By Kyle Golik
When I wrote my previous column about the pressure on Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, it is point blank he has to prove himself. I recognized the legitimacy of DeBoer’s resume throughout his various stops, but this is Alabama. In a lot of ways, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is at the other end of the proverbial “tug of war” with DeBoer for the SEC crown.
Smart’s resume has him amongst the all-time elite coaches in SEC history and college football history. Georgia reached heights so far under Smart that was briefly rivaled in the Vince Dooley era in the early 1980’s and Wally Butts in the 1940’s.
Other than those periods, Smart’s success is unparalleled in Georgia’s long football history. In the last 51 games, Georgia is 49-2, the only two losses coming against Alabama. Georgia rides a 42-game regular season winning streak, the longest such streak since Oklahoma’s fabled 47-game winning streak in the 1950s. Smart’s resume included back-to-back national championships won, a third national championship game appearance, two SEC Championships, six SEC East division championships, a 4-2 record New Year’s Six bowls record, winner of 9 of 11 bowl games overall, and an overall winning percentage of 85.8%.
With all the success Smart has enjoyed in Athens, Alabama has been his Achilles’ heel, nearly one-third of Smart’s losses have come against Alabama. So with Nick Saban no longer there, what does Smart think of facing Alabama considering the lack of success Georgia has had against the Crimson Tide?
“No, I don’t think we chase the past at all. If you watch the tape, we were two different teams. We’re focused on what we can do to be our best this week. The ghost we’re chasing is our past performances this year and how we can clean that up to be more efficient,”
Smart responded to a question regarding Georgia’s last defeat against Alabama in the 2023 SEC Championship Game.
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To quote the legendary guitarist and lyricist from The Clash Joe Strummer, “the future is unwritten.”
In the annals of the Georgia and Alabama rivalry, “2nd and 26” will always be there, and so will the disappointments in the 2021 and 2023 SEC Championship Games. Beyond those difficult losses, Georgia has an opportunity to reverse course in the rivalry of two premier programs of the last two decades.
Smart recognizes it will not be strange not seeing Saban across the field, but Smart recognizes the “hell of an opportunity,” as Smart put it, for his players to perform and win on one of the biggest stages in college football. Smart recognizes that match-ups like these are what attract the biggest names in the sport to Athens.
A loss to Alabama on Saturday won’t put Smart’s job in jeopardy – I get 1-6 against Alabama doesn’t feel well. What does feel good is being 96-11 versus the rest of the nation and the slew of achievements. By no means is Smart entering Mark Richt territory…yet.
There has been plenty of equity built up to take a loss for Smart and almost everything will still be in front for Georgia to achieve this season. At some point though, Georgia fanatics will begin to wonder if Smart can wrestle the crown from Alabama. While the Bulldogs can dominate everyone but the Crimson Tide, Alabama is the kryptonite to Smart being Georgia’s Superman.
A win Saturday will be a major slingshot not felt in Athens since Kelee Ringo sealed the 2021 National Championship for Georgia. The Bulldogs finally will have cornered the Crimson Tide and while DeBoer will have a ton of equity, it will mark the end of his honeymoon. It is uncharacteristic of Alabama being on the second or third run in the SEC and the pressure will only magnify for DeBoer.
Smart will take the opportunity to try to get Georgia to distance from Alabama and begin focusing on another Saban disciple in Steve Sarkisian and Texas, who has the current No. 1 team in the nation. The potential is there for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in Austin on October 19.
What Smart hopes becomes written after Saturday was this was the turning point in the recent run with Georgia and Alabama. That it is Georgia’s time to define the rivalry after Alabama has defined it throughout Smart’s tenure. A loss is simply a blown opportunity to jockey Georgia ahead and winning in Austin is no guarantee for Georgia either. Smart may deny the presence of the ghosts chasing him, but a loss only proves they are the nexus of Alabama’s universe, a connection of always second fiddle to the Crimson Tide.
