ATHENS — Kirby Smart was brought to Georgia in large part because it had been too long since the previous head coach won an SEC championship, and had never won a national championship. So has Smart been preaching about titles to his new players?

Not exactly.

“Every team in college football wants to win a championship. But winning a championship has never been stressed,” junior cornerback Aaron Davis said. “That’s nothing he’s ever expressed to us.”

Instead, Smart and his staff have been emphasizing a short-term goal.

“We have this new motto: Attack the day,” Davis said. “So just take each day for what it has and try to have your best practice every day.”

That’s been the motto since offseason workouts began in January. New strength and conditioning coach Scott Sinclair started it, and other coaches have continued it.

It’s not a big departure from the previous regime, when “Finish the Drill” was the mantra, so much so that it was posted on walls around the facility, and written on T-shirts. So far “Attack the Day” isn’t as omnipresent, but it’s only a few months in.

“During workouts, during practice, all the coaches remind us,” Davis said. “Especially coach Sinclair, he reminds us ‘attack the day,’ get better today, and just do all you can.”