Kirby Smart on Georgia's motivation, CFP ranking: 'It's like everybody's doubting us'

It’s hard to find anything wrong with a program that has won 26 straight games. However, Kirby Smart will take any and all doubt in whatever form that it comes in in order to drive Georgia.

Smart addressed the doubt of his team, specifically in reference to the rankings for the College Football Playoff, during an appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ in Athens on Friday. While being No. 2 in the nation is a position that just about anyone would take, he still sees that many are questioning his ‘Dawgs, especially with them being without their best player over the past few weeks.

“I haven’t had to use (the College Football Playoff rankings). We’ve had other motivation,” said Smart. “I mean we’ve had plenty of people doubting us each game we go into. We’ve had a star player that’s been out for awhile in Brock (Bowers). So it’s like everybody’s doubting us and giving us motivation through that.”

Like almost all coaches, though, Smart said he couldn’t care less about the current rankings. He added that his players feel the same way about the rating from the selection committee. To everyone in their building, the sole focus is on, come the end of the season, being in the four-team field. From there, it’ll be up to them to handle their business and reposition the contenders themselves with how they play.

“The playoff rankings literally have not come across my desk. I don’t care, I really don’t think our team cares,” Smart said. “They just want to get in the four. That’s the goal, right? So it’s not about where you put us or what you say about us. We’ve got to go out and do it on the field.”

With the run that the Bulldogs are on, there’s no wonder that the rankings only hold so much weight to them. They’ve lost one national title as a higher seed in 2018, won one national title as a lower seed in 2021, and won another championship as the top seed overall in 2022.

That’s why, with other suspicions about his team still going around, Smart is fine to put the playoff standings to the side and rev his roster up in other ways that are out there.

Danny Kanell explains why Georgia deserves No. 1 spot

If it were up to Danny Kanell, he says Georgia would be his top dog for the College Football Playoff over the current No. 1 in Ohio State.

Kanell shared that opinion during ‘Always College Football’ this week. Since the Bulldogs have continued to win at a historic pace, he believes they still deserve to be in first until there’s finally a blemish on their record.

“I would have Georgia at number one. I do think there is something – and I know we’re not supposed to do this. It’s supposed to be each year in a vacuum. But, in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. And, Georgia, how many games are we talking about now that they’ve won consecutively? I mean it is really impressive what they’ve done,” said Kanell. “I know they were tested, somewhat, earlier this year by South Carolina, Auburn on the road. But they’ve risen to the occasion.”

“I just think they deserve to be number one until somebody beats them,” Kanell said. “I think they deserve to be number one.”

Kanell thinks this outlook also applies to the eye test of Georgia as much as it does their resume.

“Then the eye test? They’re not as dominant as they’ve been in the past. But why is that the bar? The bar is this year against every other team,” said Kanell. “Nobody outside of Michigan has been as impressive as Georgia.”

With all that said, Kanell does think this could correct itself on it’s own on Saturday.

“I do think, this weekend, if they beat Ole Miss? Ohio State has Michigan State. So I think that would be the leapfrog and maybe that’s what the committee (is waiting for),” said Kanell.