After seven games, Georgia's 2022 team is in the same position it was through the first seven games of last season, undefeated with everything to play for. But the path the Bulldogs have taken to get here feels different, as does the surrounding landscape of college football.

This Georgia team has major injury questions, with key contributors on both sides of the ball missing multiple games. Defensive lineman Jalen Carter, running back Kendall Milton, wide receiver AD Mitchell and linebacker Smael Mondon all sat out against Vanderbilt.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey and guard Xavier Truss sustained injuries against Vanderbilt, and while neither appeared to be major, its clear that the bye week is coming at a good time for Georgia.

Still, head coach Kirby Smart said he isnt sure how many of those players will be back when Georgia takes the field against Florida in two weeks.

Theres no off week that says you magically get everything back, Smart said. Each injury is different, we have to see how they progress, how much pain tolerance they have.

Smart said its hard to repeat as champions when asked about the Atlanta Braves loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB playoffs.

Its only one team that wins it at the end of the year, theres only one, Smart said. Its not normally the same team. So for us, were focused on us getting better. Weve got a long way to go to be the team we need to be.

Georgia will start the most difficult stretch of its season against Florida, with matches against Tennessee, Mississippi State and Kentucky looming on the horizon.

Smart said the team isnt worried about any of that yet, instead taking a day-by-day approach to the season, starting with getting back to work and rehab on Sunday.

Im worried about tomorrow, and Im not looking at that run, because you start looking at that run and you get caught up, he said. Im looking solely at one thing. Its not Florida, its not anybody else, its us.

Heading into the bye week and that tough run of games, quarterback Stetson Bennett emphasized the importance of the connection the team has built through its first seven games.

Some positions dont have as much importance on particular snaps, but theyre all crucially important in any given scenario, any game, Bennett said. And weve got to know that we can rely on them, and weve got to know that when we mess up, the guy next to us is gonna have our back.

The biggest difference between this years team and last years may not be anything Georgia actually controls. Last season, Georgia and Alabama were widely seen as head and shoulders above the rest of the college football contenders.

This years group of contenders is much more muddled, with teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson and Georgia all seen as having a legitimate shot to win it all.

Smarts attitude of taking everything as it comes makes even more sense with that in mind. Georgia can only control what it does every time it steps on the field, and to this point, has stacked wins in each of its games. Even with tougher teams on the horizon, the Bulldogs will look to continue to do just that.

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Georgia heads into bye week undefeated but imperfect - Red and Black