Smart plan: How Georgia unlocked a college football goliath

By RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia football has made a transformation over the last seven years. The school was no longer satisfied with being an occasional national championship contender and futilely chasing Alabama in the Southeastern Conference. School officials decided to go all-in in a way Georgia had never done before. It wasn’t just about hiring a new coach. Though Georgia alumnus Kirby Smart, a former Nick Saban assistant at Alabama, was the perfect person for the job. With Smart came a plan to unlock a potential juggernaut and a change in philosophy by the school.