Georgia sent stern warning after Notre Dame shines in College Football Playoff’s first round

Georgia has a lot coming in the College Football Playoff’s second round. As USA Today’s Paul Myerberg notes, Notre Dame has the talent on both sides of the ball to be a legitimate threat to the Bulldogs.

“Notre Dame’s defense slammed the door on Indiana to score a 27-17 win that only looks respectable because of the Hoosiers’ two meaningless scores in the final two minutes. Mirroring the offense’s disappearing act in Big Ten games against Michigan and the Buckeyes, Indiana managed only 278 yards on 61 plays and averaged 2.3 yards per carry. Defensively, this was the Fighting Irish at their very best; if this continues, Notre Dame has to be seen as a strong contender to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and reach the playoff semifinals,” Myerberg wrote.

Kirby Smart made it clear his team respects the challenge Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish will present during the Sugar Bowl.

“We're excited, very honored to be playing a really, really talented Notre Dame team. I have so much respect for Coach Freeman, his staff, everything they've been able to accomplish this year. I remember watching them early in the year when they got to play at A&M and had a huge win in a night game in our conference. So I have a lot of respect for them. We're looking forward to getting down to New Orleans, always one of the most traditional bowl games, or in this case playoff games, that there has been. So we're excited and ready to get to work,” Smart said, per 247 Sports.

Notre Dame laid a beatdown on Indiana reminiscent of the Dawgs’ dominance from the 2021 and 2022 championship seasons. If nothing else, the Fighting Irish proved they belong in the same field as Georgia. Not every team in the 12-team field can make such a claim.

The Bulldogs are still the standard in the NIL era via three CFP appearances, two SEC Championships, and four losses total since the start of the 2021 season. But if Smart’s team’s play doesn’t bring life to his words, an upset is all but certain given Notre Dame’s level of play since the loss to NIU in Week 2.