Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows he’s in for a challenge versus Alabama in SEC title game

The national media crowned the University of Georgia as the “new standard” of college football.

Kirby Smart is a two-time national championship head coach and David Pollack, a Georgia alumnus, referred to him as ‘clearly being better than Nick Saban.’ Smart worked under Saban for nine years (2007-15), winning four national championships in the Bowl Championship Series (2009, 2011-12) and College Football Playoff (2015) eras. He has turned Georgia into a powerhouse, but Smart knows his Alma mater is in for a challenge Saturday against Saban and the Crimson Tide for an SEC Championship.

Smart said Alabama is not the same team from week two of the college football season.

“They are playing as good of football as anyone in the country,” Smart said to reporters about Alabama in Thursday’s press conference. “Don’t talk to me about playing in Auburn because I know. They are playing really good football, and they have evolved from the start of the year to now. They are not the same team they were at the beginning of the year. They are a very talented, really well-coached, good football team that’s playing its best at the end of the year.”

Some doubted Alabama’s chances of making it to an SEC Championship Game, but college football lovers get round six of Saban versus Smart from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.

CBS will have the broadcast at 2:00 p.m. CT as the winner goes to the CFP.