

ATLANTA — I hear what they’re saying. Time will tell if I believe what they’re saying.
You could almost feel the collective groan every time that Kirby Smart and Georgia players were asked about 2nd-and-26 on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. Seven months after their devastating National Championship Game loss, they’re well-versed in answering questions.
If you could draw up a the perfect politically correct way to answer a question about that, you would just copy and paste what Georgia safety J.R. Reed said.
“It’s not discussed at all. We’re players. We’re not fans, so we don’t get hung up on things like that. We’ve gotta move on to the next play. We’ve gotta move on to the next game. There’s always something else,” Reed said. “You can’t get hung up on a play that was in the national championship. We can’t do anything about that. That’s in the past.”
Yes, it’s in the past. According to Reed and other Georgia players, it’s fans and media who make the bigger deal about the most devastating final play in national championship history.
Georgia receiver Terry Godwin provided politically correct answer No. 2.
“That ended right after the game ended,” Godwin said. “It was kinda sad in the locker room, but once we got on the bus and we got back to the facility, everybody who was returning switched that mindset to ‘OK, we’ve gotta prepare for next year.'”
Whether that’s true or not, nobody wants to talk about how crushing it was. The Dawgs don’t want to live in the past, and quite frankly, I can’t blame them for that.
But I can question whether they’ll be able to move on. That’ll be easier said than done.

Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Kirby Smart said throughout the offseason that he refuses to use that play as a motivator. That’s his way of moving on. We don’t know how many sleepless nights the former defensive back had about Tua Tagovailoa delivering the dime of the century over Georgia’s busted Cover 2.
Smart, like his players, believes that media and fans harp more on that than they do.
“We watched it and evaluated it as a staff afterwards obviously. I see it on replays on different ESPN highlights. I got to watch it this morning early the ‘Get Up’ with Mike Greenberg. I thought they might open with the SEC Championship, but of course not,” Smart joked. “But that’s part of it. We embrace it as coaches. I think it’s something that you guys think about a lot, but not really us. We’re on to the next year, we’re on to the next recruit, we’re on to the next strategy whether it’s tactical, mental or physical, we’re looking for the next edge to try and get the next edge for the next year.
“It’s something that we don’t have to rehash all the time, but I think our players will use that experience to grow, and I think that’s big for our program and understanding that if you do things a certain way, then you can get to certain places. You just have to be able to finish when you get there.”
Kirby Smart on the last-play loss to Alabama in the National Championship Game.
What it seems like Georgia is learning is that this is just what comes with the territory when you get on a national stage. In the same way that the Kick 6 dominated Alabama’s 2014 offseason — and maybe a little during the season — that final play was bigger than just another game. Whether they like it or not, it’s not something that fans and media will instantly move on from. It’s still the topic of conversation until the calendar officially flips to the 2018 season.
The reality is that moving on isn’t dismissing questions about the subject at SEC Media Days. The platform they had at the College Football Hall of Fame was to talk about goals for the upcoming season. Moving on from the national championship loss is a goal. It might not be something that can truly be achieved until Georgia takes the field in 2018.
Who knows? If Georgia stumbles out of the gate and falls at South Carolina in Week 2 — that’s quickly becoming the trendiest preseason upset pick in the SEC — they’ll face questions about a possible title game hangover. It’s a narrative that fans and college football pundits will wonder about even though a “hangover” might not necessarily be the culprit.
While Reed made sure to draw the line between Georgia and the outside world, Godwin offered up another response that I’m sure many Georgia fans can relate to.
“To be honest, I’ve avoided it since that game,” Godwin said. “Every time it comes on, I just change the channel or turn it off.”
In another interview, Smart said Tuesday that he doesn’t look at that play as a “horror story.” He made the point that they were on the road recruiting just 2 days later, but Georgia’s dream season had a nightmare ending that no amount of “it’s overblown” talk can change.
All Georgia could do Tuesday was talk. Talk about the improvements they made this offseason with a roster that ranks No. 95 in percentage of returning production. That’s all well and good. It’d be newsworthy if they didn’t talk about how much they moved on from 2017.
Tuesday was the Dawgs’ unofficial start to 2018. Maybe they really have moved on to 2018, and they’re just wired differently than other human beings.
We’ll find out soon enough.
Hey Connor, maybe UGA should just pack it in this season and use the four months to think about the last play of the Bama game? Maybe we should skip the SC game and put it in the loss column and save the gas money needed to drive to Columbia? Maybe then you would have something real to write about.
UGARMYRet….First, Thank You for your service. Second, A former Big 10 guy (Connor) does what they do best and that’s bring up the past to try and underscore what was an unexpected season for UGA last year. I mean that is BIG10 101. Looking ahead this year and next year are supposed to be the years that we “compete” for SEC and National Championships. So naturally, bringing up last year is low hanging fruit (easy journalism if you may). Having played I know personally how different one year to the next can be. Let it all roll off like water off a duck’s back and see how the games are played THIS season. Then a discussion can be had at seasons end.
It should be an interesting game none the less.
Not really. When you consider that the Dawgs have 63 blue chip players on the roster (15 5-stars, 48 4-stars) and Sakerlina has 23 blue chip players on their roster (ZERO 5-stars and 23 4-stars), and how college football is always about the Jimmys and Joes, I don’t think it’s going to be close.
Especially because people like Connor and Gene Chizik and Finebaum and everyone keeps telling the Dawgs it is going to be so close they’re calling it a pick’em, with many picking the Chickens to win.
No, Chicken… I’m not thinking it’s gonna be close at all.
Touch a nerve did we?
This is where we point out Georgia never has a shortage on recruiting stars and so-called blue chip players, nor should they being located in a talent rich state like Georgia is.
Georgia fans then try to justify that they just didn’t have a coach before now that could maximize the talent like Smart can, to the collective groan of all non-Georgia fans. Granted, we can point out a so-called defensive genius should know how to handle a 2nd and 26 down against a true freshman QB making his first ever appearance during the playoffs.
In other words, yes, pretty obvious a nerve was hit.
Andy, it’s really pretty simple – the whys of the difference in Richt and Kirby’s recruiting approaches. Mark likes smaller, athletic linemen and smaller, fast DBs. Kirby likes gargantuan linemen and bigger, fast DBs. There were several comments this off-season from opposing players saying how impressed (and frankly, intimidated) they were last year by UGA’s size. In his very first press conference, Kirby stated that he wanted more size on both lines, the secondary, and at WR. And that’s what he went out and recruited.
Mark’s teams got by on athleticism, but when he faced a tough, big trench team things too often went sideways. Kirby understands where the game is won, and is using those recruiting stars (way more than CMR ever had, by the way) in the right places. Mark’s one season of 13 wins featured a few close wins. Other than Notre Dame early, there were no close wins last year till the playoff. Georgia didn’t win the SEC with smoke and mirrors, or gimmicks, or a couple of lucky bounces – they steamrolled everyone but Auburn, then steamrolled them in the rematch. A Richt team could never do that.
stopped reading your dribble as soon as I saw sakerlina. Condescending = boring
28-7, Barner.
That condescending enough for you?
Easy there newbie. “The Chickens” have always played us hard, and they get to do it early this year and in their house.
We had more firepower last year, the high of putting Florida where they finally belonged with a thorough whipping, and the cherry on top of beating Alabama to #1 in the playoff rankings.
End result? We beat Carolina by 14 and they were sans several of their best weapons. That was not a blowout by any means. They in fact played us toughest in a losing effort. Only Auburn had a better game against Georgia in the regular season conference sched.
Overlook them and brag on our 5 stars vs theirs if you wish, but thinking they are a push over is naive. I’ve seen this story before (2007, 2012, 2014) and just like we were ahead of schedule last season, so was Muschamp and SC. It will be a tough game.
More annoying than needing to explain to other fanbases is needing to explain to DawgNation that MARK RICHT IS NOT WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR.
All of those years you mentioned, who was coaching the Dawgs?
Who is coaching the Dawgs now?
Georgia rolls over the Chickens by 3 scores or more.
If that’s your logic, why didn’t we roll them by 28+ last year when we had a better defense and played them in Athens?
The defense will not be as good this year, especially early on before they gel. It’s the perfect trap game. Kirby better have them paying attention and not just assuming a blowout away from home.
The response was “should be an interesting game”, and you rant on about semi-relevant stars in recruiting …really ? You need to worry more about cropping your grande head into that pic frame, or not at all.
HistoryofMatt = Zero Stars
This ones gonna hurt..
This is were the talking season becomes the silly season, Connor.
Where did any of the players or Kirby dismiss the question? They answered the question. Dismissing the question would be, “No, I’m not going to answer that question,” or, “Next question.”
You’re kinda being a brat, because they’re not giving you the answer you want even if what they’re telling you may actually be the truth.
Because Bama had such a terrible time last year with losing a National Title in the last second that they also collapsed? Or did the coaches and players use that failure as motivation? Same as the Bama team in 2008 that was pasted by Tebow and the Gators in the SEC Title Game?
You know… same as Georgia that was beaten soundly by Auburn at Auburn? They were so demoralized they just rolled over in that SEC Title Game, right?
*eye roll*
^What he said.
Funny the rest of us think YOU sound like a brt
Can second what the barner said…historyofMatt sounds like a big ole crybaby to me.
Lmfao, what UGA fan isn’t still crying?
This UGA Fan isn’t along with a whole host of others…Don’t make assumptions off a “fan page” it is very short sighted and shows failure to comprehend the big picture. See y’all @ TWLOCP…
No crying here. What we accomplished last year was beyond what I had expected. Now, it’s time to focus on THIS season. The past is the past. Let it go, man. LET IT GO! You can not control the past. Week 1, we focus on preparing for Austin Peay.
What we must do and have to prepare:
Execute
Discipline
Composure
Physicality
Winning the game starts with winning in practice. You must have the will to prepare to win in order to win in the game. It starts in practice.
Connor, this article wasn’t your finest piece of work. Coaches like Kirby move on from past mistakes and plan on getting better to improve. You think Saban sits back and thinks about the championship game against Clemson? Heck no, he learned and made adjustments, that’s what leaders do. And lo and behold, Kirby comes from the Nick Saban tree, he doesn’t look bad in the past, he moves on and plans for the future.
GoBlue, I don’t think Saban rehashes the Clemson loss but he did use it to motivate (don’t waste a failure).
This dude doesn’t necessarily believe in what he’s writing, as a lot of journalists no longer have morals and will say anything to get hits on an article, thereby increasing their financial wherewithal. That’s his bottom line for this article, to outrage Ga. people thereby scoring more hits>>>>
You’re right, Junebaby01.
Now that The Athletic has an Atlanta Bureau and one of the best Georgia beat writers, why are we even coming back here?
I guess it’s fun to get outraged and tell people when they’re being stupid on purpose. There is that.
Sad thing is, is that you seem to really get outraged about this stuff…
Based on this comment you’d think this article was about something important and not random words about football that they could stack ads on.
What a pathetic article. I’m embarrassed for Connor, tbh.
I’m having a hard time reading any UGA fan comments/responses anymore. Man, youd think they won the last 6 nattys the way they talk. If a fan base ever needed a shot of reality it’s UGA.
I’m sorry Gaturd I couldn’t hear you over the sound of Sony Michel scoring ANOTHER TD on your pathetic defense.
What were you saying?
Maybe you cant hear me over the sound of bacon grease popping….
Wouldn’t that be the Razorbacks? Bacon grease popping….
I’m calling him fat
Hey Gaturd, get comfortable with the phrase, “Third and Grantham.” You’re going to be hearing and FEELING it a lot this year.
Why do you name call? Is that your best shot? Awfully weak.
The response was “should be an interesting game”, and you rant on about semi-relevant stars in recruiting …really ? You need to worry more about cropping your grande head into that pic frame, or not at all.
HistoryofMatt = Zero Stars
UGA – is this guy truly representative of your fan base nowadays, or just “coming out of the woodwork” based on NC appearance ?
I believe it may be a non-UGA troll disguised in sheeps clothing.
Bama ranks #103 with the majority of our staff gone. Its crazy how media folks say “well they have done it before” and dont doubt us at all but doubt UGA. I dont doubt UGA at all – I feel like they are a mirror image of bama – they have studs 2 deep across the board and run the program exactly the way bama does. UGA wont slip week 2 and all this nonsense will disappear and hopefully we will get the #1 vs #2 SEC champ game – I am honestly more worried about bama this year than I am UGA – Tua will be a star but can he carry our secondary? Will we replicate deron payne and hand on the DL can we keep sustaining LB losses? This only applies against UGA and CFP though – everyone else in the SEC including Barn would get beat by UGA and Bamas second teams – if you think anything else then enjoy getting smacked by the train that comes through since you never heard it coming
This guy above ^ is a UGA fan with a Bama Username. All he does is try to pump up UGA under a Bama screen name… So many UGA trolls these days…..
“But I can question whether they’ll be able to move on. That’ll be easier said than done.” That’s the dumbest opinion line I’ve read today. Time will tell……..
Just can’t stand it, can you Connor? BIG!0 sucks balls compared to the SEC and you particularly like to pick on GA because they had an outstanding season. Go back from whence you came, and write where you will be happy.