Georgia Football: Kirby Smart sees golden opportunities in big games

Georgia football will take on Clemson Saturday in one of the most highly anticipated matchups since announcing they would play again in early 2020, and head coach Kirby Smart knows exactly what this showdown means for his players.

This matchup won’t be the last time these two teams will play again in 2024, 2029, 2030, 2032 and 2033.

So while there will be plenty of meetings between two college football juggernauts in the future, the 2021 game hits differently. They haven’t played each other since 2013 and 2014, which were the last two times either team lost an opening week game.

Head coach Dabo Swinney and Clemson have recently found a lot of success, winning two national championships in 2016 and 2018. They’ve also made the title game four times. Georgia made it in 2017 but has failed to reach it since.

This 2021 matchup will feature two top-5 programs, and if that doesn’t fire you up as a college football fan, you should check your heart rate. The only time the stage gets any bigger than this is for the college football playoffs, and these two are squaring off Week 1 of the year.

It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time because neither fan base wants to see their team go 0-1 against an opponent like Georgia or Clemson. Even though some people say it’s not a rivalry, this year should change their mind.

In his Monday press conference to open up the season, Georgia’s head coach Kirby Smart received a question about what goes through his mind to play Clemson on top of an already stout SEC one, and Smart gave the best answer possible.

According to the university’s transcripts, Smart flat out said opportunity.

"“The bottom line is our kids come to the University of Georgia to play in big games. We had an opportunity to play a really good opponent. For me, it’s what Georgia is about,” Smart said in his press conference. “Our fans crave these kinds of games. We, as coaches, crave these kinds of games. You find out a lot more of yourself when you play in these kinds of games.”"

The opportunity to find themselves as a team in Week 1 is something that I’m sure more coaches would want because it will let them know right away if this group can handle tough situations or not. Smart continued to say this matchup will make both teams better in the long run.

"“For you guys, it’s everything, for us, it’s an opportunity to make us grow and be better in our SEC schedule regardless of the outcome,” Smart continued. “We are going to be a better team after playing these guys, and they can say the same for playing us. These opportunities are why you come to major colleges to play in. When you have an opportunity to play a paid opponent, you jump at that.”"

That last line is why Smart is the man for the job at Georgia. He understands the assignment and why it matters to be at a Power 5 school. College football was already a massive business, but now that players are allowed to get paid, these games will become more of a trend than a once in a blue moon situation.

Players want as much exposure on the biggest stages in college football, and this game is one of those times.

Smart’s way of saying it as an opportunity is the best way to put it because when you think about it, that’s what it is precisely. There is a chance to play in front of thousands physically and be seen by millions of people watching television.

Georgia fans and those associated with the university and team should want these kinds of matchups because it puts the greatest school in the country out there for the world to see that they aren’t afraid of a challenge; instead, they welcome it.