Kirby Smart has entered his most dangerous era after Georgia’s aggressive win over Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, AL- Don't tell Georgia or Alabama that Saturday night's game in Tuscaloosa was meaningless because of the current college football playoff format.
After a week full of drama surrounding Hurricane Isaias and whether we would see these two teams take the field on time, fans were treated to a heavyweight showdown inside Bryant Denny Stadium on Saturday in front of a soaked crowd watching from the stands.
We did not need any extra hype for this one. The theatrical movies that schools release before kickoff were not going to do anything that the Bulldogs and Tide couldn’t do when they arrived around 5:40 p.m. EST on Saturday afternoon.
This was about Kirby Smart trying to buck the regular season trend against Alabama, while Kalen DeBoer looked to put his team back into the perceived national spot that some wanted to argue they had fallen out of.
What you got was two teams trading haymakers for a first half that ended with DeBoer going for a touchdown with just seconds remaining on the clock, taking a 17-14 lead into the locker room.
This came after Georgia had found its way out of its own end of the field on two occasions for 10 points.
A late-arriving crowd inside a a misty Bryant Denny Stadium watched two coaches trying to outmaneuver each other for four quarters, while Keelon Russell and Gunner Stockton traded shots on offense.
What more could you ask for on a day filled with so much drama around college football?
Heck, in the fourth quarter alone this evening, Georgia missed a field goal that would have given it the lead against Alabama, while Kentucky missed a 26-yard chip shot that would have tied the game with LSU.
There were plenty of times in this game tonight where Georgia felt like the better football team, in all facets. But then, when you have such dynamic team like Alabama that can score on you within seconds, no lead seemed safe.
In reality, we were watching two of the best teams in college football in Tuscaloosa, and it doesn’t matter that they both come from the SEC. You can add Ohio State to that list, while taking Texas off of it at the same time.
We are reaching that point in the season where the frauds are starting to show themselves, and there wasn’t one on the field in Tuscaloosa. We can talk about Alabama and this team moving past the Saban era until we're blue in the face, and some will still be doing ten years from now.
But, it's clear that we are finally seeing a squad garner its own identity, until mistakes caught up with them at the most inopportune time, as the Tide' muffed a punt with 10:44 remaining in the fourth quarter.
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE NAMES STARTER FOR WEEK ONE: GET TO KNOW BAMA QUARTERBACK KEELON RUSSELL
While Georgia would retake the lead with a field goal on the ensuing drive, the officials would become part of the story late in the fourth quarter.
Chaos reigned on Alabama's drive, as Georgia was not called for an obvious pass interference that would have resulted in the Tide extending its drive by 15-yards. But, as the boos reigned down from the Bryant Denny Stadium stands, there was nothing left for the Alabama fans to cheer about after the Bulldogs sacked Keelon Russell on the ensuing play.
In that moment, tacked on with a personal foul against Dijon Lee that resulted in Georgia being able to take a knee and run the clock out, which once led to Kalen DeBoer being the most animated we've seen him during his time at Alabama.
Until somebody beats them, it's the Dawgs.
One way or the other, Kirby Smart has a football team that finds a way to win football games, which is not the case for other teams across the Southeastern Conference, or the sport.
"I didn’t come here to lose," Kirby Smart said after the game.
We witnessed a football team fighting through adversity, with the world wondering if Kirby Smart was going to get over some type of perceived hump.
The problem for those pushing that message: Kirby Smart really does not care any longer. Following the win, Smart bolted straight for the visitors section, slinging his visor around in the air while the Georgia fans and Kirby's wife waited to embrace his family.
"I'd rather make memories with my family, team and coaching staff...I just wanted to celebrate with my wife..She deserved a kiss for all that she puts up with from me."
We are witnessing a new Kirby Smart, who is not worried about trying to silence critics or what ever is being written about him.
That's a dangerous man, who seems to be fighting more for the respect from his family and those who encompass the football facility in Athens.
"Do I wanna win championships? Hell yeah, but I have a lot more respect for them (family and players) to understand that there's a lot more important things in life."
Welcome to the new era of Kirby Smart.