Smart Backs Playoff Upsets, Misses SEC Title Game
Georgia coach Kirby Smart weighed in on the College Football Playoff expansion to 24 teams and the end of conference championship games.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Football
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said on The Paul Finebaum Show that he is excited about the expanded College Football Playoff's inclusion of teams outside the top 12 and expects upsets and Cinderella teams. He said he is not excited about the loss of the SEC Championship Game, which is going away along with all conference championship games.
Why it matters
The 2026 season is the last before the Playoff field grows from 12 to 24 teams, reshaping how national champions are determined. The end of conference title games removes a long-standing postseason event from the college football calendar.
The expanded Playoff field grows from 12 to 24 teams, a doubling of qualifying spots. The SEC Championship Game and all other conference title games are being eliminated, and the source does not say how the remaining schedule or bracket will be restructured.
The players
Kirby Smart
Kirby Smart is the head football coach at the University of Georgia and a prominent voice in Southeastern Conference football.
Jere Morehead
Jere Morehead is the president of the University of Georgia, and he has publicly opposed a 24-team College Football Playoff.
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is a major NCAA Division I athletic conference whose championship game is being eliminated.
The details
Smart said on The Paul Finebaum Show that he sees value in an expanded Playoff that allows more teams outside the top 12 to compete for a title. He also said the SEC Championship Game is one of the greatest sporting events in the country and that he is not happy to see it discontinued.
Timeline
The 2026 season is the last before the Playoff expands to 24 teams.
Georgia, ranked first, hosts No. 22 Mizzou on Saturday.
Roadmap
The 24-team Playoff continues the sequence of format expansions that began when the field moved from four to 12 teams. Eliminating conference championship games marks a further shift in how the postseason is structured across the sport.
Fans of SEC teams will no longer have a conference championship game to watch at season's end. Playoff-bound teams outside the top 12 gain a path to contend for a national title under the expanded format.
The takeaway
The expanded Playoff gives more teams a realistic shot at a national title, while the loss of conference title games changes how regular-season success is rewarded. Readers following the sport should watch how the 2026 season sets the tone for the new format.
Further reading
For more on the sport's postseason changes, see Football coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Saturday Down South.
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