After Nick Saban’s retirement, Kirby Smart’s fellow coaches showered him with praise, viewing it as either respect or an extra burden on Georgia’s coach. Regardless, they all agreed that Smart was next in line to command college football now that Saban was out of the picture.

Saban was the only coach Smart consistently struggled against.

With the legendary coach now retired, who could stand in the way of Smart’s team rolling ahead?

“I think Kirby Smart threw quite a celebration when (Saban) retired. That’s just my take,” Mississippi’s coach Lane Kiffin remarked in June.

Brian Kelly added his voice in endorsing Smart as the new top coach.

“I believe the crown has been passed to him,” said LSU’s coach before the season kicked off.

The pressure that comes with the title can be heavy.

Despite being preseason favorites, Georgia appeared shaky in the first half of the season.

While Smart bears the weight of expectations, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian enjoyed a corndog on Saturday, relaxed after his Longhorns crushed Oklahoma, 34-3.

Now, it’s time for Texas to face off against the Dawgs.

No. 1 Texas is set to host No. 4 Georgia this Saturday.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge,” Sarkisian acknowledged about facing Georgia.

No disagreement here, yet the Longhorns are touted as favorites.

In a three-year stretch from 2021 to 2023, no coach stood out more than Smart, and with both Saban and Jim Harbaugh stepping away after last season, Smart’s rise to the top began. Meanwhile, Sarkisian’s team steadily evolved into a formidable competitor in the landscape. The Longhorns progressed quietly – or as quietly as anything can in Texas.

Smart propelled Georgia to the national championship game in his second year as head coach.

Sarkisian steadily led the Longhorns on their ascent to the pinnacle.

2021: 5-7.

2022: 8-5.

2023: 12-2, participated in the College Football Playoff.

2024: 6-0, currently holding the No. 1 spot.

Upon taking the Texas job after two seasons learning under Saban, Sarkisian asked himself how Texas could evolve to compete with powerhouse teams like Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Notre Dame.

“Those were the (five) teams consistently appearing in the College Football Playoff,” Sarkisian remarked. “What kind of team do we need to be to compete with them?”

Sarkisian devised a two-fold approach. He aimed to bolster Texas at the line of scrimmage, making the Longhorns larger and sturdier while simultaneously enhancing their speed at receiver.

Upon learning in 2021 that Texas would join the SEC three years later, Sarkisian didn’t need to adjust his plan since a strong offensive line and fast wide receivers are key to success in the SEC as well.

He used transfers effectively to add talented wide receivers before this season while also developing the SEC’s top offensive line, which even Smart admires.

“The (Longhorns’) offensive and defensive lines are both large and incredibly physical,” Smart acknowledged. “You rarely encounter a combination of offensive and defensive lines with such depth.”

Smart earned the top spot, but maintaining that position can be just as challenging as achieving it.

Here are some additional observations I have regarding the college football landscape:

Is the future of the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry at risk?

Alabama and Tennessee are set to clash in their traditional rivalry game on the third Saturday in October, which has seen a resurgence after Tennessee’s revival under coach Josh Heupel. The Vols’ shocking 2022 win to break their 15-game losing streak against Alabama remains a highlight of the decade in college football.

As Heupel stated on Monday, Nick Saban’s retirement shouldn’t diminish this rivalry.

“This rivalry has existed long before either Nick Saban or I was a part of it,” Heupel pointed out. “The significance of this rivalry lies in its history.”

Will the SEC overlook its historical significance?

This game is uncertain beyond next season. The SEC hasn’t finalized its schedule format for 2026 and beyond.

While rivalries like the Iron Bowl and the Egg Bowl will endure, lesser rivalries like Alabama-Tennessee and LSU-Ole Miss’ Magnolia Bowl, which featured an unforgettable game last week, could be at risk unless the SEC opts to increase from eight to nine conference games in 2026.

Adding a ninth conference game would allow the SEC to assign three yearly rivals for each team while rotating the other six opponents.

There’s a prevailing sentiment in the league that the SEC will move to nine conference games in 2026, but it might seek a financial incentive from media rights partner ESPN in return for the extra game and to preserve classic rivalries like Alabama-Tennessee.

Introducing an extra conference game would intensify the schedule. Would the College Football Playoff selection committee favor that? The SEC and Big Ten could collaborate

There could be changes to the playoff format if there’s dissatisfaction regarding the scheduling rewards.

It’s hard to believe that the SEC would allow Alabama-Tennessee to fall off the yearly calendar if push comes to shove.

Emails of the Week

My article discussing potential coaching candidates for Florida, in light of Billy Napier’s job status and the possibility of pursuing Lane Kiffin, garnered significant reactions. Here are some highlights:

Gary writes: I noticed you didn’t mention Dan Lanning from Oregon as a potential replacement for Napier.

My response: It would be unwise for Lanning to leave Oregon for Florida. With Phil Knight’s financial backing, he is well-supported at Oregon, both in salary and NIL opportunities.

Chip writes: You overlooked Kliff Kingsbury as a top candidate for replacing Napier if Kiffin declines. Many astute Gator fans prefer him if Lane isn’t available. He has excelled as Washington’s offensive coordinator, leading one of the best NFL offenses with a rookie quarterback. If no Kiffin, let’s go for Kliff!

My response: Kingsbury could potentially be a solid offensive coordinator for scheming plays specifically for Jayden Daniels, but he isn’t suitable for head coaching right now. He has a poor coaching record of 63-77 across his college and NFL tenures. The only scenario where his hiring would make sense is if he could bring Daniels along.

Three and Out

1. Did you hear this? Both Army and Navy are undefeated.

The playoff selection is slated to happen before the Army-Navy game on December 14. Technically, if either team wins the American Athletic Championship, they could gain the Group of Five playoff spot and later lose the Army-Navy match before appearing in the playoff.

Army’s coach Jeff Monken isn’t too worried about Navy at this point.

“Does that school still have a football team?” Monken joked when asked about Navy during an interview with ESPN.

Memphis knows they definitely do.

2. West Virginia’s head coach Neal Brown put his foot in his mouth after the Mountaineers’ home loss to Iowa State, leaving them at a 3-3 record.

Regardless of the outcome, Brown suggested fans should enjoy the atmosphere provided.

“I understand they want to win, but what I would emphasize is whether they had a good time,” he noted. “Did they enjoy themselves? The environment was pretty good. I figure they probably had a fun time tailgating.”

Sure, I’d bet the tailgate was enjoyable, but enjoying Busch Light in your garage while watching a disappointing home game is often just as good and cheaper.

3. Oregon’s Dan Lanning had an interesting strategy, sending 12 defenders onto the field in the closing moments of the Ducks’ 32-31 win over Ohio State, choosing to risk a 5-yard penalty to add an extra defender as time ticked away to block a big play. This clever tactic led the NCAA to revise its rules.

In a different scenario, Florida’s Billy Napier inadvertently fielded 12 players during a field goal attempt right before halftime in the Gators’ 23-17 overtime defeat against Tennessee. The Gators were penalized, losing yardage and time, which stopped them from attempting the field goal again.

The contrasts in coaching decisions are fascinating.