AUBURN, ALA. – Saddled with a start time usually reserved for those Mid-American Conference games that couldn’t be accommodated on a weekday, Georgia and Auburn got together on a Saturday morning and played a game worthy of the humble hour.

The young lords of 11 a.m. (Central Time) proved they belonged there. The meeting was supposed to be between powers of East and West in the SEC. But then a season actually played out, and here both were without a title of any sort on the line.

There was nothing artistic about this SEC consolation game. It all came down to which team looked the least feckless and which quarterback could do the least amount of damage.

The Bulldogs won on both counts, which no doubt set off a great deal of joyful shrugging back in Athens.

Georgia’s Greyson Lambert was the picture of a non-threatening quarterback, completing 12 passes for 97 yards, and none of them to the opposition. Those are whispering numbers, but low volume was all the Bulldogs required. Better that the quarterback call no attention to himself.

Meanwhile Auburn’s rotation of Jeremy Johnson and Sean White threw for a combined 62 yards, with one giving an interception and the other a fumble.

So, feel good today Georgia.

The chances are very good the Bulldogs will win their final two games of the season and play in some bowl game for a 10th victory.

You can forget all about that series Saturday in which the Bulldogs faced a 3rd-and-41 (Georgia handed off on the play).

You can ignore the fact that Georgia linebacker coach Mike Ekeler nearly knocked out one of his own with a head slap after a defensive stand.

You can forgive your team playing itself into a position where it kicks off before you can open your third beer of the day.

For no matter how disappointing the season has been to date for those who held the highest hopes for Georgia, they get to stand proudly today and claim this smallest victory: “At least we’re not the 2015 version of Auburn.”