STETSON BENNETT

Georgia coach Kirby Smart told a near-capacity crowd at Sanford Stadium the Bulldogs don’t plan to wait another 41 years for their next national championship.

Kirby Smart learned from his former boss that the time for celebrating is short in college football.

The Bulldogs defeated the Crimson Tide in a rematch of the SEC title game.

Georgia has become an elite program under Kirby Smart, but has not been able to chase down its Southeastern Conference rival until now.

Alabama had plenty of chances in the College Football Playoff championship Monday — but rarely turned those opportunities into touchdowns.

The final blow came from Georgia's dominant defense. Kelee Ringo intercepted an underthrown deep ball and took off for a 79-yard touchdown.

Georgia won its long-awaited national championship the way it dominated during an undefeated regular season — by relying on its defense.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, vanquishing rival Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff title Monday for its first national title in 41 years. Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give No. 3 Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left and then hooked up with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up with with 3:33 left.

Georgia defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in a rematch of the SEC title game.

Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, vanquishing rival Alabama 33-18 to win the College Football Playoff title game.

Stetson Bennett’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell has given Georgia a 19-18 lead over Alabama in the national championship game.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart got an inside look at what it takes to build a college football juggernaut working for Nick Saban at Alabama for eight years.

By bringing the Bulldogs to another national title game, coach Kirby Smart has made Georgia a regular part of the championship picture.

The national championship game quarterbacks are a former five-star recruit already with a Heisman Trophy and a former walk-on ending a long journey with his home state team.

3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl, had Harbaugh offering up nothing but praise for the title game-bound Bulldogs. “Love the way our guys fought — it wasn’t our best, but certainly was theirs. Michigan had trouble defending the Bulldogs in man-coverage all game, particularly tight end Brock Bowers (6 catches, 68 yards). Stock report: Poor marks for Michigan on both sides of the ball“It was a heck of a football fight tonight,” Harbaugh continued. “They did a very good job early in the game,” Harbaugh said.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Michigan’s 2021 season came to an abrupt end Friday night in the Orange Bowl. There weren’t many bright spots for Michigan, which struggled on both sides of the ball. STOCK DOWNRun gameOne of the top storylines heading into Friday was Michigan’s strong power run against Georgia’s stingy front seven. It also was arguably the offensive line’s worse game of the season in both run and pass blocking. Buy Wolverines gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, LidsBuy Wolverines tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, TicketmasterStream Wolverines games live: fuboTV, ESPN+, Sling

Michigan won the coin toss.

Stetson Bennett threw three touchdown passes, Nakobe Dean led an angry Georgia defense and the third-ranked Bulldogs returned to their dominant ways, beating No. 2 Michigan 34-11 in the Orange Bowl to advance to the College Football Playoff championship.

The lopsided game saw the Bulldogs stretch Michigan horizontally, racking up 515 total yards, 325 of them through the air, and expose an inexperienced linebacking unit and undersized secondary. It was the first time since 2010 that Michigan allowed an opponent to score on its first four possessions. Offensively, the Wolverines’ game plan fell by the wayside after falling behind early. For the first time all season involving Michigan, there was no debate as to which team on the field was the better one. The Wolverines, meanwhile, will begin reflecting on an extraordinary season, one marked by progress, triumph and, tonight, crushing defeat.

USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken puts into perspective Georgia's win over Michigan and what it means for the program and Kirby Smart.

No. 2 Michigan is the first team to reach the College Football Playoff after starting a season unranked in the AP Top 25.

DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Michigan’s Cade McNamara and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett are slated to start at quarterback when the two teams take the field for Friday night’s Orange Bowl in South Florida. The Wolverines are on a five-game win streak and have scored more than 40 points in each of their past three. “The reason Stetson Bennett plays is we think he gives us the best chance to win,” Monken said. Bennett, like McCarthy, is more of a threat in the run game, gaining 311 yards on the ground this season. “I don’t really care what anybody else says.

But none have had the combination of size and speed like Georgia freshman tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers will attract plenty off attention from the Wolverines when the two teams square off in the Orange Bowl on Friday in South Florida. “Brock is a heck of a player, man,” Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald said Tuesday. Tight end, it’s a little bit more difficult.”RELATED: Strength vs. strength: Michigan’s run game stares down Georgia’s stout front sevenMichigan (12-1) also faced another skilled tight end in Iowa’s Sam LaPorta in the Big Ten championship game. He doesn’t say a lot, he just works.”MORE: Thanks, NIL: How Michigan football players are cashing in during playoff runOrange Bowl area a ‘hot spot’ for COVID-19 as Michigan and Georgia prep for playoffAlabama exploited Georgia’s stingy defense.

Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and four touchdowns, and No. 1 Georgia finished its undefeated regular season with a 45-0 victory over Georgia Tech. Georgia gained momentum for next week’s Southeastern Conference championship game against No. 3 Alabama in Atlanta.

Standout defensive tackle Jordan Davis scored his first career touchdown and No. 1 Georgia’s stout defense was again dominant in a 56-7 rout of Charleston Southern.

Stetson Bennett ran for a touchdown and threw for another as top-ranked Georgia remained perfect, wrapping up its Southeastern Conference schedule by routing Tennessee 41-17.

Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to former starter JT Daniels, leading No. 1 Georgia to a 43-6 win over Missouri.

No_ 1 Georgia and its top-ranked defense dominated Florida in the annual rivalry known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party."

Georgia and Alabama could be heading for another showdown in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Georgia's first game as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team since 2008 was a big success.

An established power in the SEC is now the best team in college football as we pass the halfway mark of the season. 1 spot in the NCAA rankings this week, and have shown why they deserve the title as the best team in the country. Dating back to their first meeting in 1939, Georgia is 60-12-2 against Kentucky, and have won the last 11 meetings. What: NCAA Football (Week 7)Who: #11 Kentucky Wildcats (6-0, 4-0 SEC) vs. #1 Georgia Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0 SEC)When: Saturday, October 16Time: 3:30 p.m. ETWhere: Samford Stadium (Athens, Ga.)Channel: CBSStream: FuboTV (7-day free trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream, Paramount+Check out the NCAA Football rankings

Georgia finds itself in a most unusual position.

Stetson Bennett passed for 231 yards and two touchdowns and led No. 2 Georgia past No. 18 Auburn for the second straight year in a 34-10 victory Saturday.

Zamir White rushed for two touchdowns and recovered a blocked punt for another score, and No. 2 Georgia pounded No. 8 Arkansas 37-0 in the Bulldogs’ second consecutive shutout.

Georgia quarterback JT Daniels is out of the starting lineup for Saturday’s key Southeastern Conference game against No. 8 Arkansas because of a right lat injury.

JT Daniels threw for 121 yards and two touchdowns playing only the first quarter as No. 2 Georgia dominated Vanderbilt 62-0 Saturday in the Bulldogs’ biggest win in a series that started in 1893.

8 Florida beat fifth-ranked and undermanned Georgia 44-28 on Saturday. The Bulldogs (4-2), who entered the game as 3½-point favorites, were likely eliminated from College Football Playoff consideration and probably have a quarterback competition moving forward. Trask and the Gators took advantage, burning Georgia repeatedly with wheel routes while overcoming a 14-0 deficit. POLL IMPLICATIONSGeorgia likely will fall out of top 10 of T he Associated Press' college football poll for the first time this season. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Bouncing back from a goal-line stand at the end of the the first half, the No. “They really outplayed us in the second half,” coach Jeremy Pruitt said. All those good feelings evaporated when Tennessee turned it over on its first two possessions of the second half. Tennessee's defense held Georgia to a pair of field goals after those miscues, but the Vols offense just couldn't get anything going. SILLY MISTAKESWhile it didn't matter in the end, Georgia made plenty of mistakes that irritated Smart.

Stetson Bennett threw for 240 yards and a touchdown, solidifying his hold on the quarterback job as No. Postal Service cap in an effort to get noticed, Bennett was never viewed as a starting candidate for the Bulldogs. No matter the time of year, Georgia kept the upper hand with a fourth straight victory over Auburn. Georgia star Richard LeCounte got the boot in the second period for a helmet-to-helmet collision with Auburn receiver Shedrick Jackson. His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, left, talks with quarterback Kellen Mond (11) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

including the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, highlights the fifth week of the college football season. 4 Georgia on Saturday night as the second month of the season starts, but only the second week of SEC play. The first of three games that decide the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy might have sneaked up on college football fans. The Falcons will play six conference games to go along with Navy and Army. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

ATLANTA Georgia has picked up another high-profile transfer to compete for its starting quarterback job, landing former Southern California starter JT Daniels. Daniels started for the Trojans in 2018, but lost his job to Kedon Slovis after going down last season with a knee injury. He announced Thursday that hes heading to Georgia, which is seeking a replacement for three-year starter Jake Fromm. Daniels won the starting job again out of camp last summer in new offensive coordinator Graham Harrells up-tempo scheme, but the sophomore tore a ligament in his knee in the Trojans season opener against Fresno State. Slovis stepped into the starting job and excelled in Harrells offense as a freshman, passing for 3,502 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions.