Kirby Smart warns against complacency as Georgia football looks to three-peat
LOS ANGELES – For the Georgia football team to three-peat as national champions, it’ll take more than replicating past accomplishments, according to Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart.
“… I do think it's going to be much tougher,’’ Smart said. “And I do think we're going to have to reinvent ourselves next year because you can't just stay the same.’’
After Georgia won its second straight title with a 65-7 victory over Texas Christian on Monday night at SoFi Stadium, and as Smart met with the media Tuesday morning, Las Vegas bookmakers appeared less fretful.
The Bulldogs are odds-on favorites to win it all in 2023 and make history.
Georgia would become the only team to win three national championships in a row in the modern era of college football. For now, the only team to have done it is Minnesota, which won in 1934, 1935 and 1936.
“I really don't want to talk about three,’’ Smart said.
What he did want to talk about is what could derail his team from winning a third title.
Complacency.
“I mean, it's human nature to relax,’’ he said. “It's human nature to take the easy route. And I can be as guilty of that as anyone. …it's easy to get comfortable. And comfortable does not win.’’
Although Smart offered no specifics on how Georgia must reinvent itself, one of the major challenges was evident. And absent.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett, the offensive MVP in the past two national championship games, did not make it to Georgia’s morning press conference Tuesday.
Make that former Georgia quarterback, who has run out of eligibility and next year hopes to be playing in the NFL.
A dozen of the players Georgia is losing could end up being picked in the NFL draft, creating a variety of holes that need to be filled – but no reason to believe they can’t.
After the Bulldogs won their national title in 2021, 15 players were selected in the 2022 draft.
The talent drain was hard to notice as Georgia went 15-0 and capped its season by humiliating TCU.
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The top contender for the starting job under center is Carson Beck, who will be a redshirt junior and backed up Bennett in each of the past three seasons. On Monday night, he completed two of three passes for 31 yards in mop-up duty.
Others in the mix are former five-star recruit Brock Vandagriff and freshman Gunner Stockton.
At the press conference, Smart sat between two talented rising juniors – tight end Brock Bowers, who was Bennett’s fill-in for the morning and this season won the John Mackey Award that goes to the nation's top tight end, and defensive back Javon Bullard, who was the defensive MVP of the national championship game.
Of next year’s team, Bullard said, “We're a young group.’’
But soon after he was fielding a question about the word dynasty at Georgia.
“it's something we're building together,’’ he said.
Bowers suggested the best defense he faced all season was in scrimmage.
“And I mean it really makes games almost easier than practice,’’ he said.
With the leaders by his side, Smart might have been delivering a message to the players, the media or Georgia fans when he said he did not have time Tuesday to pause and appreciate what he and his team were able to accomplish.
“I am concerned about our season next year the entire flight home and things we can do right now what's important now,’’ he said. “W.I.N., that's our motto.’’
As in W.I.N. it all.
Three times in a row.