Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart spoke with the media following Georgia’s epic 44-42 victory in eight overtimes against Georgia Tech.
College football overtime rules recently changed to force teams to do continuous two-point conversions following the second overtime period. In the old days, teams would start from the 25 yardline and be forced to do two-point attempts after touchdowns starting in the third overtime.
Essentially, the new rules turn the game into a battle of two-point conversions where any play is do-or-die. Each conversion could win, lose, or extend the game.
Smart had not experienced the new overtime rules as Georgia’s head coach until the Georgia Tech game.
“Well, if they played it out like it used to be, we might still be out there. That’s why they changed it,” Smart said after the game.
Georgia looked pretty exhausted after facing a grueling SEC schedule and 10 total Power Four opponents.
“And that was a long… when I look at it, we played 84 plays. We played 84 plays on our defense, and then our offense had 69, which that’s partly our own fault. But when you go to overtime, man, it could be really… I was part of that game. And the reason they changed that was because of that,” said Smart.
At a certain point, players do get worn down, but overtime games are rare and there has to be a better way for the game to be decided. Nonstop two-point conversions just don’t have the flow of a normal football game. Perhaps having offense start from a further distance would help shorten overtimes.
“I mean, we’ve got to play another game next week, so somebody’s sitting out there like, keep playing. Keep more snaps you play. We’re a beat-up football team, guys. We are a beat up,” Smart continued. Georgia won’t have long to lick its wounds. The Bulldogs play in the SEC championship game on Saturday.
“We need to get well, and it’s not going to happen this week. So we’ve got to keep getting better,” added Smart.
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Georgia desperately needs to win the SEC championship so the Dawgs can get a bye in the first-round of the College Football Playoff.