Georgia football: Kick off times are irrelevant when you’re special

ATHENS, GA - OCTOBER 02: Nakobe Dean #17 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Sanford Stadium on October 2, 2021 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - OCTOBER 02: Nakobe Dean #17 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Sanford Stadium on October 2, 2021 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Georgia football is the No.1 team in the country, and rightfully so. They are a unique team that has bullied every team they’ve played this year, resulting in an 8-0 start and clinching the SEC East title in October.

On Sunday, the SEC announced the Dawgs would play Missouri at noon on Nov.6.

This announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise because the other two matchups they had to decide for included Auburn, who beat Ole Miss last week, and the Alabama-LSU game.

Auburn should get the 3:30 p.m. slot because they are hot right now, and if they win, the SEC West race is far from finished. Alabama-LSU should be a night game because it’s that game, and much like the WLOCP, that game could go either way, regardless of how bad LSU is.

Last week, we predicted this Missouri game would indeed be at noon because, to put it simply, it was a conference game, but it isn’t an appealing one. The Tigers are 4-4 overall and just got their first SEC win this weekend against Vanderbilt.

Missouri is going through a rebuilding year and is trying to find their identity, so why put them on prime time, even if they’re playing the No.1 team in the country.

Georgia has two night games under their belt in Clemson and South Carolina, but other than that, it’s been either a 3:30 p.m. or noon kickoff. There is nothing wrong with playing at these times, especially since 3:30 p.m. is another prime television spot.

So if we’re talking prime spots, then out of eight games, six of them were in prime time. So as the Georgia fans did with Arkansas, pack out Sanford Stadium and be there early.

Who cares when they play as long as they win? Georgia will likely blow Missouri out of Sanford Stadium, so why not get it out of the way early? Recruiting visitors will still be there in mass numbers because they want to see the No.1 team play.

When there is a team as unique as Georgia, the Dawgs will pull numbers regardless of when they play. Winning is far more important than what time of day they play.

As wild as this following statement sounds, I’m all but confident head coach Kirby Smart and this team would rather play a noon game than a night game.

They can get up, run their routine and go — there is no dead time. Instead, the team wakes up, has breakfast, team meetings, and then bam, it’s time to go and play a game.

Plus, it is getting colder, and a night game in November can be rough if Georgia weather wants it to be. A noon kickoff means being chilly, but at least there is the sun to warm up folks and make it less cold.

Another thing to think about is how despite not having many night games this season, there will be a 4 p.m. kickoff for the SEC title game, either a 3:30 or 7:30 p.m. kickoff for the semifinal game and an 8:30 kickoff time for the national title game.

Those three games are the three most important games to an SEC East team, and Georgia could end up being in all three, which could result in breaking the drought — so why does it matter when they play.

It doesn’t matter because the bigger picture is far better than another night game. Georgia could play noon games for the rest of the regular season to play in the three postseason games to accomplish the overall goal.

A noon game time isn’t ideal for fans, and even though they feel like playing at noon will be costly, it won’t. Georgia will handle their business, blow out Missouri and move on to the next opponent.

Enjoy every game played in Sanford Stadium because this season is supposed to be memorable, one that fans take in every moment and remember because it is finally the one.

Do you want to look back and remember complaining because there was a noon game or that you saw Georgia shut down another team on the way to their first title game in 41 years?

No one should want to be that person, so Dawg fans enjoy a noon game on Saturday against the Tigers because it’s just another memory in this monumental season.