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What is Kirby Smart's all-time record against teams in the top four?

Kirby Smart and the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs are about to take on the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide, so what is the Georgia head coach's record against top four teams?

By Sam Fariss

Georgia coach Kirby Smart reacts on the sideline during the second half of an NCAA Aflac Kickoff game against Tennessee Tech in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart reacts on the sideline during the second half of an NCAA Aflac Kickoff game against Tennessee Tech in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Believe it or not, the two-time National Championship-winning coach Kirby Smart is actually on his first-ever head coaching gig of his career.

From becoming the Bulldogs' administrative assistant in 1999 to working his way to the NFL and then back to Athens, GA, Smart has an imposing yet surprisingly short resume in the world of football.

With the Georgia Bulldogs, Smart has cemented his name as one of the greatest college football coaches out there and is one of the many branching off of Nick Saban's coaching lineage.

However, Smart has one fault in his coaching tenure, he struggles against Alabama and against teams that hold the top four spots in the country.

Kirby Smart's HC record against teams in the top 4

  • Win vs. No. 2 Auburn – Dec. 2, 2017
  • Win vs. No. 2 Oklahoma – Jan. 1, 2018
  • Loss vs. No. 4 Alabama – Jan. 8, 2018
  • Loss vs. No. 1 Alabama – Jan. 1, 2019
  • Loss vs. No. 2 LSU – Dec. 7, 2019
  • Loss vs. No. 2 Alabama – Oct. 17, 2020
  • Win vs. No. 3 Clemson – Sept. 4, 2021
  • Loss vs. No. 3 Alabama – Dec. 4, 2021
  • Win vs. No. 2 Michigan – Dec. 31, 2021
  • Win vs. No. 1 Alabama – Jan. 10, 2022 (National Championship game)
  • Win vs. No. 1 Tennessee – Nov. 5, 2022
  • Win vs. No. 4 Ohio State – Dec. 31, 2022
  • Win vs. No. 3 TCU – Jan. 9, 2023 (National Championship game)

Smart is 8-5 all-time against teams in the top four. No, that isn't bad by any means but when the Crimson Tide is in the top four, Smart and the Bulldogs have gone 1-4 against Alabama. A top-ranked Alabama team is Smart's kryptonite. So far, it has become the one thing he can't master.

This week, No. 2 Georgia takes on No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, just to make the mountain an even harder hill to climb.

If Smart can lead the Bulldogs to victory, not only will the team stand atop the SEC, but he will also be one step closer to surmounting the beast of the Crimson Tide.

This Saturday, Georgia and Alabama are scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN+.

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