This is just par for the course when it comes to a win-or-go-home scenario. The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs are a sizable favorite to beat the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels for a second time this season, this time in the Sugar Bowl as part of the national quarterfinals. Even though there may be a lot of Ole Miss fans in attendance, Georgia has the better and deeper team. Kirby Smart is well aware of this,.
It is why Smart provided an incredibly vague update on the health of defensive back Joenel Aguero.
"Yeah, Joenel (Aguero)'s with us every day. He's trying to get healthy and get better and make himself available."
Smart then mentioned that Rasean Dinkins and Jaden Harris have gotten a ton of run as well, too.
"(Rasean Dinkins) Dink's gotten a lot of reps. Jaden's (Harris) gotten a lot of reps with his absences. We've rolled some guys through there. But it's always great to get more reps. You know, Dink's repped all year."
So with Aguero and fellow defensive back Kyron Jones working their way back from injuries, Smart did a great job of not only protecting his players here, but also propped up guys on the rise like Dinkins and Harris. One should expect that all four will be part of the Bulldogs' playoff plans, probably vs. Ole Miss from the start, or as far as the Dawgs go on in this one-of-a-kind 12-team tournament...
If Georgia wins, the Dawgs will play the Cotton Bowl winner of Miami vs. Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Kirby Smart gives health update on Joenel Aguero's Sugar Bowl status
Trying to read the tea leaves a bit, Smart is going to give off every indication that injured defensive players like Aguero and Jones may potentially play in the Sugar Bowl. He will do this to put even more on recently promoted Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding's plate. He may be the right fit to lead the Rebels, for now, but the chances of Ole Miss crashing to Earth in the Sugar Bowl seem quite likely.
This is not being done just to try to throw a wrench into Golding's plans, but also making other coaches like offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.'s job even harder. Weis is proficient at moving the football down the field with Trinidad Chambliss as his starting quarterback. However, having to account for one, maybe two more defensive backs playing may complicate things during preparation.
Ultimately, we will have a better indication of who is playing next week in the Sugar Bowl for Georgia as we get closer to game. Again, these are the type of gamesmanship tactics savvy coaches like Smart try to put forth. He knows exactly what his team needs to do to attack Ole Miss' defense to advance to the semis. As for Ole Miss, they are going to need a lucky break to be able to advance.
For now, Smart seems confident in guys like Dinkins and Harris playing in extended roles if need be.