In last year's balloting for the Heisman Trophy, Alabama placed three in the top five with receiver DeVonta Smith, quarterback Mac Jones and running back Najee Harris.
That is the definition of star power in college football.
This year's Georgia team, which ascended to No. 1 earlier this week after Alabama's loss last Saturday night at Texas A&M, looks nothing like last season's Crimson Tide from the Hollywood aspect. Quarterbacks Stetson Bennett and JT Daniels have three starts apiece in six games, while the Bulldogs have a running back rotation that is five deep.
Injuries at receiver have resulted in unheralded talents such as Ladd McConkey from North Murray High School getting the opportunity to shine on Saturdays, and Georgia's dominating defense doesn't have a headlining act but rather consumes opponents wave after wave.
Heck, this Georgia bunch doesn't have near the star power of the 2017 Bulldogs, who had running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and linebacker Roquan Smith and came within a whisker of that season's national championship.
"I don't ever think of the players as stars," Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said this week. "I see it as a team without any ego. We've got good football players - by all means we've got good football players. We've got guys who are going to be draft picks, but I don't feel like we've ever had that guy. Nick and Sony shared a lot of that spotlight, and I just don't get into the star part.
"I sell team values, which we do through the offseason, and I feel like this group has bought in to that. There is nobody out there saying, 'Look at me. Look at me. I need more attention.' They deflect it. They don't want to do the media or those things. They want to win, and that's what matters."
Georgia is 6-0 by the average score of 40-6, and that's rounding up the defensive average from 5.5. The Bulldogs have allowed two defensive touchdowns while also scoring two defensive touchdowns and collecting a safety.
Yet a check of this week's Southeastern Conference statistics reflects Georgia's top individual leaders being running back Zamir White (10th in rushing yards), tight end Brock Bowers (tied for 12th in receiving yards) and linebacker Channing Tindall (tied for 20th in tackles). Daniels was a preseason Heisman candidate but has battled a lat injury, while the team's biggest literal star - 6-foot-6, 340-pound defensive tackle Jordan Davis - has been in the game for fewer than 40% of his team's plays due to the weekly runaway wins.
It's certainly not an issue for Smart, who through six games has used 14 different team captains.
"We've probably got a lot of guys deserving who haven't done it," Smart said. "We've got some really good leaders. I'm very happy we've got the guys we've got who can kind of share that role. You want your best ones always out there, but sometimes it's hard for us to figure out who the best ones are."
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / UTC football players Cole Strange (69), Zay Brown (33) and Jay Person lift "The Rail" rivalry trophy high after defeating East Tennessee State in a SoCon game on Oct. 17, 2019, at Finley Stadium. UTC hosts ETSU again on Saturday.Pasquali's Pix
Auburn at Arkansas: The Tigers have hung at least 30 points on the Razorbacks in eight consecutive meetings. Razorbacks 27, Tigers 20.
Florida at LSU: Last December's infamous cleat-throwing incident by former Gators cornerback Marco Wilson dropped Dan Mullen's career record against LSU to 3-9. Gators 30, Tigers 13.
Texas A&M at Missouri: Only three FBS programs have at least three wins over an Associated Press No. 1 team this century: Alabama, Auburn and now the Aggies. Aggies 38, Tigers 21.
ETSU at UTC: It's hard to envision the Mocs making the FCS playoffs with a loss this weekend, especially considering the Buccaneers are the SoCon's only ranked team. Mocs 27, Bucs 24.
Kentucky at Georgia: For the second time in four seasons, this is the biggest game of the year in the SEC East. Bulldogs 34, Wildcats 13.
Vanderbilt at South Carolina: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been polishing up that 13th-place trophy this week. Gamecocks 31, Commodores 10.
Alabama at Mississippi State: The Crimson Tide have won the past three series meetings by the combined score of 103-7. Crimson Tide 37, Bulldogs 16.
Ole Miss at Tennessee: Decisions, decisions. The coach with the checkered past, or the program with the checkered stadium. Volunteers 34, Rebels 31.
Other picks:
Memphis 26, Navy 19
Clemson 42, Syracuse 21
San Diego State 35, San Jose State 32
Oregon 49, California 28
Cincinnati 41, UCF 16
Michigan State 27, Indiana 25
Texas 38, Oklahoma State 30
Virginia 34, Duke 13
Iowa 40, Purdue 17
North Carolina 33, Miami 24
Virginia Tech 32, Pittsburgh 31
Oklahoma 45, TCU 26
N.C. State 30, Boston College 23
Wisconsin 31, Army 22
Nebraska 23, Minnesota 20
Baylor 37, BYU 34
Utah 28, Arizona State 27
Winners - 19
Emails leaked - 6
Pasquali is 110-40 overall (73.3%) this season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.