Georgia continues to be spurned by coaches it is pursuing to be defensive coordinator.

Alabama’s Kirby Smart on Monday became the latest when he decided to remain in the same position with the national champion Crimson Tide instead of returning to his alma mater.

The Broyles Award winner for nation’s top assistant coach is at least the third coach that Georgia targeted that got a boost to their financial package after talking with coach Mark Richt about the job.

Virginia Tech’s Bud Foster and LSU’s John Chavis also stayed put.

Smart’s decision particularly stung the Georgia fan base after a weekend of raised hopes that Georgia’s now nearly six-week search for a coordinator would be coming to an end with one of their own returning to take over the defense.

Alabama coach Nick Saban Monday afternoon announced Smart’s decision, which came after two days of contemplating a Georgia offer.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart met the media in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday. Smart, the former Georgia defensive back, is widely considered a possible candidate for Georgia's defensive coordinator opening.

Here's some of what he said during a news conference in advance of the BCS national title game.

Q. Kirby, do you ever feel like you don't get the respect that you might deserve because Coach Saban is perceived nationally as such a defensive whiz, and it seems like you do a great job, but the big guy gets all the headlines?

Georgia will get its shot at defending national champion Florida a week from Saturday, but the Gators are no longer No. 1 in both major polls.

Alabama jumped Florida in the Associated Press media poll on Sunday, while the Gators held on to the top spot in the USA Today coaches’ poll.

The Gators are No. 1 in the first BCS Standings that came out this afternoon. Alabama is No. 2. The top two teams in the final standings on Dec. 6 meet in the BCS title game on Jan. 7.

Florida (6-0) got a late field goal to beat Arkansas 23-20 at home Saturday. Alabama turned back South Carolina 20-6 Saturday night.

Georgia (4-3) is again receiving votes in the coaches’ poll. Georgia got 12 points.

The Bulldogs haven’t played a team ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll since a 47-7 loss to Florida on Nov. 2, 1996.

Georgia, coming off a 34-10 win at Vanderbilt, has an open date this week.

Florida plays at Mississippi State Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

How can you tell that we’re two weeks away from the start of the college football season?

Coaches are getting snippy with the media and cutting back access.

Oklahoma State, Georgia's opponent on Sept. 5., reportedly isn’t making its coaches or players available again until Monday Aug. 31

I hope the Cowboys beat writers have plenty of interviews in the can to come up with a week and a half worth of stories until then.

Coach Mike Gundy apparently had tired of answering questions on quarterback Zac Robinson’s tweaked hamstring.

Alabama’s Nick Saban is no fan of depth chart questions or reporters writing about the depth chart based on what reporters see in practice

The two teams that knocked Georgia out of the SEC and national title picture are on top of Mark Richt’s USA Today coaches’ poll ballot.

None of the 61 voters in the coaches’ poll ranked Alabama higher than Richt, who puts the Crimson Tide at No. 2 behind Florida.

Florida’s Urban Meyer ranks Georgia 21st, the lowest any coach put the Bulldogs on his ballot along with Fresno State’s Pat Hill.

USA Today has the ballots for all of the coaches online, the only time all season they are available for public consumption.

Oklahoma, Florida and Texas are ranked 1-2-3 in the poll and Southern California and Alabama are tied for fourth.

Richt ranked Georgia Tech 15th, one spot ahead of his own Bulldogs, who lost to the Yelow Jackets 45-42.

Georgia is ranked 17th in the coaches’ poll.

CJ Byrd doesn’t want to have to wait two weeks to help get Georgia back in the win column, but he realized after Saturday’s 41-30 loss to Alabama the Bulldogs could use a bye week right about now.
“I would rather play next week, but it came at a good time,” the senior safety said. “We’ve got a couple of injuries especially this game. Guys will get back healthy and get some rest and get stronger, so I think it came at a good time.”
Mark Richt on Sunday evening detailed the injury list which starts with star tailback Knowshon Moreno.
My guess is that we’ll see Moreno, but for now he’s questionable with an elbow contusion.
Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (knee) looks more on the doubtful side. Tight end Tripp Chandler (shoulder) is out and receiver Kris Durham (ankle) is questionable.

Georgia tumbled as expected in the polls today.

The Bulldogs dropped eight spots to No. 11 in the Associated Press top 25 and seven to No. 10 in the USA Today coaches' poll after its 41-30 loss to Alabama Saturday night.

The Bulldogs are the second-highest one-loss team after Southern Cal in both polls after a weekend in which nine ranked teams lost including three of the top four.

Georgia is tied with South Florida (5-0) for No. 10 in the coaches’ poll.

The first Harris poll will also be released today.

The coaches’ poll, Harris poll and computer rankings go into the BCS formula to determine the two teams to play in the national title game.

Alabama moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll and No. 4 in the coaches’ poll.

Here’s the AP Top 25

Record Pts Pvs
1. Oklahoma (43) 4-0 1,599 2

We’re still about 45 minutes from kickoff, but Sanford Stadium already has tons of electricity in the air.

The lettering in the end zones is black with a white outline for the “blackout” game.

Georgia 2009 quarterback commitment Aaron Murray is wearing a Georgia blackout T-shirt and shorts on the sideline.

Nearly everyone in the stands and on the bridge—except those Alabama fans, of course--are in black. Scott Howard is entirely in black in the radio booth as he gets set to call the first home game Georgia will play without Larry Munson on hand since 1965.

It’s a big-game atmosphere on a day that started with ESPN’s College GameDay on campus this morning in Athens.

My favorite sign held up by a fan: “Mt. Cody? I’m hiding the Little Debbies.”

Also seen: “Richt 3:16” and “Nick Saban is the Devil.”

Sure, Southern Cal’s loss to Oregon State on Thursday night will pay immediate benefits to Georgia if the No. 3 Bulldogs knock off No. 8 Alabama Saturday night.

The bigger boost in the long run could be if the Bulldogs end the season as a one-loss team.

It will be easier for poll voters to put a one-loss Georgia team ahead of a one-loss Southern Cal team considering the Bulldogs’ rugged schedule and the Trojans’ loss to an unranked Oregon State team.

I’m not sure if an unbeaten Georgia team would have passed a top-ranked and unbeaten Southern Cal team that was rolling up impressive wins against weaker competition.

Now it’s a moot point.

On Georgia’s Thursday night bowling night, Southern Cal threw the gutter ball.

By the way, some Georgia assistant coaches traveled to Oregon State this offseason to huddle with staff there.

I wonder if Larry Munson gets paid for this.

AirTran Airways is offering 43 destinations for only $86 one way to honor the just retired Munson’s 43 years of service to Georgia calling games. The 86 is how old Larry will be after his birthday on Sunday.

Georgia’s coaching staff might want to grab one of those fares and go escape for a couple of days after Saturday’s tilt with Alabama.

That long trip to Arizona State last weekend is felt more by the coaching staff than the players, who got Sunday off after the overnight flight from back west.

Coach Mark Richt began sounding hoarse by midweek.

“I feel better than I sound but I am tired,” Richt said. “No matter what happens Saturday we have an open date after that.”

Georgia players will practice Tuesday and Thursday next week and lift weights and run the rest of the week.