Kirby Smart Reveals Three Things That Separate the Top College Football Teams

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric Nacach | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 1:35 PM ET

SEC Media Days 2025 are marking the first time fans and media will hear directly from teams since the conclusion of last season. The week-long event sets the stage for the upcoming college football year, as coaches and players share insight on expectations, rosters and key matchups.

Georgia Bulldogs football coach Kirby Smart took the podium on Tuesday morning, kicking off a packed schedule headlined by appearances from Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and Texas – programs all expected to play significant roles within the conference.

Smart spoke about last season's success and shortcomings, while looking forward to the demanding season ahead and highlighting some of the challenging SEC play.

Meanwhile, during his media day segment, Smart revealed the three key differentiators that his young locker room employs to ensure a successful season.

"But 54 percent of our players are coming into their first or second year. What do you get with that? You get youthful exuberance. We've had practices that have been spirited. We had a great spring practice that we talked about the words fire, passion and energy," said Smart.

"I think the biggest thing that separates college football teams today is complacency among players versus fire, passion and energy among players. So we've tried to highlight those traits as much as possible with our players. Our players need to bring juice and energy each and every day. If they don't, they'll be confronted by the players that do. And if the players continue to do that, we'll have a successful season and a successful football team."

The SEC is widely regarded as the strongest conference in college football, especially after the addition of Texas and Oklahoma last season. Georgia now looks towards a highly contested season where they'll need to channel fire, passion and energy to find success.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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