NO. 5 GEORGIA 38, AUBURN 0 A pleasant surprise

Few expected East title after debacle at South Carolina.

AUBURN, Ala. — This is the place where few expected Georgia would be after that ugly night in Columbia, S.C., last month — not only winning games, but winning them impressively, humiliating an opponent on its home field. This is the place where many may have projected the Bulldogs to be before this season began, but certainly not since.

This is where Georgia is today: SEC East champions for the second consecutive season ... and yes, as improbable as it might once have seemed, a legitimate threat to beat Alabama in the Georgia Dome in three weeks. Doubt it? Why? The Bulldogs thoroughly dominated Auburn 380. Georgia fans chanted, “SEC, SEC” in the second half, and they were easy to hear because by then most of the Auburn fans had left.

Maybe body-slamming Auburn no longer is considered a monumental achievement for an Auburn opponent. The Tigers, two years removed from the BCS title, suddenly look two levels removed from Division I. They’re 0-7 in the SEC and 2-8 overall for the first time in 60 years.

But this isn’t a onenight aberration. Georgia (9-1) has won four consecutive games since the loss to South Carolina, the past three by a combined score of 92-19. A defense that looked out of sync for much of the season has allowed one touchdown and four field goals in the past 12 quarters.

Aaron Murray (three first-half touchdowns against Auburn) doesn’t look anything like the quarterback who had three early interceptions against Florida. They run the ball. They stop the run. They’re not committing turnovers or dumb penalties.

They did not respond well to an early deficit in Columbia. They were physically beaten and looked emotionally spent. But now for the first time are playing with a sense of momentum. They’re playing with an edge.

Assuming no hiccups against Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech — and a game against a rival, even in a down season for Tech, can’t be taken for granted — the Dogs nonetheless will be underdogs to Alabama in the Georgia Dome.

But this Tide team suddenly looks beatable. It was lucky to escape Baton Rouge with a 21-17 win last week. On Saturday, Texas A&M made its first conference-game trip into Tuscaloosa and won 2924. Alabama allowed 418 yards of offense and committed three turnovers. (Auburn fans were grateful when the Alabama score was flashed on the scoreboard because it gave them something to cheer about it. That won’t cheer again until coach Gene Chizik’s firing.)

Two years ago at this time, Auburn was on the way to an undefeated season and Georgia was on the way to the Liberty Bowl (where it lost to Central Florida). Richt was at his absolute bottom in terms of how he was perceived by the fan base, at least until losing to Boise State and South Carolina last season.

When asked recently about handling the dramatic turn in fortunes, he said, “You just know it’s a part of the business. You’ve got to keep believing in what you do, keep grinding, keep evaluating what you do because if you need to make a change, you make a change. Maybe you need to recruit differently or train differently in the offseason or try something different schematically. If you just totally abandon what you believe in and try to be something you’re not, you’re done.”

Georgia isn’t nearly done. A defense that underachieved so much of the season is now stuffing opponents. In the past three games (Florida, Ole Miss, Auburn), the Dogs have allowed one touchdown and four field goals.

Then there is Murray, he of the egged house following the loss to South Carolina and the threeinterception first half against Florida. He completed his first 10 passes against Auburn. By halftime he had thrown for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tavarres King, just after getting knocked to the ground by Auburn linebacker Cassanova McKinzy, which forced Murray to leave the game for a play. His threw a 56yard strike to King, setting up Todd Gurley’s 6yard score.

This isn’t the same team we’ve watched for most of the season. It’s a team playing like a legitimate threat to Alabama and any other team in the BCS rankings.

And that’s something few could have seen coming.