The top five greatest moments for Georgia football this decade.
The Georgia Bulldogs are on the verge of kicking off their 2026 college football season. They enter the back half of a very successful decade for the program, and hope to continue that success this season under head coach Kirby Smart.
But before this season gets underway, let's take a look back at the top five moments for the Georgia football program this decade. There have been a lot of wins, a lot of NFL draft picks, and a couple of national titles won in that time span, but which moments feel like they define the current state of the program the most?
There are a list of moments you could pick from Stetson Bennett's career that would help define the success of Georgia football, but I think him announcing his return perfectly encapsulates where things stood even after a national title.
Bennett took over the starting job during the 2021 season for a banged up JT Daniels, and needless to say, there was a section of the fan base that weren't huge fans of Bennett's game. Despite that, Bennett played a role in Georgia winning the national title that season and ending the 40+ year long title drought.
After that season, that same section of the fan base wanted Bennett to ride off into the sunset and end his career on a high note. Instead, he announced his return, which was not met with open arms by all. And how does he respond? He wins a second consecutive national title. Not sure if it actually took seven seasons for people to know, but Coach Smart kind of knows what he is doing when it comes to the game of football. Bennett also went on to become a Heisman finalist that season and the first quarterback in program history to throw for 4,000 or more yards in a single-season.
The Bulldogs had one of the greatest runs you'll see in college football, but I think people forget that the program, at one point in time under Kirby Smart, held a 30-game win streak. It started with beating Michigan in the Orange Bowl during the 2021 season to punch their ticket for the national title game, and it didn't end until the 2023 SEC Championship game.
The Bulldogs posted back-to-back undefeated regular seasons in 2022 and 2023. That loss in the 2023 conference title game would also end up being the program's second loss over that three-year span. Coincidentally, the SEC title game was the only game Georgia had lost over that stretch. In 2021 to the Alabama Crimson Tide and then again to them in 2023.
Obviously, the championship rings signify the dynasty Coach Smart built in this decade, but 30 straight games speak volumes for just how dominant the Bulldogs were for a three-year period.
Jan 10, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jordan Davis (99) celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2022 CFP college football national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
Now, Georgia didn't need NFL general managers to tell them just how good they were in 2021. The numbers from that season did all of the talking for them. However, having five players selected in the first round and 15 total players drafted, an NFL record, certainly didn't hurt the case.
College football fans watched Georgia win a national title that season and obviously knew they were talented. But seeing that talent put into context thanks to the NFL Draft added even more weight to it.
The 2022 draft didn't just add to the legacy of the 2021 Georgia team, though. It added to the legacy of the 2022 team as well. A team just lost five first-round picks on defense and 15 total to the draft? No way they are able to replicate what they did a season ago.
They did. In fact, they went undefeated and pulled their starting quarterback during the national title game so the backup could get some reps because they were up by so many points. So needless to say, the 2022 NFL draft was a defining moment for Kirby Smart and his program.
You knew what the top two were going to be. Nataional title rings determine greatness when it comes to college football program, and Georgia not only has two of them this decade, but they did it back-to-back.
Now, if you were to rank the two, the 2021 national title certainly out ranks the 2022 title. It ended the drought, Georgia beat Alabama to secure it and it the first of the two. 40+ years of pain and agony were lifted off Georgia fans' shoulders that night. A feeling none of them will ever forget, and I would imagine Kirby Smart is included in that bunch.
Now, that certainly doesn't diminish what the 2022 national title accomplished. Georgia won that game 65-7, Stetson Bennett got a curtain call moment in the middle of the game, players were eating chicken wings on the sidelines while the game was still happening and the Bulldogs became the first program in the college football playoff era to repeat as champions.
It's certainly the two greatest moments for Georgia football this decade, and it will likely stay that way unless Coach Smart adds another ring to the tally before the decade turns.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/georgia as Top Five Greatest Moments for Georgia Football This Decade .
