If there are two areas Kirby Smart has learned that are critical to success in the College Football Playoffs, time management and having the proper mindset are at the top of his list.
Speaking during a Zoom session Sunday to preview Georgia’s semifinal date with Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs at the Peach Bowl, Smart said his Bulldogs want to make a return trip to the finals, and they’d be ready to be elite in both.
“Having been a part and done it multiple times at Alabama and now here at Georgia, it is so critical to your success how you manage that time,” Smart said. “But I also think the mindset and framework you approach it with, there’s certainly a mindset to it.”
That’s a lesson the Bulldogs learned last year.
Coming off a loss to Alabama in the 2021 SEC Championship, there was no shortage of motivation for Georgia to avenge the defeat to the Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs, obviously, used that energy to win the national crown.
Smart reminded his team of that fact during a meeting on Sunday.
“I told our team today,” Smart said. “Our team in that same meeting (last year) had a different frame of mind than maybe our team right now has. That’s why it’s so critical how you manage this last month and how these coaches and players manage it.”
Smart warned that Ohio State undoubtedly feels the same motivation the Bulldogs felt last year after getting a second chance at the playoffs following a season-ending blowout against Michigan.
Kickoff on New Year’s Eve in Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set for 8 p.m.
“With Ohio State, there’s a breath of fresh air of opportunity. We’ve never had the fortune of saying, 'Ok, we were out, but we got back in.' We’ve been close to getting in, but the excitement that provides and getting in is a kick of momentum that we have to understand,” Smart said. “We have to be able to match that and understand there’s a piece of that which you have to know. But managing time is critical. Sometimes guys think 27 days is a long time and it’s right up on you before you know it.”
Although this will be the two programs’ second meeting (Georgia beat the Buckeyes in the 1992 Citrus Bowl), there’s no shortage of familiarity between the two programs.
Georgia and Ohio State are tremendous rivals on the recruiting trail.
Smart told reporters the Buckeyes are also one of those programs he and his staff will study during the summer.
“In the offseason, when we try to watch the best teams in the country and what they do and try to get better,” Smart said. “During the year you watch your opponents and see what they do but you want to go out of your league in the offseason. We’ve always looked at Clemson, Ohio State, and other teams across the country and look at what they're doing really well and how they might do it differently.”
The Buckeyes, who have recruited the Peach State well, currently have three players who call Georgia home.
“Most of these kids know each other. They were all recruited by the same schools, they all went to the same all-star games, and they’re familiar with each other. We recruit across the country, Ohio State recruits across the country, and they’ve got players from different areas,” Smart said. “They’ve got players from the state of Georgia, we’ve got players from all over, so it makes for a great talent matchup. NFL teams really like these teams going against each other. I’ve got a lot of respect for their program and the way they play the game.”
NOTE: Smart said wide receiver AD Mitchell still has to work on his conditioning level, but was pleased with the work he got Saturday against LSU. Mitchell, who threw a two-point conversion pass to Darnell Washington to account for the final 50-30 score, will be one of several banged-up Bulldogs who will benefit from the extra rest before the Peach Bowl.
“It was good to get him back out there and get him in a rhythm. I don’t think he was 100 percent last night, but it’s important to get his confidence back and get him back rolling. He’s worked so hard to get back and tried so hard to have a role,” Smart said. “I thought he did a good job emotionally of not being up and down. He’s a kid who wants to do well, and sometimes he presses. Last night he settled into the flow of the game nicely, and it was good to get him out there.”
