Bulldogs go home to train
Georgia drove back to Athens for practice
ATLANTA — With its campus a mere 75 miles away, Georgia officials made the unusual decision to travel from its team hotel in downtown Atlanta back to campus in Athens, Ga., in order to practice in familiar surroundings Saturday.
The Bulldogs are making their second trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season, the first being the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 2. Georgia coach
said the decision was made primarily because of proximity.
“It’s going to take us an hour and 10 to get over there. If we would have gone out to Flowery Branch, it would have been the same. The weather is cold. We’re going to play inside. You know, it gives Alabama an opportunity to use the Georgia Tech place, facilities, so we don’t have to share that one with them,” he said.
“It just works better for us. We think it gives us what we need, which is our facility, our rehab facilities, our meeting facilities, being familiar.” Georgia linebacker
believes the move will pay off with the players.
“I think it’s great being able to practice on your home field, home turf, and whatnot and being there with your teammates, own meeting room. I definitely think it’s pretty good and we’re excited to go back home and get some work in,” Smith added. to be in attendance for tonight’s national championship game.
The Atlanta Constitution’s
was the first to report the news.
“I have great respect for the office of the president of the United States, and it would be an honor, whoever was in that position, if they chose to come to see the college football national championship game,” Alabama coach
said. his Journal
Georgia’s wasn’t worried about who is in the stands.
“You know, that’s a political event, and to be honest with you, we’re focused on Alabama and the championship game and that’s not really of my concern,” Smart said.
Georgia All-American linebacker agreed with sentiment.
“That’s great and all to have the president come to the game. But I’m not coach’s focused on politics or anything like that,” he said.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, President Trump and First Lady
will attend the game as guests of Agriculture Secretary
and ,a Georgia native who is Vice President chief of staff.
Saban dismissed questions about a political future after the Crimson Tide coach earned 421 write-in votes during the state’s recent U.S. Senate election — a hotly contested race in which
defeated on Dec. 12. “Absolutely not,” Saban said when asked if he considered a future in politics. “I don’t know how I got the votes. I wasn’t really aware that I was getting votes. [I] don’t really care that I got any votes. But I do respect the process that we have in terms of electing officials and, hopefully, that process worked effectively in our state.”
Saban wasn’t the only sports figure to get writein votes. NBA great
and current Auburn coach
also made list. the
While politics may not be in his future, Saban once again addressed a question about whether college football needs an overall commissioner.
Saban said with Power 5 schools, Group of 5 schools and multiple other college football divisions, there are different priorities for each level of the competition.
“Whether there’s some individual that should be in charge of that or some organization should be in charge of that ... I do think it’s something that from a business standpoint probably should be addressed or looked at or researched or some decision made on it in the future,” he said.
At 66, Saban’s name has been mentioned as a possible candidate if college football leaders ever decided to create the commissioner position.
Alabama will be without right guard
for tonight’s game. Saban confirmed the move after Cotton suffered an apparent leg injury during the team’s Sugar Bowl victory over Clemson last week. He’ll join outside linebacker
who was declared out for the game after undergoing surgery on his knee.