Kirby Smart says Georgia is mentally prepared for three-peat: 'There's no complacency here'

It has been almost 90 years since a Division I college football team has won three national championships in a row. Minnesota earned that honor in 1934, 1935 and 1936 and now Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs are attempting to do the same.

If they can't do it, there's a strong chance Minnesota's mark will stand untested for 100 years or more, but Smart seems fairly confident that his squad has the right stuff to accomplish the task. 

Georgia has beaten its first four opponents to the tune of 166-45, but more than talent, Smart seems to think this iteration of the UGA Bulldogs has the right mindset to go after the three-peat.

"I think the focus level each week has been good," Smart said, per ESPN. "The results always haven't. But the preparation is what's more important to me. Like I actually put a lot of value on Monday to Friday — mental makeup, disposition, practice habits, improvement. You know, we've repeatedly said we want to be elite at getting better, and I've really been pleased with the progress that we've made.

"So that makes me feel comfortable that there's no complacency there."

In a sense, it has to be hard to find complacency at Georgia because of the sheer amount of talent from last season's championship squad that walked out the door to the NFL. All of 10 players were lost to the NFL, including quarterback Stetson Bennett, who led both of the Bulldogs' championship runs.

That's just life at the top of the SEC, though, and Smart at the very least knows that the players he loses will be replaced by equal or better talent thanks to his and his staff's abilities on the recruiting trail.

In fact, his system is so good right now that the head coach for next week's opponent, Auburn's Hugh Freeze, basically gushed about the job Smart has done with the Bulldogs.

"They are one of the gold standards in college football right now," Freeze said. "They are recruiting a top-three class every single year. That is hard to compete with, and they are well coached. You have to give them credit. I know it's a rivalry game, but the truth is the truth. He has built a dang good football program there."