SEC Network analyst, Alabama alum Roman Harper declares Georgia the SEC's new standard

No matter how good of a hire Kalen DeBoer is in Tuscaloosa, times have changed in the SEC. Nick Saban is no longer in the conference, giving a few programs wide eyes about the potential opportunities.

One of those is certainly the Georgia Bulldogs, who were already considered a top-level team alongside Alabama. Two national championships, one of which was head-to-head against Saban, propelled Kirby Smart‘s program there.

However, Roman Harper believes with Saban gone, Georgia has already taken a step up and is now the standard inside the SEC and college football. Alabama will have some things to prove under DeBoer and until it comes to fruition, everybody will be looking at the Bulldogs and trying to match them.

“I’ll be flat out honest — Georgia, you’re up,” Harper said. “You’re the next one up. Alabama, Nick Saban, they are no longer the standard in which everybody holds themselves accountable to. So now, Georgia is the one with all of the pressure on them.

“Georgia is the team that everybody anticipates being on the SEC Championship and leading college football. And really, everybody is gunning for them from here on out. Saying, ‘We have to keep up with Georgia. We have to go catch Georgia.'”

With spring practice beginning around the country, Georgia is currently the national championship favorite per FanDuel at +300. The next closest SEC team is Texas at +700 while Alabama trails behind the duo at +1300.

Even through the success, Smart has made sure Georgia’s players have the same mindset. He has talked about being underdogs and made sure to keep everyone hungry. Harper sees it as such when they take the field, never guessing which team has something to prove.

“Kirby has done a great job with that,” Harper said. “He understands the responsibility in which comes with all those things, being the target. They speak on it that they will be the hunter and not the hunted. With that type of mentality that Kirby has built there, you see it on game day. You see the physicality in which they play with.”

Georgia will get to prove itself throughout the 2024 season, playing three other SEC contenders, all on the road. Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss will all host the Bulldogs and even so, Harper still expects an SEC Championship appearance.

Until they are knocked off multiple times in the regular season, the standard resides in Athens.