ATHENS, Ga. – In the nine years that Paul Finebaum has interviewed Kirby Smart, this has been as lively an interview as Finebaum has seen Smart. They were photographed together on Georgia’s campus the day before the Dawgs’ game against Tennessee last month. It’s been three days since the College Football Playoff committee removed Smart’s team from its expected field, and Smart has made no secret of his disgust.
“He was great on the air. On the show, he was out of this world. I mean he was genuinely upset,” Finebaum recalled last week. “I appreciated his honesty. “But this has been a notable change, especially over the past two years.”
And Smart wasn’t done. The next night, he went before the selection committee again during an ABC post-game interview. And Smart still isn’t done. A few weeks later, Smart took an impromptu shot at SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, who was standing a few feet away. Maybe it’s playful, maybe it’s not.
This was refreshing news for those who want good content. To those who have watched Smart and his sideline activities from afar, that may seem obvious. But for those who have followed Smart closely over the past few years, this is a huge change and speaks volumes about where Smart and second-ranked Georgia are as they prepare for the CFP quarterfinals.
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Smart has tried to stay out of the headlines, which is typically a Nick Saban trait. Do your job, worry about your team, and ignore critics and outside noise. The tone was set the summer of Smart’s first year, when then-Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh took aim at Smart on Twitter about the satellite camp. When asked about this, Smart responded, “What tweet?” Even though I knew it, I smiled bitterly. He was ready to spread the word.
This season, Smart has been happy to light the fuse.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are scheduled to play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. (Joshua L. Jones/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Following Georgia’s win at Texas, Smart did not hold back during an ESPN postgame interview after officials overturned a decision in favor of Texas after fans threw debris on the field. “You know, these guys get the best of me. And I’m really proud of these guys. Because no one believed it. No one gave us a chance. Your entire network suspected us. No one believed us. And they are trying to rob us over the phone here.”
The “College GameDay” analyst’s shooting of the goal against Georgia was nothing new. Smart did just that after his team won its second national championship. But the statement “they are trying to rob us” was not unusual. Smart, a member of the NCAA Rules Committee, has rarely criticized officiating and did not participate in condolence calls from Georgia fans after the 2018 national championship game. Now he was jumping in even though he actually won the game.
Following the team’s win over Tennessee, Smart reiterated his displeasure with the CFP Board in an ESPN postgame interview. “I don’t know what they want. I really don’t know what they’re looking for anymore. I welcome anyone on that committee to come to this league and play in this environment.”
And finally, in an interview after the SEC Championship Game victory, Smart was asked what a first-round bye meant. “It means a break for the team that Greg Sankey and his staff have spent… on the road… all year long!”
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Sankey was standing a few feet away with a stone-faced expression on his face, but could not hear Smart speaking due to audio issues on stage, according to people at the scene. Not that Sankey and his staff were particularly enthusiastic about the job. Since Georgia just advanced its schedule to the conference championship, Finebaum called Smart “out of line” on his SEC Network show. (The SEC Championship in Atlanta came after three straight home games, so Georgia has been in its home state for nearly a month.)
“I probably didn’t realize how complex the story was (on stage) and reacted a little too quickly to that,” Finebaum said. “But it was still a pretty dramatic moment for him.”
Smart was asked after the Tennessee game last month why he was more outspoken this year. He shrugged and said it had more to do with being honest and saying he had more to say.
“Two years ago there wasn’t much there,” he said. “There weren’t a lot of complaints that year when we were 14-1 and 15-0. There isn’t much to fight about. Handles work and gets things done on site. You don’t need to say much.
“If you mention Texas, it was a very unique situation. I don’t know if I’ve ever participated in something like that… I wasn’t angry with them. I didn’t understand it, I never saw it happen, but I would have said that any year.”
But what Smart says next gets to the heart of the matter. “I want to fight for our team and our program. Because I think we have a worthy group of really hard-working young people. I’m sure every coach will fight for their players.”
But this comes amid two years of bad publicity for his program. Ten Georgia players and one staff member have been arrested on charges of driving-related offenses following a January 2023 car crash that killed a player and staff member. There have been cases of arrests for non-driving issues. Given all this, it seems Smart is taking the opposite approach and Mr. You could almost expect Nice Guy to be the face of the show.
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But Finebaum pointed out that Smart chose his words much more carefully when it came to off-field matters.
“One thing I will give him credit for is I think he has done very well despite all the bad news in the offseason,” Finebaum said. “And it didn’t seem to be a constant topic like other schools.”
Finebaum has another theory about Smart’s newfound candor. That means the pressure is gone. You don’t have to do three reps or before or try to win your first national championship.
“(Before) everything was more tense. You could feel the gravity of the moment,” Finebaum said. “That all disappeared in Athens a few weeks ago. It was me taking on the world, and he seemed to love it too.”
Smart has used the Georgia vs. World narrative, especially ahead of his second championship. It became such a punchline that Smart backed off a little. It was harder to play the rude card last year when Georgia was the consensus No. 1 team despite not having a three-peat.
Then, this season, adversity struck on the field. Smart called his team the “Never Say Dawgs.” They made things difficult for themselves, gave in to the competition, and still hoisted the SEC Championship trophy.
Now Georgia is in the playoffs, where they could be in perfect position, at least to Smart’s liking. There are plenty of choices the Bulldogs could be one, especially since having to go to a backup quarterback isn’t a preference. And it’s over in the tournament.
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In any case, it could be argued that Georgia is playing with household funds.
“Ultimately, how the season ends will help frame the story,” Finebaum said. “If Georgia wins a title with everything they’ve overcome, their schedule, the injury to Carson Beck, I think it will elevate Georgia to even greater heights. And I think they’re at the top of college football right now. … But if (Georgia) can get this done, I think it won’t make up for not winning three times, but it will catapult Georgia into a whole different stratosphere.”
(Top photo: Butch Dill/Getty Images)
