Kirby Smart previews the 'tremendous' time Georgia has to develop before bowl

Georgia isn’t just preparing for the Orange Bowl against Florida State this month. The Bulldogs are also getting a head start on next season.

After finishing one win away from the College Football Playoff in 2023, Kirby Smart is hoping to lead Georgia back there next year.

Smart spoke recently about the opportunity the Bulldogs have to develop their team over the next few weeks.

“The guys that come back, they’re going to make a commitment to getting ready, getting better. It’s not just about this game, it’s about the practices you get to have for this game. And a lot of guys are going to be guys that play for us next year, that are going to get 15 practices or 13 practices that they get ready, almost like an extra spring practice,” Kirby Smart said. “Not to mention the midyears that get to come in and practice with you, too. So this is a tremendous time to develop and get better, and we’re going to do all we can to get our team in the best shape they can to get ready to go compete against Florida State.”

Smart is well aware that Georgia will not have everyone available for the bowl game. The Bulldogs will have some players opt out to turn pro, while others will enter the transfer portal. In fact, that has already started to happen.

With that said, Smart believes that the players that stick around will be ready to go.

“I did talk to our team, and they are very excited. And I think of all the bowl games we could be in, outside of the playoff, this is where our kids would have loved to have been. So that part is good,” Smart said. “And I think we’ve got a really high character team, a bunch of fun guys to coach. The guys that want to play in it, and they’re going to continue with us, they’re going to enjoy that.

“We’ll have guys go into the portal. And guys that it may be right for them to be at other places. That’s what the portal’s for. So we’ll lose out on some guys like everybody in the country will.”

Florida State is expected to lose plenty of players for the matchup, too, after coming just short of reaching the College Football Playoff.

As things stand, Georgia is a 14-point favorite for the game.