AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs walks the field prior to facing the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The college football landscape thrives on rivalries, rivalries fueled by history, and rivalries sparked by bravado. Recently, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart stirred the pot with a pointed comment directed at Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. “You don’t spend a lifetime celebrating victory over a so-called SEC ‘powerhouse,'” Smart quipped, referencing Notre Dame’s recent upset win against an SEC opponent.
Smart’s words were a direct jab, not just at Freeman, but at the larger narrative surrounding Notre Dame’s pursuit of relevance in college football’s top tier. While Notre Dame’s victory was celebrated as a marquee moment for the program, Smart implied that it was a short-lived triumph, insufficient to crown the Fighting Irish as equals to perennial SEC juggernauts like Georgia and Alabama.
The timing of Smart’s remarks is noteworthy. His Georgia Bulldogs, winners of back-to-back national championships, have established themselves as the standard-bearers of dominance in the sport. For him, any SEC team that falters against an outsider is not a true reflection of the conference’s strength. “Beating one SEC team doesn’t put you in the same conversation as beating the best,” Smart added, underlining the gauntlet his team faces annually.
Marcus Freeman, in his second year at Notre Dame, has worked tirelessly to rebuild the Fighting Irish into a competitive force. While the win against an SEC opponent was significant for the program, Smart’s comments seem designed to remind Freeman—and everyone else—of the difference between a breakthrough and sustained excellence.
Freeman has yet to respond publicly, but his team’s performance on the field might be the only retort he needs. The subtle challenge from Smart underscores the broader reality of college football: respect is earned over time, through consistency and championships.
As Notre Dame and Georgia navigate their respective paths, this budding war of words could set the stage for an on-field showdown in the future. Until then, Smart’s taunt lingers as a sharp reminder that in the SEC, dominance is measured by more than a single game.
