For the last decade, the Georgia Bulldogs have been one of, if not the premier program in College Football. Texas learned that the hard way last season, losing to them twice last season, including an overtime defeat in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

"Their level of consistency has been pretty high for the last decade," Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday.

That all started when Georgia head coach Kirby Smart arrived in late 2015, after former head coach Mark Richt was fired following a disappointing 9-3 season. The rest is history. Since arriving in Athens, Smart has led the Bulldogs to four College Football Playoff appearances, four New Year's Six bowls, and, of course, two national championships. 

Georgia, under Smart, has reached levels that most teams couldn't fathom.

"These guys have played in four straight SEC championship games and are trying for five. I think that's pretty good," Sarkisian said. "Especially when a lot of teams and coaches in our conference haven't played for any."

Perhaps that was a subtle jab at the Longhorns' rivals two hours to the east, but the point stands - the Bulldogs are the standard when it comes to the SEC. A lot of that is to do with Smart's steady recruiting style, leading to rosters that are consistently at the top of the ladder when it comes to physicality. Sarkisian mentioned position groups like tight-ends, linebackers and cornerbacks as areas Georgia does the most damage. 

"You can see the consistency in their approach," Sarkisian said. " So, one year that wave of players leaves, I think they had four first-round picks on defense. Here comes the next wave of guys that all look a lot like the guys that just moved on."

While the Bulldogs haven't been as impressive this season, the talent they possess still poses many problems for the opposition. It's why they've been able to grind out victories this season.

"The one thing that has stood out is them finding a way to make great adjustments and play in the second half of games," Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian also revealed that he and Smart have built a close relationship since Texas joined the conference. Their conversations range from talking before games to butting heads over the future of college football. No matter their disagreements, the mutual respect between the two is never in question.

"I have a ton of respect for Kirby in the job that he does and in the way that his teams play the game," Sarkisian said. "I always love competing against him. It's a great challenge, and this week's no different."