Stetson Bennett, Georgia Defense Hyped by CFB Twitter After Rout over No. 1 Tennessee

Georgia may have taken it personally when the Bulldogs were third in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

The No. 3 Bulldogs coasted past top-ranked Tennessee 27-13 on Saturday at home in Sanford Stadium, and the final score doesn't do justice to the gulf between the teams. It was a comprehensive victory and a result that looked secure after the first quarter.

A 13-yard Stetson Bennett touchdown run and a 37-yard TD pass to Ladd McConkey put the reigning national champions up 14-3 with 3:32 left in the opening frame. They didn't look back from there.

Whereas Tennessee's Hendon Hooker looked like the Heisman Trophy favorite entering the game, Bennett was the quarterback who took center stage. He finished 17-of-25 for 257 yards and two touchdowns.

The Georgia defense also suffocated a Tennessee offense that was leading FBS in yards (553.0) and points (49.4) per game. The Vols had 289 total yards and turned the ball over twice.

Georgia opened the season with an emphatic 49-3 hammering of Oregon but hadn't added another signature win since then. Close victories over Kent State and Missouri led people to wonder whether Kirby Smart's squad was far more vulnerable compared to last year.

Instead, the Bulldogs might still be the best team in college football.

Georgia closes with Mississippi State, Kentucky and Georgia Tech, and it basically has two paths to the CFP semifinals. An unbeaten regular season will put the Bulldogs in regardless of what happens in the SEC title game, while winning the conference championship would more than make up for one loss between now and then.

The Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl are slated to be the two semifinals this season. It's safe to say Georgia fans should start making travel plans for Atlanta or Glendale, Arizona, if they haven't already.