Kirby Smart: I don’t put any more rigor on playing Alabama and Auburn back-to-back
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After enduring through two years of playing one of the SEC’s toughest schedules, Kirby Smart and Georgia are staring at a slightly friendlier gauntlet in 2026.
With 9-game conference schedules taking form this season, the Bulldogs are likely enjoying the complaints of other fan bases about the overly difficult slates their teams are facing.
But still, UGA’s schedule is anything but easy, and there is a unique aspect to it this year.
Auburn and Alabama frequently pop up on the Bulldogs’ schedule each fall, but it is rare that the program has ever faced the Tigers and Crimson Tide in back-to-back weeks. That will occur this year, as Georgia will visit Tuscaloosa on Oct. 10 before welcoming Auburn to Athens the following weekend.
Asked about his opinions on that stretch leading into a bye week, Smart explained that while he certainly admires those programs, he’s taking his usual mindset when it comes to approaching them.
“Alabama and Auburn are great programs and have a ton of respect. I’ve been apart of those games a ton–as coach at Georgia I think I’ve played them over half the years I’ve been here by way of SEC Championships too,” Smart said. “But I don’t put any more rigor on it that I do when we go to Oklahoma or have to play whoever else back-to-back.”
Kirby Smart on playing Auburn and Alabama back-to-back this season. #rolltide #alabamafootball #secmediadays pic.twitter.com/kByzIFedod
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) July 21, 2026
That will likely serve as the toughest two-game stretch for UGA this season, with the back-to-back against Florida (Atlanta) and Ole Miss (road) being the other contender.
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
