ATLANTA — Six years ago, after his first crushing loss to Alabama, Kirby Smart sat at a podium and defiantly declared: “I think everybody can see that Georgia’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. We’re not going anywhere.”
The years since proved him right but also proved that a journey is not traveled in a straight line. There were three more crushing losses to Alabama, two in the same building, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, before a magical night in Indianapolis seemed to reverse the hex. Two rings and a 29-game winning streak. A program that is the envy of college football.
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One of Smart’s favorite sayings during this stretch has been that humility is always a week away. Humility was another Alabama win away, as it turned out. When he finished his postgame news conference, a fan in Alabama gear shouted at media members walking out: “Now write who’s the better coach!” On the field, Alabama receiver Jermaine Burton — who spent his first two years at Georgia — celebrated in front of the Georgia student section.
It’s natural for this game to produce an “a-ha!” moment on the Alabama side, as well as for outsiders, and think this game restored order in an SEC that once was — and again is — ruled by Alabama. But that seems a bit much. Saturday’s SEC Championship Game was only a three-point game. Georgia did slay Alabama two years ago. The desire to find and feed a narrative should not overtake the more nuanced reality: These are both really good programs. Georgia was on the brink of a dynasty and had it deservedly snapped away by Alabama, but both are still positioned to go at each other in the coming new era.
The SEC is about to get even tougher. Texas and Oklahoma join next year, and in a division-less world, everybody’s schedule is about to get harder. Unbeaten regular seasons are going to become rare.
But the margin for error is increasing, thanks to the 12-team College Football Playoff, and it will reward programs that are consistently good. Georgia and Alabama are perennial top 10 programs whose recruiting reflects that — they’re currently one-two in the 247Sports Composite for this cycle. Both have coaches who adapt to the realities of the world, including the transfer portal, NIL and whatever else may come down the pike. Neither program is going anywhere.
As soul-crushing as this loss may seem to Georgia, knowing it cost it a chance at the College Football Playoff, it does not need to cause any soul-searching. The Bulldogs were outplayed and outcoached. It happens. Maybe Georgia was just due. Mike Bobo, who had a great year coordinating an offense that outperformed expectations, didn’t have a good night calling plays. He won’t be able to atone for it until the next big game, but he has proven he can get Georgia there. Smart and his defensive staff have shown they’re good enough tacticians to win two national titles.
The bigger questions are about personnel. The coming days and weeks should provide clarity, but Georgia is set to lose two of its offensive stars (Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey), at least two of its best offensive linemen (Sedric Van Pran-Granger and Amarius Mims) and its top two tailbacks (Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards). The defense could lose its top cornerback (Kamari Lassiter), one of its star safeties (Javon Bullard) and some starters along the front seven.
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But the mark of this program is replacing talent with talent. Bowers is irreplaceable for what he does, but the offense can still piece together a wide array of skill-position talent: Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas, Dillon Bell, Oscar Delp, Lawson Luckie, a healthy Branson Robinson, Roderick Robinson. The portal is always open, but that’s a good group to start with, and Georgia can add to it via recruiting and the portal.
Yes, there's a good chance Carson Beck returns to Georgia for the 2024 season. But I'm not going to stop talking about him until it's official.
1st half today vs. TENN: 17/20, 210 yds, 2 TDs, 0 INT
He's in the convo for the best on-schedule passer in this class.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 18, 2023
The big question will now be quarterback Carson Beck, who has opened some eyes in the NFL. What he’s hearing about where he could go and how he feels about that will dictate whether Georgia has the advantage of a returning veteran starter in 2024 or turns to Brock Vandagriff or a younger quarterback.
Georgia’s defense wasn’t the dominant force it has been, and the big reason for that was the defensive line. This was predictable, the exodus of star power in the middle finally catching up to the team. The Bulldogs need to find help in the portal but also look to the development of freshman Jordan Hall or the potential return of Nazir Stackhouse. There are questions about the futures of inside linebackers Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon, but there’s talent behind them, as there is talent in the secondary. Georgia’s recruiting takes care of that.
That goes for the entire program, and it’s why there’s no talk of a window closing. Alabama may be watching its 72-year-old coach and hoping he’s truly invigorated enough to keep going as long as he can. Georgia can safely look at its 48-year-old (as of later this month) coach and know the runway should be as long as Smart wants it to be.
There does need to be a renewed urgency around the program, not just because of losing to Alabama, but because the conference and the schedule are about to get harder, and it’ll take even more for Georgia to stay at an elite level. But it is still at that level. Three points short on Saturday night won’t change that.
It was demoralizing. It did end the ultimate hopes for this year. But it shouldn’t change the trajectory of this program. What Smart said six years before in the same building holds just as true now: Georgia is still not going anywhere.
(Top photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)