Regardless of what the score board tells you, what entertainment value was had, what general media members may explain or what the final stats say, Alabama dominated Georgia last Saturday. The Tide did nothing short of that in what still easily could end up being the game of the year this season.

Alabama stormed ahead early, taking a 28-0 lead in the second quarter, and ended up leading at halftime by a score of 30-7. Despite the deficit, Georgia wound up leading late in the game before freshman Ryan Williams took over and made the game 41-34, where it would finish.

The total yards seem close, the 7-point game makes it appear competitive, and the Bulldogs' comeback feels like it was a tight match up. But it simply was not. Alabama's all-around success in the first and second quarter tells the true story of the game on the gridiron Saturday.

While the third quarter stall of the Crimson Tide's offense can and to some extent should be credited to Kirby Smart's defensive adjustments, there is more to the story. Alabama was no longer playing to simply win the game. They felt that they had already done so. The Tide, largely backed by dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe got everything they could want on the ground. Milroe rushed against the Georgia defense for 117 yards, further exposing a weak defensive line. Despite that, Alabama chose to throw more in the third quarter than the first half. Their play calling was wildly conservative. How can both of those things be true?

Well, Milroe is still in development with head coach Kalen DeBoer, the Washington coach who led the country's most explosive passing offense last year. DeBoer likely was testing Milroe against a solid defensive secondary to see his capabilities in a game he felt comfortable in enough to do so. If passes weren't completed and the drive stalled out, it didn't matter because the game was in the bag. That proved to be a mistake. While Alabama truly dominated, you cannot grow complacent against a team like Georgia. No matter the score, Georgia has proven time and time again to never be out of a game.

Georgia on the other hand was far more efficient on the ground than the air. Yet they threw the ball 50 times with Carson Beck. The Bulldogs had dug themselves a hole and could not afford to run the ball often any longer. Beck turned the ball over four times in his loss, three passes were atrociously thrown and picked off, as well as adding a costly fumble. Georgia did not have a choice however and had to continue to rely on his arm. Beck seemed to simply toss the ball deep and hope his receivers would get underneath it. Fortunately for him, they often did. The strategy was not a difficult one to see. Georgia had to throw the ball and they could do so, testing a very young Alabama secondary. The inexperience and youth led to inconsistencies in the second half, allowing for Georgia to score quickly and bring themselves back into the game. While one can never truly blame the refs for a game's outcome, the officiating certainly was questionable and allowed for the Bulldogs to continue their comeback. An assortment of missed calls on the Georgia defense as well as questionable ones on the Alabama side, gave Georgia the opportunity to continue tossing the ball deep and sending up a prayer. There were a variety of reasons why the game ended up as a one score difference, but the Tide still rolled.

Following 19 unanswered points by Georgia, the Tide fell behind 34-33 with just over two minutes remaining. This is where one of the major story lines from the game emerged: Ryan Williams. The true freshman wide receiver made a stunning grab on the first play of the following drive. Georgia's lead on the game would last only the kickoff and a failed 2-point conversion. Alabama then successfully attempted a 2-point conversion to take a 7-point lead and would seal the game with a late interception.

Alabama's inconsistencies at the young defensive back position are clear, yet they managed to finish the game for the Tide. Nothing about this game other than sporadic explosive plays, luck, and officiating, suggested that Georgia had any business competing in Tuscaloosa.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart falls to 1-6 against Alabama, where he once coached. Often, the excuse was made that he had to face off against the greatest head coach this sport has ever seen, Nick Saban. However, Kalen DeBoer in just his fourth game as the Alabama head coach completely dismantled the two-time champion. There is no doubt that Georgia is a high-quality football team. They were however the second best on the field Saturday in an assortment of ways.

I have questioned Georgia's physicality up front on both sides of the ball all offseason and they were the weaker team in that respect. However, the inexcusable part is that Alabama looked to be wildly more talented. Georgia has competed head-to-head in recruiting with Alabama and has won enough battles that this should not be the case. Each roster is stacked with talented blue-chip players, yet Alabama looked both physically superior and more talented. That will be an issue Georgia must resolve if they hope to figure out their problem with the Crimson Tide any time soon. Until then, Alabama will continue to dominate Georgia just as they did on September 28th.