Florida landed the first punch but it was No. 1 Georgia that won by knockout

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida poked the bear. Then the bear mauled the Gators.

Sixty-six yards, the Gators breezed, on their opening drive Saturday. Five consecutive completions from Graham Mertz produced a Florida touchdown that punched its rival's chin.

On a day undefeated Oklahoma lost to an unranked opponent, was No. 1 Georgia next? Not a chance.

Mess with Georgia, and brace for peril.

After allowing that touchdown on the game’s first drive, Georgia spent the rest of the afternoon pounding the Gators amid a 43-20 victory at EverBank Stadium.

No one should doubt whether Georgia (8-0, 5-0 SEC) is the SEC’s best team, but how about the nation’s best team? I’m becoming a believer.

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Where should Georgia football be in College Football Playoff rankings?

The College Football Playoff committee will weigh in Tuesday, when its first CFP rankings will be released.

My eyes tell me Michigan belongs in the center of the heavyweight ring, but the Wolverines’ schedule has been soft. If rankings are based on merit, then Ohio State or Florida State should be No. 1. Among undefeated teams, OSU and FSU possess the most notable victories.

If the CFP rankings process mirrors last year, a team that owns a more impressive victory than Georgia touts will claim the top spot in these first rankings. And if it’s like last year, Georgia will spend the rest of the season proving its superiority.

I don't know that Saturday's result proves Georgia is No. 1, but it proves the gap between the cream of the SEC and the conference’s messy, mediocre middle.

Georgia’s defense isn’t as good as it was in 2021, when it won the first of its consecutive national championships. Its offense isn’t as good as it was in ’22. Those Bulldogs were a high-powered bunch that often got mischaracterized as a win-with-defense team.

But, 2021 Georgia isn’t on 2023 Georgia’s schedule. Neither is 2022 Georgia.

The relevant question is whether anyone can topple this Georgia team. The longer this goes, the less I see that happening.

Sure, Georgia looked unimpressive at times in a September feast on weak opponents, but like past Georgia teams, these Bulldogs rise for big games.

This still counts as a big game, even if the rivalry is functioning at half speed, because the Gators aren't in Georgia's stratosphere these past three years. As a bartender in a Jacksonville restaurant said to a Georgia fan dining here on Saturday night: I’d wish you luck, but you don’t need it.

Luck is what you need when you lack Georgia’s collection of studs.

Goofy fourth-down play contributes to Florida football's loss

Florida waved the white flag around the time Billy Napier called a goofy trick play on fourth down from UF’s 34-yard line to start the second quarter. Needing less than a yard, the Gators tried a direct snap to running back Trevor Etienne. The play appeared to be designed as a halfback pass. I say appeared because it was tough to tell, because Georgia's Smael Mondon swallowed Etienne before the play had a chance to develop.

How’s that for a fourth-and-dumb?

Tomfoolery doesn’t beat a program that owns 25 straight victories.

Three plays after that fourth-down stop, the Bulldogs were in the end zone, a rout in progress.

I could use a lot of words to explain this result, but the simplest summation is that Georgia bullied Florida at the line of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball.

The Bulldogs’ dominance came without injured star Brock Bowers, but Ladd McConkey borrowed Bowers’ Superman outfit.

McConkey missed the first four games because of a back injury. As he sprinted into the end zone Saturday on a 41-yard reception in which he spun away from defenders, I was reminded of how much he means to Georgia. And that wasn't even McConkey's longest reception. McConkey regaining full speed should allow Georgia to hold down the fort while Bowers recovers from ankle surgery. Carson Beck’s deft hand helps, too.

Maybe, I should slow my roll on Georgia. Florida looks more like a 6-6 team than a fierce rival. Tougher games await Georgia in November against No. 16 Missouri, No. 11 Mississippi and No. 20 Tennessee. The Bulldogs will enjoy a notable talent advantage over each opponent, though.

I came here intent on deciding whether Georgia ought to be ranked No. 1 next week. I’ll leave more convinced that Georgia is positioning itself to three-peat.

If the CFP rankings feature someone other than Georgia as No. 1 on Tuesday, that will just poke the bear. And that's when Georgia becomes vicious.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.