Through all the Lane Kiffin noise and offseason chaos, Ole Miss is still marching into the CFP semifinals. Meanwhile, the Caesars Superdome served as a tough loss for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, adding an extra sting to the defeat. Beyond the scoreboard, what really stuck with Smart was the lack of Bulldog red in the stands.

“There were probably more person in Ole Miss than ours,” said Smart in the post-game presser. “But it felt like you were in a road game, with their atmosphere, and they had momentum a lot.”

The announced attendance at the 2026 Sugar Bowl was 68,371 at the Superdome, which has a capacity of about 74,295. However, Smart felt that there had been an obvious difference, as the Bulldogs fans were fewer. 

While Smart is upset with fewer fans turning out, it’s worth noting that they actually did better than last year’s bowl game. Notre Dame’s 23-10 takedown of Georgia last year drew a crowd of 57,267. It was the smallest crowd for a Sugar Bowl playoff game or a BCS game held at the Superdome.

However, there were multiple reasons behind it. Initially scheduled for January 1, 2025, the game was postponed to the following day after a terrorist attack occurred in the nearby French Quarter. 

But can Smart be blamed for holding high expectations from the fans? No way. After all, the fans have shown some high standards. Back in 2024, Georgia turned Sanford Stadium into a weekly sellout factory. The Bulldogs set their all-time home attendance record, averaging 93,033 fans per game across six home dates in 2024.

At the same time, they extended their sellout streak to 77 straight games dating back to 2012, and talking about Smart’s faith from the crowd in the bowl game?

Back in December 2023, a 35-point second-quarter eruption flipped the 90th Capital One Orange Bowl into a rout. Smart’s squad demolished the Florida State Seminoles 63-3 before 63,324 fans at Hard Rock Stadium.

Only 55,211 showed up for the 2020 Sugar Bowl matchup between Georgia and the Baylor Bears, marking just the third time since 2013 that a crowd has been under 60,000. 

Beyond the iconic Pop-Tarts Bowl, bowl season is struggling to hold attention. Fans are tuning out lesser matchups as the expanded CFP hoards the heavyweights, while the transfer portal turns rosters into revolving doors with opt-outs everywhere.

However, Ole Miss fans proved Kiffin wrong. 

Ole Miss fans proved Lane Kiffin wrong amidst Kirby Smart’s upset

The former Ole Miss head coach has expressed his dissatisfaction with the attendance of fans on several occasions during his tenure with the Rebels squad. Back in 2021, before the Egg Bowl, Kiffin was doubtful about the turnout.

“I don’t know that,” Kiffin said. “I’m not really sure. We didn’t travel very well to our own game last week. Hopefully, we’ll travel to an away game better.”

Ole Miss dominated Middle Tennessee 52-3 in 2024 before 66,427 fans, yet the stands thinned out as the night went on. Plenty left early, missing Jaxson Dart, torching the record books with 24 straight completions, blowing past Matt Corral’s old mark of 19.

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Smart’s fans were asked to travel for the Sugar Bowl, with a CFP semifinal berth on the line. Ole Miss fans, meanwhile, had even more reason to pack the stands, rallying behind the program in the post-Kiffin era.

Kiffin was supposed to attend the Sugar Bowl, but canceled it at the last minute due to the hoopla surrounding ESPN. The former Ole Miss head coach wanted to be on the ESPN broadcast, which was disapproved. 

Despite a thinner Georgia turnout, Bulldogs fans were loud online, questioning Smart as the game swung. The Bulldogs led 21-12 at halftime, but Ole Miss stormed back to take a 34-24 lead. Gunner Stockton rallied late to tie it, but Georgia’s defense couldn’t hold. Trinidad Chambliss set up Lucas Carneiro’s game-winning field goal.

So, Kirby Smart’s next season will reveal if Georgia fans heed his call or if the exit door comes first.