All this time off for Georgia may end up hurting them in the long run.
One of the highlights of the college football postseason is the opportunity for fans to compare their favorite teams with their opponents. Georgia football fans have been eagerly waiting to find out who their College Football Playoff opponent would be, and now that they know the Bulldogs will face Notre Dame on Jan. 1, they can start analyzing where Georgia may have an edge over the Irish.
While Georgia fans may resist acknowledging any advantages Notre Dame possesses, the reality is that the Fighting Irish are a strong team and excel in certain areas compared to Georgia. Head coach Kirby Smart recognizes this and recently spoke about one aspect where Notre Dame may have an edge.
“That’s the bigger dilemma,” Smart stated via 247sports.com. “Do you lose rhythm? You see it often in games; teams that take long breaks can struggle, and we’re doing our best to manage that.”
Smart believes that the extended break could pose a challenge for Georgia. Many people assume that having extra time off before a game is beneficial, which it often is, particularly for a Georgia team that has dealt with numerous injuries this season.
However, the downside is that extended breaks can disrupt a team’s rhythm, as Smart pointed out. This won’t be an issue for Notre Dame, which recently defeated Indiana, but Georgia will have nearly a month off between their SEC Championship victory and the Sugar Bowl against the Irish. While the break may help them recover from injuries, it could hinder their ability to perform well in a game environment, which is quite different from practice.
On a positive note for Georgia, they are accustomed to long gaps in their schedule prior to the College Football Playoff or bowl games, so ideally, Smart and his staff will know how to navigate this situation to mitigate the advantage that Notre Dame might have.
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