Georgia football game-by-game predictions for the 2024 regular season

The Georgia Bulldogs missed the College Football Playoff last season, but with massive turnover at Alabama, Michigan, and Washington, Kirby Smart’s team is entering the year as the favorite to win it all for the third time in four seasons. The belief in Georgia is certainly valid with Carson Beck, one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy at quarterback and perennially stout defense, not just making, but making noise in the 12-team College Football Playoff is the expectation in Athens. 

The Dawgs lost one game in 2023 and it was enough to keep them out of the four-team CFP, but in this new world of college football, Smart’s group could withstand two or even three losses throughout this gauntlet of a schedule. With difficult road trips and an old-school rivalry at a neutral site, there may not be a tougher schedule in the country, so how will Georgia fare in 2024? Let’s go through it game-by-game. 

Prediction: Win

Kirby Smart hasn’t gone all-in on the transfer portal like some other programs have, but compared to Dabo Swinney and Clemson, Georgia dove in headfirst. The Tigers still recruit exceptionally well, but without taking any transfers, they just can’t fill holes and their roster has quite a few. 

The Clemson offense struggled a lot with Cade Klubnik at quarterback and Garrett Riley calling the plays, and there’s not much reason to believe it will get better with Will Shipley in the NFL and Beaux Collins at Notre Dame. 

Prediction: Win

Last season, Tennessee Tech went 3-9, and even with Georgia potentially looking ahead to Kentucky in Week 3, the Bulldogs will bulldoze the Golden Eagles. Week 2 is a great chance for Carson Beck to bolster his Heisman Trophy candidacy with big numbers.

Prediction: Win

The Brock Vandagriff reunion may not look so pretty in Week 3. After getting a jumpstart in Week 2, Georgia’s offense will be firing on all cylinders for the start of SEC play and the defense will be motivated to send a message to the former Bulldog who transferred to an in-conference competitor. 

Week 4: BYE

Prediction: rest

Prediction: Win

Unlike most programs when a legendary head coach hangs it up or leaves for greener pastures, Alabama wasn’t gutted this offseason. Caleb Downs transferred to Ohio State so the defense will take a step back under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, but the offense, despite losing Isiah Bond to Texas and Jermaine Burton to the NFL, could be even better. 

Jalen Milroe is a Heisman trophy candidate and with Parker Brailsford following DeBoer from Washington, Alabama plugged its only hole on the offensive line, but even in Tuscaloosa, Georgia is the better football team. Stopping the run game will be tough, but Nazir Stackhouse and Mykel Williams should be up to the task on the defensive line and the Dawgs will win a close one. 

Prediction: Win

Hugh Freeze is taking steps in the right direction at Auburn. He added two elite wide receivers in the 2024 recruiting class, along with KeAndre Lambert-Smith from Penn State through the transfer portal. If Payton Thorne is up to the task, then Auburn could have a quality offense, but Carson Beck provides such a distinct advantage at the most important position on the field that the Tigers will run out of steam in a shootout. 

Prediction: Win

You might be noticing a trend of high-scoring games for the Bulldogs, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Dawgs averaged 40.1 points per game last season with Mike Bobo calling the plays for Carson Beck, and there’s no reason to expect that duo to regress in 2024. Jeff Lebby was a good hire for Mississippi State, but his Bulldogs are a long long way from Kirby’s. 

Prediction: Win 

Sure, Texas made the College Football Playoff over Georgia last season and gave Washington a scare at the end of the game, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Longhorns were 116th in passing defense and didn’t get a lot better on that side of the ball. 

On top of a weak secondary, Texas will have a tough time replacing T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy on the defensive line, so Georgia will dominate the trenches and it’ll be bombs away for Beck. 

Week 9: BYE

Prediction: rest

Prediction: Win

Graham Mertz impressed a lot of people will his improvement last season after transferring from Wisconsin to Florida and he should provide a very healthy floor for the Gators on offense. However, Florida’s schedule is simply too grueling for Billy Napier’s program to take a step in the right direction. A close game against Georgia will help to cool his seat, but his roster isn’t good enough to win this rivalry game. 

Prediction: Win

Ole Miss has never been able to match Georgia on the offensive and defensive lines, but this year, they’ll give the Bulldogs a real test in the trenches. Adding Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen on the defensive line will give Lane Kiffin his best chance of winning the SEC, but Georgia is still superior at too many places on the roster. 

Jaxson Dart is a darkhorse Heisman selection, but I expect him to struggle against Georgia’s defense, which with a young secondary, will be hitting its stride down the stretch. 

Prediction: Win

The SEC slate ends with a bang as Georgia faces back-to-back CFP contenders. With Nico Iamaleava, Josh Heupel should have one of the most dynamic young quarterbacks in the country and his veer-and-shoot offense is designed to mitigate any talent discrepancies. Georgia could struggle to get stops in Week 12, but that’s why Carson Beck came back, and he’ll have to come through with a game-winning drive at home that could turn into a Heisman moment. 

Prediction: Win

This is a beautiful cupcake opportunity for Georgia after battling its way through the SEC. UMass is coming off a 3-9 season with wins over New Mexico State, Army, and Merrimack. Even Auburn beat this team 59-14 early last year. 

Prediction: Loss

If Georgia makes it through the SEC unscathed with wins over Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss, then the Bulldogs won’t have anything to play for in Week 14, except some Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. However, when you’re in the business of winning national championships, hate isn’t a strong enough motivator to play your starters and risk injury. 

The Bulldogs would have a spot in the SEC championship game locked up, and each of the four highest-ranked conference winners clinches a top-four spot in the CFP, so 12-0 or 11-1 makes no difference. Sure, an undefeated run could clinch the No. 1 overall seed, but there isn’t a ton of value presented there with all Round 2 games occurring at neutral sites. 

So, maybe Kirby rests his starters and his quarterback. If that’s the case, Georgia Tech will see an opportunity to beat a rival and there’s a chance that’s enough of a motivator to get the best of the backup Bulldogs.