Kirby Smart is one of just four active coaches who has won a national championship. The Georgia coach won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022, climbing to the top of the profession.

Yet that win over TCU was the last College Football Playoff win for Smart. And with the Bulldogs having yet to win a game in the 12-team College Football Playoff, there’s been some questioning of Smart and his status among the top coaches in the profession.

In CBS Sports’ annual ranking of top coaches, Smart dropped from No. 1 to No. 2, falling behind Curt Cignetti of Indiana. It is the first time since the 2023 rankings that Smart is not the top-ranked coach.

“He’s won two national titles, and every year his program is expected to compete for another. But last year ended on a sour note,” Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports wrote. “The Dawgs won the SEC again but failed to win a playoff game. They have not won a playoff game since winning the national title in 2022. I don’t think that’s why Smart fell out of the No. 1 spot (it’s more about the accomplishments of the man who usurped him), but it probably played a role.”

Smart is well aware of how his last three seasons have ended. In an interview with Paul Finebaum this week, he brought up how Georgia slid out of the College Football Playoff rankings after a loss to Alabama in the 2023 SEC championship game.

The last two seasons have seen Georgia lose its first College Football Playoff game, both coming in New Orleans. The Bulldogs lost to Notre Dame in 2024 before falling to Ole Miss last season.

Cignetti meanwhile led Indiana to a national championship last season. Behind Smart was Ryan Day at No. 3, Marcus Freeman at No. 4 and Dan Lanning at No. 5. Smart is the highest-ranked SEC coach, with Steve Sarkisian of Texas coming in at No. 6, Kalen DeBoer of Alabama at No. 8 and Lane Kiffin of LSU at No. 9.

Smart knows he has a talented team at his disposal once again. The key will be getting his team to play at its best at the end of the season.

“I think the cream comes to the top,” Smart said. “The best team comes out and wins. It’s who’s playing the best at the end. It might not be who’s playing the best in the beginning, but that’s who wins the championship.”

Smart does still have his fair share of believers out there. Four of the 10 panelists for CBS Sports had Smart as the No. 1 coach in the country.

Georgia should once again have one of the better teams in the sport, as the Bulldogs bring a number of contributors from last season’s team. Quarterback Gunner Stockton is expected to lead an offense that will look to improve, while the defense should once again be one of the best in the country.

The Bulldogs open the 2026 season against Tennessee State on Sept. 5. The game is set for a 3 p.m. ET start.