Georgia’s success has created national championship standard, expectation

With back-to-back national titles in the trophy case and no sign of letting up in 2023, life is good for Georgia football fans. And On3’s J.D. PicKell thinks the Georgia football faithful are right to think their sustained success has raised the expectations.

PicKell recalled a specific moment from the Bulldogs romp over TCU to win a second-straight national championship. As Horned Frog fans started to file out early, he spotted a Georgia fan basking in their spot atop the mountain.

“And he is just letting these TCU fans have it. And it felt like watching him talk to these TCU fans, it was kind of pent-up within him. Like he had been waiting to let everybody know that Georgia was, once again, the national champs. He’s saying, ‘Enjoy that flight back to DFW. Direct right back to Dallas Love from LAX.’ Like he was letting them know that Georgia was that top dog,” PicKell said. “And I can’t help but feel like that kind of encapsulates the feeling right now in that fanbase in Athens. They’re the top dog. They’re still here. They’ve been waiting a long time to be able to do that.

“But right now, they’re the top of the mountain. There’s nothing anybody can say about them. I’m sure that feels good in Athens. So that’s the pulse of the fanbase and the pulse of the program, internally, I think is very, very similar.”

That moment in SoFi Stadium, to PicKell, was markedly different from the mindset for Georgia after winning the 2021 National Championship.

“The first time they did it, with Stetson Bennett in 2021, it was euphoria. The monkey was off the back, 40 years of pain and turmoil down the drain. And Georgia put that crown on and it felt good, I’m sure. Second time they did it, you couldn’t help but feel a little bit of a sense of relief if you’re a Georgia fan, because you went wire-to-wire. You won the SEC. You were undefeated. You drew TCU, you were supposed to beat TCU. You did exactly what good teams do against teams they’re supposed to beat. Absolutely rag dolled them,” PicKell said.

And with that championship pedigree and a loaded 2023 roster, PicKell thinks Georgia is right to be thinking about a national championship or bust.

It would almost be selling themselves short to aim any lower.

“The standard right now is winning national titles,” PicKell said. “And so when it comes to the pulse of the program within that fanbase at Georgia, the pulse is we’re still here. Because Georgia had waited 40 years as a fanbase. 40 years, give or take, to talk that cash. To bark at people in public places. And to give them no rebuttal. Because that’s exactly what you’re doing right now if you’re a Georgia fan. There’s nothing they can say to y’all, man. There’s nothing they can say. Back-to-back national champs. Mic drop.”