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Chances are high Kirby Smart and Georgia never want to see the Superdome during the College Football Playoff ever again. 

The Bulldogs' nation-leading 75-game winning streak after leading at the start of the fourth quarter is over, and players were left picking up the pieces following Thursday night's stunning 39-34 Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss after another SEC championship season ended with a CFP dud. 

During what "felt like a road game" for the Bulldogs, according to Smart, his team again floundered as a higher seed in the postseason, this time succumbing to Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels, who scored 20 points in the final quarter to win.

In last season's CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame, the Bulldogs struggled to protect Gunner Stockton and never got going offensively. This time around, Georgia's much-improved defense over the second half of the season failed to show against Ole Miss for a second time after giving up 473 total yards.

"I'm sick that we lost, and there's things I would love to go back and do differently," Smart said as he was peppered with questions on what went wrong. "But I'm just so proud of the way our guys competed."

Despite Lane Kiffin's departure to LSU, the Ole Miss offense hasn't missed a beat in the postseason. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and QB Trinidad Chambliss are in lock-step, as they've been throughout the season and a couple touchdowns from running back Kewan Lacy after a first-half fumble that was returned for a score provided Ole Miss with balance.

The Rebels scored touchdowns on their first five possessions during a 43-35 loss at Georgia on Oct. 18 and produced several more explosives in the rematch.

"No, they ran the same plays, and they ran them well," Smart said after being asked if Ole Miss made changes offensively. "There's several plays where they've got the quarterback running around out there and he makes unbelievable plays."

Failed execution during a crucial fourth-down play in the fourth quarter was partially to blame for the Rebels' comeback, and Smart accepted the brunt of it. Facing a fourth-and-2 at its own 33 early in the fourth quarter, Georgia ran its offense on the field to try and draw Ole Miss offsides after initially putting its punt team out there.

However, Georgia snapped the ball and Stockton was unprepared to receive, resulting in a sack from Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins and an unexpected turnover on downs. Ole Miss scored two plays later after taking over at its own 23-yard line to push its lead to 10 points with 9:05 to play.

"We had a misfire there," Smart said. "The ball was not supposed to be snapped in that situation. That's on us as coaches."

Ole Miss moves forward -- even as its past looms and an uncertain future beckons -- by eliminating Georgia
Richard Johnson
Ole Miss moves forward -- even as its past looms and an uncertain future beckons -- by eliminating Georgia

Georgia responded like it did during its first meeting with Ole Miss, erasing a two-score lead in the final quarter to knot the game at 34 late, but the Rebels pushed ahead with six seconds to play on a successful field goal.

"They made more plays than we did, and I've got to be honest, that's part of football," Smart said. "They made more [plays] and outexecuted us, outcoached us, outplayed us."

Reflection time for Georgia

The transfer portal opens Friday, which kicks off an important two-week stretch of the offseason for the Bulldogs in their talent revamp ahead of the offseason. Georgia signed the sixth-best recruiting haul nationally in the 2026 cycle, per 247Sports, but it needs reinforcements in college football's free agency market, namely at wide receiver, running back and linebacker.

Zachariah Branch, Noah Thomas and Colbie Young could all be NFL Draft entries at the playmaker spots offensively, and defensive leader CJ Allen is expected to forgo his final season at linebacker.

Since winning consecutive national championships during the 2021-22 seasons, the Bulldogs' last bowl win came in the Orange against Florida State in 2023. They're 23-5 overall since, but falling early in the playoff as the No. 2 and No. 3 seed each of the last two seasons leaves a bad taste that could linger at the SEC elite.

Unless he declares, Stockton is expected to return at quarterback in 2026 for the Bulldogs, and Mike Bobo's offense will continue to utilize his strengths. In his first full season as QB1, Stockton threw for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns as one of the SEC's most efficient passers. His poise on third down routinely extended drives and he finished with 10 scores on the ground.

Smart's not going to reinvent the wheel with his physicality-first mindset between the hedges given his track record of success, but this program will need to solve what's gone wrong each of its past two postseason appearances. Missed assignments, bad tackling and not being gap sound are things that keep Smart up at night and the Bulldogs' veteran leader has plenty to review coming out of this one.

Criticism's warranted and Smart has eight months to reflect, push forward and wipe the slate clean in his quest for a third national championship with the Bulldogs in 2026.