Familiarity Does Not Equate to Success in College Football

Ever since the day that former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart took the head coaching job at his alma mater, the University of Georgia, the narrative started to build that his increased familiarity could be enough to help Georgia topple Saban and the Tide.

As Georgia fans' have learned over the last six seasons with Smart at the helm, familiarity does not equate to success in College Football. Look no further than the (1-5) record Smart carries against his former boss.

Smart spent over a decade under the tutelage of the legendary Nick Saban. By the time he decided to leave the proverbial "nest" in Tuscaloosa, he seemed more prepared than any of Saban's past assistants to become a head coach. Yet, Saban always found a way to beat his former protégé.

The sense of an increased familiarity between Smart and Saban provided a false narrative that Georgia should've been at the level of Alabama through his first four seasons and should be beating the Tide. After all, as many pointed out, Smart should know enough about Alabama. The same narrative saw a vocal minority voice frustration over the years as Georgia continued to fall short under Smart.

The same narrative is already building this offseason with former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning now the head coach at Oregon. Lanning's Ducks will face Georgia in the 2022 season opener in Atlanta, and many are already starting to hype up the matchup. Some have even predicted the Ducks to upset Georgia due to that "familiarity."

This fall, Lanning will join Eugene with former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix after the former Tiger quarterback transferred to the Ducks this offseason. Nix has faced Georgia on three occasions so far throughout his career and was unable to beat the Bulldogs while at Auburn.

Prediction:

Someone is gonna do that thing again with Bo Nix come September. pic.twitter.com/h8LdKNUsfX
— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) March 30, 2022

Nix's arrival in Eugene is already gathering hype. Many are pointing to his prior past facing Georgia as another for Oregon's potential upset over the Bulldogs in Atlanta this fall.

As we've pointed out multiple times already, despite the hype and many in the media trying to build the narrative, familiarity does not equate to success in College Football.

You Might Also Like:

Join the community

Follow Brooks Austin on Twitter: @BrooksAustinSI

Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @BulldogsSI.

Add us as a preferred source on Google