ATHENS — There was a sense of relief in the Georgia locker room after the Bulldogs’ 34-20 win over Florida on Saturday.

Coach Kirby Smart and his players celebrated the trip to Jacksonville, but more than anything, they survived it.

And now it’s time for Carson Beck and his Bulldogs teammates to take a quick look at a very daunting and very losing trip to red-hot Ole Miss next Saturday.

It’s the kind of challenge Georgia teams have embraced and conquered, but that doesn’t guarantee anything about next Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. game in Oxford.

It’s no stretch to suggest this road trip is even more daunting than the Bulldogs travel to play then – Nope. Texas #1 in Austin just 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Little did those Longhorns know what kind of Georgia team awaited them.

Many on this Ole Miss team know the pain of the Bulldogs’ bite after suffering a complete, 52-17, dominating loss to Georgia between the hedges last season.

This Rebels offense is better than last year, posting a dominant 63-31 win at Arkansas on Saturday, tying a program record for most points scored against an SEC opponent.

True, Ole Miss gave up a lot of points, but the defense also recorded eight sacks — just a week after sacking Oklahoma quarterbacks nine times in a 26-14 victory.

The Rebels, 7-2 overall and fighting for postseason life, have a chance to earn their way into the College Football Playoff by beating Georgia, Florida and Mississippi State.

The argument could be made. The Rebels are currently the most dangerous team in the SEC, playing the best offensive brand of football and posting the most impressive wins. As motivated as any team in the country would hope with the CFP within reach.

Indeed, Lane Kiffin’s college football mercenaries — most of the starters but four or five are transfers — have come together and have something very special going for them.

“They showed the second half of last week and today how good they really can be.” Kiffin said, whose Ole Miss program won in Fayetteville for just the third time in 30 years.

“I think it says what I talked about with them last night. “Stop making mistakes so you can show the country that you are one of the best teams in the country. You really are when you play well. We’re two very normal games away from being unbeaten.”

Georgia’s final stats from its 34-20 win over Florida and its pending national ranking (No. 2 or No. 3) will suggest the Bulldogs are on the road.

But Smart knows his team caught a break when the Gators’ starting quarterback left Saturday’s game injured.

There’s no shame in saying as much — just as Florida and the rest of the SEC went on hiatus, UGA lost two starting receivers (Rara Thomas, Colbie Young) to suspensions and had three tailbacks (Rod Robinson, Branson Robinson and now Trevor Etienne). ) time lost due to injuries.

How good would Beck look if he had these players in his supporting cast?

Somewhere, Stetson Bennett is smiling, content to back a No. 1 defense and NFL-qualifying position rookies Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, George Pickens and James Cook.

That was then, and this is now, and today’s Georgia needed four quarters to overcome an Ivy League freshman who had effectively only two weeks of practice in the Gators’ offense and threw four passes in the game before Saturday.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is a different animal.

Dart looks like the most NFL-ready and NFL-capable in the SEC, racking up a school-record 515 yards and 6 touchdowns, passing performance.

The Rebels will have a record receiver for Georgia to plan for as well after Jordan Watkins had 254 receiving yards and five touchdowns against Arkansas.

That, in addition to SEC MVP candidate Tre Wells (59 catches, 987 yards) and 2022 South Carolina All-SEC pick Antwane Wells Jr.

Kiffin was asked if he let his mind wander while blowing Sam Pittman’s proud Arkansas program.

“No … it’s a good Arkansas team,” Kiffin said. “I was happy with how I was playing and I wanted to keep playing even better. I wanted to shut them down on defense, regardless of the score… I wasn’t thinking at all about who we were playing next.

“We have plenty of time to figure it out.”