By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

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Yet again, the Bulldogs’ defense carried the load, holding a tenth straight opponent to 17 points or less, in regulation.

251 total yards. 3.9 yards per play. 46 percent completion percentage. 11 punts.

That doesnt sound like winning football, but it somehow was good enough for No. 4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC) to wrap up the SEC East title on Saturday afternoon at No. 12 Auburn (7-3, 4-3). Yet again, the Bulldogs’ defense carried the load, holding a tenth straight opponent to 17 points or less in regulation in Georgias 21-14 victory in the 124th renewal of the Deep Souths Oldest Rivalry.

Georgia will play either LSU, which can clinch the SEC West title next week vs. 2-8 Arkansas, or Alabama in the Dec. 7 SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Bulldogs are the first SEC East team to win three straight division title since Florida won the first five SEC East championships from 1992-96.

For a while, it looked like Georgias ferocious defense was going to pitch its third shutout in four game. Through three quarters, Auburn had managed just 171 yards, and Georgia held a 21-0 lead. Georgias aggressive coverage schemes kept Auburn from stretching the field, and the front seven overwhelmed a shaky Tigers offensive line.

The Bulldogs forced Auburn quarterback Bo Nix to throw 50 times on the day, as Georgia held the Auburn running game without a carry of 10 or more yards. The Tigers finished with just 84 yards on the ground, fewer than 40 percent of their season average of 219.

The game still had its share of late drama, as the Deep Souths Oldest Rivalry is wont to do. Georgia shifted into a soft zone after building its 21-0 lead, but Nix was able to pick it apart for consecutive touchdown drives of 75 yards and 57 yards to make it a one-score game midway through the final quarter. Despite some empty seats from early exiters, Jordan-Hare Stadium was rocking again, anticipating the development of another miracle November for Auburn.

Georgia promptly went three-and-out for the fifth time in six drives, as Jake Fromm and the offense could only manage two yards in the fourth quarter with the Tigers stacking the box. Auburn had the ball with a chance to tie the game. On fourth down, Auburn snuck Harold Joiner out of the backfield, but Nix threw errantly behind a wide open Joiner, and the Tigers best chance to level the score was gone.

Auburn had one more chance after another three-and-out, but Travon Walker sent the Georgia sideline into celebration mode with a sack of Nix on fourth down to clinch the SEC East title and give the Bulldogs their sixth win in seven meetings against Auburn since the famous Prayer at Jordan-Hare defeat to the Tigers in 2013.

Georgias offense wasnt efficient, but it made its good drives great, as Fromm threw three touchdown passes, including a beautiful 51-yard pass to Dominick Blaylock for the games first score. Fromm finished 13-of-28, as he did in his first start at Auburn, a 40-17 defeat in 2017. The difference was Fromm threw just one touchdown that day two seasons ago, compared to three on Saturday. 21 points wont win games for most teams, but its been good enough every single week with this 8Dawgs defense.

Despite the struggles in closing out the game, it was another stellar performance for the Georgia defense. Its a year of offense in college football, as even LSU and Alabama have turned into scoring juggernauts. Couple that with Georgia not having a surefire first-round NFL Draft pick on defense, and the Bulldogs have flown under the radar a but despite the teams top-five ranking.

It still might after Saturday, as Auburns offense will be brushed aside as sub-par, but that wont be the case when Georgia likely faces another group of SEC West Tigers three weeks from now in a game that, if the Bulldogs can defeat Texas A&M and Georgia Tech, will decide whether or not they make their second College Football Playoff appearance in three years.

Georgias offense might not be championship-worthy, but as it showed again on Saturday, its defense is the best in the country. Will it be enough to slow down Joe Burrow and LSU? I, and every other college football fan, cant wait to find out.