After a “disappointing” 8-5 season last year many Georgia fans were far from convinced that former Bulldog player Kirby Smart, brought over from uber-successful Alabama to remake the Bulldogs, was up to the task of bringing the program into the upper-echelon of the rugged Southeastern Conference.
Auburn’s Gus Malzahn was in much the same position, coming off a similarly disappointing 2016 with an 8-5 campaign. In fact, just a month ago, Tigers fans were hoping he was interested in what has now become an open Arkansas job.
Now, both fan bases seem to not only be taking a more quiet approach about the men running their football programs but also ecstatic as the two teams are poised to meet in Saturday’s SEC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m.
It is the the first trip to Atlanta for Auburn (10-2) since 2013, Malzahn’s first season on The Plains, when the Tigers beat Missouri 59-42. They lost 34-31 to Florida State in the BCS Championship game a month later.
For the Bulldogs (11-1) it is their first trip to Atlanta since 2012 when they lost a heartbreaking 32-28 decision to Alabama in perhaps the greatest SEC Championship game staged since its inception in 1992. Georgia’s last SEC title came in 2005 when it beat LSU 34-14.
The two coaches got the busy week started Sunday with back-to-back teleconferences in preparation for a rematch of the deep South's oldest rivalry -- for the first time in an SEC title game. Auburn lambasted the then-No. 1 Bulldogs 40-17 just over two weeks ago at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
However, both coaches downplayed what many fans are seeing as an opportunity for revenge for Georgia.
“Whether it (revenge) is or not, this is a big game for both teams,” Malzahn said. “Georgia is one of the most talented teams in the country and whether we had won that first one or not we know it’s going to be another challenge.”
Smart said they haven’t forgotten it but they also aren’t placing any extra stock in trying to avenge their only loss of the season.
“You don’t shake a memory like that, nor should you,” he said. “But, we’re not shaking that (first Auburn) game in (the players) faces, either. It’s really more about finding ways to teach and improve in the areas we didn’t play well.
“But we’ve also explained to them that (this game) is not larger than life. It’s just the next game. That’s the mentality we want them to have coming into it. It’s pretty simple.”
Both coaches also said that what happened in Jordan-Hare, stays in Jordan-Hare.
“This will not be about anything that came before. It’s about a chance to get a fresh start and erase what happened last time,” Smart said.
“Playing a team twice in four weeks is a big challenge because there isn’t a lot of time to adjust things, either way,” Malzahn said. “Our defense probably played its best game of the season in that first game so that will be a big challenge for us to be able to have that same kind of effort. Hopefully we can. Whatever happened in that game really doesn't matter this time around.”
In that first matchup, the Georgia offense easily had its worst game of the season being held to a season-low 230 total yards and just 46 yards rushing on 32 carries. Meanwhile, the Tigers piled up 488 yards of offense, including 237 on the ground, both season-highs allowed by the Bulldogs defense.
Auburn's outstanding junior running back Kerryon Johnson torched Georgia for 167 yards but left last week’s 26-14 win over Alabama in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and his status is uncertain for the SEC title game.
“He’s sore. We’re not sure if he’ll even be able to practice this week and that’s about all we know right now,” Malzahn said.
A lot is riding on this one, not just for the SEC title but for spots in the College Football Playoff, which takes the top four teams. Auburn was sixth and Georgia seventh in last week’s poll. But No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Miami both fell, which will leave some interesting choices for the committee coming down the stretch. One-loss teams Clemson, Oklahoma, and now the Crimson Tide, along with Georgia, as well as unbeaten Wisconsin, are each looking to either stay in or climb into the top four. Two-loss teams Notre Dame, Ohio State, and now Auburn, with a pair of wins over No. 1-ranked teams, are making late-season charges.
One big difference for the rematch is sure to be the venue. Georgia fans are expected to pack the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Bulldogs will not be playing in front of a full-on hostile crowd.
“That may be an issue for sure,” Malzahn said. “I’m expecting to see a lot of red.”
“Our fan base has a chance to really impact this game and we will need all the help we can get,” Smart said.
