The SEC has finally released the dates of their ten-game conference only schedule for the 2020 season. For the Georgia Bulldogs, there are a few surprising decisions the conference made for the schedule.
Georgia Bulldogs Schedule Breakdown
The Opener
To start the season, the Georgia Bulldogs schedule could be the biggest head-scratcher of all. The team will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for their longest trip of the year on September 26th. The long road trip is likely confusing to some because there are much closer opponents to start the season, such as Alabama, Auburn, or South Carolina.
For Georgia, a closer option would likely have been playing in Columbia, South Carolina, against the Gamecocks of South Carolina. Instead, the longest trip of 2020 takes place on the first Saturday of the season.
The first game does present an interesting storyline, however, as Sam Pittman will get his first shot at his former employers. Pittman probably did not want his first game with a new school to be against one of the top teams in the nation, but nonetheless, it should be an interesting storyline to follow.
Looking across the conference, it appears that the SEC decided to give its bigger teams a tune-up game in week one. Alabama gets Missouri, Florida gets Ole Miss, LSU gets Mississippi State, and Texas A&M gets Vanderbilt. It is pretty apparent that for the most part, the contenders all got a tune-up to start the year, with the exception being Auburn, who faces Kentucky to start.
Weeks Two and Three
Following that week one game, the schedule gets much tougher for the Bulldogs. Georgia gets two games in Athens, but neither will be a cake-walk Between the Hedges. In week two, the Auburn Tigers come to Sanford Stadium to play the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry in one of the earliest slots we have ever seen it played in. The Tigers are always a contender in the West, and this year should be no different.
In week three, the Tennessee Volunteers come to town for what is always an interesting game, no matter the final score. Georgia has won the previous three meetings, but 2016 produced one of the memorable games. That was the year that Tennessee won the game on a last-minute Hail Mary to upset the home team. Tennessee has had a rough couple of seasons, but the team from Knoxville appears to finally be putting together a competitive team, adding to the intrigue of this matchup.
The Tough Road Trip
After the two-game homestand, Georgia gets their toughest three-game stretch of the season. Three games, three opponents who will likely be ranked, and zero games in Sanford Stadium. To start the road trip, the Bulldogs will head to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. This will likely be the marquee game of the week and quite possibly of the season. It could be a top-three matchup with both teams fighting for a win in what will likely be the first of two meetings this year.
The second trip will be up to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has never really been a huge power in the SEC, but in recent years the team has put together a squad that is sneaky good. The Wildcats will most likely be a Top 25 team at this point. Despite this, Georgia could get themselves in trouble by not focusing on this game. Sandwiched between the two biggest games on the schedule, it will require Georgia to stay dialed in. Overlooking the game could be a loss.
Following those two road trips, Georgia gets Halloween weekend off. On November 7th, the Bulldogs head south to Jacksonville, Florida for the annual meeting with the Florida Gators. Both teams are coming off of a bye and will be rested and ready to go for the de facto SEC East Championship game. Neither team has a huge game following this one, so this will likely decide who goes to Atlanta at the end of the season.
The Finale
Georgia closes the season with a four-game stretch that alternates between road and home games. None of the final four teams are major threats to the Bulldogs, but they can not lose focus. Four consecutive SEC games are never an easy task, no matter which teams they are against.
The Bulldogs start the stretch with a road game against Missouri. They then host Mike Leach and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. In the third game, they take a trip to play the South Carolina Gamecocks and then close the season at home against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
While this part of the schedule looks on the easier side for Georgia, any of those four games could be considered a trap game. None of the four are getting much respect from most pundits, but all four teams are capable of pulling off an upset. No one knows what the Bulldogs from the West Division will look like with Mike Leach at the helm. South Carolina pulled off an upset just last season. Vanderbilt is always sneakily good even though they get close to zero respect.
Georgia will need to put together a strong final four games to finish the year. Two weeks after the Vanderbilt game, Mercedes Benz Stadium hosts the SEC Championship game. The week of rest will be huge for whichever two teams make it to the big game.
Final Thoughts
The Georgia Bulldogs schedule does not afford an easy road to an undefeated season, but if they can survive that road stretch in the middle of the season, they should have a strong season. A tune-up against Arkansas should help answer some questions on offense. A couple of rivalry games should help get the momentum going in weeks two and three. The middle of the season will provide the biggest thrills with three huge games. An easier final four games help out big time should Georgia make the SEC Championship. If you take it one game at a time, it is not as daunting as it originally seems. That is exactly what the Georgia Bulldogs must do this season as well.
