Kirby Smart expects Georgia to be close to 'full strength' for Orange Bowl

COVID-19 outbreaks have continued to put a dent in college football's bowl season. Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart says his team is doing the right things so it will be near "full strength" for the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Michigan Wolverines at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Friday.

"We increased a lot of things around our building and our awareness of our players and understanding what's going on," Smart said Wednesday, via ESPN. "They've really adhered to the policies we've asked them to and been able to steer clear for the most part. We had a little bout the last couple of weeks when we lost some guys, but we got most of those guys back. The biggest thing is really being at full strength when you have to be, and that's what we're aiming toward."

Smart didn't disclose which players had gone onto the COVID list but did say the team offered booster shots to players on four different occasions after cases spiked across the country. (Michigan reportedly got boosted as a team before traveling this week.)

The coach also complimented the CFP organizers for going the extra mile to keep players safe in South Beach ahead of Friday's game.

"The players have been able to do the outings," Smart said of players on both teams being able to engage socially, such as having team dinners out, in a safe manner. "The CFP has made it very safe for them to do that. I think probably the worst thing you could do would be to have these kids come to a hotel and just be in the hotel for four days and not move and not do anything. They've made it safe for our players to function, and as a matter of fact, being outside probably helps them more than anything else as long as they're in a safe environment and not around crowds of people they don't know."

The Orange Bowl between No. 3 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan is slated for Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. EST.