Kirby Smart’s Alabama Problem Isn't Going Away

By Kyle Golik

Throughout the country, coaches have problems or wars they are raging against. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is waging war with the concept of the transfer portal and modern college football. Florida State’s Mike Norvell is figuring out how to put everything back together in Tallahassee.

Georgia’s Kirby Smart doesn’t have those types of problems, Georgia typically has their program together and Smart has achieved more than any other Georgia coach ever.

While things seem to be all golden for Smart, he faces similar issues that his former protege Oregon’s Dan Lanning has a Washington problem, although he should be able to fix that this year. Ohio State’s Ryan Day has a Michigan problem, and a current generation of Buckeye fans don’t know how to handle being 0-3 against “The Team Up North.” On the other hand, Day has a vex on Penn State’s James Franklin, who is 1-9 against Ohio State. While Smart has a much more accomplished and deeper resume than all the above, he has a similar problem, one that originates in Tuscaloosa.

Saturday’s loss, while it started ugly with Georgia down 28-0 to Alabama, the Bulldogs showed character to make it a game and even did the unthinkable when quarterback Carson Beck connected with wide receiver Dillon Bell on a 67-yard touchdown with 2:31 in the fourth quarter to give Georgia the slimmest of leads. This game was like a fight depicted in a Rocky movie where it seemed both teams overcame all obstacles and there were fireworks galore.

The feeling of overcoming those obstacles was short-lived for Georgia, when freshman phenom Ryan Williams caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe on the ensuing Alabama possession to put Alabama up for good 41-34.

If it wasn’t official prior to the game, during the game, it was after the game Kirby Smart officially has an Alabama problem.

Once Smart recognized the problem, he was questioned if anything was different from what he previously learned about Alabama that tonight's loss showed, Smart revealed the obvious in his reply.

"We can't turn the ball over and win games. I mean, we know that. We've been one of the few teams that hasn't done that, but we flirted with it, you know, and we had several times tonight where we turned it over. And we were more explosive, but so were they, and they're an extremely explosive team. I mean, they're going to be explosive all year because they got a group of exposive playmakers. But I know, I know the team I got never I didn't learn anything tonight that I didn't already know because they're fighters."

Smart may know what he is seeing, but he seemingly has few solutions when it comes to Alabama. It can be argued Georgia has had many favorable positions in Smart’s six losses, whether it was 2nd and 26 game in the national championship, the game being in Atlanta, and Alabama having quarterback problems. Look at the 2021 and 2023 SEC Championship Games, while the 2021 team was able to avenge that loss, 2023 team was not able to avenge its loss being relegated to play a Florida State team in the Orange Bowl that was not interested .

Alabama throughout 2023 was clawing back and trying to find themselves, Georgia had immortality in front of them for a chance for an unprecedented third consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship.

This time, Alabama was prepared with an offensive that Georgia wasn’t ready for. As Smart summarized the latest Alabama disappointment.

“A tale of the two halves. Obviously, we were not really prepared, and that falls on me. In the first half, we didn't do a great job, especially defensively, but we also gave them short field, and the short field in a quarterback like Milroe creates a lot of tough times. I am extremely proud of our team. At halftime, I thought our coaches made good adjustments. Everybody was positive. I told them 'Look, guys I've been in the stadium down to Texas A&M, probably just as bad, and came back to make a game, had a chance to win the game and didn't make more plays. So a lot of credit to them and for us, humility is always a week away.”

The humility for Smart always seems to be ready for him against Alabama. Many thought with Nick Saban’s abrupt retirement, it was an opportune time for Smart to turn the tide in the series. It seems Alabama perfectly casted the role with Kalen DeBoer for the next phase in this rivalry for the crown of the SEC. For now, the spoils goes to the Crimson Tide and for Smart he got a major problem to fix.