Kirby Smart says Georgia has 'a lot of things to fix' ahead of Alabama championship rematch

The Georgia Bulldogs handled the Michigan Wolverines seemingly with ease in the Orange Bowl, but coaches and players said after the 34-11 win that they know they'll have to bring their best to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“We’ve got a lot of things to fix,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of the looming matchup with Alabama, via the Associated Press. “We got to fix some of them over the break. They got about a five-, six-hour head start on us. We’ve got to get back and get to work for what is a really good football team.”

Hours before Georgia punched a ticket to the national championship by beating Michigan, Alabama bulldozed through the Cincinnati Bearcats, 27-6, in the Cotton Bowl.

Alabama and Georgia met in the SEC Championship in early December where the Crimson Tide rolled to a 41-24 win with 536 yards of total offense. It was an unusually rough night for a Bulldogs defense that allowed less than 10 points and 260 yards per game this season.

“We got a wake-up call from a really good team,” Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer said after that loss, via DawgNation. “If we get a chance in the playoffs, I think that wake-up call will help propel us forward. It’s all about how we respond at this point. To me, that’s the biggest thing.”

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, who finished with 313 passing yards and three touchdowns against Michigan, said that the Bulldogs are "good enough" to win the rematch. The CFP National Championship is set for 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 10.