ATHENS — Distractions? What distractions?
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart reiterated on Tuesday night that his No. 4-ranked Bulldogs (10-1) remain self-motivated, and they are paying no mind to outside noise and critics.
“We have no consideration of anything outside of here, we really don’t,” Smart said, asked about some of the criticisms about his team, even as they’ve rolled to a third straight SEC East Division title and SEC Championship Game appearance.
RELATED: Kirby Smart wants defense to ‘stomp on other people’s throats’
“We don’t have any control over it. The thought of those things never even crossed my mind, because I don’t look at them as punches. I don’t look at them as jabs, because I don’t really listen to them.”
Georgia plays at Georgia Tech (3-8) at noon on Saturday looking to gain more momentum headed toward its Dec. 7 showdown against No. 2 LSU in the SEC Championship Game.
RELATED: Georgia stays at No. 4 in updated CFP Rankings
Some have suggested the Bulldogs don’t have enough offense to contend for the national championship, pointing the finger at Smart for creating a conservative offensive framework.
Smart said neither he, nor his players, pay the criticism any mind.
“It’s not motivation for me — if I need that for motivation, than I’m not going to go where we need to go,” Smart said. “Our players are intrinsically motivated. You have to motivate because you want to be great. You motivate because you want to be better. It’s not about what people are saying or criticizing.”
Smart said earlier this season he’s familiar with Twitter and expects and understands there will be criticism there.
“They have a right to do that (criticize) and I understand it, we’re critical of ourselves,” Smart said. “We have a lot that we need to improve on and some of the things they’re saying, they’re dead on.
“But it doesn’t motivate us, it’s just things we have to get better at.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart
DawgNation Georgia football stories
Georgia football seniors award finalists, juniors left off
Grading the Bulldogs’ 19-13 win over Texas A&M
Georgia QB Jake Fromm explains issues in rain
Injury update on Georgia players Eric Stokes, Lawrence Cager
WATCH Kirby Smart frustrated by inability to put teams away
How Georgia beat Texas A&M 19-13, scoring, key plays and highlights
Game Ball: D’Andre Swift carries Georgia offense throughout, and in clutch
Georgia football stock report: Bulldogs bullish on defense in win over A&M