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ATHENS - The Georgia Bulldogs are stuck. And Kirby Smart knows it.
The Dawgs have not won a playoff game over the last three seasons. They have not reached the semi-finals since ripping Ohio State’s heart out in the 2022 Peach Bowl.
They can’t be stuck again in 2026.
“You have to be willing to grow”, Kirby Smart said at SEC Media Days. “You have to be willing to experiment, try new things. You can't sit back and just be the same old team and do the same old things and expect to get the same return.”
Smart also said last week that his team has to play better in the biggest moments. They were an elite football team last year. It wasn’t always pretty, but they beat every team they played on their way to another SEC title. One of the favorites to win it all the second they beat the Tide in Atlanta.
But against the Rebels in New Orleans the Dawgs came up short.
Still, it was a memorable season and one Georgia fans should be proud of. One we know Kirby is proud of. Now it’s up to Smart and his staff to address the issues, adapt, and bring something new to the table this fall.
“My job as the leader of this organization is to challenge our staff and make sure we're thinking outside the box, make sure we're exploring other alternatives,” Smart told reporters. “I've got a staff that has been just incredible. We’ve got three or four guys that have been with me for 9 to 11 years and those guys are the rock and glue that makes our place go.”
This is a theme we’ve seen throughout Smart’s tenure in Athens. Roster retention is important, but so is staff retention. The ability to bounce ideas off each other is key to building a game-plan that will improve the team this fall.
New ideas are needed. They have to create more explosive plays offensively and they need to attack the quarterback better on defense. Kirby Smart has both the players and the staff needed to make the adjustments and bring fresh, new ideas across the board.
That’s where growth happens. If this young Georgia team can show growth week after week, they could be a dangerous football team in the winter.
