ATHENS — A funny thing happened on the way to the College Football Playoff. No. 10 Georgia, fully absorbed on that singular task, learned late Saturday night that it’d be playing in the SEC Championship Game.
The Bulldogs, we found out Monday, weren’t even considering it as a possibility this past weekend.
“I woke up (Sunday) morning and found out, pretty much,” junior offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild said. “It means a lot to us, of course. We’re super-excited.”
Said senior linebacker Smael Mondon: “I knew it was a possibility; I just didn’t think it was going to happen. I woke up in the middle (of the) night and saw it then. I was surprised, but excited.”
Coach Kirby Smart and his staff were aware the Bulldogs (9-2, 6-2 SEC) could be in the conference championship game if Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M all lost on Saturday. But it will probably come as no surprise they never discussed that possibility with the team.
Not only did it seem unlikely — all three losers were favored in those games — but it would not and does not change anything the Bulldogs have to do. Last Saturday, they still needed to beat UMass; and this week, Georgia still needs to beat Georgia Tech.
The Bulldogs’ playoff scenario certainly was simpler before: Beat Georgia Tech at home Friday night, then await CFP selection committee’s decision on Dec. 8 about who, when and where to play in the playoffs. That piece has been significantly muddled now.
Regardless of what happens Friday in the rivalry known as “Clean Old-Fashioned Hate,” the Bulldogs know they must prepare for another game against a top-notch opponent eight days hence. And, yes, there is a scenario where Georgia could lose to Georgia Tech and still become CFP automatic qualifier as SEC champion.
But from Smart’s vantage point, none of those scenarios change even an iota what his staff does or is doing from an operational standpoint. Smart denied even the prospect of support-staffers being pulled this week to peruse the Texas and Texas A&M files for an early glimpse at personnel and tendencies.
“Not one thing different; not one thing different,” Smart said, repeating the sentence for emphasis. “We could have been playing this game (against Georgia Tech) and still not know. The difference is we know. But we still don’t know who it is. There’re things that could have happened this coming weekend that would’ve determined whether we played or not. So, we’re preparing the same, which is no preparation.
“We’re preparing for Georgia Tech.”
That’s enough to consume of the entirety of the Georgia football operation, which is expansive. The Bulldogs famously field one of the largest support-staff groups in FBS. Numbering more than 50 full-time employees, including former defensive coordinators such as Will Muschamp and Andrew Thacker (most recently of Georgia Tech) and former offensive coordinators such as Brandon Streeter (formerly of Clemson).
In all, UGA spends about $5 million annually on football support staff. When pooled together with Smart’s annual salary ($13.5 million) and his 10 assistant coaches ($10 million), that’s a payroll of more than $28 million devoted to football.
This week, that groups’ full attention will be on preparing for the best Georgia Tech squad to come to Athens since it last won in the series in 2016. The Yellow Jackets (7-4) are coming off back-to-back upset victories, including a 28-23 win over then-No. 4-ranked Miami on Nov. 9 and a 30-29 thriller over NC State this past Saturday.
Tech presents a lot of problems, but further complicating preparation is a sometimes every-down quarterback rotation. Conceptually, freshman Aaron Philo is the Jackets’ passing quarterback and senior Haynes King is the runner. But those lines have been continuously blurred to the point of anybody’s guess now. Philo passed for 265 yards but also rushed for 57 and scored the game-winning TD on an 18-yard run last week against the Wolfpack.
“It adds another dynamic to their offense, two really good quarterbacks,” Mondon said. “Haynes King has good legs and Philo has a really good arm. It’s just another thing we have to prepare for.”
Said Smart: “This is a huge matchup, an inner-state rivalry game that’s been part of history for a long, long time. And it is a physical game. It was a very physical game last year; it’ll be a physical game this year. I’m excited to be at home on a Friday night and looking forward to our crowd impacting this game. We need them to impact this game.”
Regardless of Friday’s outcome, everything will still be in play for the Bulldogs next week. All eyes will be on No. 3 Texas vs. No. 15 Texas A&M Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in College Station, Texas. Because of the rare Friday kickoff against Tech, those eyes will include every available one in the Georgia football brain trust.
Considering the journey that the Bulldogs have had to date, just getting back into the SEC title game is an incredible accomplishment. Georgia will be participating in the conference championship for the fourth straight year and seventh time in the last eight years. But never has the route there been more challenging.
The Bulldogs have had to navigate the toughest schedule in the nation this year, by every measure. They beat then-No. 1-ranked Texas, No. 14 Clemson, Florida and Kentucky away from home and dropped road contests to then-No. 4 Alabama and No. 16 Ole Miss. All the while, Georgia has had to deal with injury issues that have sidelined the top three running backs, three starting offensive linemen, a linebacker and several defensive linemen. Meanwhile, two top wideouts are suspended indefinitely.
Yet, here the Bulldogs are, back where everybody predicted they would be when they opened the season as the nation’s consensus No. 1-ranked team. They’re back in the SEC Championship game.
Smart is proud of that accomplishment, too, but he’ll reflect on it later.
“I mean, it’s a great honor to be able to play in the SEC Championship game. It is probably one of the greatest events in all sports because the games that you play in are great matchups,” Smart said Monday. “But at this point in time, we don’t even know who that is, nor do I care. My concern 100% is with Georgia Tech because of what that game means to so many in this state, so many on our team, and what it means to this season and these seniors playing at home. So, that’s the focus.”
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