Expectations are sky high for Georgia entering the 2026 season. They just won the SEC for the second year in a row and are the No. 3 team in the country entering the season. The Bulldogs aren't the betting favorite to win a national title, but Georgia fans are expecting them to finish on top.
Standing in their way, once again, is one of the most difficult schedules in the country. Georgia has gone a perfect 12-0 in the regular season three times in recent years (2021-2023), but it seems a little unlikely for that to occur this year.
Georgia football finishes 11-1 in the regular season
Georgia football will finish the regular season at 11-1. They are currently favored to win every game on their schedule, but they face far too many good teams to expect a 12-0 record.
The Bulldogs road games at Alabama and Ole Miss are the most likely spot for them to slip up. Their home game against Oklahoma in week four will be a tough test as well, and some media members predict a big upset towards the end of the season at South Carolina as well. Georgia still hasn't gotten over the Alabama hump completely, and that is where their one loss will most likely occur this year.
An 11-1 record should be good enough to make the SEC Championship game once again where they will win the conference for the third year in a row. Georgia will enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 overall seed where Kirby Smart will make the necessary adjustments to make his first deep playoff run in the 12-team era.
Georgia wins Kirby Smart's 3rd national championship
Georgia last won a national championship in 2022. In reality that isn't that long ago, but fans are growing increasingly impatient because they haven't won a playoff game since that national title. Georgia however will get over the hump again this year and win the national championship, finishing the season 15-1.
The Bulldogs' lack of playoff success over the last three years has caused some media and fans to not have confidence in them this season. Most believe they will contend for an SEC Championship and make the playoff, but there aren't many people outside of Athens who think they can make a deep playoff run.
Kirby Smart however is changing things up a bit this season. He reportedly has shortened Georgia's practices this fall in an effort to help his team be more fresh at the end of the season when the playoff begins. It's unclear if this strategy will work, but if Georgia makes a deep playoff run this plan could prove to be effective.
Georgia's run to a national championship begins this Saturday at home against Tennessee State. This should be an easy win to start the season, but this game is still important so the Bulldogs can start learning how to play together as a team before the difficult portion of their schedule begins.
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