Despite starting as the No. 1 college football team in the preseason poll for the second consecutive season, the Georgia Bulldogs, under Kirby Smart’s leadership, are experiencing a setback. Ironic isn’t it? While preseason polls are intended to focus on the future, voters can’t help but consider past seasons. 

Despite losing the College Football Playoff last year in the four-team format, Georgia received 46 of the 62 first-place votes in the AP poll, finishing well for the top spot, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Smart’s team, which has gone a staggering 42-2 over the past three seasons with two national titles, has a fantastic shot to win a third championship this season. 

The Bulldogs won two national titles in three years and 46 wins in their last 48 games, but now it’s crucial for them to clear the playoffs. On August 16, in an episode of The Locked On Bulldogs Podcast, Daniel Monroe and Clint Shambin, were discussing Georgia’s position and the impact of the AP poll on them stating, “If Georgia doesn’t win the SEC, they’re going to be pitted up against teams like Oregon, the Penn States, or the Florida States, and they need to win them all to be better than those other teams”. 

The aim now is to prioritize the playoff-winning team over the team with a strong history. The hosts also added, “We are not saying that Georgia is going to have three losses this year, but the team with more losses than wins the national championship might be your team this year”. Georgia is among the most talented teams in the country, but unlike other polls, it’s the only one that matters as it moved up to 12 teams this year.

The 2024 playoffs will see Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs in top form

Kirby Smart is a smarty pants when it comes to a strong team aligning, including quarterback Carson Beck, defense Mykel Williams, linebacker Smael Mondon, and many more. Georgia is set to face Texas, Alabama, and Ole Miss down the road, which is quite challenging. They have a good 7-8 games on their schedule that are either sure wins or losses.

With the team structure in place, Head Coach Kirby Smart of Georgia looks confident and prepared to deliver yet another top-notch season. Although it may not end up as the No. 1 overall team in the 12-team College Football Playoff, anything other than a first position will be a letdown, and if the Bulldogs don’t qualify for the CFP, it’s a significant failure. 

It’s fair to have questions about the possibility of an undefeated schedule with three difficult road trips, but people need to believe in the Bulldogs because, as AP voters have told us, they’re the best team in the country. So, supporting a team that lost just once isn’t that difficult, right?