Kirby Put On the Belt, and the Internet Put On a Fit
Written by Jarvis Prime on October 13, 2026
GEORGIA MONEYBALL — Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Georgia's coach did a little dance on his way out of Tuscaloosa, and folks who still blame the officials have not let it go.
ALBANY, GA — · By the RFA Sports Desk
There are two ways to leave a football stadium you have finally beaten. You can walk off quietly like a man leaving church, or you can do what Kirby Smart did Saturday after Georgia won 20–17 at Alabama. Heavy reported that on his way off the field, Smart did the 'belt' celebration for the Georgia fans who stayed. That is a championship belt with nothing in it, cinched around the waist of a grown man. Some folks on social media did not care for it, and they have kept saying so since.
Before we fuss at the man, look at how long he had waited. ESPN noted it was Georgia's first win in Tuscaloosa since 2014 and the first Smart has ever had there. It was only Georgia's third win over Alabama in the last 13 meetings. If you'd lost to your old boss that often, you would want to wear something out of the building too. Smart had said it about as plainly as a coach can: 'I didn't come here to lose.' The belt was his way of saying it again.
On the same evening, the man celebrated beating his mentor and thanked him for the lessons.
The complaints mostly come back to the officials, the oldest grievance in Southern football. The Associated Press described a clear pass interference by Georgia safety KJ Bolden in the end zone that drew no flag. A flag there would have put Alabama in field-goal range. Bolden then sacked Keelon Russell on the next play and forced a punt, which is a rude thing to do to people who are already upset. Kalen DeBoer said, 'We can't put the game in that situation where the officials come into play.' That is the most graceful version of the complaint you will hear.
What makes the uproar a little silly is what Smart said once the dancing was over. He said he doesn't judge his success by how Georgia does against Alabama, and he credited Nick Saban with teaching him a lot. So on the same evening, the man celebrated beating his mentor and thanked him for the lessons. I have known Baptists who could not manage both in one Sunday. You can find the belt tacky if you like. Just don't call the man ungrateful.
The belt also looks better when you see what happened to everybody else last weekend. Texas lost its first game to Oklahoma, 27–24, and CBS Sports named the Longhorns the biggest loser of the week. Oregon turned the ball over seven times and lost to UCLA, 17–15. Kentucky beat LSU 35–34 in overtime on a two-point run by Kenny Minchey that nobody touched. South Carolina went to Gainesville and beat Florida 38–19. On a Saturday when that many contenders tripped, the team still standing has some claim to the belt.
Now he has to defend it, and the challenger has had a week off. The Georgia athletic department noted that Auburn comes to Athens on Saturday, where Georgia, at 6-0, has won nine straight in the series going back to 2017. Smart praised Alex Golesh's rebuild and DJ Durkin's defense, and he pointed out that Auburn is rested. He also called his own team 'a beat up football team right now.' A man wearing a belt that size would be wise to keep one hand on it.
The Notebook
- NEXT UP: Auburn, in Athens, Saturday at 3:30 PM Eastern. The board has Georgia at -20.5 and calls it a lock.
- RED RIVER RECKONING: Oklahoma 27, Texas 24. One analysis put the Longhorns' first loss largely on two second-half turnovers by Arch Manning.
- ON THE MACHINE: Held-out next-play accuracy sits at 54.6%. Treat anyone who claims to know Georgia's next call like a fellow selling a watch out of his coat.
Written in the tradition of Lewis Grizzard, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1946–1994.
Hear the desk read tonights report on Radio Free Albany, WPFQ 96.7.
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