College football is seeing an unprecedented level of parity across the sport, including in the SEC. Georgia coach Kirby Smart admitted the conference feels different in 2026.
The No. 3 Bulldogs dominated Florida 27-8 on Saturday, Oct. 31, in Atlanta, responding with a huge win after being upset by unranked Auburn in their last outing. Georgia was the conference's last unbeaten team, with each SEC team having at least one loss.
Smart said after the game he and other coaches across the conference have speculated on what's happening across the league this season. He mentioned the SEC's decision to go to 105 scholarships and the current age of revenue sharing as two potential reasons, both of which he said are limiting depth of rosters.
"It does seem
different," Smart said in his postgame news conference. "I've asked several coaches about it and we all have speculation — I don't wanna get judgment on what it is. Everybody's practicing less, but everybody's getting injured more. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up. ... I do think there was a big decision made when they did to the rosters too. We debated with a lot of higher-up people to come to the roster limitations we came to.
"It's going to be interesting as this thing comes down the stretch because I think people's depth is going to show up. People have to make a choice on how you want to practice. Do you want to practice at all or do you want to save everybody. It'll be interesting.
"I don't know that the players are any different. I think about the teams we had in (2021 and 2022), how physical they were, how they practiced. We can't even get close to that now. Is it different culture? Do guys not want to as much? I don't know. They were definitely hungrier because there was a motivation to make it. A lot of these guys, honestly, they make more than I made until I was 40. It's just a different day-and-age."
Kirby Smart asked about SEC carnage this season
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 1, 2026
"Everybody is practicing less, but everyone is getting injured more, it doesn't make sense."
"(Players) were definitely hungrier (in the past)."
"A lot of these guys, honestly, make more than I made until I was 40." pic.twitter.com/RbGlDciwgM
There are only three undefeated teams left in college football — No. 1 Miami, No. 5 Utah and No. 7 UCLA, none of which have played a team currently ranked in the top 18 of the US LBM Coaches Poll.
College football is certainly shifting, at least in 2026, so far. It'll be wait-and-see if Smart's theory about injuries haunting rosters down the stretch.
Georgia might have the best team in college football this season, too, and it's certainly telling Smart said this year's team is lightyears behind his national championship teams from 2021 and 2022.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kirby Smart says players were 'definitely hungrier' before new college football era
