Let’s examine what it means to have angst.

One quick search on Google describes angst, a noun, as a feeling of deep anxiety or dread; typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general.

Pretty much sums up what it’s like to be a Georgia fan, don’t you think?

Oh, there’s reason to feel trepidation.

After a hype-filled off-season when most of the experts were penciling the Bulldogs back in the College Football Playoffs, Georgia’s recent loss to South Carolina, coupled with the sudden concerns about the offense, has a lot of folks feeling more than just a little bit uneasy.

All are legitimate concerns, mind you.

If the Bulldogs are to navigate one of the more difficult Novembers in recent memory, Georgia’s going to have to put more points on the board than we’ve seen the last two weeks.

How they should go about accomplishing that is an entirely different topic, one which I won’t get into today. Lord knows, Georgia’s offense has been the hot-button issue; no need for me to ride that horse any further.

We’ll just assume head coach Kirby Smart and his staff took full advantage of the bye week to try and find some answers.

“Like I’ve said before, bye weeks fall where they fall. I never get into, 'That’s great that it falls there.' I think the SEC does a good job of balancing that out. You look at the big games, and teams have off-weeks before each other a lot of times. I’m sure they try to do that to not create a competitive advantage. It falls at a good time for us, because we're beat up, but who’s not?”

As far as those injuries are concerned, the most troubling are the ones to wide receiver Lawrence Cager, who’s trying to come back, but could be out for three more weeks due to his shoulder and rib issues.

That’s a big shame, because the 6-foot-5 Cager had been Jake Fromm’s security blanket, the one wide out he seemed really to trust. A healthy Cager would have come in most handy against Florida.

Getting defensive end Travon Walker would be nice, too, but it remains unclear if he’ll be ready, although Smart indicated last week the freshman may be cleared for practice Monday.

But even with the injuries, the dread over the offense, and whatever other anxieties may be floating there, the Bulldogs are still in position to achieve all of their preseason goals.

Of course, it’s a must-win situation from here on out if the playoffs are to remain in the picture. However, until Georgia loses another game, dreamers can still do their thing. A win over Florida would certainly brighten the mood of a lot of people, and perhaps serve as the type of victory that could propel the Bulldogs back into the SEC Championship.

But if they do, that angst you feel now won’t even begin to tell the story.

…While we’re on the subject, as you've probably seen by now, Georgia, Florida, and the city of Jacksonville have agreed to a new deal that will keep the annual game in Jacksonville through 2023, with an option to extend through 2025.

Depending on who you ask, that’s either good or bad. Both sides have their points.

Those who love tradition will ask you, why mess with a good thing? After all, the Bulldogs and Gators have met in Jacksonville every year since 1933—the lone exceptions coming in 1994 and 1995, when the old Gator Bowl was undergoing renovations.

Those opposed will tell you the fact the game’s in Florida and the Bulldogs have to travel farther than the Gators makes for an unfair advantage. There are other reasons that probably make for a better argument.

There are two off the top of my head. Not only does it cost Georgia a recruiting weekend every other year, but also it forces the Bulldogs to lose a home game every other year. Those are legitimate reasons to consider, and Smart has made those points clear.

Of course, it all comes down to money, and according to athletic director Greg McGarity, both the Bulldogs and Gators will make out very well.

Per McGarity, over a two-year period, Georgia and Florida will receive a payout of approximately $9 million. Compared to the approximate $4 million the school would make by hosting an extra home game every other season, that's an addition $5 million in the clear.

For those wondering, although each school can leave tickets for recruits at "will call," since the game’s in Jacksonville, neither school is able to host a recruit.

That could also soon change.

McGarity told UGASports that Georgia plans to introduce legislation at next May's Spring Meetings to allow recruits to be hosted at neutral site games in alternating years. For example, one year, Georgia could host recruits in Jacksonville, with Florida being able to do so the next.

…The other day, Kirby Smart certainly raised some eyebrows with his comment the other day about the defense.

In case you missed it, at the end of Tuesday’s press conference, Smart was asked whether or not Georgia’s impressive defensive numbers were indicative of well the unit is playing.

“No, not close. Extremely sloppy in the last game, and you know, it’s sad, because you guys control the noise. But when you watch that tape, there’s a lot more concern. Tackling, gap fits—if you went to a coach and said, ‘Watch this game,' they would come in and say, 'That's atrocious: tackling, fits, eye discipline, leverage, blockers.’ But walking around, whistling by the graveyard that everything is fine and we’re just OK, and we’ve got good defensive numbers—that’s not the case when you watch the true integrity of it,” Smart said. “You can’t judge it based on, No. 1, statistics, you can’t judge it based on a kid, playing in the pouring down rain, who's not a quarterback. So we haven’t been tested in that regard. And we’ve got to get better, and that’s what we’re doing this week.”

A lot of folks rolled their eyes when Smart’s comments first came out, especially in light of the criticism Georgia’s offense has received.

Many have asked how Smart could possibly rag on his defense when it’s obvious the offensive side needs plenty of work.

My take: This is an old ploy coaches have used forever: bag on the part of the team (although Smart has some good points) that seems to be doing well, while verbally taking the pressure off the offense while it works out current kinks.

Methinks that’s the case here.