You have to appreciate Kirby Smart’s candor.

He was asked Tuesday at SEC Media Days about his Georgia Bulldogs playing at Auburn in a night game.

His response was respectful of Auburn. He even called Jordan-Hare “iconic.”

It was his reaction to the way the question was phrased, which got laughs from the gathered media.

“You want me to pump up Jordan-Hare?” he replied.

His point, of course, is Auburn’s football stadium doesn’t need his help.

“It’s already one of the iconic places to play college football,” he explained. “Some of the greatest games in SEC history have come out of that stadium. It’s one of the toughest places to play in college football because of the passion and environment that they create.”

He also doesn’t want to see the rivalry game go away, which he said has been speculated about during the 8 vs. 9 conference-game schedule debate.

“That’s a tradition I love,” Smart said of the Georgia-Auburn game. “I grew up in southwest Georgia where it was easier to get to Auburn than it was Georgia from where I lived. So, I respect that rivalry, but they’re all big games.

“I would hate to lose that one, if that happened.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.