Kirby Smart explains how Georgia is handling pressure to three-peat in 2023

There is one question on the mind of college football fans entering 2023: can Georgia three-peat as national champions? It’s something that Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart has had to answer multiple times this offseason after leading the team to back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

Although it’s an envious position to be in, Smart also understands the importance of making sure his players don’t get caught in the hype. He joined On3‘s Andy Staples at SEC Media Days, where he revealed the slogan he is using this offseason to keep his team motivated.

“I think you keep going back to the narrative of ‘better never rest,'” Smart said. “It’s not about a threepeat. It’s not about an outcome. It’s not about an opponent. It’s about us. People say all the time, ‘ah, whatever. That’s coach speak.’ I’m like, ‘no, that’s real with us.’ We really believe that if we do what we do better, then we’re gonna beat who we play. If we can out-physical them at the point of attack, then we’re gonna beat who we play. That’s all we worry about is how we play.”

If Georgia manages to pull off the three-peat this season, they’ll join Minnesota as the only other team to do so as the Golden Gophers claimed a trio of titles from 1934-36. However, he knows that the task is easier said than done.

Smart also had the opportunity to be a part of a three-peat when he was the defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2008-15 under Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide claimed back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012 but fell short of making the the BCS Championship game in 2013. As the coach gears up for 2023, he hopes this time around will be different.

Smart seems to have confidence that it can get done, as he was seen holding up three fingers to Bulldogs fans following their 65-7 rout of TCU in the national championship. He later told ESPN’s Rece Davis that the gesture was a nod to NBA legend Michael Jordan, who three-peated twice with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

Georgia loses a lot of talent from the past two years, with 25 players being selected in the 2022 and 2023 NFL Drafts. That includes starting quarterback Stetson Bennett, who was a Heisman finalist this past season.

Still, the Bulldogs return a few stars that should keep them in the mix, including tight end Brock Bowers, who led the team with 942 receiving yards, 109 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns as a sophomore. They also have former four-star quarterback Carson Beck ready to take over for Bennet and added receivers Dominic Lovett and Rara Thomas in the transfer portal.

Additionally, the defense should remain among the top units in the country, returning players such as safety Javon Bullard and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

Even so, Smart knows the task at hand won’t be an easy one as Georgia enters the season with a target on its back. The Bulldogs begin their quest for history on Sept. 2 when they open up the year against Tennessee-Martin.