Steve Sarkisian isn’t sure if Georgia football represents a dynasty, but he knows Kirby Smart has built a proven winner in Athens.
“Their level of consistency has been pretty high for the last decade, credit to those guys,” Sarkisian said in his Monday press conference.
“I don’t know what constitutes a dynasty or not, but these guys have played four straight SEC championship games and are trying for five. I think that’s pretty good, especially when a lot of teams and coaches in our conference haven’t played for any.”
Smart is the only active coach to have won an SEC championship game, and with LSU’s firing of Brian Kelly, Sarkisian is the only other coach who has appeared in an SEC title game.
With Texas A&M and Alabama on track to meet in this season’s SEC championship game — provided they keep winning — that could change this season.
But for now, the center stage belongs to Sarkisian’s No. 10-ranked Texas Longhorns and No. 5 Georgia when they play at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
It’s a game that will have College Football Playoff implications.
The Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1 SEC) are a 6-point favorite to beat Texas (7-2, 4-1) at Sanford Stadium, but Sarkisian likes the way his Longhorns have been playing.
“I think we have one turnover in the last four games on offense,” Sarkisian pointed out, referencing the Longhorns’ four-game win streak.
“Our ability to continue to protect the ball I think is paramount.”
Texas turned the ball over four times in its first meeting with UGA last season, a 30-15 Bulldogs win, and had three turnovers in Georgia’s 22-19 overtime win in the SEC championship games.
As many storylines as there are to the game, the quarterback matchup is the most pivotal and intriguing.
It’s the legacy preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, Arch Manning, against Gunner Stockton, a pick-up driving country boy from Northeast Georgia whose actions outweigh words and outside expectations each week.
Sarkisian made it clear Texas will do everything it can to derail the rhythm Gunner Stockton has found running the Bulldogs’ offense.
“Defensively, we’ve got to find a way to get the ball off them,” Sarkisian said, “whether it’s off the quarterback, the runners, affecting the quarterback in the pocket, or forcing some errant throws. That’s when we’re at our best.”
Smart knows that all too well.
“They’re very disruptive,” Smart said. “They create turnovers. They are aggressive, they’ve got good players.
“They get after the quarterback. They disguise things well, they are very disruptive. There’s a lot of challenges when it comes to dropping back, throwing the ball, and trying to run the ball.”
Georgia’s two wins over Texas last season don’t resonate for Smart.
The Bulldogs’ 10th-year head coach pointed out this is a largely rebuilt Bulldogs team after 13 players from last year’s team were drafted, four others signed as free agents, and 20 left via the portal, including six players who had started games.
“This team didn’t beat Texas, and Texas hasn’t played this team of ours,” Smart said of the 2025 versions of the Bulldogs and Longhorns. “These are two completely different teams, in my opinion. I think it has zero effect on it.”
Sarkisian said the Longhorns are refreshed after the schedule allowed them a week off while Georgia was scheduled to play at Mississippi State.
“I will say the bye, like we thoght, came at a very good time from us from the standpoint of getting some guys healthy,” Sarkisian said. “We were pretty nicked up, and obviously, getting our guys fresh.”