Kirby Smart Not Taking Auburn Tigers Lightly Despite being Massive Favorites

Georgia Bulldogs head coach has a long history with the Auburn Tigers and knows not to overlook them despite being three-touchdown favorites.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart meets Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze midfield following the Bulldogs 27-20 victory in 2023. / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

After a heartbreaking loss against the No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners at home on Saturday, the Auburn Tigers hit the road for the first time this season.

The Tigers are set to play one of the toughest games on their schedule this week, taking on the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.

The Bulldogs come into this contest after a close loss against the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide on the road. Georgia went down 28-0 early but fought back and took a late lead but still ended up with a narrow loss.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart believes that Auburn is a solid team with a solid coach and is better than its record implies.

“They (Auburn) got a really good football team,” Smart said. “I have a lot of respect for Hugh (Freeze), I’ve gone against him for a lot of years. The record doesn’t speak for what this team is.”

The series between Auburn and Georgia, known as “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivaly,” has favored the Bulldogs more than the Tigers in recent years. However, both sides still view this game as one of the most important on their respective schedules.

“A huge historic rivalry, this game has always been that way,” Smart said.

Auburn has struggled out of the gate, particularly in SEC play, but Smart believes Auburn has a lot of talent despite the start it has had.

“When you turn the tape on and you watch their defense and their offense, outside of turnovers, they got a really good football team,” Smart said. “They’ve got good players. They’ve got good wideouts, their quarterbacks have been playing better and better. The focus for us is on them.”

Freeze is known for his run-pass-option (RPO) plays. Smart is aware of the challenges these kinds of plays can cause for a defense and will hope to have his team prepared to stop them.

“He (Freeze) has hung his hat on his ability to have RPOs and I think he’s done a good job of adjusting to where it’s not just that,” Freeze said. “When RPOs came out, he was ahead of the game at doing those.”

Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. The television broadcast can be found on ABC and livestreamed on ESPN+. ESPN isn't giving Auburn much of a chance in this one. The Tigers are 24-point underdogs and have just an 8.8% chance of winning according to the World Wide Leader.