A move to 10 conference games for the 2020 season is looking more likely for the Southeastern Conference. League athletic directors and presidents meet virtually on Thursday, so no final decisions have been made, but you get the idea that it’s a likely development.
That’s going to mean different things for different SEC programs but how much will it really change for Georgia? Not much per my estimation if early projections turn out to be true. In order to understand how much things change, you first have to know the exact changes that will be made.
Georgia Tech is likely to stay on the schedule seeing as how the ACC left that option on the table and it’ll be obvious that the SEC backed out if that game is called off. Kentucky (Louisville), South Carolina (Clemson), and Florida (Florida State) are all in the same boat. The Bulldogs lose Virginia, a team that was supposed to be strong defensively but in transition on the other side of the ball. That’s a game UGA was going to be favored to win by at least two scores. UGA would also presumably lose East Tennessee State and Louisiana-Monroe.
Early projections have UGA adding Arkansas and Mississippi State as the two opponents that would move the conference slate up to 10 games. This is where the rubber meets the road on my theory that things just won’t change much. UGA loses Virginia, ETSU, and ULM while adding a pair of bottom third SEC programs. Virginia is probably better than either one of those programs, so the slate gets slightly easier. Then both Arkansas and MSU are better than ETSU or ULM, making it a little tougher but how much?
The Razorbacks are coming off a 2-10 season while MSU went 6-7. Both fired their coaches and both are going to be seriously outmanned vs. any team in the top third of the conference. If UGA has to travel to Starkville, Miss., which seems likely, that might add a degree of difficulty but keep in mind that attendance will almost certainly be limited. UGA last made that trip in 2010 and fell by a score of 24-12, but this is a much different Bulldog team with a much different culture. Considering the massive rebuild that needs to take place at Arkansas, a trip to Fayetteville shouldn’t be that much of a challenge.
So if you’re keeping score at home, UGA would play Alabama and Mississippi State from the SEC West on the road and Auburn and Arkansas from the SEC West at home. It would also have its six SEC East games plus Georgia Tech while dropping Virginia, ETSU, and ULM.
Considering how Florida is projected to add Texas A&M and Alabama while South Carolina is projected to add Auburn and Tennessee to add LSU, UGA comes out smelling like a rose.
