Kirby Smart shares why Georgia Tech is his No. 1 rival
Kirby Smart’s players have expressed several times that the Georgia head coach views Georgia Tech at the top of his rivalry list.
While the Yellow Jackets might not be of the same caliber as other Georgia rivals, they bring a challenge that no other SEC team brings: being in the same state. For Smart, it’s Georgia Tech’s geographics that add a little bit more to this rivalry compared to others.
“Geographically, they’re close. They’re in our state,” Smart said. “You’re playing for something every time you play them, cause you’re playing for a state championship. I think that’s always important. They do a good job, it’s the next opponent.”
The rivalry is nicknamed Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate for a reason. The teams just don’t like each other and want to have state bragging rights.
The rivalry began before the turn of the 20th century. Georgia Tech was an original member of the SEC, so the game used to be an SEC contest.
Georgia leads the rivalry big, 70-41-5, but Georgia Tech seems to squeeze in a win every now and then. The last time the Yellow Jackets won was 2016, when they took the game 28-27.
Georgia Tech is looking for a big win on Saturday, but it seems like an impossible task. The Bulldogs have been dominant all year, and they’re not looking to slow down this week.