Dawn of the Dawg
Fansided

Kirby Smart has this Georgia Football team ahead of schedule

By Alistair Penny

AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs walks the field prior to facing the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs walks the field prior to facing the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The 2017 Georgia Football team was never supposed to be this good. But with an 11-1 record, they go into the SECCG with plenty still to play for.

I don’t think anybody thought this Georgia Football team would be this good. Going into the season, I remember writing that 9-3 would be a solid record. 10-2 was the best I could hope for and I just hoped that we won games against Florida and Tennessee to win the East.

But it’s been a very different season. UGA have steamrolled their competition for most of the season. They have only played 1 game where they have struggled and that of course was the one game that they lost. Gone seem to be the days where UGA would play down to their opponents. Now this UGA team dominates the lesser competitors and bullies them off the field.

While I’m hoping for a victory this Saturday, I did just want to pause quickly to recognise how far this team has come. In the regular season last year, this team went 7-5. They dropped games to Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. They gave up a hail mary to Tennesee to lose a heartbreaker.

Things could not be more different 1 year later. Georgia is the no.6 team in the country and their fate remains in their hands. While they will be the underdogs against Auburn on Saturday, they still have a chance to make it to the College Football Playoff for the first time.

All of this has happened quicker than we expected and despite some setbacks. Jake Fromm has been a revelation after an injury forced him to play. The defence has dramatically improved on last season. Our offensive line has gone from being a liability to something resembling a strength.

Next: Deep South's oldest rivalry returns to Atlanta

This 2017 UGA team is not perfect, but they have been a joy to watch. The culture seems to have been set and we can all see exactly how Kirby Smart is going to build his program. Whether we win on Saturday or not, there can be no doubt that Georgia is a rising football program right now. The fact that we’re also 11-1 makes this season all the sweater.

Home/Georgia Bulldogs News