ATHENS — SEC Network anchor Peter Burns sees national championships in Kirby Smart’s future, and sooner than later.
Burns, host of SEC This Morning and SEC Now, explained to DawgNation why he believes Smart and the Bulldogs could be on the verge of some title runs.
“If there’s a year that you’re going to win it, a shortened offseason might actually help Georgia,” Burns said. “Why would you pick the any different than you did last year?
“This year is going to set up defensively.”
Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic led to SEC teams losing most if not all of their spring preparation time.
It’s still unknown how much practice teams will get before organized campus activity in group settings returns, so fall prep is also a question mark.
RELATED: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey updates college football future
Georgia, returning nine of 11 starters off a Sugar Bowl team that beat Baylor 26-14, is position to have the best defense in the nation this season.
RELATED: How Kirby Smart keeps raising the bar on No. 1 defense
Burns believe that Smart, 44, will win at least two national titles in his career as a head coach at Georgia.
“I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t win at least two (national titles,” Burns said during the Ingles On The Beat Show. “I know Herschel Walker said he’s absolutely winning it this year …
“I think it’s a minimum of two, because you’re always going to get good players in there, it’s just matter of getting the right mix.”
Burns, who has been with ESPN since 2014, said Georgia’s recent hire of Todd Monken as offensive coordinator has him bullish on the Bulldogs.
“I think Todd Monken coming in was a monster change, “ Burns said.
“I think (Smart) understood that now he need an offensive play caller to go in with all the Ferraris … he just needed to make sure he had the right driver, and Monken was a monster hire.”
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