ATHENS — Brock Bowers is a lot of things for Georgia. Some would say that in addition to being the best player on the No. 1 ranked team, Bowers was also the best player in the country.

He was the go-to player for this Georgia offense. Just look back at the Auburn game, where Georgia fed Bowers in the second half of a close game. He finished with 8 receptions for 157 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

Georgia won’t have Bowers for the foreseeable future, as he had tightrope surgery after suffering a high ankle sprain. Smart didn’t offer up an official timeline for a possible return but the surgery traditionally sidelines players anywhere from four to six weeks.

In that time, Georgia will face three ranked foes and rival Florida. It’s the toughest slate of games for this Georgia team.

Playing those games without Bowers should tell us a lot about how truly good quarterback Carson Beck and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo are for this team.

Bowers has been a security blanket for Beck. For Bobo, Bowers was who the offense ran through. The first-year offensive coordinator showed he could get Bowers open consistently.

Even with everyone knowing Georgia wanted to get Bowers the ball.

“Everybody just thinks, ‘Oh, there’s Brock Bowers. Key him.’ Well, you can’t just key him because when you play zone defense, you don’t know who has him,” Kirby Smart said following the Kentucky game. “When you play man defense, you can’t cover him. So there’s illusions, you know?”

Read more at DawgNation.com