By LARRY VAUGHT

BIRMINGHAM — Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens didn’t mince words at the Southeastern Conference Media Days here Thursday when asked why Kentucky has had trouble beating Georgia.

“I think it is all about the talent they are getting. I can guarantee you if they get the talent we get every year they would be able to compete. I think we just have better talent than they do. It is all about players you get to play,” said Owens.

The Georgia defensive lineman does respect Kentucky.

“They play us hard every year. I think that is a tough game every year. I like Kentucky. They are a hard team. They have had some great teams, especially in 2007. And in 2006 they beat us and tore down the goal posts.”

That “goal post game” is one Owens still remembers well.

“I still remember that. I will never forget it. That motivates me. It was also the first time I had ever seen that happen live. It was crazy. I sat there and watched it while they did it. I will never forget it and will always remember it,” he said. “Some people tried to say them doing that was a compliment to us and how much it meant to beat us. But we lost, so that was nothing for me to take any consolation in. It is what it is, but we definitely still remember what happened there.”

Owens thinks losing Jeremy Jarmon will hurt Kentucky, too, because he was such a talented player.

“It is tough on them because he was as good as anybody in the league,” Owens said. “When you have one guy rushing hard like he can and making plays, it makes everybody else on the team play. They don’t want to see just one guy making sacks.

“If I was out there and we had an end making three or four sacks a game, I would want in on that action. We all want action and he was a great player and inspiration for their other guys. They will miss him a lot and probably won’t have anybody that good to put in his place.”