By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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This defense already has a place in the record books.

With the regular season now in the books, Georgia’s defense has officially solidified itself as one of the best in college football history. The top-ranked Bulldogs, who blanked Georgia Tech 45-0 on Saturday, just may be the new modern standard.

In an era of ever-expanding offensive production, Georgia has seemingly snapped the entire sport back to reality.

Through 12 games this fall, the Bulldogs have somehow held seven opponents to without an offensive touchdown. Furthermore, Georgia completely shutout the offenses of UAB, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Charleston Southern and Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs, counting only offensive scores and field goals, are actually giving up just 5.75 points per game defensively. Four of the touchdowns scored on Georgia came in the fourth quarter of lopised outings, including three with less than four minutes remaining.

It’s been a season-long showcase for the Bulldogs, one that started by holding number three Clemson, which had made six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, to just three points in their high-profile opener. Christopher Smith, a defensive back, scored the game’s only touchdown that night on a 74-yard interception return. Overall, Georgia limited Clemson to only 180 yards, a performance which appears to have slowed the Tigers throughout their entire schedule. T

The Bulldogs’ most recent performance was the exclamation point on what was truly a statement regular season. Georgia limited rival Georgia Tech to merely nine total first downs, 166 total yards, 4.3 yards per pass and 2.8 yards per rush in Atlanta. In a game where the Bulldogs had 25 different players record a tackle, the Yellow Jackets had just one play of over 15 yards. Georgia held Georgia Tech to five different drives of seven yards or less.

This unit has been dominant against the run, against the pass, in the redzone, at pressuring the quarterback and at limiting big plays. No team has scored more than 17 points against the Bulldogs because this is a defense without a weakness. Georgia has played four top 20 opponents; those teams combined for 23 points — and that is with a touchdown scored with four seconds on the clock. The highest-ranked SEC team the Bulldogs played this season, number eight Arkansas, they promptly shutout.

This Georgia group even has its own Heisman Trophy candidate in defensive tackle Jordan Davis.

Though part of the Bulldogs’ legacy, with the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff upcoming, will be determined in the postseason, this defense already has a place in the record books. Few units, ever, have been this consistent or this good. Greatness has been on display from week-to-week.

Number one in the nation in both scoring and total defense, and number one overall, the Bulldogs have earned an all-time distinction.