of the nation's other Top 5 teams had even kicked off in Week 1.

Write a return trip to the CFP in pen if that is the version of Georgia we're about to see.

The defending national champion faced a couple of important questions.

Five first-round defenders were replaced by the Bulldogs. Kirby Smart and his staff have been able to recruit at a high level, but that roster turnover is not easy to handle. The staff underwent a few changes, including the loss of Dan Lanning to Oregon, as well as the addition of a few more assistants.

It did not matter on Saturday in Atlanta. That didn't.

Georgia's backups played against the 11th-ranked team in the country with 18 minutes left in the game. Absolutely dominant.

Bennett had a great game. The senior ran for a career-high 368 yards and scored three times. He escaped four defenders on his way to the end zone.

In their first appearances as UGA's top running backs, Kenny and Kendall excelled behind him. A dynamic receiving threat with nine catches for 117 yards, McIntosh also scampered for a score There were two touchdown on nine touches.

Todd Monken kept the play-calling simple but varied and let UGA's talent shine. It's nothing complicated but effective.

It's unfair to say that Georgia's second-best tight end is a big man. Washington made a few notable blocks and is a frightening complement to the All-American starter. Arik Gilbert is behind Washington on the depth chart.

We have not talked about the defense.

The Dawgs limited Oregon to just over 500 yards of total offense. Bo Nix was 21-of-37 for 173 yards and threw two picks.

Christopher Smith made a horse collar tackle and then picked off a pass. The safety showed his closing speed by breaking up a 30-yard reception by Chase Cota.

Four of Oregon's nine drives ended in the middle of the field. Georgia scored a touchdown on its first seven possessions.

A comprehensive beatdown is what the performance can be described as.

Georgia didn't have moderate expectations for 2020. Five members of B/R's six person expert panel picked the Dawgs to reach theCFP. They have always been favorites.

There is no opponent on UGA's regular-season slate that can contain this version of the Dawgs.

They have a lucky draw in the SEC if the remaining non conference schedule of Samford, Kent State and Georgia Tech isn't good enough. Georgia has been in charge of the East recently.

None of the West's top programs are on UGA's schedule until the SEC Championship Game.

It is early. While both the UGA's internal expectation and probably not a rare sight, no team is ever completely perfect.

The time is down. The regular season has at least six hundred sixty players remaining. There is a lot of work to be done.

This version of the Dawgs is just as dangerous as the team that won the title.