In just two years, Kirby Smart has turned Georgia into a system that may rival the one that resides in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Smart and the Bulldogs will face a tough task Jan. 8 as they go up against Smart’s former boss, Nick Saban. While Smart certainly has a long ways to go in surpassing Saban in championships, a win would be a great statement that Smart and the Bulldogs will be around for a while.

It isn’t just the results on the field that has Georgia fans excited, it is also the results on the recruiting trail. The work in recruitment has allowed Smart to lay the foundation for bigger things to come.

In a recent article at Yahoo! Sports, Pete Thamel breaks down why Smart may be surpassing Saban’s fabled “Process” with his work in Athens. Thamel points out that Smart has taken the process and expanded it even further to focus on the details of building relationships with recruits and their families.

According to Smart, the ability to build relationships is what will set one SEC program apart from another. Every SEC program has first-rate facilities and stadiums, and it is relationships that make the difference.

The parent of one prospect interviewed by Thamel illustrates just how relationships made the difference in the decision-making process:

The recruitment of Christopher Smith II, a four-star cornerback from Hapeville Charter in Atlanta, illustrates how a massive macro operation can deliver Smart’s preferred personalized touches in the micro.

Smith’s father, Chris Smith, said he’d met and interacted with Kirby Smart in person “at least eight times” before his son committed. That included games, unofficial visits and even a scavenger hunt on a recruiting weekend where taking a picture with Smart was an item. (“That was the most fun thing,” Smith said, “it’s those little things.”)

By comparison, Smith indicated that he only met Saban once despite a year of recruitment and five visits to Alabama:

“We were recruited by Alabama for a year, and I only met Nick Saban one time,” Smith said. “It was like, wow, I didn’t feel like it was important enough for him to build a relationship with us. It means something when the head coach takes time out of his day to talk to you.”

Georgia will need to win championships under Smart, but this year certainly shows that the Bulldogs are on the cusp of being an elite program for years to come thanks to Smart’s work. A national championship with a win over Saban would be another great step for Smart.