Amidst the chaos that ensued in the SEC this weekend, the Dawgs went about taking care of business. There was still plenty of pageantry involved. Georgia (9-2) thrashed a rather sorry UMass (2-9) outfit, 59-21. The offense was humming all game, and at least on the surface, it appears like Carson Beck’s woes are firmly behind him. But only on the surface level just yet. Not a lot can be inferred against a UMass team playing for very little at this stage. Although Beck and the Bulldogs will have opportunities to show out against more zealous opposition soon.

With this win, Georgia has officially secured itself a benchmark. They shall once again take the short trip from Athens to Atlanta to play the SEC Championship game. This is in many ways the first checkpoint of the season in the Kirby Smart era. The demons from last year’s loss are still haunting sections of the Bulldogs’ fanbase. However, one Georgia-savvy expert has offered up as the voice of reason.

In the lead up to Week 13, there was widespread conjecture around the SEC. One compelling facet was the potential poisoned chalice that the SEC championship game appeared to be. Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin even hinted at his fellow coaches not wanting to be in Atlanta. And now, Dean Legge, owner of Dawg Post, gave his two cents on the matter via YouTube. “You’re not thinking clearly if you’re saying ‘Well, I don’t want to play the SEC Championship.’ Yes, you definitely do…in the past, I would have said you have to win it. I don’t think you have to win it this time.”

With how things were shaping up in the SEC, even the basic logic of winning equals good became questionable. Essentially, teams were worried that a loss in the championship game would work against them in making it to the CFP. So they’d rather not play in it than take that risk. Karma comes for everyone, and Lane Kiffin is its latest prey. His team’s loss on Saturday means it is now out of playoff contention entirely. This is one reason why Legge believes the loser in Atlanta will get through to the playoffs regardless, due to the alternatives stumbling.

Legge also expanded on how else it is beneficial to play for the SEC throne apart from the obvious glory. Firstly, the additional bye for the winner. Conference champions enter the playoffs from the 2nd round on. Georgia could do with a bye after a relentless November schedule saw them play 3 high-profile opponents on the spin. Another key factor Legge brought up was that the SEC Champion would be the No. 2 seed behind Oregon. Hence, they will likely have a more favorable route through December. With these perks on offer, Bulldogs fans are still skeptical, due to previous horrors.

Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are back on track

Last year, Georgia played Alabama in the SEC Championship game. A so-far unbeaten Georgia side lost a closely fought game 24-27. Their reward? They didn’t make the cut for the 4-team CFP. This perhaps lives fresh in the memories of Kirby Smart and his team. It certainly still hurts Georgia fans. Both factions want to avoid bearing the brunt of their own success.

With the advent of the 12-team playoff, the ones who lobbied for it wanted to avoid such brutality. Georgia was on a cumulative 29-game winning streak across 3 seasons. One loss closed the curtains on their hopes for a National Championship 3-peat. Fortunately for them and unfortunately for those of a different persuasion, this has been avoided. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are almost certainly back in the playoffs.

So the SEC’s plethora of hypotheticals and what-ifs got nipped in the bud. Normality seems to be arriving with Georgia back in the CFP. The big picture seems to finally be tangible rather than an abstract thought. With just one weekend of regular season football left, expect this apparent calm to spin out of control at any moment.