Georgia's Smart: 'We're in a better place' ahead of Year 2
It was a bumpy first season for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, as the Bulldogs finished a pedestrian 8-5 and third in the SEC East.
Now, with a full year under his belt, Smart is much more comfortable heading into his second season.
"This team, this group is sold on what our staff and what myself believe in," Smart told Edward Aschoff of ESPN. "We're in a better place.
"I like this team a lot better, too."
Known for his punishing defenses at Alabama as the defensive coordinator, the Bulldogs ranked 16th in total defense in 2016, but it was the offense that trailed behind.
The Bulldogs finished 87th in total offense and an even worse 102nd in scoring offense.
Quarterback Jacob Eason started as a teenage freshman last season, but figures to be much better with a year under his belt. Likewise, improved offensive line play is expected, which is music to the ears of star running back Nick Chubb, who averaged 7.4 yards per carry in his first two seasons, but dropped to 5 yards last year.
Also, Smart is hoping to bank on a recent trend of coaches at big time schools winning big in their second seasons.
| Coach | School | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Richt | Georgia | 8-4 | 13-1 |
| Nick Saban | LSU | 8-4 | 10-3 |
| Les Miles | LSU | 11-2 | 11-2 |
| Urban Meyer | Florida | 9-3 | 13-1 |
| Nick Saban | Alabama | 2-6 | 12-2 |
| Gene Chizik | Auburn | 8-5 | 14-0 |
| Will Muschamp | Florida | 7-6 | 11-2 |
Meyer and Chizik won national championships in their second seasons, while Saban won the SEC at LSU and the SEC West at Alabama in his second seasons.
All three other coaches won double-digit games in their second seasons, which is good news for Smart, but winning 10 or more games consistently without a national championship is what got Richt fired and replaced by Smart in the first place.