National Analyst Rips Questionable Ranking as Kirby Smart and Georgia Get Undercut by Expert

Kirby Smart’s back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 are legendary, but the buzz around those wins overshadows a hidden gem: the almost-forgotten season between them. While last season’s snub hits harder than ever, fans and analysts still celebrate those thirumps. Sometimes the most significant achievements aren’t the flashiest, but those that quietly shape the future.

Let’s get straight to the point. It all started when The Athletic’s insider Stewart Mandel dropped off his 25 best CFB teams of the 2000s. He gave Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs 2022 championship team a 7th ranking, which makes sense, knowing they went undefeated that year. Mandel’s ranking makes perfect sense, as Kirby Smart’s team didn’t just win—they overwhelmed. The 2022 Bulldogs, unlike their 2021 counterparts, who faltered in the SEC title game, were unstoppable. They dominated the SEC and the playoffs, showcasing ruthless efficiency. Their roster boasted eight first-round NFL draft picks and numerous All-Americans, such as Jalen Carter and Christopher Smith. Their 58-point championship game rout of TCU set a record for the largest margin of victory against a top-three AP team.

Now, their 2022 team was explosive, and even UGA Football on Dawg Post host also agrees to that, but what bugs him the most is “nowhere on his list in his top 25 did he have the 2021 Georgia Bulldog team,” the host said. But why? Stewart Mandel’s ranking and the ironclad logic behind it make perfect sense. Yet something seems off, and Dawg Post host lays it out perfectly, saying that the ’22 team had the better season, while the ’21 team was a better team overall despite their losses. “When I see these rankings of the best college football team since 2000, right, and the ’22 dogs are seven and there’s no ’21 Georgia team, I’m thinking, what are we talking about here? What are we talking about that had one of the greatest defenses in college football history?”

Well, there’s no competition, but back in 2023, Kenny McIntosh already broke down Kirby Smart’s both seasons perfectly. Kenny McIntosh echoed the same thing Stewart Mandel mentioned in his rankings: “Even though the guys were gone, we lost 15 guys then, but we definitely had a lot of fight. We had composure, resiliency, and all the key factors at Georgia. We definitely showed that the last team, they were that good, but for us to come back and fight, I’m going to go with 2022. That team was special.”

So, for now the ship sails high on Georgia’s 2022 class, but what about the season that’s just around the corner?

Kirby Smart addresses key concern ahead of the season

Georgia’s Kirby Smart landed the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class for 2025, stacking their roster with many five-star prospects. However, Georgia’s history with top classes hasn’t always translated into immediate results. In 2024, only KJ Bolden, Nate Frazier, and Chris Cole consistently contributed despite the Bulldogs getting a top-ranked recruiting class.

Kirby Smart now stresses faster development, saying, “I mean, you got to have your young guys ready. I told our staff one of the most critical things we can do in spring is get the 33 newbies, which that could be a freshman, that could be a portal, but there’s 33 new guys that are going to be in our depth chart somewhere, and we don’t know which one we’re counting on. So how do we get those 33 guys ready faster than our opponents?”

Georgia welcomed 38 newcomers—28 recruits and 10 transfers—with 24 signees and 6 transfers participating in spring practice. The spring transfer portal helped fill needs at running back, offensive line, defensive line, and outside linebacker. Early standouts from the transfer portal include receivers Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas.

Look, Kirby Smart knows the significant challenges the team’s facing, especially with the loss of 13 players to the NFL draft and 16 more to the transfer portal. This substantial roster turnover has reduced depth and widened the gap between starters and backups. “You’re thinner now,” Smart said. “The drop-off is greater when you lose one starter, and it’s like, whoa.” This situation pushed them to rely on inexperienced players, including freshmen like defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, RB Bo Walker, defensive back Dominick Kelly, and TE Ethan Barbour, who have made strong early impressions at Georgia.

Meanwhile, transfers Branch, Thomas, running back Joshua McCray, and outside linebacker Elo Modozie bring valuable college experience. Thomas and McCray, in their final college year, need to make the most of their time in Athens. With a constantly changing roster, Smart understands the need to rapidly acquire and develop top-tier talent. And let’s be real, Georgia’s national championship standard doesn’t allow for slow ramps. So, now let’s just wait and see if Kirby Smart’s newly formed 2025 roster can pull up their game this season or not.