ATHENS – Nolan Smith has never won a championship. Not in rec ball, not in high school and not at Georgia. That, he said, is what drives him.
So, when the Bulldogs lost to Alabama 41-24 on Dec. 4 in the SEC Championship game, Smith was crushed.
“Want the honest-to-God truth? I cried,” the junior outside linebacker from Savannah said Wednesday. “I’m 20 now. I’ve been playing football since I was 4, so for 16 years, and I haven’t won anything. Haven’t won a championship. I won a couple of bowl games, but anything big, any championship, I never won yet. And that’s one thing that keeps me going.”
Smith and the No. 3 Bulldogs get another chance Monday night in Indianapolis in a rematch with No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship game (8 p.m., ESPN).
For Georgia fans, it’s the 2017 season’s national championship game against Alabama that still haunts them. The Bulldogs were oh so close to winning it all in that 26-23 overtime loss, and Tyler Simmons was indeed onside.
But for Smith and 2021 Georgia players, it’s the SEC Championship game one month ago for which they want to atone. After a perfect regular season of domination, the Bulldogs felt like they didn’t give Alabama their best shot.
In turn, Georgia’s vaunted defense definitely got the Crimson Tide’s best shot. The Bulldogs were lit up for 536 yards and did not record a sack.
“We got hit pretty hard,” Smith said.
Pressuring and/or sacking the quarterback, lest we forget, is Smith’s primary job. To date, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Smith hasn’t exactly flourished at that task. He enters Monday night’s title game with 2.5 sacks on the season and 7.5 in his career.
That pales in comparison with the predictions for Smith coming out of high school. A 5-star prospect, he was rated the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit when he left IMG Academy.
But Smith has been exceptional at all other aspects of the game. He is particularly strong in the area of leading and motivating. That’s why he has been appointed a captain many times throughout the season. Smith has started all 14 games this season.
“Nolan is an emotional guy, but that’s one of his greatest strengths,” said defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, who is also Smith’s position coach. “He takes so much pride in what he does and cares so much. That’s one of the things that’s made us unique this year, how many guys on our defense and our team that care. And obviously you want people on your team that care.”
You also want your outside linebackers to get to the quarterback. With the exception of the Alabama game, that hasn’t been a problem for the Bulldogs.
After rallying to record four sacks in the Orange Bowl victory over Michigan, Georgia has 45 on the season, which ranks fifth nationally. Smith was credited with one of those. He also has seven quarterback pressures in the past two games.
But the Bulldogs also had 15 pressures against Bryce Young last month. Getting close wasn’t good enough then, and it won’t be this time.
“I think we’ve gotten up pretty well,” Smith said of what Georgia has worked on and accomplished since the last game. “Our guys didn’t sweat it from Day 1. Our guys said, ‘we know we need to get to work, and we know we have the opportunity of our lifetime.’ And now we’re here in the national championship game.
“Now it’s time to go finish the job.”
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