Paul Finebaum: 'Kirby Smart is Nick Saban in the absolute prime of his career'

While the Georgia Bulldogs were unable to win their third straight national title last season, the program hasn’t lost any momentum. During an appearance on “Get Up” on Monday, Paul Finebaum provided high praise for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.

“They are what Alabama was about five or six years ago,” Finebaum said. “They have it because they have recruited at such a high level. Kirby Smart in his late 40’s is Nick Saban in the absolute prime of his career.”

From 2009-12, Saban won three national championships. If Smart wins another national championship in 2024, it will be his third in the last four years, paralleling Saban. Moreover, Smart will have a better overall record during the four-year stretch.

In the past three years, Georgia posted a collective 42-2 record. In comparison, during the first three years of Saban’s legendary four-year run, Alabama lost four games. Obviously, Alabama didn’t have as many wins because there was no four-team College Football Playoff.

If Georgia wins it all in the upcoming season, it will likely have the most wins of all time in a single season. For the first time ever, the CFP will include 12 teams, tripling the size of its previous format. Assuming the national champion is a top-four seed, they will have to win three games to take home the national title.

Kirby Smart has a tall task ahead of him

Nonetheless, before Georgia can concern itself with the CFP, it must find success in the conference play gauntlet.

“Their schedule is difficult though,” Finebaum said. “They have to play at Alabama and at Texas — two of the best schools in the SEC. They don’t have a lot of room for error but in the new age of the playoffs, you can lose two or three games, especially if your name is Georgia.”

Bulldogs fans will likely welcome the leniency. Last season, Georgia’s only loss came in the SEC Championship and it prevented the program from reaching the CFP. The 12-team format will prevent future teams from suffering similar fates.

While Georgia’s schedule is far from easy, it has the talent to handle the challenge. The team returns starting quarterback Carson Beck, who tallied 3,941 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in 2023.

Additionally, Georgia added several standouts via the transfer portal such as running back Trevor Etienne and defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod. To pile on, Georgia boasted the No. 1 class in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Fans won’t have to wait long to watch their Bulldogs attempt to etch their names in history. On Aug. 31, Georgia will square off against Clemson in its season-opener.