LOS ANGELES — Sonny Smart is not here, and that pains his son Kirby. Sonny is dealing with health issues that have prevented him from being part of Georgia’s College Football Playoff run. He missed the Peach Bowl classic when the Bulldogs rallied to beat Ohio State, and he will miss their attempt at a national title repeat Monday against TCU.
“It hurts me that he and my mom [Sharon] won’t be here,” Kirby Smart said Saturday, offering a rare moment of vulnerability during the impersonal and transactional bustle of CFP media day. “But I know it’s the right decision for him.