Bulldogs drought ends, and fans look forward to the start of a dynasty and 2022 season
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The 2021 football season ended around 11:50 p.m. Monday night when Georgia’s Kelee Ringo ran back an interception 79 yards for a touchdown to seal the Bulldogs’ national title win.
As Dog fans celebrated and Alabama fans mourned, the rest of us college football junkies started looking ahead to September and the 2022 season - one already full of storylines.
Here are four.
Georgia on top: The Bulldogs’ breakthrough win could mean the rise of college football’s next power. Assuming JT Daniels doesn’t bolt for the NFL, Georgia will have a star at quarterback. The “Death Star” defense has some holes to plug but the Dogs have talent. The only thing holding Georgia back was the Saban mental block, and now that is gone.
Rise of the SEC West: Alabama looked vulnerable this year, and it wasn’t because the Crimson Tide were short on talent - others among their division rivals have improved. Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Arkansas are ascending. And now LSU has Brian Kelly as coach, which should translate to a marked improvement given the Tigers’ roster.
Defense is back at Ohio State: The Buckeyes’ D against Michigan, Utah and Oregon this season and Alabama in the 2020 national title game was unrecognizable. Coach Ryan Day responded by hiring Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles away from Oklahoma State. Knowles will insist on OSU restoring its physicality up front, making the Buckeyes a juggernaut.
New coaches in new places: Don’t be surprised if USC, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida and Oregon make runs next season. Those programs all have new coaches who bring new energy and new mindsets to talented rosters. Most will need two or three years to overhaul the culture, but one could be “ahead of schedule,” as they say. Lincoln Riley at USC and Kelly at LSU seem the most likely
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— Written by Opinion Editor Adam Van Brimmer. Read more posts like this in the Savannah Town Square Facebook group.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Bulldogs defeated Alabama to win the college football national championship
