"Truly despise everything about it. I really do": Georgia Tech HC drops hot take on Kirby Smart's Georgia ahead of 2024 season

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Georgia Bulldogs have a fierce interstate rivalry. But in recent years, this has become very one-sided in favor of the Bulldogs.

On Thursday, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key spoke with the Atlanta Journal Constitution and used his interview to discuss his dislike of the Bulldogs program.

“There’s nothing I hate more in the world. It’s probably the only thing I hate. When I say hate, like, truly despise everything about it. I really do.”

The rivalry between the two schools is known as "Clean Old Fashioned Hate," and the comments made by Key clearly reflect this.

The Bulldogs have won the last six meetings between the two and eight of the last 10. While Georgia Tech has had the occasional win over their state opponents, these victories have been either by one point or in overtime. This is compared to the many Georgia victories that have been complete blowouts.

As well as being the head coach of the Yellow Jackets, Brent Key also played for the Georgia Tech football team between 1997-2000. During this period, the Yellow Jackets were one of college football's best teams and defeated Georgia on three consecutive occasions.

However, those glory days are long over, and the Jackets have struggled to return to their dominant form from the past.

What does Georgia head coach Kirby Smart think of Georgia Tech?

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart was once asked what he thought of Georgia Tech. Smart told On3.com on the eve of the latest installment of the rivalry in 2023:

“Geographically, they’re close, they’re in our state. You’re playing for something every time you play them. You’re playing for a state championship and I think that’s always important ... I don’t rank them any higher than anybody else because I look at all the games as rivalries."

This was a very diplomatic answer and one that should be expected from a head coach like Kirby Smart. While the Yellow Jackets have struggled to hold a candle to the Bulldogs, a team like the Alabama Crimson Tide could be seen as the Bulldogs' "real" rivals.

As Key did for his side, Kirby Smart played on the Georgia Bulldogs between 1995-1998, meaning both coaches were on their program's respective roster when the teams met in 1997.

Key and the Yellow Jackets won this game, but 20 years on, it's Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs who have the bragging rights in the peach state.