Kirby Smart Says Georgia Is Not Treating Tennessee Like a Playoff Game

The Bulldogs' head coach is focusing solely on the matchup and not what it could mean down the road for both teams.

Tanner Johnson | Nov 12, 2024

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart reacts after a touchdown during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Both Georgia and Tennessee desperately need to win on Saturday if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Bulldogs already have two losses, and a third would eliminate them from playoff contention. The Vols on the other hand, only have one loss on the road at Arkansas. However, there are so many teams fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff that the Vols cannot afford to lose another game if they want to control their own destiny. The win that Tennessee owns over Alabama is a big help to its resume, but another loss would put the Vols in a precarious situation.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart understands the significance of this matchup, but he is not approaching it like it is a playoff elimination game.

“I don’t ever take those approaches,” Smart said. “I don’t think they’re the right way to go about things. I think you’re trying to win your conference all the time, and to do that you’ve got to win your games at home. You’ve got to play well on the road, which we have and haven’t. We’ve done both. But I like making it about who we play and how we play and less about just outcomes.”

Georgia will need help to get to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta since the Bulldogs have two conference losses. The Vols control their own destiny as far as making the conference championship goes, but that changes if they lose in Athens on Saturday. Smart says that his team is focused on Tennessee, rather than outside factors like the College Football Playoff committee’s opinion of his team.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel seems to be adopting a similar mentality as he prepares his team for its biggest test of the season. While he treats every game like it is the most important game, he knows that this game is particularly important.

“Every week, you have the opportunity to play the biggest game this season,” Heupel said. “It’s the only one that’s on your schedule. We’re in the arena— coaches, players, and you better be in the present. So that’s what we focus on no matter who the opponent is. We understand the quality of the opponent that we’re playing this week.”