For well over a decade, the southeast ran through Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban’s Alabama were the final bosses that dictated how the pieces fell in the SEC and nationally. Then came a force of Saban’s own doing. An heir to the proverbial throne that began tipping the scales until, eventually, the power dynamic had shifted. The protege did the mentor over, as former Bama DC Kirby Smart began a dynastic run down in Athens. Georgia have succeeded in their tryst with becoming the top program in College Football. Even in what’s perceived as a down year, they can go win the SEC. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. A couple Georgia insiders reckon the first domino in the program losing their status atop the food chain is potentially about to fall.
The carousel that is collegiate sport makes it a challenge to sustain power. Players hop on and off cyclically, unlike the pros where you’ve gone them down for multiple years. The transfer portal has only fanned the flames of this constant turnover of rosters. This feature of CFB makes it so you can never rest on your laurels. Middling teams can hit on a couple of recruiting and portal classes to suddenly become contenders. The inverse is also true. Now Georgia has consistently been a top recruiter through the Kirby Smart era. Their player personnel is top-notch year in year out. But as others around them improve, the gulf in quality diminishes. That’s just one reason why Smart and co. are being urged to look over their shoulders. There’s another, more blatant one- the fixture list.
Reason #2 comes with the territory of being a member of the SEC. The 3 words of doom that infiltrated CFB discourse more than ever last season- strength of schedule. Playing an SEC schedule means you’re at constant threat. The expanded playoff allows for some breathing room, but one or two slip-ups can blemish your chances in the CFP committee’s hivemind. Kirby Smart and Georgia’s got Alabama, Tennessee and Texas on their itinerary this upcoming season. There’s clear pitfalls in their path to the playoffs. Lending into why Daniel Monroe of the “Locked on Bulldogs” podcast has thrown caution to the wind. He thinks it’s on the board Georgia misses the playoffs.
Monroe said “There’s some tricky games on this schedule for Georgia.The fact of the matter is, Georgia might be sitting at 4th in the SEC this year. That does not guarantee you a spot in the playoffs. Ask Alabama, ask Ole Miss what happens when you’re sitting there,” Bama and Ole Miss famously missed the cut and were left on the periphery last season. There’s an underlying assumption that you need to go 10-2 as an SEC team to make sure you’re through. But 10 wins may not be easy to come by for Coach Smart’s Dawgs. Daniel Monroe is particularly concerned with the schedule. Because he believes the 4 best teams in the conference for 2025 are ironically Georgia and those other 3 they’ve got to face off against.
“The 4 best teams in the SEC are unequivocally Georgia and three teams that Georgia plays this year. There is no doubt in my mind,” he claimed. If that holds true, then Georgia really is in a dogfight. They’ve even got to play Florida and Ole Miss for good measure. Georgia had to traverse one of the most challenging schedules last season too. They huffed and puffed, but did fend it off. The football gods have shown no respite this time around either.
Add to the mix how Bama should be better in year 2 under Kalen DeBoer, how the Vols’ QB1 Nico Iamaleava now has a year of football under his belt and Texas are about to finally deploy Arch Manning under center. The tide around them has risen, and Georgia needs to make sure they don’t drown. Well, their off-field antics don’t help quell concern. In the aftermath of more motor-related misdemeanors, Kirby Smart has leveraged his stance.
Kirby Smart’s stance wouldn’t please the wider football sphere
Athens has gained notoriety as a hotspot for valuable talent driving recklessly in their even more valuable cars. Now a Super Bowl champ with Philly, D-tackle Jalen Carter’s incident that led to a fatality epitomizes what is a recurring problem with the program. It’s a blemish on what is otherwise a great, winning-conducive culture that Kirby Smart has set in motion. Over 2 dozen Georgia players have had DUI’s issued and/or arrests pertaining to driving-related acts. Despite this already embarrassing precedent, 2 more players have now been arrested.
Sophomore wide-receiver Nitro Tuggle was booked last week, citing ‘excessive speeding and reckless driving’. He was indefinitely suspended by Coach Smart and the Georgia brass. Simultaneously, freshman O-lineman Marques Easley was also reported to have been “involved in a single-car crash” that required “a stint in the hospital.” He, too, got suspended. Now that Georgia’s had their first spring practice since these incidents, Smart has finally broken his silence during the subsequent presser.
He mentioned how players at his program are undergoing strict driving courses, and that these are “case-by-case” incidents that cannot be grouped as a collective against the school’s culture. Which he acknowledged is what the masses do, as they have the right to. “You know, both of them are younger players and have made crucial mistakes…We’ve had several speakers come in, and we continue to educate. We’re not going to stop at that.” said Kirby Smart. He was asked if this fresh batch of the same issues will led to a blanket ruling. Where each incident here on out results in the same reprimand, with no exceptions.
“The immediate reaction is ‘How in the world can this happen again?’ and I get that…You have to look at it like these are your children. That’s the way I look at it…They make mistakes and the consequences that come with those are based on a case-by-case basis.” he said. This implies that Georgia aren’t setting a no-tolerance policy in place. They’ll continue to treat each incident independently. Which many would say is a travesty, given people have lost lives and the hammer still hasn’t come down. Alas, you’d hope this is the last couple of instances this happens. Georgia continues to prepare for fall and yet another SEC gauntlet schedule. Concurrently, they’re also awaiting verdict on a big-time recruit. There’s plenty on Coach Smart’s plate through spring and summer. Whether they stack up to their perennial playoff and contender-status remains to be seen.
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