Kirby Smart shares optimism about bowl game prep despite missing playoff

Essentially all of the air in Georgia’s balloon escaped with their loss in the SEC Championship. It ended their incredible win streak at 29 games, cost them a chance at their second straight undefeated season, and all but ended their hopes of making the College Football Playoff for the third straight year.

Even so, that’s not how Kirby Smart and the program see it. As he said during his press conference this week, he did admit that their appearance in the Orange Bowl won’t hold the same importance. That doesn’t mean it won’t change their level of preparation, though.

“I wouldn’t say it’s strange to us. We’re in the same routine,” said Smart. “You could say it might not have the same – we’ve tried to make it the same sense of urgency. But there’s times that you have to step back, look, take a deep breath. We’re getting these guys better, we’re working really hard, we’re buying in.”

To be that locked in, it doesn’t hurt that the Bulldogs have as many quality veterans that they do. They’re a group that’s wanting to play and compete, regardless of what’s up for grabs. Add in that several players are nearing their shots at the pros and Smart says it hasn’t been as hard as some coaches have it at this time of the year to get their team motivated.

“The leadership on this team has been absolutely incredible,” said Smart. “What I hear from other coaches about these types of games? It has been a nightmare for them. It has not been a nightmare for us.”

“We’ve got dudes out there practicing that this is their last go-around,” Smart continued. “I’ve told them the next time that about 15 or 20 of you guys are practicing? You’re going to be trying to make a roster. You only have about 10-15 practices to make a roster spot in the NFL. So use these practices to help you make a roster and get better.”

Being in Miami on December 30th rather than Pasadena or New Orleans on New Year’s Day is not where Georgia wanted or expected to be. That’s just the fact of the matter when you’re a power with their standard, especially after the last two seasons in Athens.

However, the ‘Dawgs are going to use it as an opportunity to make one last statement about who they’ve been in the sport as of late. That’s why, with that approach from them, the coaching staff is putting up a similar, yet routine, effort in their preparation in the building as well.

“They want to finish on top. A lot of them want to walk off that field, for the last time, on the winning side,” said Smart. “There’s a lot of competitive character.”

“It is different but it’s not for, like, the coaching staff,” Smart said. “We’re going to go up there, meet, and do the same thing we were doing if we were playing in the playoffs. It’s a routine for us.”