Saturday’s trip to Alabama is bringing out the kind of attention Kirby Smart seems to crave - and, according to Kirk Herbstreit, the Georgia coach and his team feel like they’ve been overlooked despite sitting at No. 2 in the country.
Herbstreit said on The Pat McAfee Show that Smart is carrying that edge into the Week 6 showdown, and he expects Georgia to arrive with plenty of bite.
“He’s got a chip on his shoulder every second of the day. He’s No. 2 in the country and he feels disrespected, and he’s going to have a pissed off football team,” Herbstreit said on The Pat McAfee Show.
"Here comes Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs with a chip on their shoulder..Nobody is really talking about them and this is their opportunity to show everybody who they are..You could argue that these are two of the best teams in the country" ~ @KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/RVkkjrEX3N
“There’s no way around it. They’re going to come in mad at the world and they feel slighted.
No one’s really talking about them even though they’re No. 2 in the country. A lot of it has to do with who they played, and this is their opportunity to show America on a massive stage who they are and what they’re about.”
Georgia’s résumé hasn’t exactly been loaded with heavyweight names, but the Bulldogs have taken care of business in SEC play. They’re 3-0 after wins over Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt, and they enter the game as the only team in college football averaging more than 50 points per game.
That offense is about to get a real test. Alabama brings in a defense that ranks in the top 10 nationally against the run and is allowing just 2.5 yards per carry, a number that could matter with Chauncey Bowens unavailable for Georgia.
Even so, the Bulldogs still have Gunner Stockton, and Herbstreit made it clear he sees the quarterback as much more than a stats line. Stockton has plenty of experience running the show, and Georgia’s offense has been humming at nearly 10 yards per play while completing over 71 percent of its throws.
“We always look at these quarterbacks, who’s a first rounder and whatever. Gunner Stockton is a football player. Gunner Stockton is just a guy that’s very experienced,” Herbstreit said of the Bulldogs’ quarterback.
“He’ll throw it. He’ll run it.
He’ll lower his shoulder. It’s hard not to fall in love with that dude and the way he played.
So, game on. Whether it’s rain or wind or whatever.
Good against good. You can argue two of the best teams, maybe the two best teams in the country going head to head in Tuscaloosa.
I can’t wait.”
In Other News...
Alabama Georgia Showdown Just Got Another Twist Fans Will Notice
ESPNs College GameDay is headed to Alabama for the upcoming Georgia-Alabama matchup, adding another layer to a game that already had the feel of a major early-season measuring stick. The setting only raises the stakes for a meeting that will have plenty of national attention, and now a familiar name from Alabamas recent past is joining the pregame spotlight.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the former Crimson Tide Heisman winner, said he will serve as the celebrity picker on the show, giving Alabama fans one more reason to tune in before kickoff. The game also carries a weather watch, with Hurricane Isaias potentially threatening the schedule or creating difficult conditions, while Georgia will be without Chauncy Bowen and Alabama will lean on Daniel Hill, who leads the team in rushing yards. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama-Georgia Could Swing On One Quarterback Clash
Georgia arrives with the edge of experience at quarterback, and that alone gives Saturdays matchup a familiar feel for a game that tends to turn on poise as much as playmaking. Gunner Stockton has already been through the pressure of the SEC Championship stage and came away with the MVP hardware, giving the Bulldogs a steady hand in big moments and a baseline of confidence Alabama will have to account for.
On the other sideline, Keelon Russell brings a different kind of threat, the sort of flashy talent that can change the scoring rhythm of a game in a hurry. For Alabama, the question is not simply whether Russell can make plays, but whether his style can tilt the matchup enough to offset Stocktons experience and help decide which team controls the evening. [Read more 🡒]
Herbstreit Sees A Different Alabama Team Ahead Of Georgia Showdown
Kalen DeBoers first Alabama team has already given observers enough reason to believe the program is starting to look different from the one Nick Saban left behind. Kirk Herbstreit recently pointed to a group that appears healthier, more balanced and more comfortable in its own skin, noting how the Tide have opened the 2026 season 5-0 while building toward a marquee matchup with Georgia.
Herbstreit also framed the early progress as more than just a hot start, crediting DeBoer for sticking with his own coaching identity even with the pressure that comes with the job. The bigger question now is whether Alabamas improved health and steadier play in the trenches can hold up when the competition level jumps again, because Georgia will offer a far stiffer test than anything the Tide have faced so far. [Read more 🡒]