Kirby Smart has led Georgia football to its pinnacle since taking over the team. With back-to-back national titles, many bowl wins, and multiple first-round choices in the NFL Draft, the Dawgs appear to be in the best possible situation. But everything about college football has changed, beginning with the SEC.
The conference has added two additional teams, which has upset Georgia’s schedule for 2023 and eliminated their matchup with Oklahoma. The Bulldogs’ schedule for 2024 is challenging; how will Georgia fare against one of the most demanding schedules in NCAA football?
They play the Clemson Tigers in their season opener at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which is a neutral venue. The Tigers’ season began against Georgia not too long ago; in fact, Georgia’s drive for a national title started in 2021. In 2024, the Tigers and Georgia both have some important players returning to their lineup. As a new era in college football begins, it should be another close game between the two elite teams, with Georgia coming out on top and going to 1-0.
Their next game, hosted by the Ohio Valley Conference’s Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, will take place again Between the Hedges. Tennessee Tech, led by a new head coach, hopes to reverse the recent losing trends that have overshadowed the program’s standout players, such Georgia native Nate Hodnett. However, Georgia is not a difficult opponent, and the Bulldogs should advance to a 2-0 record.
Georgia’s first road game of the season will be against the Kentucky Wildcats and its two new players, Brock Vandgriff and Jamon Dumas-Johnson, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. This may be a genuine test of the Bulldogs’ makeup in 2024, as was predicted this past season, but it might not be as difficult as some think. The Dawgs, who are now 3-0, will march out of Kroger Field after defeating Mark Stoops and his Wildcats once more.
A new feature of the 12-team playoff and college football is the inclusion of two bye weeks during the regular season. The first BYE for Georgia is scheduled between trips to Tuscaloosa and Lexington, which makes it ideal. The most difficult assignment for Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer will come from Georgia, who will seek retribution on the Crimson Tide once more. Given that Nick Saban, who is currently enjoying retirement, is a close friend of Kirby Smart, it will be fascinating to watch how the two adversaries perform against one another. Georgia will probably barely hold onto their spotless record as they eek out a victory in what could be another classic between the two sides.
The next week, Georgia will host Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers, the second of its nearby rivals to the west. Last season, Georgia was able to maintain its top ranking in the nation because to Brock Bowers’ incredible performance in the fourth quarter against the Tigers. It will need to be a new player this season, and Auburn will need to vacate Jordan-Hare Stadium, their “voodoo” stadium in Athens. The Dawgs are 5-0 thanks to Smart’s triumph, despite unrest in Freeze’s defensive unit and one of the best recruiting classes.
Mississippi State’s visit to Georgia will provide the SEC with a second new head coach. In an English Bulldogs game, former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s Bulldogs will travel to Athens. Rebuilding a program that was taken over by the late Air Raid great Mike Leach will be a challenging task for him. Lebby was a solid offensive coordinator for the Sooners, but don’t expect much from Miss. State’s attack, especially without Will Rogers, against defensive masterminds Glenn Chumann, Kirby Smart, Travaris Robinson, and Donte Williams. Going into what should be their toughest game of 2024, the dawgs are 6-0.
Although Georgia Tech is not the same program as it was a few years ago, the Yellow Jackets’ future appears bright. They had one of the top offenses in the ACC this past season, and they hope to build on their 2023 season success. Even though Georgia had a severely injured team at the close of the previous season, they were able to keep up with them, and they had made significant progress. Although the Yellow Jackets are striving to “Run This State,” they are not yet the best dogs. For the third consecutive year,
The SEC championship would subsequently take place in a divisionless league. Many teams might make it to the championship game, including Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. Georgia should be in the SEC Championship and in the 12-team playoff picture if these predictions come true.
