When the preseason polls come out later this month, Georgia football should be ranked at No.3 behind Alabama and Clemson. And once again, the expectations are high in Athens.
Georgia football’s schedule is rugged enough to match those expectations. According to CBS Sports, Georgia has the second-toughest schedule in the SEC behind the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Bulldogs’ should be able to handle their first three games comfortably. First, they travel on the road to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores, and the next two games are against non Power Five schools, Murray State and Arkansas State.
The following week on Sept. 21 is when things start to get tough. Beginning on that date, and leading up to the bye week before Florida, Georgia must play at home against Notre Dame, at Tennessee, a bye week, and South Carolina and Kentucky at home.
The final five weeks of the season are rigorous as well as Georgia plays Florida in Jacksonville, home against Mizzou, at Auburn, home versus Texas A&M and at Georgia Tech.
More from Dawn of the Dawg
- Georgia Football: Top 5 Nick Chubb Moments at Georgia
- Georgia Football: Know the enemy UAB Blazers
- Nick Chubb is America’s running back, and he will return
- Georgia Football: Should laundry list of injuries be a cause to panic?
- Georgia Football: Report cards for Week 3 game against South Carolina
The Bulldogs’ also drew the short end of the stick because every SEC opponent they play, besides Kentucky and Texas A&M have an off week before we play them.
Even though this year’s schedule is tough, I think that we have the talent and depth to pull off an eleven win or undefeated regular season.
There will be some bumps in the road, and I think that there are three games in particular in which Georgia cannot overlook.
3. Missouri
Last year Georgia escaped Columbia with a comfortable win, but Mizzou’s offense gave the Bulldogs’ defense a fight.
With Kelly Bryant leading the offense there’s a reason to think that the Tigers might be underrated.
However, coming off a season where they put 38 points in the Swamp on the road is alarming.
This game is a tough one to predict. If Bryant plays at a level Tigers head coach Barry Odom hopes, Missouri could come into Sanford Stadium as a tough team to beat.
Georgia has beaten the Tigers five times in a row, but since joining the SEC in 2013, Mizzou has been a tough opponent for Georgia. I think that with the home crowd, Georgia wins it in the end.
2. Florida
This upcoming annual Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville could be a barn-burner.
Even though Dan Mullen and Florida fans have been talking a big game on social media this offseason, Georgia shouldn’t take them lightly.
Both teams will be coming off a bye week going into the game, so it’ll be interesting to see how each team utilizes their bye week to prepare for each other.
The Gators have skilled players at many positions, including quarterback Feleipe Franks, so it will be a challenge for Georgia to win the third game in a row in Jacksonville.
Ultimately, Georgia’s talent should be enough to edge the Gators in the end.
1: Texas A&M
If the Bulldogs can make it through their SEC unscathed, then it all comes down to the Nov. 23 match up with Texas A&M at home.
Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher led the team to nine wins in his first season, and star quarterback Kellen Mond returns to College Station as well.
Texas A&M has possibly one of the toughest schedules in the country this season, they face Alabama and Clemson before coming to Athens, so the Aggies could enter this game with multiple losses.
If that were to happen, playing a team with nothing to lose could be dangerous. I think if Georgia can hold on enough for a D’Andre Swift “nail in the coffin” touchdown, then Georgia can win this one by a slim margin.