Smart: Georgia-Alabama rivalry won't change 'at all' post-Saban
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart still sees Alabama as a big threat in the SEC with sideline boss Kalen DeBoer replacing the retired Nick Saban this season.
"I don't expect it to change at all ... That's two great universities. Both committed. The commitment to excellence at both places is really high," Smart said Tuesday, according to Cody Goodwin of 247Sports.
No other college football rivalry has had as much at stake as some recent matchups between Alabama and Georgia featuring Saban - widely considered the greatest CFB coach of all time - versus Smart, one of his former assistants.
Since 2012, the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs have faced each other in the SEC title game or national championship game six times. Saban's outfit defeated Smart and Co. to claim the conference title last year.
"You're talking about two teams that have been at the forefront of college football," Smart added. "It's probably gonna be that way for a long time. The standard that (Saban) created there at Alabama, the standard we've created - those two are gonna be matching up for a long time, and I think it's what's great about college athletics."
Smart posted a 1-5 head coaching record against Saban, with his only victory coming in the national championship game during the 2021 season.
Alabama hired DeBoer to replace Saban in January after he went 25-3 at Washington over the last two seasons.