Kirby Smart is the man to beat for SEC coach of the year.
He stewards the No. 1 team in the nation, and Georgia’s defense stacks up as college football’s best since Alabama’s 2011 unit fueled a national championship season.
Plus, Smart is helped by the fact that, while Georgia entered the season with high expectations, it was not picked to win the SEC, and it opened No. 5 in the preseason polls. Exceeding expectations is always a useful card when vying for coach-of-the-year honors.
But if Smart’s Bulldogs (7-0, 5-0) stumble before the College Football Playoff, or if voters are just desperate for a plucky underdog story, other candidates would come into play.