In just two years as the coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, coach Kirby Smart has pushed the team up the rankings and put the team on the path to a national championship. In the first season under Smart, the Bulldogs had an 8-5 record. Now they are 7-0 and ranked number three in the country under Smart. Although nothing has been said about it, Smart's leadership is bringing a new mindset to the team, and they haven't had a record like this since the 2012 season when they won the SEC championship. Now the new mindset established by Smart is sinking in.
Does this mean that the University of Georgia is now on its way to a national championship? Will they defeat Alabama in the SEC?
Culture change under Kirby Smart
The Ledger-Enquirer reported that Smart said the Georgia football program wasn't broken when he took over. There is just a certain way that he wants to run the team. Bulldog players have said that the practices are now harder than the games they play. Smart has often offered the message to his team that they need to improve. His philosophy as a coach is that team leadership needs to come from within the team. He has emphasized this leadership to the upperclassmen, and it has trickled down to the younger players on the team.
What's ahead for Georgia in the playoff race
The Daily Commercial reported that Smart has Georgia on the way to a showdown with the Alabama Crimson Tide. The first year with Smart as coach was a lot of trial and error for the Bulldogs as he implemented new changes for the team. Georgia is clearly on a path to a showdown with Alabama as Alabama is ranked number one while Georgia is ranked number three.
Alabama is coached by Nick Saban, Kirby Smart's former mentor. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said that Georgia is being built like Alabama. Currently, the Bulldogs have a 7-0 record and are 4-0 in the SEC Southeastern Conference.
My AJC reported that there are many twists and turns ahead for the Bulldogs on the path to the SEC championship and a potential national championship.
Penn State is currently ranked number two and much will depend on how they play against Michigan and Ohio State, their next two games. Clemson's loss opened the door for both Penn State and Georgia to move up in the rankings. The AP and coaches' polls will ultimately have no bearing on the four-team playoff field. A 13 member selection committee will begin to rank the teams on Halloween. The Georgia Bulldogs still have to play their toughest three games. Those teams include Auburn, Georgia Tech, and Kentucky.
