Amid talk of title, Smart, Georgia ‘concentrated on us’

• Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterAug 28, 2023, 06:20 PM ET

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  • Senior college football writer
  • Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

ATHENS, Georgia– Two-time protecting nationwide champion Georgia has a chance this season to end up being the first string in 87 years to win three titles in a row, however coach Kirby Smart stated Monday that he doesn’t talk to his team about its chance to make history.

“Absolutely not,” Smart said. “I simply don’t think you can make it about that. The minute you do that, you open yourself to diversions, adding pressure. What if it doesn’t happen? What are you betting? I imply there’s so lots of things that I simply don’t think philosophically in doing that since what the previous 2 groups did [has] no bearing on this group, has no bearing.”

No. 1 Georgia has won 17 games in a row and 33 of its past 34 going into Saturday’s opener against FCS opponent UT Martin at Sanford Stadium.Minnesota was the last group to win 3 championship games in a row, from 1934 to 1936. Thirteen groups had chances to win three successive titles ever since, most recently Alabama in 2014, but all of them stopped working to do it.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated “Our focus is UT Martin and actually

us,”Smart said.

” Which

‘s going to hold true whoever we play. We need to remain focused on us and we need to set a standard of the method this team’s going to practice in a game week. Which’s sort of like being where your feet are due to the fact that you don’t inherit practice routines, you do not inherit standards, and they alter year to year, and you have actually got to acknowledge them.”I know it’s so tough for individuals to believe that we’re not discussing the other [winning a 3rd straight national title], however we got a great deal of work to be done before we begin discussing that.”The Bulldogs, who went 15-0 last season and blasted TCU 65-7 in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T, should replace star quarterback Stetson Bennett and 9 other starters who were selected in this year’s NFL draft.Junior Carson Beck, who tried 35 passes as Bennett’s backup last season, takes control of the beginning quarterback job.Whether Smart wants to acknowledge it or not, he has an opportunity to do what some of the game’s most famous coaches– Notre Dame’s Frank Leahy, Oklahoma’s Bud Wilkinson, Nebraska’s Tom Osborne, USC’s Pete Carroll and Alabama’s Paul” Bear “Bryant and Nick Saban– couldn’t do by winning 3 national championships in a row.” I think you can value the difficulty because No. 1 it takes amazing staff management and psychological management,” Smart informed ESPN.”To win 2 is really tough

due to the fact that in today’s society you’re the target and humanity is to unwind. To measure winning three, you can value the trouble in it, however it’s not going to consume any of my time because so much of my time is on getting ready for the season. “