If you want to root for a perfect team, then maybe this current Georgia Bulldogs squad isn’t for you.

However, if you want to cheer for a program that’s going to play hard and give it all it’s got, then jump on board. You might actually enjoy what you see.

Kirby Smart summed it up rather succinctly following his team’s 27-10 win over Auburn, a rout for sure, but one where the Bulldogs could have and probably should have won by an even more convincing score.

“We haven't played perfectly, we haven't always played smart, but we have played hard,” Smart said. “Our goal (Saturday) was to go out and compete hard, put our best foot forward, and I still feel like our best football is ahead of us.”

He’s right, you know. Despite the team’s impressive 9-1 mark, there really hasn’t been a game you can point to and say the Bulldogs truly clicked on all three phases.

With Alabama looming in three weeks at the SEC Championship, it’s going to take that kind of game for Georgia to have a chance against the nation’s No. 1 team, in order to earn a return trip to the College Football Playoff.

“We are a work in progress. We all know that nothing worth having comes easy. I think our team has kind of started to figure that out — that if you buy in and work really hard during the week, it pays off on the weekend,” Smart said. “But we've got to remove some of these penalties—dumb penalties. And we've got to continue to improve in all phases of the game.”

Take the win over Auburn, for example.

Georgia was flagged 12 times for 85 yards, mistakes that will certainly cost the team if it repeats them against the Crimson Tide.

Those pesky red zone issues reared their ugly head again, too.

Two of Georgia’s first two possessions resulted in field goals when the Bulldogs failed to score touchdowns after getting as close as the 2- and 1-yard lines in back-to-back drives.

For a team whose offense has for the most part been a strength, these continued issues remain a real head-scratcher.

“When you get in the red area, you’ve got to bully-bully, say running it down their throat. We should be good that,” Smart said. “Georgia should be good at that, you know what I mean?”

The reasons? Opinions vary.

Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney gets much of the blame, but Jake Fromm has endured his share of barbs as well, although that’s an argument that’s really starting to wear thin.

Quarterbacks are always going to be the favorite whipping boy of fans; I get it. But some of the reasons for the slings and arrows aimed Fromm’s way have been way over the top. Of course, that’s just my opinion.

I do know this: Georgia wouldn’t be sitting at No. 5 in the country if not for Fromm.

People forget he’s just a sophomore—granted a well-experienced sophomore after leading the Bulldogs to last year’s National Championship game as a true freshman.

Nevertheless, most sophomore quarterbacks are just getting their feet wet, not just coming off a 24th consecutive start.

Saturday, Fromm completed 13 of 20 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, he did have the interception with Georgia seemingly headed for another touchdown. But overall, he played another fine game with his team needing a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Make no mistake, Georgia would not be where it sits if not for Jake Fromm directing an offense that, despite some of its issues, came in averaging 38.1 points per game, third only to Alabama and Ole Miss.

Defensively, you’ll see the Bulldogs give up some yards, although the term “bend but don’t break” isn’t a description Jonathan Ledbetter cares to hear. Ledbetter has been a vocal critic of media and fans who want to doubt the Bulldogs. Despite some obvious issues, this continues to be a fun team to watch for those willing to give them a chance.

“We’re really worried about this team getting better. Well, not 'worried'; I'd say getting better is the goal, and the message should be clear that we've gotten better for three straight weeks. We've played pretty good football teams. We’ve just got to keep doing that,” Smart said. “That’s all we can worry about. We can’t control everything else. All we can control is how we play.”

So far, that hasn’t been too bad.

The 2018 Georgia Bulldogs may still have some warts, but from the standpoint of effort and attacking the game the way it’s supposed to be played, fans should like what they see. Perfect? No, but it’s a team that continues to play the game the way it was meant to be played. That should leave the fans excited for the future.