Kirby Smart calls out College Football Playoff selection committee: 'I don't know what they look for'
College football’s statement of the day was always going to reside in Athens, GA. No matter who won between Georgia and Tennessee, there would be some serious College Football Playoff noise made. Kirby Smart and his team wound up doing so, taking down the Vols 31-17.
Right after the victory, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge asked Smart what he believes Georgia showed the CFP committee on Saturday night. He then called the 13-member committee out after a frustrating week of rankings for the Bulldogs.
“Well, I don’t know because I don’t know what they look for,” Smart said. “I really don’t know what they look for anymore. So, I would welcome anyone in that committee to come down to this league and play in this environment. It’s a tough place to play.”
Georgia dropped their second game of the season last week to Ole Miss. A fall in the CFP rankings was always going to happen but it wound up being from No. 3 to No. 12. If the Playoff had started, UGA would be on the outside looking in.
Smart has maintained his stance about how difficult the SEC is, even ahead of the Tennessee game. According to ESPN, the Bulldogs have the No. 1 strength of schedule in college football. Nine of the top 11 teams in the metric as from the SEC.
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“I do know playing on the road in the SEC is one of the hardest things to do, I’ve always said that,” Smart said on Wednesday during the SEC Coaches Teleconference. “Nobody knows this league better than I do. I know you go on the road in this league, it’s extremely hard and tough. We’ve played some really good teams, especially on the road.”
Luckily for Smart, his 2024 SEC season is now complete. Georgia will close out the year with two nonconference opponents, UMass and Georgia Tech. There is still an avenue for Georgia to play in the SEC Championship due to the league’s tiebreakers.
Tuesday night will bring the latest unveiling of the College Football Playoff. Smart is hoping Georgia is bumped up a few spots and is included in the projected field. But at the same time, he is not really sure how the committee is operating at the moment.