ATHENS — Whether it be at inside linebacker or the offensive line, Georgia players have no problem saying it. As a team, they acknowledge they haven’t played up to their potential this season.

“Definitely want to see improvement in the run game. I’m going to take ownership for that. I haven’t played up to my standard, our standard,” offensive lineman Tate Ratledge said. “I think that’s just across the board is we’ve got to go out there with a mindset still that we’re going to run the ball and not let different things affect us with running the ball.”

Whether it be the 17 first-quarter points scored or the fact that Georgia has trailed by double digits in both of its SEC games so far this season, the Bulldogs have not looked like the No. 1 team in the country, much less a championship-winning team.

And now they face their toughest test yet. Georgia welcomes No. 20 Kentucky into Sanford Stadium a week after the Wildcats bullied Florida 33-14.

Playing Kentucky has never been a fun proposition for Georgia since Kirby Smart became the team’s head coach. Smart and players alike note how physical the game always is. It’s akin to stepping on Legos with your bare feet.

But an ultra-physical contest against the Wildcats might be exactly what Georgia needs to get back to being its usual standard of excellence.

“I think the biggest thing is that we try our hardest to be a physical team and go out there and depend on the run, stopping the run as well,” offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran said. “That’s what we want to be able to do. This will be a physical game. Their goal as well is to run the ball and stop the run. At the end of the day, it will be about who can execute the best and go from there.”

Read more at DawgNation.com