Chris Smith details the challenge of playing every week with a target on Georgia's back

Both the 2021 and 2022 Georgia football teams are dominant. However, there is one big difference between the two teams. The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs are the defending national champions, whereas the 2021 team still had to prove it could win a championship. For players like Chris Smith, who played on both teams, this can create an interesting dynamic.

Ahead of the SEC Championship Game, Chris Smith explained the difference between the two seasons.

“Well, I’d say probably the main difference is the target is more so on your back coming off of a national championship rather than just winning one for the first time. We won last year. We had a lot of hunger and ambition to get to that point, from coming close so many times and not being able to make it,” Chris Smith said.

“It was great for us to get over that hump, get that monkey off our back. But now when you’re pursuing it for the second time, everybody knows what you’re about. I feel like you have a lot more respect as a team. You’re going to get every team’s best shot every weekend.”

Chris Smith was then asked a follow-up question, asking for an example of having a target on the team’s back.

“I just feel like we get teams’ best shots every week. I don’t think no team is going to lay down to us ’cause they want to be able to spoil our season,” Chris Smith explained.

Luckily we were able to go 12-0 during the regular season. That’s not the end-all, be-all for us. We want to be SEC champions, national champions once again. We got to do everything possible to do that. There’s going to be teams in our way trying to stop that. I fully respect them for it. We just got to go out there and play it out on the field.”

Boo Corrigan on the difference between Georgia and Michigan

One of the teams who has taken aim at Georgia this season is Michigan, who fell to the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff semifinal last season. For now, they’re the top two teams in the College Football Playoff rankings. Boo Corrigan explained the difference between the two teams.

“A lot of conversations, obviously, about the top four the whole time as we go through this. As we looked at it, Georgia, there was nothing they did last weekend against Georgia Tech to diminish it. They’re 4-0 against ranked teams in our Top 25,” Corrigan said.

“Michigan, huge win, particularly in the second half against Ohio State. 2-0 against teams in the Top 25. And again, we didn’t see any reason to move Georgia out of the top spot”