Massive changes have come to college football, one of the most important of which is the expanded playoff. The playoff, which previously included only four teams, will now triple in size to 12 participants. While making a 12-team playoff may be easier for top teams like UGA, it will still require careful planning and strategy from both players and coaches to weather the accompanying stresses.

1 Roster Depth 

Despite the roster turmoil across the country caused by the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and transfer rules changes, Kirby Smart has managed to maintain his roster better than most programs. Smart’s ability to retain key players has ensured that Georgia’s roster remains deep and competitive. Depth is a vaccination against injuries, transfers, alien abduction or any occurrence that prevents players from taking the field.

2 Offensive line

 The Dawgs’ most significant advantage in 2024 is their offensive line. Quarterback is the most critical position on the field, but even the best skill players will spend the game staring up from the dirt without protection, and Georgia will field another of the country’s best lines in 2024. The most significant question mark is at center with the loss of Sedrick Van Pran to the NFL. However, redshirt junior Jared Wilson, who played in every game last season, is ready to step into the fray and fill this important role.

3 Georgia’s schedule

Holy moly, it is tough. Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas and Clemson (ATL) on the road, added to Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Tech in Athens, is a gauntlet requiring strong player leadership to weather.

4 Defensive front

This group will be a stalwart for Georgia in 2024. Christen Miller, Nazir Stackhouse, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Warren Brinson return to lead the group that includes sophomore talents like Damon Wilson, Gabe Harris and Jordan Hall.

5 Coaching staff

Championship contenders have staff turnover, and the Dawgs are no exception. Success on the field leads to advancement opportunities for assistant coaches as other teams attempt to find the secrets of Kirby’s success. For 2023, UGA will take the field with four new coaches. Josh Crawford takes over the running backs. James Coley, who previously served as Georgia’s offensive coordinator, returns to shepherd the wide receivers. Travaris Robinson, a highly respected coach, moves from Alabama to co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at UGA. And Donte Williams, a talented coach with a wealth of experience, joins from Southern Cal to lead the defensive backs. These new additions bring fresh perspectives and strategies to the team, and their contributions will be crucial to Georgia’s success in the upcoming season.

6 Recruiting success

 Recruiting success is about identifying and attracting the best talent, and it’s a key factor in the team’s performance. Kirby Smart’s college football philosophy is solidly grounded in recruiting, and talent acquisition is the most crucial variable if coaching is a relative constant. After all, coaches can only train and improve player performance to the limits of a player’s talent. Talent depth will be even more crucial as the 12-team playoff (following league championship games) grinds toward the championship game. Injuries happen, and depth overcomes them. Kirby’s ability to recruit top talent has been a major factor in the team’s success, and it will continue to be a key strategy for the team in the upcoming season.

7 Player leadership 

is a cornerstone of Georgia’s success. While top-down leadership is necessary in most organizations, the impact is more significant when those, being led from the top, grasp the opportunity to provide leadership at the peer level. Coach Smart’s insistence on developing leadership through training and allowing his players to share their vision of the program’s direction has been a game-changer.

8 A winning culture 

Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs don’t hope to win; they plan and train to win. Winning culture is a mindset that permeates every aspect of the team’s operations. It’s about setting high standards, working hard, and never accepting mediocrity. Losses will happen, but in a winning culture, losing is a learning experience, not a failure. Neither wins nor losses are accidents, and they belong to the team. Kirby’s culture put the team at the top, and players unwilling to buy in are welcome to look elsewhere: “I try to coach the same way. There are too many other players on your team that will spot that and see it. And they’ll say ‘wait, he’s creating a different culture for him whether it’s his NIL or he might jump in the portal or just leave.’ I’m kind of okay if they don’t buy into it and the culture and the environment we create. It’s like okay, if they don’t want to be here, I’d rather them go ahead and leave.”

9 A Proven Path 

This is the easy one; Georgia has been there and done that. A rich history of success and the experience of the coaching staff are key factors that contribute to the team’s confidence and potential for future championships. Additionally, Coach Smart had years of experience under Nick Saban before charting his course to championships at UGA. The expanded playoff changes nothing; the path to national championships is the same; there are just a couple of extra games before the trophy presentation.

10 Carson Beck

Having an experienced quarterback like Carson Beck will be a considerable advantage as the team slogs through the murderous schedule handed it by the SEC. Beck brings a wealth of experience and a calm, steady presence to the field. His experience and leadership will be invaluable, especially in the first half of the season when the team will be facing some of its toughest opponents with new faces sprinkled through the lineup. Freshmen and others with limited experience will be required to provide solid snaps early, and Beck’s mature presence will help them incorporate into the offense more quickly.

11 Kirby Smart

At its base, every point above is about Kirby Smart. The simple fact is that Smart has planted, tended and matured the nation’s top college football program at his alma mater. Saban is gone, Smart is ready to assume his mantle.

12 Dawg Fans 

Putting aside the fact that Kirby is a Georgia graduate, he chose Athens to begin his head coaching career for sound program-building reasons. Recruiting territory, program history, and other factors were indeed involved in his decision, but the large and growing fan base had to be at the top or very near. The dedication of Dawg fans is a testament to the team’s success. Years of frustration following the 1980 championship may have subdued the base, but signs of the fan awakening were evident even in Kirby’s first year. The road game in South Bend was a turning point. The Bulldog Nation’s takeover of Notre Dame Stadium changed the perception of Georgia’s program on national television. Since then, across the SEC and from LA to Indy to Miami, Georgia fans have laughed and cried with, but most importantly, been there for their Dawgs, strengthening the sense of belonging and pride that has been building for generations.