ESPN analyst Greg McIlroy calls Georgia's schedule, “absolutely brutal” but that may not matter

At SEC Media Days in Dallas, the Georgia Bulldogs were picked to finish first in the conference, ahead of Texas and Alabama, in the media poll. However, it certainly won’t be a cakewalk to the conference title game with trips to Austin, Tuscaloosa, and Oxford all on the slate for Kirby Smart’s team this fall. 

ESPN’s Greg McIlroy recently broke down Georgia’s path through the SEC and said, “They play the hardest schedule in the country, I don’t care what anybody says.” McIlroy not only mentioned those trips to play Texas, Alabama, and Ole Miss, the consensus top 3 contenders to the Bulldogs, but he also brought up neutral site contests against Clemson in Week 1 and later in the season against Florida. 

McIlroy even went so far as to say that Clemson, “might have a top 5 defense in the country with what they bring back.”

The season opener against Dabo Swinney’s Tigers could be a potential pitfall for the Bulldogs, who missed the College Football Playoff last season. However, this “brutal” schedule is no reason to panic for Georgia fans. With the expansion to a 12-team CFP, the expectations have changed for all of the country’s top teams, especially those with a schedule like Georgia’s. 

Last season, Georgia didn’t test itself in the non-conference, so even with an undefeated regular season in the SEC, a loss to Alabama in the SEC title game knocked the back-to-back national champs down to sixth in the final CFP rankings. Even undefeated Florida State, who Georgia met in the Orange Bowl, missed the playoff because of an injury to quarterback Jordan Travis and a weaker road to 13-0. 

In a four-team CFP setup, there was absolutely no margin for error, but now with 12 teams staying alive to play for the championship, the Bulldogs can survive a loss or two, or maybe even three. Last year, 10-2 Ole Miss would’ve locked up the final spot, with G5 Liberty snagging an automatic qualifier, and just barley on the outside looking in after 10-2 Oklahoma were 9-3 LSU at No. 13 and 9-3 Arizona at No. 14. 

So yes, the 2024 schedule is brutal for Georgia, but that matters less than it ever has, and actually could be an advantage. Statement wins can overshadow competitive losses, even if Georgia drops all three of its road tests to Texas, Alabama, and Ole Miss, Smart can still present a convincing case to the CFP committe with neutral wins over Clemson, Florida, and a home win over Tennessee. 

College football is entering a new era, one were perfection is no longer needed.