Smart wants Georgia to be more explosive, 'bigger' in CFP - ESPN

TAMPA, Fla. — Georgia has won back-to-back SEC titles, an accomplishment dimmed by narrow College Football Playoff quarterfinal losses to Notre Dame and Ole Miss in consecutive years.

The Bulldogs are also amid a streak that coach Kirby Smart says is their «biggest accolade,» finishing in the top 10 for seven straight years.

But Smart acknowledged on Tuesday at SEC media days that the Bulldogs need to do more to meet the moment in the CFP, while also questioning the length of layoff between conference title game and the first CFP game for teams that earned a bye.

«We've got to find a way to, whether we win the SEC or not, to get into that playoff and play better and play bigger in bigger moments,» Smart told ESPN on Tuesday.

Georgia will attempt to be the first team in a decade to win three straight SEC titles, as Alabama last accomplished that 2014-16. The last time Georgia did it was 1980-82, with one of those a shared title.

The Bulldogs in many ways are well positioned, as they return 72% of their defensive production from last season, per ESPN's Bill Connelly, which is second best in the SEC. They also return redshirt senior quarterback Gunner Stockton, promising junior tailback Nate Frazier and the strong core of an offensive line.

Smart famously labeled his team «hard to kill» last year, and he again stressed that the Bulldogs' collective toughness is the team's identity, stressing that there's not a singular star on the Bulldogs who is the focus of the team.

«The strength of our team is the physical toughness,» he said.

Smart added: «The strength of the team is the team. And that's what's won for us.… That is our strength. And we've won two SECs through that strength.»

To win a third, there's a desire for more