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Kirby Smart Is Changing August. Is Georgia Trying to Solve Its December Problem?

By: Greg Poole

For most of Kirby Smart’s time in Athens, Georgia’s approach in August has been pretty simple: make practice tough enough that Saturdays feel like a break.

Georgia’s built its championship run on physical practices, constant competition, and the idea that toughness is something you can build, not just find. Comfort has never been high on Smart’s list.

That part hasn’t changed. The way Georgia is going about it, though, looks a little different now.

This August, Georgia has made a point to tweak its camp workload. Some practices are shorter, and there’s more attention on how many reps the veterans are getting. The plan is pretty straightforward: get the younger guys more work, keep the regulars sharp, and hopefully have more of the roster feeling good when the games really start to matter.

It might sound like standard load management, but it starts to look different when you think about what’s happened at the end of Georgia’s seasons.

Georgia hasn’t won a College Football Playoff game since the win over TCU for the 2022 title. That doesn’t mean the postseason issues are all about practicing too hard in August. It would be nice if it were that simple.

Still, it’s worth paying attention to the change, because college football itself is changing around Georgia. With the playoff expanding, teams chasing a title need even more endurance. You can get through the SEC, play for the conference, and still have a few more weeks of high-stress football before it’s over.

December isn’t the finish line anymore. For the teams Georgia wants to measure itself against, it’s almost like the start of a new season. That changes how you have to think about the whole season.

Smart’s teams have always tried to build their physical edge well before the first game. Practices are tough because the games will be, too. If a player can’t handle being tired or under pressure, Georgia wants to find that out before someone else does. That approach is a big part of what made Georgia what it is.

Now the question is whether Smart can keep that edge without burning out his team before the season really gets going.

There’s a difference between just practicing less and actually making better use of the work. Cutting back on reps for veterans gives younger players a shot, and a shorter practice isn’t always easier if the pace picks up. Sometimes, recovery is just another part of getting ready, not a break from it.

That seems to be the balance Georgia is looking for right now.

There’s some risk here. Georgia’s edge has always come from tough practices. If managing the workload ever turns into just avoiding hard work, that edge goes away. Toughness isn’t something you can just assume is there because last year’s team had it.

Nothing about Smart suggests he’s taking that for granted. Instead, it looks like Smart is just figuring out where the hard work pays off the most.

For years, Georgia made August tough, so Saturdays would be easier.

Now, with the expanded playoff, Smart might be asking a new question: How much do you spend in August to make sure there’s still something left when the games that matter most show up in December and January?

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