Kirby Smart no longer has to fret about his mentor-turned-nemesis in Tuscaloosa

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Kirby Smart no longer has to worry about his mentor-turned-nemesis in Tuscaloosa. Somewhere, deep in his gut, the Georgia coach might be a bit relieved that Nick Saban is now wearing a mic at the broadcast table rather than a headset on the sideline.

Just don't expect Smart to come right out and say it.

Deflecting several versions of the same question — essentially, what's it going to be like to face an Alabama team that's not coached by Saban? — Smart kept the focus squarely on the two powerhouse programs that will meet Saturday night on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“No, I don’t expect it to be strange,” Smart said Monday. “That’s just the normal course of progression."