Loran - Smith
Loran
Kirby Smart entered the Sugar Bowl with a winning percentage of 85% which means that at that rate, his teams are going to win a lot of games and championships— but as everybody understands, you can’t win ‘em all. When the Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss was final, and he had a brief respite with his team, he was as pragmatic and insightful as ever. He reminded them not to hang their heads, pointing out that they had much to be proud of.
After all, they were state champs again and they won back-to-back SEC championships. (He never calls attention to himself, so I will do it for him since it is so noteworthy. His record of 117-21 is the best ever for a coach for his first ten years on the job.)
Winning back to back championships he told his team is an occurrence that might not happen for a long time—the SEC is just too competitive and while he didn’t address the transfer portal, it is obvious that this latent circumstance has caused the most disruption we have seen in college football since 1905 when 18 fatalities almost caused the game of football to be abolished.
The Kirby Smart plan has seen the Bulldogs make the playoffs four out of the last five years. How many communities across the country—and how many fan bases—can realistically see such expectations become reality? Kirby keeps making that happen.
He keeps sending worthy talent to the NFL each spring but finds a way to win and get into the playoffs where one of the reasons to advance to the ultimate game is good health make coaching a greater challenge today than ever. How much more success would the Bulldog offense have achieved had Drew Bobo played at full strength through the playoffs? How much more effective would the offense have been if there were a durable, stud running back like a Todd Gurley in the backfield, for example?
The Georgia senior class posted a record of 51-6 and since 2021, UGA leads all FBS schools with a record of 65-7. Ole Miss, a team that came close to reaching the final game, has for decades yearned for yesteryear—the glory days of Coach John Vaught—to return. Seasoned observers have noted that it would be difficult with the population base of the state of Mississippi. Lane Kiffin was able to pull it off by going to the portal and bringing in abundant talent, highlighted by a remarkable athlete at quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss.
Among the teams in the College Football Playoff, Georgia had the fewest transfers starting (10%) while Ole Miss had the most (66.3%). Many seasoned observers suggest that plan will not work, long term, and you see how long it took Kiffin to jump ship—going to LSU which has a much greater recruiting base with far less in state competition than Ole Miss.
Something that is peculiarly significant with Indiana, the favorite to win the national title, is that the average age of their roster is 23. Kids entering college at age 18 and graduating on time usually get their cap and gown at by their 22nd birthday. Those extra years of seasoning make a great difference in competition. Georgia’s average of its 2025 roster was roughly 20.5. continued from page
The post-game locker room scene in New Orleans was one which revealed that Georgia’s most recent team had the right stuff. There were a lot of tears, much hugging and feeling as the players said their goodbyes, knowing they likely will never be together again as a group. It was a sincere and compassionate expression of brotherly love.
Nobody was discoursing about the draft or NIL possibilities but how much they enjoyed and appreciated their teammates and their time together in Athens.
The culture the head coach has brought about has resulted in sustained success, but it is very tough to win a championship, especially in today’s college football world, where there is no stability when he comes to roster development.
There are more talented athletes out there than ever before and while many of them greatly appreciate the institutions with which they affiliate, today’s process fosters alignment with the highest bidder.
Have you thought about the predicament which Kirby Smart has brought about? He does such a good job with player development, many players come to Athens and get the benefit of the Georgia system and then move on to where the grass is greener (more money). Kirby simply will not let money spoil the locker room.
The Georgia training regimen is so good that every year the Bulldogs lose a significant portion of their roster to the National Football League. (For the next Super Bowl, Georgia will, for the 25th straight year, have a player on one of the rosters). How ‘bout that streak which is likely to continue.
It is tough when you train a kid for the NFL and lose a portion of your roster every year when August comes around, but losing players who can move on for any reason certainly makes college football recruiting an inequitable process.
Then when judges get in on the act, directing that a school grant an extra year of eligibility, which happened last fall, you wonder if there will ever be any sanity with college football again.
For the fans who are being called on to support the program, to the extreme, puts more pressure on the coaches to win big. If the championships are not there, then the donors are not going to be there.
As a Georgia alumnus, I am overjoyed with what Kirby Smart has been able to accomplish in Athens. It is the best job in history. It is also the best record of any collegiate program in the state historically.
No coach works harder or smarter. He has two primary interests, his family and coaching the Georgia football team. No coach has ever given his
