The Georgia Bulldogs won the first Southeastern Conference championship game in its current home of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, breaking free from Auburn 28-7 in 2017.
Most of Georgia’s appearances have not gone as well, however, as the Bulldogs are just 2-6 in their other eight early December trips to Atlanta. That includes losses to Alabama in 2018 and to LSU in 2019 that ended Georgia’s chances at a College Football Playoff bid, and it includes last year’s 41-24 loss to Alabama that served as the lone blemish for the Bulldogs in their national championship run.
Not that last year’s outcome is motivating Kirby Smart’s top-ranked Bulldogs (12-0) as they prepare for this weekend’s matchup with No. 11 LSU (9-3), the surprising Western Division winner that stumbled Saturday night 38-23 at Texas A&M.
“It’s the next game, and for us, it’s been all about the next one all year,” Smart said Sunday afternoon. “The great teams worry about the next one more than the last one.”
That’s not to say Smart is downplaying the reward in winning a conference crown that has proven to be somewhat elusive for the Bulldogs, especially compared to LSU, which has won five league championships this century. In fact, just mention the motivation angle of Georgia being in the CFP field for a second straight year regardless of Saturday’s outcome.