Kirby Smart Doesn’t Take Bait When Kirk Herbstreit Asks Him About SEC’s Dominance of Big Ten

Georgia will face Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State on New Year’s Eve.

Georgia received the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff after going 13–0  and winning the SEC championship this season. The Bulldogs will face No. 4 Ohio State in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart joined ESPN’s selection show on Sunday to speak about the team’s ranking and chances for a repeat title.

At one point, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit asked Smart whether he thinks the SEC has an advantage over other conferences, such as the Big Ten, when it comes to these playoff games.

Smart didn’t play into the storyline, though, and quickly shut down the idea of certain conferences dominating others.

“I think it’s no different,” Smart said. “It’s not about the Big Ten and the SEC. It’s about football, right? It boils down to the line of scrimmage. It boils down to turnovers, explosive plays. It’s not really about the two conferences in those games. You may need to make it about that, but really it’s about who plays better.”

Smart then recalled when he served on the coaching staff at Alabama and No. 4 seed Ohio State won 42–35 over No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in 2014.

“I also coached at Alabama when Ohio State absolutely destroyed us one CFP semifinal game and, you know what? They played better. They were more explosive, and they didn’t have turnovers and we did at Alabama,” Smart said. “It’s really about how you play, not who you play.”

Georgia and Ohio State meet in the Peach Bowl at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 31 for a chance to play in the CFP title game.

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