Is this the year for Georgia? Either way, Kirby Smart has 24 years to catch up with Nick Saban

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Hoover, Ala – The question is wrongly asked. Instead of asking if this is the year for Georgia, think of the man ultimately responsible for answering that question. More than that, Kirby Smart has 24 of them – years, that is – on the legend he haunts.

During his rotation during the 2021 SEC media days on Tuesday, the Georgia coach only mentioned Alabama. He certainly didn’t mention Nick Saban, who at 69 had yet to lose to a former assistant (11-0).

Instead, Smart immediately disarmed a room full of sports writers with a quote from Thoreau.

“Success comes to those who are too busy to find it,” Smart said. “This is Henry David Thoreau. For me, that’s it. I’m too busy with work. I’m too busy trying to do the next thing. I’m too busy trying to take the next step to give our team a competitive edge and really worried about expectations.”

Just a guess, but perhaps the philosopher who died 159 years ago never realized the rivalry between Alabama and Georgia.

Quick update: This might be Georgia’s best Smart Team. Bulldogs are uploaded on almost every site. But for them to beat Crimson Tide and win the SEC title for a second time under Smart, Bama will have to get back into the group a bit.

Whether or not Georgia wins, it definitely happened. There is a feeling among those who pick Dawgs for the SEC East title — and the SEC as a whole — that the tide simply cannot replace six first-round draft picks, Heisman Cup winner (DeVonta Smith), Doak Walker winner (Nagy Harris), winner of The Johnny Unita Award (Mac Jones) and the Jo Moore Award (Best Offensive Line) winners.

Or can they?

That’s part of the reason we’re meeting here this week to answer the biggest question of media days: Is this the year for Georgia?

Short answer: It doesn’t have to be. At 45, Smart has several AS seasons (after Saban) to chase championships.

Long answer: Patience may also be a curse word on the Securities and Exchange Commission. After five years into the smart era, the Dawgs have won 52 games, a SEC title, and three New Year’s Championships, and come within extra time to win the 2017 College Football National Championship. We all know how that ended.

The Dogs even have their own hashtag for the struggle: #done_work.

If you really want to beat a Georgia fan, remind them that six SEC teams have won 15 National Championships since the last time their team won it all (1980).

But for the first time since training against his old boss, Smart may finally have a better team than Alabama. Just don’t ask for clarity in July. The final answer may come until the final quarter of the SEC Championship about 4 1/2 months from now. This is how similar the two teams are.

Seasons as head coach 35 Division titles 03

Conference titles

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The emergence of the national address

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Postseason record

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4-2

Saban and Alabama questioned before the casualties after the national title. Then something always seems to happen. This year, Saban immersed himself in the transfer gate landing Ohio wide receiver Jameson Williams and linebacker Henry To’o To’o, an entry machine from Tennessee.

Smart likes to say, in terms of a schedule, there is no schedule. The final prize will come. In the end. For now, here’s what we know:

For the first time under intelligent command, the attack leads the way for the Dougs. Quarterback GT Daniels is hoping to play his first full season since starting as a freshman at USC in 2018. That’s a big deal because, as Smart likes to say, Georgia finished seventh with three quarterbacks last year in Daniels’ absence. .

The difference may be that Georgia is now explosive in attack. And explosives are all the rage. Why grope when you can swipe quickly and often? The Dawgs led the nation with 4.5% of their plays for either a 10-plus-yard pass or a 30-plus-yard pass, both of which are better than the Alabama fast attack.

Smart hit the transfer gate like a gangster, landing LSU pass-through trap Eric Gilbert, West Virginia Tickey Smith safety, and Clemson cornering Derion Kendrick. Even with the loss of WR George Pickens’ flagship, Gilbert is a huge boost for Dawgs. The former tight end convinced Tigers Smart that he could play the receiver. Good luck defending that at 6-foot-5, 250lb… along with 6-foot-5, 265-pound tight end Darnell Washington.

Defense is fully loaded. Jordan Davis returned to the unit that led the Securities and Exchange Commission in average yards per game. “I just wanted to enjoy this moment because I feel like I didn’t really enjoy my last two seasons,” Davis said.

Georgia picked this moment as it takes off in Charlotte against Clemson. The risk is small – in the long run. Georgia took in scheduling such opponents as a philosophy. As College Football Playoff expands, there is little downside to playing the top 10 teams. In the future, you will get 10-2 and 9-3 in the play-off.

Future non-conference opponents include Oregon (2022), Oklahoma (2023), Clemson Again (2024) and UCLA (2025-26).

“I look at him [expanded playoff] In this direction, Smart said, “I want the power of the schedule to play in my favor.”

With that kind of vision, the answer to this week’s ultimate question may be vision. You may just have to stare to see it. No matter how long Saban was, Smart really did manage to win. By years.

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