AUSTIN, Texas — Call it trauma bonding or the type of camaraderie that can only come from shared excellence.
Every year, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart take a trip together, swapping stories about their time coaching for Nick Saban, the type of stories that Sarkisian isn’t willing to share publicly. Ask Saban now that he’s retired, Sarkisian says.
It’s a tempting proposition, that — juicy insight into the inner workings of the architect of college football’s greatest modern dynasty, the infamous hard ass about “the process.”
Now it’s Smart setting the standard in college football with seven SEC Championship game appearances and back-to-back national championships, a model of achievement that Sarkisian is seeking to emulate in Austin, understanding that the only path to a title is through the best.
Perhaps the bond comes in part from the differing sides from which both can talk ball — Smart with one of the best defensive minds in football and Sarkisian the master offensive strategist.
On Saturday, when the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs travel to Austin to face the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, the two programs present as mirror images built from Saban’s blueprint. Big humans in the trenches, speed at the skill positions offensively, length in the secondary.
Remarkably enough, it’s Sarkisian’s team that looks more complete, an opinion now benign enough that a professional hot takes artist like Colin Cowherd can address it directly and sincerely.
What’s at stake if Texas beats Georgia this weekend?
“There is a new sheriff in town in the SEC. Eye test, game test, Texas looks bigger and stronger and faster than Alabama and Georgia.” — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/xzqhdBvewA
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) October 17, 2024
The true headline matchup is between Smart’s defense and Sarkisian’s offense in the second meeting between the two coaches, the type of tactical battle that thrills football purists.
It just means more.
“You’ve got Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp, Glenn Schumann, all on the same defensive staff — those are probably three of the top defensive minds in college football. And then, they’re sound. What they do, they recruit really good players, they’re big and physical up front. They’ve got great length in the secondary. They always have very smart, heady safeties to communicate what they’re trying to do third down,” Sarkisian said on Monday.
“They give you a ton of exotic pressures and different fronts, and with all of that, they end up playing a lot of almost two-man coverage, so now you’re not only having to beat one guy to get open, you have to beat two, but that’s the scheming part and they do a heck of a job with that. So I think it’s a combination of they’ve got a great scheme and a great staff to go along with really talented players that play hard and they’re long and physical, so those two things combined can make it difficult.”
Where Sarkisian excels is in finding those small deficits to exploit, as he did in the lone previous matchup, a 41-24 win by No. 2 Alabama over No. 3 Georgia in Tuscaloosa in 2020 that saw Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones throw for 414 yards and four touchdowns in an aerial assault of the Bulldogs.
“I think on the flip side for us, it’s like I touched on earlier, always just trying to find somewhere where you can maybe exploit something that’s maybe not a strength, but they don’t really have too many weaknesses that way and so we just try to do our best to find some plays that can get us another first down and maybe get the ball in the end zone,” Sarkisian said.
Saturday’s blueprint may look similar to the 2020 matchup during which Alabama running back Najee Harris ground out 152 yards on 31 carries with a long run of 17 yards while the passing attack did most of the damage, averaging 17.4 yards per completion as DeVonta Smith recorded 11 catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns and Jaylen Waddle added six catches for 161 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown catch.
The Bulldogs are once again stout in the trenches, allowing just two runs of 30-plus yards and five runs of 20-plus yards this season, but have struggled some on the back end with Jalen Milroe throwing for 374 yards in Alabama’s win over UGA last month.
Left cornerback Daylan Everette is a weak link for Georgia, allowing 21 receptions on 24 targets for 287 yards, but right cornerback Julian Humphrey has also struggled to keep plays in front of him, giving up nine catches for 180 yards on average depth of target of over 20 yards.
Expect the Bulldogs to need those two-man coverages, then, hoping to keep Sarkisian from taking the top off the defense, which could force Sarkisian to work the perimeter in the screen and quick game to supplement the running game.
However it plays out, the acumen of Smart and Sarkisian ensures a must-watch game on Saturday in Austin.