ATHENS — Kirby Smart is dialed in, and it’s clear he has the same expectations for his players with Georgia’s CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal with Ole Miss fast approaching.

UGA last took the field on Dec. 7, when it defeated Alabama in the SEC title game, 28-7.

Smart acknowledged on Monday that the time between games does create challenges, but also, potential benefits.

“The negative is when you’re playing good football, a lot of times you want to keep playing, you want to stay in rhythm, you want to stay in a weekly schedule,” Smart said.

“That schedule gets thrown off by the break. You do the best you can with the calendar you have and try to talk to other people and find out what the best way to do things is.”

Smart said that, despite the underlying roster management taking place in his program — as it is in every program, with teams on the verge of the Jan. 2-Jan. 16 portal window — the focus is on the game.

“Development occurs in December for us, and that’s what we’ve been focused on,” Smart said, noting that, regardless of players’ futures, hard work is the next step.

“Did you truly come here to develop? Because if you did, all your buddies are out there right now, everybody’s announcing what they’re doing, announcing that ‘I’m going into the portal, announcing that I’m re-signing.’

Smart said a different sort of declaration is more appropriate.

“How about you announce that you’re getting better and you’re going to practice?” Smart said, “And actually do what the 20 and 30 years of college football players did before you, which was practice in December.”

The Bulldogs (12-1) play Ole Miss (12-1) at 8 p.m. on Jan. 1 in the CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal in New Orleans, and Smart made it clear there’s not a second to waste.

“I’m excited about where our team is, (and) I’m excited that they’re practicing the way they are and are excited about the opponent, because they have so much respect for the team,” Smart said of the Rebels, who held a double-digit lead over UGA before the Bulldogs rallied for a 43-35 win in Athens earlier this season.

Smart said the Bulldogs’ preparation this year is similar to what it was last year leading into a CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal against Notre Dame, a game Georgia lost 23-10 to the eventual CFP runners-up.

“As far as changes, going to New Orleans, there hasn’t been a tremendous amount of change,” Smart said.

“We don’t think we did anything wrong in the prep last year. We didn’t necessarily play a great game, but we also played a really good football team. We had a block of the middle eight (minutes, final four of first half, first four of second) where we played really poorly, but I don’t think there was anything wrong with our prep.”

To Smart’s point, the Irish scored 17 points between the 39-second mark of the second quarter and the 14:45 mark of the second half — a span of 54 seconds — on a drive-ending field goal, a touchdown one play after a strip-sack fumble on Gunner Stockton and the opening kick of the second half being returned for a touchdown.

Georgia actually out-gained Notre Dame 296-244 but could not overcome a fumble in the end zone, the turnover that led to an Irish touchdown and a special teams breakdown.

Smart noted the back-breaking nature of such plays when teams are more evenly matched.

“I think when you play a quality team, just like every game we play in the SEC is tight,” Smart said. “And so when you’re in a playoff, you’re gonna play a good team.

“We trust the prep we have. We trust the rest and recovery we’ve had. And we’re gonna trust the plan we have to go out there and play at a high level.”

INDIANAPOLIS — A nightclub in downtown Indianapolis is planning to implement new age restrictions.

In a post on Facebook, Georgia Street Rhythm and Blues Lounge indicated that it will no longer accommodate guests under 30 years of age. Georgia Street Lounge posted a statement on its decision on its Facebook page.

In the post, the lounge’s management team indicated that it is planning to add new age restrictions because younger patrons “do not know how to conduct themselves in a grown and sexy environment.”

Georgia Street Lounge has indicated that it is willing to make exceptions to the rule for its staff and marketing team’s special guests.

“Georgia Street Lounge will now be age restricted to 30 and over,” the business’ management team wrote in its statement. “Unless you are a special guest of our staff or marketing team, you will not be allowed entry!!!”

In its statement, Georgia Street Lounge also suggested that it will no longer host any birthday parties for individuals under the age of 30.

“Do not contact us for any under-30 birthdays or special events, because the answer will be no,” Georgia Street Lounge management wrote in its statement. “Go somewhere else!!!”

FOX59/CBS4 checked public police reports to see how many times IMPD has been called to 28 W. Georgia St. — the address listed for Georgia Street Lounge — in the last six months. That search revealed that police published reports at the address three times between July 23 and Dec. 7.

Two of the times IMPD was called to Georgia Street Lounge over the last six months were for “disturbances.” On the other occasion officers went to the business over the last six months, IMPD took a report for a “simple assault.”

In total, IMPD filed seven reports from 28 W. Georgia St. between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 21, 2025. Officers filed five reports from there in 2024 and six reports from there in 2023.

Those reports do not indicate whether or not police were called to the address to investigate complaints directly involving Georgia Street Lounge or if the address was just closest to where an incident that occurred outside the business happened.

FOX59/CBS4 has reached out to Georgia Street Lounge for more information on its decision to change its age requirements. As of this article’s publication, the business had not responded to requests for comment.