Division races aren’t always this simple.

But this year’s SEC East competition is about as straightforward as could be — with both No. 6 Georgia and No. 11 Kentucky sharing identical records (7-1, 5-1 SEC) with two conference games to play, the winner of their showdown Saturday will claim the division crown.

Considering that SEC championship game and College Football Playoff implications will be on the line, the stakes couldn’t be any higher. But when asked during his Monday press conference how he plans to use those factors to motivate his players, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart downplayed the situation.

“I don’t know that you have to use it,” Smart said. “The players get it. They know. They know what’s at stake. I don’t think you have to build that up. I mean, this game is exactly what it is: an opportunity to earn the right to win your division. They’ve got a great program, we’ve got a great program. It’s at their place. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.

“We really build this program on being neutral and understanding that every game is just as important as the others because if the other games weren’t important, we wouldn’t be in this position in this game. They just get bigger and bigger from here, so that’s the way we look at it.”

We’ll see if that approach pays off for Georgia when it travels to face the Wildcats at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.