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Why Georgia College Football Playoff championship hopes start at the top
System
Posts: 13,363 admin
Why Georgia College Football Playoff championship hopes start at the top
âLetâs talk about the resume of Kirby Smart,â Doering said, asked why is picking the Bulldogs to win the CFP championship. âUnfortunately heâs going to be overlooked for coach of the year just about every single season because of the expectation and the idea that his recruiting and talent assembly are so much better than everywhere else.
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"Kirby Smart: 117 games
Nick Saban: 118 games
Steve Spurrier: 120 games"
Does the "Nick Saban 118 games" include his 5 vacated wins from 2007 over multi-sport violations from a scandal that was already in progress years before Bama hired Saban and that he had nothing to do with? If your response is "so what" - or even if it is "yes" - it still leads into a larger point: you can't make direct comparisons between Spurrier, Saban and Smart. Saban's first 100 wins were at 2 different programs that were both massive rebuilding projects when he got there. Especially Bama, who was dealing with scholarship reductions from back-to-back massive NCAA scandals. And get this: not even the particular scandal that cost Saban 5 wins! Boy was that program a mess. People to this day wonder how Bama avoided the "lack of institutional control" verdict that the NCAA used to destroy the SMU football program in the 1980s. (Answer: the NCAA quietly regretted what they did to SMU and promised to never do so again. At least SMU is in the ACC now.) But at least Bama had a somewhat recent history of contending when Saban was hired. Florida, in addition to being on probation (the Gators won the SEC in Spurrier's first year but couldn't claim the championship or go to a bowl) and scholarship reductions from the Galen Hall and Charley Pell eras had never had a 10 win season - or an AP top 5 season without cheating - in program history before Spurrier accomplished both early in his tenure. They were considered the most overrated and underachieving program in college football.
Neither guy inherited a program that went 10-3 and beat Penn State in a bowl the year before he was hired and had been a consistent 10 game a season winner for 15 years. Where Spurrier and Saban had to rebuild thin rosters hollowed out by sanctions, Smart came one play from winning the 2017 title with (true freshman who didn't do much) Jake Fromm plus Mark Richt's players.
Neither guy dealt with the transfer portal or NIL on their way to 100 victories either, did they? Lot easier to build and maintain a premiere program when player commitments meant 3 to 4 years of development with no option to leave, yes? Imagine how fast Kirby would have gotten to 100 if he were able to keep the 25% of his recruits that bailed for other programs…apples to oranges speaking that is…
@randomsportsfan
Kind of hard to figure out what the basis is for SEC coaches rate to the 100 win threshold…for instance Nick Saban's first 100 wins as an SEC Coach being in 118 games makes no sense, he notched his 100th win IN THE SEC after his 127th game as an SEC Coach (LSU/Bama) - 48-16 at LSU followed by 6-6 (including 4w that he had to forfeit), 12-2, 14-0, 10-3 equals 100 wins in 127 games even if we give him credit for the 4 forfeited wins. I'm confused. Kirby's tally is clearly 100 in 117, all at UGa, and the Ol Bourbon coach got his 100th in 120 at FU…same with Fulmer at the other UT. What am I missing here?
You really had to dig deep to try and diminish what is an undeniably impressive stat. That tells me you’re not celebrating Kirby’s success, you’re looking for ways to argue he isn’t as good as Saban or Spurrier. But here’s the reality: in 117 games, Kirby Smart reached 100 wins faster than any SEC coach — faster than Saban, faster than Spurrier, faster than Bryant, Holtz, Fulmer, Kiffin, and the long list of legends who’ve walked these sidelines.
Yes, every coach inherits different circumstances. Spurrier and Saban rebuilt rosters, Kirby inherited talent — but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s maintained excellence, built an elite program, and proven he can run an organization at the highest level. In 2017, Tyler Simmons wasn’t offsides, but history doesn’t give Kirby that Natty. What history does give him is the best record through 117 games of any SEC coach ever.
That’s not a stat you can hand‑wave away. It’s a testament to how good Kirby is at coaching young men, building culture, and sustaining success. And whether you want to nitpick circumstances or not, the numbers speak for themselves — and they are worthy of praise.
@randomsportsfan
I know you most enjoy being the perpetual antagonist but keep it coming. Your provocative nature is at least interesting and informative. Have a great holiday season even if you do not qualify as a DGD.
@randomsportsfan may be a "sportsfan", however he is anything but "random". His presence here is targeted and specifically meant to denigrate and agitate. It's not about a single post, but rather it goes to a pattern.
Alternative viewpoints are appreciated, but a pattern of negativity identifies this poster as a "T".