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Kirby Smart discusses Georgia’s preparation for facing deep WR room of Ohio State
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Kirby Smart has coached some elite defenses throughout his career, including the last two seasons as the head coach at Georgia. In this year’s College Football Playoff, Smart knows the defense of the Bulldogs faces a unique test.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Smart previewed Georgia’s Peach Bowl matchup against Ohio State. Although the Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed in the country, Ohio State does have the firepower needed to make things interesting in Atlanta.
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While the Ohio State passing attack has flowed through Marvin Harrison Jr. this season, Smart knows that wide receiver room is deeper than just one guy. Even without Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Bulldogs will have to account for the likes of Emeka Egbuka and Julin Fleming, along with the contributions of tight end Cade Stover.
Add CJ Stroud’s ability to put the ball anywhere down the field and it is a potent attack that Smart is trying to prepare for:
“All of those guys are talented — not just (Marvin Harrison Jr.) — across the board,” said Smart. “(They are) very talented. Probably one of the most talented we have faced. Combine it with the talent of the quarterback and — he really has the ability to get the ball to (Harrison Jr.) at all parts of the field. Vertically, horizontally, side-to-side. Historically, Ohio State has always had great wideouts. When you go and play Ohio State, you know you are going to face really good wideouts. When you look across the NFL, you see a lot of good wideouts and the difference they have on their roster right now.”
Smart also struggled to find a comparison for the Buckeyes while labeling Ryan Day’s offense as “different than anyone we’ve faced.” We’ll see if Ohio State’s style is able to stress the Bulldogs in the Playoff.
(H/T 247Sports)
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.