Kirby Smart explains Georgia's approach to this year's SEC Championship as the favorite

It’s almost time for the SEC Championship between No. 1 Georgia and No. 3 Alabama. But this game is different than any other Crimson Tide game over the last five years.

They’re underdogs.

Georgia is a 6.5-point favorite for the matchup, according to VegasInsider. It’s the first time Alabama enters as an underdog since 2015 when 1-point dog against the Bulldogs in 2015. Alabama won that game 38-14.

On the SEC teleconference this week, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart talked about being a favorite and how it affects anything as his team gets ready for the big game.

“We’ll come to Atlanta tomorrow like a traditional road game for us,” Smart said. “We’ll travel over tomorrow, very similar to what we did last week, going over to play Tech.

“The mindset has been great. The energy has been great. Our guys have really been focused. I think it’s very important, as a coach, that you curb the enthusiasm, you have it under control. This is one of those weeks you’ve got to be careful you don’t leave the battle out on the practice field. You want to make sure they’re ready to go. It’s going to be a really tough, physical game, and you don’t want them to use it all in practice where our guys have been pretty spirited in getting after it.”

The game between No. 1 Georgia and No. 3 Alabama pits the nation’s top defense against one of the highest-powered offenses in the country. Kickoff is coming Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on CBS.

Kirby Smart discusses his relationship with longtime mentor Nick Saban

Kirby Smart and Nick Saban worked together from 2007-15. This weekend will mark the second time the two face off in the SEC Championship when No. 1 Georgia faces off against No. 3 Alabama on Saturday.

The last time it happened was in 2018 when Alabama defeated Georgia 35-28.

Smart was asked about his relationship with Saban going back to their time at Alabama on the SEC teleconference, and he gave a great answer.

“Coach and I are both very appreciative of our relationship,” Smart said. “I think a lot of him. He’s meant a lot in my career, as he has a lot of coaches out there in the country. I think you appreciate the job he does more when you’re gone than maybe when you were there because when you move on, you appreciate the fact that he works really hard, he doesn’t ask any of his assistants to do anything that he doesn’t do and he holds everybody to a high standard.

“He and I, we don’t communicate daily or anything, but I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He spent some time in the summer up around where my parents live, but it’s not like we get to keep in touch a lot. We both have our own families and own things going on.”