Kirby Smart talks scheduling big games: ‘We don’t run from that at Georgia’

“It’s never changed for us,” Smart said. “It has always been my philosophy to go play quality opponents, Power-5 opponents, a good matchup. I don’t care if it’s home and home. I don’t care if it’s neutral site. Go play a good team that helps your team get better. When you play in the SEC, you’re going to run the gauntlet anyways. What’s playing one more good, physical team. We don’t run from that at Georgia. We try to embrace that.”

“Our fans want that—I want that,” Smart said. It generates a lot more excitement, and you recruit off that. You go and get to sell the opening game, playing in big-time games. I think that’s important. As far as the philosophy, us playing more SEC games if that happens, so be it. It’s not going to change our philosophy as far as what we do non-conference. We had already moved to that before the realignment. We were already trying to schedule big games every year, and that’s just the way that we think is best.”