Kirby Smart on Oregon: 'The last thing I'm worried about is Dan Lanning'

The Georgia Bulldogs‘ road back to the national championship begins with a date versus the Oregon Ducks in Atlanta. Kirby Smart’s squad is going up against former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning for the first time, but according to Smart, it’s the last worry on his mind.

“The last thing I’m worried about right now is Dan Lanning,” Smart said at his first press conference of fall camp. “We’ve got a million battles to face before that, I’m not even thinking about Oregon. Our concern is our roster. How do we build depth? We’re not even thinking about that, we’re so far away from that right now. We’re focused on us, our team, our connection, and getting the right players in the right spots.

“If we do that, that’s going to control the outcome of the game more than what he knows about us and what I know about him.”

Smart and his staff have the tall task of replacing a historic number of NFL Draft picks from the 2021 roster. With Sept. 3 less than a month away, the Georgia head coach isn’t ready to move on to what Dan Lanning might be cooking up to spoil the Bulldogs’ season opener.

Lanning led the 2021 team’s No. 1 scoring defense, which limited opponents to 10.2 points per game. He takes over a Ducks defense that averaged 27 points allowed per game last season.

For their matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the reigning national champions are 14.5-point favorites in Vegas. The line has shifted from -18.5 two months ago but is still heavily in Georgia’s favor.