Whether it Seems Like it or Not, These Games Matter For Georgia
When you sit down and look at the situation, it’s easy to write off the rest of this season. Be real—what is Georgia playing for?
Well, there are a bunch of answers: a New Year’s Six bowl, impressing recruits, not embarrassing themselves further, etc. There are two things that don’t make that list, though, and they are the only things Georgia fans want.
An SEC Championship and a National Championship.
With those (pending an epic Florida collapse) out of the equation, it can make it seem like things aren’t worth following with this team. To the more casual fan, they aren’t worth keeping up with.
Regardless, these last four games are important in Georgia’s quest for an SEC and National Championship—even if that isn’t this year.
To put it simply, a lot of these Georgia players will be back next season. These games matter significantly to their progression, specifically the younger, less-talked-about guys. While Kirby Smart’s ultimate goal is still to win, he understands this fact.
“All we control is how we practice today,” Smart said. “Regardless of if they’re coming back next year if they’re a senior and are going to be gone, they’re working on development, they’re working on an opportunity to get better.”
There are so many players that need this kind of playing time right now, people like Chris Smith, Latavious Brini, any freshman on this roster. They all need this playing time. Even if they aren’t positioned to start next year, we know how necessary it is to have a deep roster in this league. This is Georgia’s opportunity to build that depth.
Even for those who won’t be here next year, Smart has his pitch for why this development period is so crucial.
“So many of these kids don’t realize it,” Smart said. “they don’t get that opportunity to play at the next level—they don’t coach you to get better, they don’t get reps, they essentially just go out and play games because they don’t have the ability to develop players in practice. They’re not allowed reps to do that. We are.”
I know, this is not what any of you wanted, these games feel meaningless. They aren’t, though. It’s an early opportunity to begin laying the groundwork for next year.