Georgia football has officially clinched their spot in the 2024 SEC Championship game. And while the Bulldogs wait to see who they play, it is impossible to not think about the chance to bring a championship home to Athens.
During Georgia's press conference on Monday, two Bulldogs as well as Kirby Smart discussed what it means to them to be able to play for an SEC title.
LB Smael Mondon
“I woke up in the middle of the night,” Smael Mondon said via dawgnation.com. “I got on my phone and didn’t see it (until) then. So I was surprised, but really excited, blessed to have the opportunity. But like you said, it don’t really change nothing for this week. Just still focus on Georgia Tech. You know we gotta get passed that first.”
OL Dylan Fairchild
“We’re super excited about it but we’ve got to take this weekend and do what we gotta do,” offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild shared. “You can’t eat an elephant all at once. You gotta eat it one bite at a time. You can’t focus on that. Just gotta focus on what’s important and that’s what is in front of us.”
Head Coach Kirby Smart
“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 shared. “But at this point in time, we don’t even know who that it is, nor do I care. My concern 100 percent 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 the season, and the seniors playing at home. So that’s the focus.”
The best thing that both players and Smart shared was that their focus is still on their game with Georgia Tech this Friday. A loss in this game would really hurt UGA's chances of making the College Football Playoff, so Georgia can't afford to look past this game.
But at the same time, it's impossible for them to not be very excited to have the chance to play for an SEC Championship next week. Going into Saturday, everyone knew Georgia still had a chance to clinch their spot in the title game, but it seemed unlikely. But as time went on, teams in front of Georgia kept losing and before anyone knew it the Bulldogs were officially in the championship game.
Let's first hope that Georgia handles their business against the Yellow Jackets this weekend, but then it's time to bring a championship back to Athens after going without one last season.