Kirby Smart's Response to Nick Saban Adds Fuel to College Football's Biggest Debate

Nick Saban was only too happy to heap praise on Georgia as the most complete team in college football coming into this weekend’s clash against Alabama.

But rather than taking that compliment to heart, Kirby Smart saw something else in the statements made by the former Crimson Tide coach.

Saban’s High Praise

Kirby Smart's Response to Nick Saban Adds Fuel to College Football's Biggest Debate — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On last weekend’s College GameDay, Saban singled out the Bulldogs as the most complete team he has seen this season, highlighting quarterback Gunner Stockton’s play, the depth in the running back room, and one of the nation’s top defenses.

Saban also referred to a conversation with Smart earlier in the year about Georgia finally having the roster depth to practice with the physical intensity the coach prefers.

All nice things to say about the Bulldogs, right? Well, not if you’re their head coach.

Smart’s Sharp Reply

Smart did not embrace the compliment. Instead, he framed it as intentional.

“It’s a setup. He knows who we play. He knows he said it a couple weeks out before we go to play Alabama,” Smart said on SportsCenter.

“That’s easy to say up there on that stage. It’s hard to earn that kind of accolade as a coach because we’re not what he says right now. That is his version of ‘rat poison.’ That’s fine. I get it.”

Fans will recognize the term “rat poison” having long been part of Smart’s vocabulary, used to describe outside praise that can distract a team from the work still required.

The Bigger Picture

Georgia comes into this weekend just 90 total votes behind Texas in the AP poll, ranking No. 2 overall, combining college football’s No. 1 scoring offense and 12th in scoring defense, heading into a critical road test against undefeated Alabama.

Kalen DeBoer’s team is right behind the Bulldogs, sitting second in FBS with 49.6 points per game and undefeated, coming off a rousing win at Mississippi State in which the Keelon Russell-led offense put up a record 56 points against a ranked SEC opponent.

Smart’s response fits a familiar pattern. By publicly rejecting the lofty label, he keeps the focus internal and reinforces the message that Georgia still has plenty to prove.

Whether the comments were calculated motivation or genuine humility, they have become part of the pregame conversation surrounding one of the season’s biggest rivalry games.

Saturday night in Bryant-Denny Stadium will provide the clearest test yet of how complete either team truly is.

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