Why betting against Georgia, Kirby Smart is a bad idea
Georgia has been college football’s most dominant force, bar none, over the past two seasons. Even so, many are still waiting for the eventual downfall of Kirby Smart and the ‘Dawgs. Some are even expecting it to come as early as this season.
On3’s JD PicKell addressed that discussion when breaking down Rece Davis’ recent decision to claim Michigan as his preseason No. 1. To be clear, PicKell wasn’t attempting to take anything away from the Wolverines. He just wasn’t willing to risk betting against UGA until someone takes their crown or until their pace from the last two years finally shows signs of slowing down.
“Seeing the way Kirby Smart reloaded after last year and going into this past season and winning another national title? With as much as they lost defensively and, still, to win a national title? Listen, I’m not betting against Kirby Smart. I’m just not doing it,” PicKell said. “I’m not assuming that Kirby Smart and Georgia are just going to somehow take a step back. Because they’ve recruited at an elite level, I feel really good about Carson Beck.”
“(We) don’t have any issue with Michigan,” said PicKell. “I just have a hard time believing that Georgia is just somehow, some way going to slide back because they don’t have Stetson Bennett and because of a new OC. I have a hard time getting behind that thought.”
Georgia is coming off the best pair of seasons in school history. In that time, they’ve claimed a pair of national titles, one SEC Championship, and posted an overall record of 29-1. That’s not even including the individual accolades and the total amount of players that have reached the NFL from those teams via Athens.
UGA isn’t being discredited as badly as some strangely seem to think. However, it’s clear that others have reached the notion that, even with their upcoming schedule, this is the year where the Bulldogs aren’t nearly as dominant.
In the end, that may very well be true. For PicKell, though, he wants to see it first before he believes in any doubt towards the ‘Dawgs.
Steele explains picking Georgia to defend national championship
After going 40 years without a national championship, Georgia finds itself in the hunt for a three-peat. The Bulldogs are the favorites to win it all yet again, and Phil Steele agrees with that thinking.
Steele explained why he’s rolling with UGA even despite some key losses. The biggest, of course, is quarterback Stetson Bennett after he led the Bulldogs to their back-to-back titles. Even despite that, though, the schedule is favorable enough that Steele thinks Georgia can do something no team has done in the last 85 years.
Of course, there’s also the Kirby Smart factor.
“The Bulldogs have 13 returning starters but do lose QB Bennett,” Steele wrote. “The new QB should have plenty of time to build confidence. Georgia will be double digit favorites in at least the first 10 games. A trip to Knoxville will not be easy. And the last team to three peat in College Football was 1934-36 (Minnesota).”
“This is the most talented team in College Football and they have the schedule. And Kirby Smart is a master motivator and they are my pick to win it all again.”