Kirby Smart Had 'College GameDay' Set Roaring by Mistaking Indiana for Purdue

Georgia's coach got his signals crossed on a seismic day for the Hoosier State.

Kirby Smart after No. 5 Georgia's 22–19 overtime win over No. 2 Texas in the SEC championship on Dec. 7, 2024. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The state of Indiana was on the mind of college football fans everywhere Friday, as the sport prepared for a seismic first-round College Football Playoff showdown between No. 9 Indiana and No. 3 Notre Dame.

However, Georgia coach Kirby Smart—whose Bulldogs team awaits the winner in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day—may have been thinking too much about the state. On College GameDay, he confused the Hoosiers with a team about as far away from the CFP as you can get.

"We took Notre Dame and Purdue—I'm sorry, Notre Dame and Indiana—and we worked on both those teams," Smart said. "We worked a day on each. I'm looking forward to this matchup, because both teams are very different."

As Smart finished his spiel, College GameDay's panelists cracked up.

Kirby Smart with the slip of the tongue saying Georgia is preparing for Notre Dame and Purdue and the @CollegeGameDay set loses it. 😂😂

Boy oh boy Barry Odom you’ve got your work cut out for you, turning around the dumpster fire punch line that is Purdue football. pic.twitter.com/0gQ1nh7wss

— Nick Yeoman (@NYeoman) December 20, 2024

"I don't know how much you've seen of Purdue, but if it were Purdue, you wouldn't have to practice," ESPN's Rece Davis quipped.

As former West Virginia kicker Pat McAfee promptly noted, the Hoosiers crushed the Boilermakers 66–0 on Nov. 30—the largest win for either team in the rivalry since 1892.

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