ATHENS, Ga. -- Kirby Smart held up his cellphone.
His players all have one, too.
They can keep up with the chatter like everyone else.
"These kids live and die by these things, man," Georgia's coach said Monday, shrugging his shoulders.
Yep, his players are fully aware.
Despite the ugliest loss of any national championship contender, the No. 4 Bulldogs head into late November with a clear path to the College Football Playoff.
"You don't control that," Smart said. "They're going to see it. They're going to hear it. What you try to emphasize is the facts. Here are the facts: If we block and tackle people, we're pretty good."
A little over a month ago, Georgia didn't look good at all.
The Bulldogs lost at home to 24½-point underdog South Carolina, a team that is 4-7 and most recently took a 30-6 loss at Texas A&M -- the team that Georgia hosts Saturday in its final game of the season at Sanford Stadium.
The South Carolina loss looked like it would derail championship aspirations, but the Bulldogs (9-1, 6-1) have bounced back with victories over Florida and Auburn to clinch the SEC East title for the third year in a row.
"I knew what we were capable of. I knew the South Carolina game was just a combination of us turning the ball over and not playing our best football," tight end Eli Wolf said. "I know when we play the way we're capable of, we can do just about anything."
The Bulldogs still claimed the division title. They climbed back into the top four of the CFP rankings last week, and they'll surely stay there when the new rankings come out today.
Essentially, Georgia is in the same position it's been the past two years after 10 games. If the Bulldogs can win their last two regular-season games, they'll play in the SEC title game -- most likely against top-ranked LSU -- for a spot in the four-team playoff.
In 2017, Georgia knocked off Auburn for the SEC title to earn its playoff berth, going on to beat Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl before squandering a 13-point lead to Alabama and losing the national title game in overtime.
Last season, the Bulldogs were again denied by the Crimson Tide, only it was in the SEC Championship Game. Squandering a pair of 14-point leads, they lost 35-28 and had to settle for a spot in the Sugar Bowl rather than a berth in the playoff.
Smart was asked to compare this year's team with his two previous squads.
"Every team is different," he said. "I think this team is getting better. I think the biggest thing, this team is going to be defined what it does going forward, not what it's done in the past."
If the Bulldogs can beat Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2) on Saturday, they will be a huge favorite in the regular-season finale against a two-win Georgia Tech team, which was blown out last weekend by Virginia Tech 45-0.
Then, it's on to face LSU, presuming the Tigers get through their final two regular-season games against Arkansas and Texas A&M without any slip-ups.
Sports on 11/19/2019