NEW ORLEANS — Kirby Smart had a vision for this Georgia football team entering spring drills last March, and he didn’t exactly know what it would lead to this season.

“We just knew it was what the team needed,” Smart said on Tuesday at the Sugar Bowl media day at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. “The best version of this team was only going to get there with fire, passion and energy, an ability to run the ball, and ability to stop the run.

The Bulldogs have come up big in those areas of emphasis, leading to an SEC championship season and the upcoming appearance in the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal at 8 p.m. on Thursday in Caesar’s Superdome.

Smart, in his 10th season as Georgia’s head coach, is focused on taking the next step toward what would be his third national championship and it starts with the game against Ole Miss.

The Georgia head coach has his game plan in place for the Rebels, who advanced by defeating Tulane in a CFP opening round game, 41-10, on Dec. 20 in Oxford.

It’s an Ole Miss team UGA defeated earlier this season, 43-35, on Oct. 18 in Athens.

Georgia will be taking the field for the first time since defeating Alabama, 28-7, in the SEC championship game on Dec. 6.

Of the eight remaining teams, UGA is the only team to have an opening round bye the past two playoffs, and Smart revealed the blueprint he put in place to handle the layoff better than last season, when the Bulldogs were eliminated by Notre Dame, 23-10, in last year’s CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal here in New Orleans.

“Being in shape is one,” Smart said, referencing the uptempo offensive style Ole Miss has utilized in running up a 12-1 record and the No. 2 offense in the nation with 498 yards per game.

“(And) being focused, and understanding this is a business trip and you’re here for a purpose.”

The focus and motivation in this season’s Georgia’s team has been conveyed through the players’ interviews, with linebacker Raylen Wilson summing things up by saying the Bulldogs have “a chip on the shoulder” after last year’s disappointing ending.

Smart shared that he has been direct with his players when discussing the challenges not playing a football game for more than three weeks poses and Georgia looks to regain its regular season-ending momentum.

“You address the advantages or things you will lean on that you feel like are an advantage for you, and we try to list those things out,” Smart said. “Here’s the things we’re strong at, and we’re going to lean on these things — these are our core identity.”

Of late, the Georgia offense has answered the bell, with quarterback Gunner Stockton operating at a high-efficiency clip with his decision making and ability to extent plays under the direction and play calling of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

Smart doubled down on the job Bobo has done this season.

“I don’t think he’s the right guy, I know he’s the right guy….” Smart said. “I’ll put him up against anybody in the country because of his knowledge, his experience, what he’s done and the staff he has.”

And now Smart, working in concert with his staff, aims to put out the best version of Georgia football for the remainder of the playoffs.

“My goal every year, I learned this a long time ago from Coach (Bobby) Bowden and even my dad (Sonny Smart) is like, did you get the most out of that team?” Smart said. “I think there’s some coaches that get the most out of their team and they don’t win the national championship and that’s a hell of a year.

“We used to be able to credit a lot of people with a hell of a year and it’s unfortunately gotten to where it’s win it all or nothing,” Smart said. “I look at it intrinsically as, did this team get the best out of itself, and this team needed fire, passion and energy. It needed the ability to run the ball and it needed the ability to stop the run, and we haven’t done that perfectly, but we’ve done it at a little bit higher level than we did in years past.”