Georgia's Smart was honest about performance against Ohio State

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart looks on during warmups before the 2022 Peach Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia HC Kirby Smart was brutally honest about team's performance in comeback win against Ohio State

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 1/1/23

The No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs escaped the College Football Playoffs semifinal on Saturday night with a last-minute touchdown to advance past No. 4 Ohio State, 42-41.

After overcoming a 14-point first-half deficit and eventually overtaking the Buckeyes late in the fourth, Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart gave his brutally honest opinion on his team's performance.

Smart said on the sidelines following Georgia's win, "Ohio State probably deserved to win this game."

"Ohio State probably deserved to win the game" -Kirby Smartpic.twitter.com/j6naNge51A
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) January 1, 2023

With Georgia trailing 41-35 with 5:58 to go, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett led a five-play, 72-yard drive, capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell.

The extra point gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead with 54 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Still, the Bulldogs needed Ohio State kicker Noah Ruggles to pull a 50-yard field goal wide left with three seconds left to secure the victory.

After pulling victory away from the jaws of defeat, Smart had some more motivation for his team heading into the title game against TCU, who shocked Michigan earlier in the day.

"I don't know that we're ready for TCU right now. Based on what I just saw, we have a lot of work to do," Smart said. "I don't know enough about TCU. I know I respect their coach and their program, and they did a tremendous job today. But, we gotta play better."

More must-reads: