Phil Steele explains picking Georgia to defend national championship

After going 40 years without a national championship, Georgia finds itself in the hunt for a three-peat. The Bulldogs are the favorites to win it all yet again, and Phil Steele agrees with that thinking.

Steele explained why he’s rolling with UGA even despite some key losses. The biggest, of course, is quarterback Stetson Bennett after he led the Bulldogs to their back-to-back titles. Even despite that, though, the schedule is favorable enough that Steele thinks Georgia can do something no team has done in the last 85 years.

Of course, there’s also the Kirby Smart factor.

“The Bulldogs have 13 returning starters but do lose QB Bennett,” Steele wrote. “The new QB should have plenty of time to build confidence as Georgia will be double digit favorites in at least the first 10 games. A trip to Knoxville will not be easy and the last team to three peat in College Football was 1934-36 (Minnesota). This is the most talented team in College Football and they have the schedule and Kirby Smart is a master motivator and they are my pick to win it all again.”

Phil Steele: Georgia was close to a championship team before ending its drought

The 2021 season was a special one for Georgia as the Bulldogs snapped their title drought. But they were close in the years leading up to it.

Smart took over the program in 2016 and turned things around from an 8-5 record in his first season to 13-2 in his second. That second loss, of course, came in the national championship. Georgia remained nationally relevant in the years to follow, though, as they eventually got to the mountaintop.

Steele said the fact that the Bulldogs also won in 2022 despite so many departures on defense proves Smart can keep the program on top.

“In 2017 Georgia led almost the entire game vs. Bama but lost the National Title game in OT,” Steele wrote. “Georgia blew a late lead vs. Bama in the SEC Title game in 2018 and just missed the playoff. In 2019 Georgia was #3 but lost to LSU in the SEC title game. In ’20 Georgia was 8-2, a cancelled Vandy game away from tying for SEC East and the highest ranked East team at the end (#7, UF #13). In 2021 The Dawgs rated in my Top 20 of all eight Units in the front of the magazine. Georgia moved to #1 during the regular season for the first time since s/1982. They were upset by Bama in the SEC title game but dominated Michigan and finally beat Bama in the FBS Title game to take home their first National Title in 41 years.

“Last year they lost nine NFL DC’s off that defense but Georgia ran thru the schedule and beat LSU by 20 in the SEC title game. After a narrow escape vs. Ohio St. in the playoff they trounced TCU 65-7 for 15-0 and the first back to back National Champ since Alabama ’11 & ’12. It was the third time Georgia went unbeaten & untied (others 1946, 1980).”