Ranking Georgia's toughest opponents – Red and Black
Georgia is hoping for an unforgettable football season this fall. If the Bulldogs are going to make it a year to remember, it won’t happen without a good amount of luck.
The Bulldogs have several games that look as though they could go either way. This is usually the case when you play in the Southeastern Conference, especially when you also face quality non-conference opponents.
Here’s a look at the most nerve-racking games on Georgia’s scheudle this year, ranked from least to most concerning.
12. Sept. 26 versus Southern – Nobody likes cupcake games, but that’s what Georgia has in its game against the Jaguars. Southern had a solid 2014 season, finishing the year with a 9-4 record and a Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game appearance. The Southern game is a chance to breathe between matchups with Alabama and South Carolina.
Despite this success, don’t look for the Jaguars to hang around with Georgia for long. Southern faced only one Football Bowl Subdivision school last year: UL-Lafayette, which beat the Jaguars 45-6. If there are better games on television, you may want to sell your ticket and stay home.
11. Sept. 5 versus UL-Monroe – UL-Monroe has played spoiler against SEC opponents before. The Warhawks upset Alabama in Nick Saban’s first season back in 2007, defeated No.8 Arkansas in 2012 and nearly beat Auburn in overtime one week later.
The problem for UL-Monroe is it isn’t very good right now. The team has gotten worse each year since 2012 and has witnessed its win total drop from eight to six to four. The Warhawks played games against SEC opponents LSU and Kentucky last year and lost 31-0 and 48-14, respectively.
This game serves as an ideal first career start for Georgia’s quarterback. If all things go as planned, you can expect the second-string players to play most of the second half.
10. Sept. 12 at Vanderbilt – The Commodores were competitive against Georgia under head coach James Franklin and beat the Bulldogs in 2013. Last year’s meeting was anything but competitive, as Georgia ran through Vanderbilt 44-17 in Athens.
Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason acts like he figured out what the problem was last season, but we won’t know for sure until the Commodores’ season opener against Western Kentucky. Either way, it seems safe to notch this one as a win for the Bulldogs.
9. Nov. 21 versus Georgia Southern – The Eagles have been on a tear the last two years. They upset Florida in Gainesville 26-20 in 2013, moved up to the Sun Belt Conference last year and won the conference with an 8-0 conference record. Now that they’re bowl eligible, there’s no doubt Georgia Southern is poised to replicate last year’s success.
The thinking behind this game makes sense for Georgia. The Bulldogs face Georgia Tech the next week, which makes the Eagles game an early taste of facing spread-option offenses. The problem is Georgia Southern won’t just lie down and die because it’s Georgia. Expect the Eagles to put a legitimate scare into the Bulldogs.
8. Nov. 7 versus Kentucky – One of the best-kept secrets in the SEC is that Mark Stoops is building the Wildcats into real contenders. Kentucky sat at 5-1 last season but faltered down the stretch, losing their last six games to miss a bowl appearance by one game.
Luckily for Georgia, one of the Wildcats’ worst games in 2014 was the Bulldogs’ 63-31 victory in Lexington. Kentucky has historically struggled against Georgia and has won only twice in the last 18 seasons. Stoops and the Wildcats should go to a bowl in 2015, but it seems like they will still be no match for Georgia.
7. Oct. 31 versus Florida in Jacksonville, Florida –
Last year’s version of The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party was supposed to be a blowout in favor of Georgia — at least, that’s the way the Bulldogs played. Florida came in as heavy underdogs and absolutely dominated Georgia in a 38-20 contest.
This season marks a new era for Florida. Jim McElwain, formerly the Colorado State head coach, takes over and tries to build consistency in The Swamp. McElwain knows what to expect from coaching in the SEC, as he was an offensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban. McElwain sounds like the coach to get the Gators back on the national radar, but beating Georgia would be an upset for the second straight year.
6. Sept. 19 versus South Carolina – Georgia fans know better than to count out Steve Spurrier. The longtime Florida and South Carolina head coach has ruined many a Saturday in Athens, and through 22 games coaching against the Bulldogs he holds a 16-6 record.
The Gamecocks are coming off a dismal 7-6 season that has some doubting Spurrier’s abilities at 70 years old. Even though South Carolina had a season to forget, they still beat Georgia 38-35 in one of the zaniest games in recent memory. These two teams have one of the best rivalries in the SEC East division, and you should anticipate another close game come mid-September.
5. Oct. 17 versus Missouri – Georgia’s biggest win last season came in Columbia, Missouri. Georgia’s defense produced five turnovers in a 34-0 victory the first time Missouri hadn’t scored in a game since 2002. The Tigers got the last laugh and won the division after Georgia’s blunder in Jacksonville.
But the Tigers’ success in the coming season depends on quarterback Maty Mauk. The junior was a big reason for last year’s blowout loss to the Bulldogs;, throwing four interceptions in the game. Mauk had a mediocre year in 2014 and still led the Tigers to Atlanta. If he can get his mind right this time around, expect Missouri to hang tough in the divisional race.
4. Nov. 28 at Georgia Tech – The rivalry known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate has produced two of the series’ best finishes in the last two years. In 2013, Georgia raced from behind and beat Georgia Tech in double overtime. One year later, Georgia Tech had its revenge with a late field goal and a 30-24 overtime victory.
It’s no secret Georgia has dominated this series since the turn of the century. That being said, the Yellow Jackets are stronger than they’ve been during that period.
The reigning Orange Bowl champions return quarterback Justin Thomas, who has been the catalyst for a lot of Georgia Tech’s recent success. The Yellow Jackets have a good thing going with head coach Paul Johnson, which means counting Georgia Tech as an automatic win isn’t an option anymore.
3. Nov. 14 at Auburn- Auburn was picked to win the SEC West by the writers at SEC Media Days, and it’s easy to see why. Auburn returns highly-touted defensive end Carl Lawson, who tore his ACL before the start of last season. The Tigers hired well-respected defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Plus, Auburn has quarterback Jeremy Johnson, a player that head coach Gus Malzahn had recruited since Johnson’s ninth-grade year.
The Tigers had an uncharacteristically bad game against Georgia last year, losing in Athens 35-7. As great as last year’s matchup was for the Bulldogs, expecting anything like that this time around is unrealistic. Auburn has a legitimate shot at winning the SEC and running the gauntlet on the national level.
2. Oct. 10 at Tennessee- This yells trap game more than any other on the Bulldogs’ schedule.
The Volunteers are coming off a strong end to 2014 and are many writers’ picks to win the division. Georgia faces Tennessee one week after playing Alabama and one week prior to playing defending divisional champion Missouri. Tennessee nearly beat Georgia in the last two seasons, falling in overtime in 2013 and losing by three last year. The game is also on the road, which doesn’t make it any easier.
Georgia is infamous for having one loss that is incredibly puzzling. Last year’s loss to Florida is an example. Tennessee hasn’t beat Georgia since 2009, but it sure looks like the timing is right for the Volunteers to snap that streak.
1. Oct. 3 versus Alabama – Georgia was lucky to avoid facing Alabama in the regular season for the last six years. Mark Richt’s numbers against Nick Saban aren’t the prettiest, with Richt only winning two games in six matchups. The two teams’ last meeting in 2012 was an instant classic that ended with the Crimson Tide winning the SEC Championship 32-28 en route to its third championship under Saban.
Georgia may have lucked out because there are many uncertainties surrounding Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s quarterback position is still a question, and it looks like we might not know the starter until the Sept. 5 opener versus Wisconsin.
The West division has loaded up with talent in both new coaches and standout players. Alabama’s schedule does the team no favors, with some calling it the toughest in the country. This season’s game will have a lot to say on both programs’ trajectory this year and beyond.
If Georgia wins, the Bulldogs will likely jump up the polls and become playoff contenders. An Alabama win means the Crimson Tide are still in control and will subsequently fire up Georgia fans who aren’t satisfied with Richt. It may only be the Bulldogs’ fifth game in 2015, but make no mistake, it is the most important.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.