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David Hale
Atlanta– Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said he spent time last year surveying other coaches on how to best approach the 12-team College Football Playoff.
a year ago, Ohio State Georgia could miss its conference championship game this year, too, should both do so Texas A&M And alabama Finish Week 14 with a win. But the Buckeyes persevered and won the national title.
Meanwhile, the four conference champions who earned first-round byes last season faced tough battles in their first playoff games, with all four top seeds losing.
But that doesn’t mean Smart is sold out for this year’s playoffs, following that logic.
When Smart was asked what he hopes the next few weeks will be like for the Bulldogs, he said, “The best thing is to win.” “There is no right decision. … At the end of the day, you have to do what you feel is best. You won’t always second-guess it if you lose and you won’t always second-guess it if you win.”
Georgia’s place in the playoffs is almost certain. It’s midway through Friday’s ugly 16-9 win georgia tech And whichever game begins the Dawgs’ quest for a national championship is hopelessly up in the air.
Georgia, 11-1 overall, finished SEC play 7-1, but its regular-season loss to Alabama means the Dawgs need either a loss to the Tide in the Iron Bowl on Saturday or a loss to Texas A&M on Friday. texas To clinch an SEC title game berth.
Given Ohio State’s success without playing in last year’s Big Ten title game, taking next week off may be a preferential option for some coaches, who would prefer to see their team get healthy and avoid the risk of additional injury from an extra game. Not Smart, which has won three SEC titles, including last year’s.
Smart said, “You live your life afraid of injuries, do you know what you get? A very scared team.” “It’s also an opportunity to win an SEC championship. Does it matter? Does anyone care anymore? I grew up thinking it was the greatest game in the world. I’m different from everyone else. … Now that’s what’s wrong with this whole thing. What if you get hurt? This is football. It’s all part of it.”
At least some of Georgia’s offensive struggles on Friday were due to injuries. Center drew bobo Left the game early, and his absence was limiting the Bulldogs’ passing attack. Smart did not place blame for Bobo’s departure but did note that QB gunner stockton There is a need to respond better.
Stockton completed 11 of 21 passing for just 70 yards – the lowest passing output for a Georgia team since 2019. Stockton’s early pick set up a Georgia Tech field goal, and his downfield shot was off the mark.
“It wasn’t very good,” Smart said of the passing game. “There were some downs in the eight, there were some pressures that he took on, some at-bats. He’s got to do what he’s been trained to do. That’s the hardest thing to do. … There were some plays that we didn’t do. He’ll watch the tape and grow from that and get better, and so will the rest of the team.”
Another question facing Georgia is whether this will be the last game the Bulldogs put on tape before the College Football Playoff committee releases its final rankings.
For now, Georgia has a top-four seed – and a secured first-round bye. But if the Dawgs miss the SEC Championship Game and Texas Tech wins the Big 12 Championship, the committee certainly has room to make adjustments.
“It’s not for me to make that decision,” Smart said. “I’m not here to lobby. There are people who make those decisions. Our job is to respond.”
Georgia players weren’t lobbying for anything at all, and when it came to playing the following week, sentiment was a little more muted. The question of whether Georgia players would like to take some time off prompted a pause from the four players on stage after Friday’s win before Stockton finally spoke.
“We’ll be ready to play,” he said, “whenever we are.” [scheduled],
