Georgia head coach Kirby Smart doesn’t have a roster as loaded as his 2021 and 2022 squads. As Seth Emerson of The Athletic pointed out, that level of dominance may never be matched again in the NIL era. Those two seasons marked the end of eligibility for Georgia’s powerhouse pre-COVID recruiting classes, assembled before major spenders in the Big Ten and Texas began stockpiling talent through pay-for-play deals.
But that isn’t the root of the current concerns in Athens following the Bulldogs’ 24-21 loss to Alabama on Saturday night at Sanford Stadium. The standard of absolute perfection is no longer viewed as essential—after all, Ohio State captured a national championship despite dropping its rivalry game to a five-win Michigan team.
No. As Emerson points out, the real issue is that Georgia is no longer clearly superior to its high-spending SEC rivals. Outside of Kentucky and Charlotte, the Bulldogs’ remaining schedule is filled with potential stumbling blocks that could derail a fourth CFP appearance in five years.
“Next week should at least go better, with Kentucky—arguably the SEC’s weakest team—coming to Sanford. But Georgia travels to Auburn and hosts Ole Miss and Texas. It plays Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Even games at Mississippi State and against Florida aren’t guaranteed wins if Georgia doesn’t fix its problems,” Emerson wrote.
Glenn Schumann’s defense isn’t ranked inside the top 10 nationally in any major category, and a 44-41 overtime escape against Tennessee two weeks ago nearly sparked this wave of concern even earlier.
There’s real anxiety in Athens. While Georgia fans are known for their emotional swings—just last week the Bulldogs were said to be “thriving”—there are valid flaws that could keep this team from true contention.
The secondary has issues, and for the first time since JT Daniels, Georgia is led by a quarterback—Gunner Stockton—who doesn’t project as an NFL talent. Unlike Stetson Bennett or Carson Beck, Stockton hasn’t proven capable of bailing the Dawgs out of tight spots.
This isn’t the Georgia of recent years. The “Georgia Standard” has dipped, and with rivals improving, the talent gap has closed.
Now the question is whether Kirby Smart can prove why his paycheck is bigger than those of the coaches lining up against him.
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