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The 2023 season was nearly perfect for the Georgia Bulldogs. They had an undefeated record and were ranked No. 1 in the country for three straight weeks by the College Football Playoff Committee before facing Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championship. Georgia was bested by a field goal and because of the committee, ended any postseason hopes coming in at No. 6 in the final poll.
The almost undefeated squad is looking for revenge in 2024 with a similar roster to last year.
Quarterback Carson Beck is more experienced in Year 2 as the starter, and he gained a new weapon at his disposal, former Florida Gators running back, Trevor Etienne.
The Transfer Portal took as much from Georgia as it gave. The red and black lost pass rusher Marvin Jones Jr. to Florida State and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson to Kentucky.
Beck, although gaining Etienne, lost two of his top receivers to the draft, tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Ladd McConkey. The defense also lost safeties Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith to the pros.
The losses are no sweat for Kirby Smart, who’s consistently at the top of the recruiting rankings and has won multiple national championships. The offense and defense will be restocked and ready to compete for another title.
It’s not an easy task to head back to glory. With the release of the preseason Associated Press (AP) Poll, Georgia is slated to face the No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 and No. 14 teams this season, so the former back-to-back champs have their work cut out for them.
Week 1: Clemson Tigers
To kick off the season, Georgia hosts Clemson in Athens, Ga., for a ranked Week 1 battle.
Will it be much of a battle?
With Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s “anti-Transfer Portal philosophy,” the Tigers have only added freshmen. The philosophy hasn’t worked too well. Last season, Clemson finished 9-3 and missed out on the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. It’s not a failure for most programs, but in a weaker ACC and the recruiting prowess of Clemson, it is. Clemson is still a powerhouse, and it won’t be a cakewalk for Georgia, but having the game in Georgia is a plus for the Bulldogs.
Overall, Georgia holds a 43-18-4 record over the Tigers and the last meeting was in 2021—a season opener, too. It was an old-school defensive fight with the Bulldogs winning 10-3 and this year’s opener will be similar. Despite the losses on the defense, Georgia out defenses Clemson with still one of the best defenses in the country. A more experienced Tigers’ quarterback Cade Klubnik hasn’t seen a defense as good as Georgia’s.
This will be a real test for Klubnik, and he won’t pass. The Bulldogs start the season off with a win.
Record: 1-0
Week 2: Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
Georgia will run up the score against Tennessee Tech. The Bulldogs’ young stars will be showcased against the FCS foe. The two have only met twice with the latest meeting coming in 2009. In both meetings, Georgia has outscored the Eagles 105-0. Tennessee Tech will shoot to at least get on the scoreboard but not likely. Georgia steamrolls.
Record: 2-0
Week 3: at Kentucky Wildcats
Georgia opens SEC play on the road against Kentucky, which will see a familiar face on the other side. Kentucky has a quarterback battle on its hands, but it looks like former Georgia backup Brock Vandagriff will get the nod.
The Wildcats program looks to be putting more money into football after sending off basketball legend John Calipari to Arkansas. However, Kentucky isn’t there yet to beat Georgia. Kentucky puts up a little fight at home, but Georgia’s depth outlasts the Wildcats on the road.
Record: 3-0
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: at Alabama Crimson Tide
This is one of three massive games for Georiga. This isn’t Nick Saban’s Alabama anymore. It’s the known-winner coach Kalen DeBoer’s show in Tuscaloosa, Ala. In Year 1, DeBoer has a pivotal game at home early in the season.
The last time these two squads met, Alabama beat Georiga in the SEC Championship, but that was on a neutral site. Georgia is on the road this time. That game came down to the wire and this game will, too. It very well could be the best game of the season.
Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe had one of the best games of his career last year. He hurt Georgia with his legs and with his arm on a couple of deep touchdowns. Georgia will have to key him in better this time around if it wants to stay undefeated.
Milroe is a talented player, and he will be the difference maker again.
It’s hard to win at Alabama, but Smart is one of, if not, the best coach in the country. He won’t let what happened last year happen again. Georgia stays undefeated on the road.
Record: 4-0
Week 6: Auburn Tigers
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is trying to return Auburn to glory after the Tigers have had three head coaches since 2020. He’s still in the rebuilding phase but has a positive trajectory with solid recruits coming in. They aren’t on the roster yet, though.
The Bulldogs haven’t lost to the Tigers since 2017. Georgia wins its first SEC game at home.
Record: 5-0
Week 7: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State was one of the worst teams in the SEC last season with a 5-7 record. This is the first season with former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as the head coach. Lebby dipped into the Portal to grab a former familiar Big 12 Conference quarterback Blake Shapen.
Shapen and the Bulldogs are rebuilding and at the start. They are just looking to be bowl-eligible come postseason. Georgia wins an easy one at home and builds confidence before playing Texas.
Record: 6-0
Week 8: at Texas Longhorns
This could easily be the game of the year depending on the records, especially if Georgia beats Alabama earlier in the year. The biggest competitor will be No. 2 Ohio State against No. 3 Oregon.
With the preseason AP Poll coming out, this sits as No. 1 Georiga vs. No. 4 Texas and could be a preview of the SEC Championship this season.
Texas returns its veteran quarterback Quinn Ewers, who is on Heisman Trophy watch coming into the season. Ewers had a solid 2023, finishing 14th in passing yards. He did lose some weapons on the outside to the draft and lost running back CJ Baxter to a season-ending injury, who was the presumable starting back. The offense will have to adjust but having offensive-minded Steve Sarkisian will definitely help a hindered offense. Like Georgia, Texas lost its top defensive player Jaylan Ford. The Longhorns are returning their two sack leaders, though.
Georgia and Texas have played just five times with the Longhorns winning four of them. The most recent was in 2019 in the Sugar Bowl. Texas took that one, too.
This game is a tossup. The fact Georgia has to travel gives the edge to Texas, resulting in the Bulldogs' first loss.
Record: 6-1
Week 9: Florida Gators
Florida has one of the hardest schedules in the SEC and in the country. Luckily, the game is in Jacksonville, Fla. Florida and Billy Napier are still trying to figure out who they are and haven’t produced like the Gators have historically.
Georgia has won the last three meetings and will win this one because this isn’t the Florida college football is used.
Record: 7-1
Week 10: at Ole Miss Rebels
The last of the gauntlet of games for Georgia. Ole Miss has a talented roster that can make a lot of noise this season. The Rebels capped off the 2023 season with a win over Penn State in the Peach Bowl, showcasing Jaxson Dart and the offense's capabilities.
The offense lost its running back, Quinshon Judkins, but it did return Ulysses Bentley, who rushed for 540 yards behind Judkins. The offense will still be one of the best in the SEC.
Last year, Georgia dominated at home 52-17, so despite the game being on the road and a more experienced Ole Miss squad, this is one of the three tough road games Georgia wins.
Record: 8-1
Week 11: Tennessee Volunteers
Not having to travel to Tennessee is a big plus for Georgia, evading a potential season-defying upset game in Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee didn’t have too much of a hangover after the Hendon Hooker magic in 2022, finishing last season 9-4. However, one of those losses was by 28 points to Georiga.
It will be another season with a new quarterback for the Volunteers. This year, the reins will be given to former five-star Nico Iamaleava. Iamaleava played against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, where Tennessee dominated 35-0. He hurt the tough Hawkeyes with his legs for 3 touchdowns and also threw one, too. Iamaleava won’t be playing on a neutral field and the defense will be even better.
The lights will be too bright for Iamaleava, and the Tennesse defense—despite having one of the best defensive players in the nation in James Pearce Jr.—won’t be able to stop the Carson Beck-led attack.
Record: 9-1
Week 12: UMass Minutemen
After a tough stretch of SEC games, Georgia has a layup to prepare for Georgia Tech the following week to close out the season. UMass is one of the worst FBS teams, so it’s another opportunity for Georgia’s reserves to get some action.
Like Tennessee Tech, Georgia will be rolling and building up its confidence heading into the final game of the season.
Record: 10-1
Week 13: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech-Georgia hasn’t been a rival lately. Georgia Tech hasn’t beaten Georgia since 2017 and that was at the start of the Smart era.
The Smart era is fully here and Georgia Tech has had one winning season in the past five years. The one winning season was last year at 7-6 but that won’t change the outcome of this year’s game.
Georgia wins the rivalry game for the seventh straight year.
Record: 11-1
Georgia Bulldogs Overview
Georgia could very easily finish the season undefeated or with two or three losses. The Bulldogs' schedule isn’t easy with facing the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6-ranked teams all on the road this season.
Luckily, Georgia has the expanded 12-team playoff as a safety net. The Bulldogs will be in the College Football Playoff unless they lose all three road games, which is unlikely.
Once it’s in, Georgia can make a lot of noise and is still the frontrunner to win another title. The Bulldogs have NFL-ready talent on both sides of the ball and have what it takes to bring a championship back to Athens.
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