Kirby Smart's six words that keep Georgia on track

Kirby Smart says it all the time: "Humility is just a week away."

With so much conversation generated by the team’s SEC-record 29-game win streak, and whether or not the Bulldogs (12-0) can capture three straight national championships, it’s those six little words that have kept top-ranked Georgia focused on its task.

“I think that the biggest thing that keeps us humble is when you watch the film,” senior spokesman Sedrick Van Pran said. “There's so many things that could have gone the wrong way or you may have messed up or a guy may not have executed this play, and it leaves room for improvement.”

Although Georgia’s streak is obviously a by-product of hard work, the win total is never a part of the conversation inside the walls of the team’s football facility.

Junior cornerback Kamari Lassiter explains.

“You know, it's never been about a streak or anything like that. It's always just been about being in the moment, just trying to win that moment,” Lassiter said. “That's something that we try and pride ourselves on—just trying to be the best version of ourselves in that moment, trying to win every moment, and we believe that if we're able to win each moment, good things will happen for us.”

Quarterback Carson Beck concurred.

Beck had a lot of pressure on his shoulders when the season began.

Not only was he tasked with the burden of replacing Stetson Bennett, but if Georgia’s offense was going to be as effective, much of that responsibility would fall on him.

Twelve wins later and a Saturday showing against Alabama in the SEC Championship (4 p.m., CBS), Beck has quieted all his doubters.

“It's definitely a great accomplishment, and as you said, I haven't been the starter for all of it. But to be able to continue that and be a part of it is huge for me, and obviously everyone else on the team I think feels the same way,” Beck said. “I don't think it's something that we think about ever, to be honest. I think we've done a really good job at keeping the main thing the main thing, and focusing on each opponent week to week and just trying to go 1-0 as each game presents itself.”

The complacency Smart feared, as far back as SEC Media Days last July, that might develop thankfully never materialized.

That doesn’t mean players don’t appreciate what’s been accomplished.

“I definitely do just take some time to definitely try and sit back and appreciate it. It's hard to sometimes just take a second, and just slow down when games are coming at you so fast with practices and all the media and everything flying around,” Lassiter said. “But sometimes just being able to sit down and think for me personally over the last few years that I've been able to be a part of a really good program and a program that's taught me a lot of things, not just about football but about life.”

Van Pran said the fact Smart and his staff place so much emphasis on personal growth as individuals and players has enabled the results to be what they are.

“I think that's the biggest thing is that although we want to win, although we want to continue to bring wins to the University of Georgia, our biggest thing is that we're trying to create the best version of ourselves, the best version of ourselves as a team, but also the best version of ourselves as individuals, so we can be able to help the team,” Van Pran said. “I think that's where just the drive to want to get better comes from is that when you turn on the film, there's always something that you can get better.”