I want you to remember 3 moments with me from Georgia’s improbable comeback victory over Ohio State on Saturday in the Peach Bowl. I understand that may be a sizable request — excitement from the game, celebrations of the new year and a seemingly endless flow of drinks have probably damaged your recollection.

But it’s important to remember these moments, because they may well have been the ones that saved Georgia’s hopes of repeating as national champions. Here they are:

  • A decision in the closing moments of the 1st half to exercise patience and sit on the football going into the locker room rather than making an attempt at points to steal back some of the momentum Georgia had lost on an Ohio State touchdown moments before.
  • A decision to go for a field goal late, trailing by 14 points and nearing a point when the clock was as much an opponent as the ones in scarlet and grey on the other sideline.
  • A split-second choice to call a timeout fractions of a second before the Buckeyes snapped the ball on a fake punt that would have netted them a back-breaking 1st down.

What do all of these moments have in common?

In a game where it’s normally just wrong coaching decisions being questioned for the outcome, these were moves that Georgia coach Kirby Smart made that had tangible positive impact on the Bulldogs’ chances.

I don’t consider it hyperbole to say that they are the reason Georgia is still alive. It’s a far cry from the coach many criticized early in his tenure. Praised for his recruiting and program-building prowess, Smart was still held back by his game management.

But on Saturday — if it weren’t clear already — Smart emphasized at every possible opportunity why he has grown into America’s very best football coach not named Nick Saban.

Let’s take a closer look at those moments:

Taking it easy before the half

The Bulldogs had seized the momentum.

After falling behind 21-7 early, Georgia had come roaring back before the half to score 17 straight and take a 24-21 lead inside of 2 minutes. It began to feel like the Bulldogs had reached that point where they would overcome the slow start, get some stops and begin to put Ohio State away for a clean Playoff semifinal victory.

Only that wasn’t going to happen. Not on Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud’s watch. Stroud took just 4 plays to put his team back in the end zone and wrest back all that momentum Georgia had established.

Georgia had 49 seconds and timeouts left to play with, though, and the conventional wisdom among the Bulldog faithful that surrounded me that night was that the team needed points before the break.

Georgia called a couple of pass plays. Both were broken up, and 1 was tossed into dangerous territory by quarterback Stetson Bennett IV. Smart had seen enough — he called for a kneel to run out the clock, ran onto the field, put his arm around Bennett and began to coach his signal-caller on the way to the locker room.

Simple. A small moment. One you could easily forget in the broad scheme of a game like Saturday’s. But significant. Oh, so significant.

It showed restraint. It showed confidence in his players. Smart had seen the holes his running backs were running through. He had seen the opportunities his offense would have. Rather than risking a turnover that could have given everything back to Ohio State, he instead chose patience.

This is a man who once ran a fake punt with a backup quarterback who had never been in that formation all season right into the teeth of an opposing defense.

That was desperation, a trait Smart has grown far beyond.

Settling for 3 down 14 in the 4th quarter

Georgia had already missed 2 field goals, a rare occurrence for a kicker in Jack Podlesny who has been the definition of automatic throughout his career. The Bulldogs had held Ohio State to 3 on its previous drive, and the clock was nearing 10 minutes left in the game.

It felt like a touchdown was needed to begin cutting possessions off the Buckeyes’ lead. Again, Smart chose patience. He knew that more than anything, the Bulldogs needed points.

So when they faced 4th-and-goal from the Ohio State 13-yard line, they elected to take the 3 points rather than chase a low-percentage play, making the score 38-27. It was still a multi-possession game, but the intangible factor of momentum remained neutral rather than flipping heavily in favor of Ohio State.

Again, a simple moment. Easily forgettable. But significant.

The greatest timeout ever called

Once again — not hyperbole.

I’ve seen the pictures that showed Ohio State had 12 men on the field for its crucial fake punt try, but no flag appeared on the attempt, and it’s possible it never would have.

Smart never gave it a chance.

When Ohio State lined up with 8:58 to go in the game, still ahead 38-27 but facing a 4th down in its own territory, it was in an alignment Smart had seen on film. The coach said Georgia has had 2 punts faked against it this year, and it is aware of when opponents might try to steal possessions.

Smart saw the formation, and knowing how valuable timeouts were going to be down the stretch, he made a snap decision to stop the play before it started. The play was run on the field. The Buckeyes converted the 1st down. No flag was thrown.

Officials huddled and determined the timeout had come before the snap, and the play was erased.

It saved the game for the Bulldogs, and it may well have won them a 2nd consecutive national title.

In a different lifetime — back when Georgia was still chasing its demons, namely Saban and Alabama — questionable coaching decisions were the norm. Fake punt attempts, poor clock management, a quarterback room as fluid as any in the country.

Now, more than just an elite recruiter and motivator, Smart may be making his case as one of the best in-game strategists we’ve seen.