{"id":277471,"date":"2025-05-27T21:35:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T21:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/27\/amid-cfb-playoff-controversy-georgia-hc-kirby-smart-shifts-focus-on-biggest-decision-to-be-made\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:08:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:08:16","slug":"amid-cfb-playoff-controversy-georgia-hc-kirby-smart-shifts-focus-on-biggest-decision-to-be-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/27\/amid-cfb-playoff-controversy-georgia-hc-kirby-smart-shifts-focus-on-biggest-decision-to-be-made\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid CFB playoff controversy, Georgia HC Kirby Smart shifts focus on &#8220;biggest decision&#8221; to be made"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4933687\" data-slug-id=\"2535447\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kirby Smart and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/college-football\/georgia-bulldogs-football\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Georgia Bulldogs<\/a> have been regulars at the later stages of the College Football Playoff for quite some time. Smart has led the Bulldogs to two national championships and numerous playoff berths.<\/p>\n<p>The defensive specialist coach has seen the college football playoffs evolve from a four-team event to the current 12-team format. Heading into the 2025 season, the CFB committee has decided to alter playoff seeding.<\/p>\n<p>However, rather than dwell on the seeding, Smart shifted his focus to the &#8220;biggest decision&#8221; to be made. Speaking at the annual SEC Spring Meeting on Tuesday, Smart said:<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"bets-today-poll\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"preview-card-holder bets-today-poll\">\n<p><span class=\"date\"\/> \u2022 <span class=\"time\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"march-madness-logo\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/march-madness-logo.png\" height=\"42\" width=\"99\" alt=\"march madness logo\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The biggest decision that has to be made in college football right now, by far to me, is when is the portal window and is there one or two. That will not be decided by us today. A lot of people do not even know how it is being decided, who is deciding it. But I need you to think for a second. There is a strong contingent.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>The Bulldogs coach continued:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;We had an AFCA meeting, we had a meeting where we unanimously decided that there really needed to be one portal window and whenever that is what it is and it needs to happen sometime in January.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;There is an outcry, there is different programs that feel like it should not fall during the playing season. I would love that. I would love to be able to play the season without it.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Smart is rooting for a sole January portal window. That would reduce distractions for playoff teams competing for the national championship. Teams like Georgia, Alabama, Texas and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/college-football\/ohio-state-buckeyes-football\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Ohio State<\/a> stand to gain a lot from such a shift in the portal calendar.<\/p>\n<h2>Who are Kirby Smart and Georgia&#8217;s toughest opponents in 2025?<\/h2>\n<p>Kirby Smart&#8217;s Georgia Bulldogs posted an 11-2 regular season record to qualify for the expanded College Football Playoff. However, they were promptly bounced by an inspired Notre Dame Fighting Irish side at the quarterfinal stage.<\/p>\n<p>So, the Bulldogs will aim for redemption in the upcoming campaign. They have tricky games against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/college-football\/tennessee-volunteers-football\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Tennessee Volunteers<\/a>, Alabama Crimson Tide, Ole Miss Rebels, Florida Gators, Texas Longhorns and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia must lose no more than two of the above games to qualify for the postseason. Then, Kirby Smart&#8217;s quest for a third national championship as the Bulldogs&#8217; coach can proceed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-author-info-parent\">\n<span class=\"about-the-author\">About the author<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-pic-holder\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"author-pic\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,&lt;svg width=\" height=\"100\"\/><rect width=\"100\" height=\"100\" style=\"fill:rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\/>&#8221; data-lazy=&#8221;https:\/\/keedag.sportskeeda.com\/user-pic\/909917-1686515549-200.jpg?w=200&#8243;<br \/>\nalt=&#8221;Nick Igbokwe&#8221; height=&#8221;72&#8243; width=&#8221;72&#8243;&gt;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-bio-detail-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p class=\"author-bio\" id=\"author-bio-text\">\nNick Uzochukwu Igbokwe is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda. He loves the thrill and excitement that comes with the complex plays on the Gridiron. American football is an acquired taste, and he has been hooked on the game since discovering it in 2017 during his University days.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Nick has interviewed agents, medical personnel, and close family members of NFL stars, who have reached out to him after reading his stories.\n<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"author-know-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/author\/nick-igbokwe-yct23\" aria-label=\"Author know more\">Know More<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/college-football\/amid-cfb-playoff-controversy-georgia-hc-kirby-smart-shifts-focus-biggest-decision-made\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have been regulars at the later stages of the College Football Playoff for quite some time. Smart has<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":277472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277471"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}