Kirby Smart Breaks Down "Biggest Concern" in Facing Ohio State

Ohio State has plenty of weapons on offense. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was asked what his "biggest concern" was in trying to stop the Buckeyes.

Christian Goeckel | Dec 30, 2022

Kirby Smart and Ryan Day sat down with the media ahead of the College Football Playoff Semifinal matchup between No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State.

In the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Georgia will be facing one of the more elite offenses in college football. The Buckeyes average 492.7 yards per game and have scored 40+ points nine times this season.

Kirby Smart was asked if Ohio State is the best offense his team has faced in 2022.

“That's hard to answer that in terms of is it the best that we faced to date because we haven't faced them. When you look at them on tape, you certainly see the talent. It kind of oozes off the tape, especially the wideout, quarterback position. Two really good protectors. They've got talented players across the board.” responded Smart.

“A tight end, who I have a lot of respect for, I think is one of the best tight ends we've faced all year. They've got a guy that can distribute the ball and get it to them. So it's a very, very talented team.”

Smart was also asked what his biggest concern was with facing the Buckeyes.

“When you talk about concerns, it's a trite expression, but it's the same concerns every game we play. How are we going to play? What are we going to do in terms of execution, playing the ball in the air. There's going to be one-on-one matchups all over the field. You've got to win those one-on-one matchups.”

“When you're playing Ohio State, you've got to be disruptive. You've got to affect the quarterback some kind of way. Because, if you don't, he's very accurate. He's a very accurate passer who knows where he's going with the ball. When you give them free access with a quarterback like that, they can wear you out.”

“But most games come down to the same thing, turnovers, explosive, red area, third downs. That's what the greatest indicators are of winning.”

The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is set for an 8 p.m. EST kickoff on ESPN.

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