The case for Georgia having the best defense in the SEC grew stronger after the opening night of the College Football Playoff.

Oklahoma, regarded by some to be the top defense in the league, lost to Alabama by 34-24 in Norman on Friday night.

The Bulldogs beat the Crimson Tide 28-7 in the SEC championship game and are playing their best defense of the season.

“It had nowhere to go but up there for a while,” UGA coach Kirby Smart said in a recent interview on the See Ball Get Ball podcast.

“We had some games where we didn’t perform well, so we knew we could perform better, but we knew we had to make some adjustments.”

Georgia’s defense lost six players out of last season’s front seven to the NFL, including first-round picks Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker, in addition to All-American safety Malaki Starks.

“We were a young defense, we were a nervous, anxious defense,” Smart said, “and we’re slowly becoming a more mature defense.

“But we’ve practiced better, too, and I think that’s a lot of it.”

Smart doubled down on the practice habits as far back as last spring, calling his young team out early for not knowing how to respond to hard coaching.

“We really can’t practice to our standard because they’re all tired … so we got to do a better job of getting them in shape,” Smart said following practice on March 18.

“They are not where they need to be … they have to be willing to receive coaching.”

Smart’s Georgia team has obviously grown up, and that’s been especially apparent on defense, as UGA and Texas Tech are the only CFP teams that have allowed 10 points or less in each of the past four games.

“I think Schu (defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann) and the defensive staff kind of looked inside themselves and said ‘OK what do we do well, what can we do well, who do we have on the sideline that we’re not using that can get better and grow.’

“We made a couple of changes to third down, in terms of skillset of players, and we got better.”

Smart said the results have followed, with young players like freshman defensive lineman Elijah Griffin and redshirt freshman cornerback Ellis Robinson IV among those emerging.

“We still haven’t reached the pinnacle of what we can be,” Smart said.

Here’s a look at how the Georgia and Oklahoma defense fared against common opponents this season:

Vs. Auburn

Georgia (won 20-10, in Auburn)

AU 140 rushing, 137 passing, 277 total

Oklahoma (won 24-17, in Norman)

AU 67 rushing, 220 passing, 287 total

Vs. Texas

Georgia (won 35-10, in Athens)

UT 23 rushing, 251 passing, 274 total

Oklahoma (lost 23-6, in Dallas)

UT 136 rushing, 166 passing, 302 total

Vs. Ole Miss

Georgia (won 43-35 in Athens)

OM 88 rushing, 263 passing, 351 total

Oklahoma (lost 34-26 in Norman)

OM 116 rushing, 315 passing, 431 total

Vs. Tennessee

Georgia (won 44-41, OT, in Knoxville)

UT 125 rushing, 371 passing, 496 total

Oklahoma (won 33-27, in Knoxville)

UT 63 rushing, 393 passing, 456 total

Vs. Alabama (regular season)

Georgia (lost 24-21, in Athens)

Ala 117 rushing, 280 passing, 397 total

Oklahoma (won 23-21, in Tuscaloosa)

Ala 80 rushing, 326 passing, 406 total

Vs. Alabama (postseason)

Georgia (won 28-7 SEC championship)

Ala -3 rushing, 212 passing, 209 total

Oklahoma (lost 34-24, CFP in Norman)

Ala 28 rushing, 232 passing, 260 total