Kirby Smart took a gut punch, but champions don’t forget how to win. Georgia’s heartbreaking 39-34 loss against Ole Miss might have put them out of the race, but Smart’s winning record still towers over the sport’s win record. With national title wins in 2021 and 2022 already in the bag, Georgia now adds another prized milestone to its legacy.

Georgia, with a 73-9 record this decade, is the winningest program of the 2020s. Additionally, they have won 89% of their games this decade, giving them the highest winning percentage of any program in a single decade since the 1970s.

Likewise, Alabama holds a 89.2% win record in the 2010s; then there’s Boise State with an 86.8% win record in the 2000s, Florida State with 89.0% wins in the 1990s, Nebraska with 83.7% wins in the 1980s, and Oklahoma with 87.7% wins in the 1970s.

Now, that dominance came in Kirby Smart’s era. Moving on from Mark Richt’s 145-51 record (.738 winning percentage) with two SEC titles in 15 seasons and no championship wins, Georgia took a risky bet on Smart in January 2016. He didn’t guarantee wins, but came in with SEC experience and worked under Nick Saban.

While head coach Vince Dooley remains the greatest coach in Georgia, even Smart stands on the brink of greatness. Dooley holds a 201-77-10 record, six SEC titles, and a national championship over 25 years. On the other hand, Smart owns two titles and a 113-20 record (.850 winning percentage).

Since Georgia’s first season in 1892, they have recorded 898 wins with four national titles and 17 conference titles. Kirby Smart has coached the Bulldogs to 117 victories. In just over nine seasons, Smart is responsible for a remarkable 14% of the program’s all-time victories since its inception in 1892.

Georgia even made history by setting the longest winning streak in SEC history with 29 straight wins under Kirby Smart from 2021 to 2023. During the 29-game streak, the Bulldogs defeated 18 SEC opponents, including five wins over top-5 teams and six wins over top-10 teams.

They also dominated other teams in margins of victory, averaging a 25-point margin of victory, including 19 points per game in 2021, 26.8 points in 2022, and 23.8 points in 2023. Even in terms of long-term coaching stints, Smart remains on top of the mountain.

Only Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, in his 13th season with the Wildcats, had a longer tenure in the SEC after Nick Saban’s retirement. But now, after Stoops’ firing, there’s no other SEC coach as successful as Kirby Smart.

But with NIL and the transfer portal affecting teams, recruiting battles and distractions affected Georgia’s games. Yet, they tried adapting their leadership style, shifting from a hands-on approach to a CEO-style approach in roster management.

“In my first few years, I tried to do everything and be involved in everything and know every decision,” Smart said. “I probably handcuffed staff members from doing their own job.”

While Georgia’s record-setting dominance is now in the history books, Kirby Smart is already retooling for the future, and the 2026 season may see a return to an old-school identity.

Kirby Smart’s 2026 season looks old school

Although the Bulldogs have increasingly focused on the passing game in recent years, their core strength has consistently been their explosive running attack.

Their QBs, like Stetson Bennett, Carson Beck, and now Gunner Stockton, have leaned more towards the passing game. But in 2025, Georgia recorded more rushing attempts than in any season since 2022. This shows that they can benefit from old-school dynamics.

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What makes this move even more evident is Georgia’s depleted receiver room. Kirby Smart has lost four of their top six pass catchers: Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, Noah Thomas, and Dillon Bell to the NFL draft. Now, even if they add key playmakers to the team, it will take time to develop chemistry with Stockton.

This is balanced by the fact that Georgia expects the return of all four of its top rushers from the 2025 season: Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens, Dwight Phillips Jr., and QB Gunner Stockton. With them, even Bo Walker is returning to take on a larger role. So, the running back room appears to be stable. Plus, the best part is they already understand OC Mike Bobo’s system.

They averaged 182.1 rushing yards per game in the 2025 season and scored 31 rushing touchdowns. So, betting on that success can be a perfect option for Kirby Smart and the team. They are also bringing key transfer players onto the team, like Michigan’s RB Bryson Kuzdzal, who has lined up a visit with the Bulldogs.

With a depleted receiver room and a stable of proven rushers, a ground-and-pound attack isn’t just an option for 2026; it may be a necessity for Georgia to reclaim its spot atop the college football world.