All in all, it appears to be a manageable lineup for the Bulldogs, who opened preseason play on Monday. While the new schedule includes three teams in the USA Today coaches’ top 25 preseason, Georgia’s four opponents after the Florida game are all considered to be in the bottom half of their respective divisions.
A possible ‘trap game’ for Georgia will be the Nov. 14 trip to Missouri. That comes the week after the Bulldogs’ annual matchup against the Gators in Jacksonville. The Tigers are led by first-year coach Eliah Drinkwitz, who hails from Appalachian State and is considered one of the top players in college football.
Otherwise, Georgia will close out the last month of the season against Missouri, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Then the Bulldogs will have a week off for the December 19 SEC Championship game, if there are no delays in the season.
The schedule confirms that the Georgia-Florida game will remain in Jacksonville, where it has been played every year since 1933, except in 1994 and 1995 when the stadium was renovated to accommodate the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game will be played a week later than originally planned, which means many UGA fans will have to change condominium reservations on the Georgia coast. It will also be played for the first time since 1991 sometime other than Halloween weekend.
Originally, Georgia was set to play Alabama as the SEC opener of both teams in the third week of the season. Instead, the Bulldogs will travel to Tuscaloosa on October 17, as Week 4 of the new setup. That will represent Georgia’s first trip to Tuscaloosa since 2007, when quarterback Matthew Stafford’s touchdown pass overpowered the Bulldogs after a 26-23 win in overtime.
The new list includes three new opposing coaches for the Bulldogs: Sam Pittman of Arkansas, who has been Kirby Smart’s offensive line coach for the past four years, Mike Leach and Drinkwitz of Mississippi State.
Georgia’s home opener Oct. 3 against Auburn will be the earliest the Bulldogs have played Auburn in a year since 1892, when they play Feb. 20. The teams were set for October 10 after traditionally playing mostly in November since the 1920s.
In other major matchups, Alabama-Auburn will not play in the final game of the season, as has been the case for decades. They will play in place on Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 28) in Tuscaloosa. Other marquee games include Alabama at LSU on Nov. 14. And Tennessee in Auburn on Nov. 21st.
The 2020 SEC football season consists of a 10-game-only conference schedule and the SEC Championship will be played December 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, replayed from the original December date. The schedule includes one mid-season open date for each school and an open date 12 dec. for all schools.
GEORGIA SCHEDULE
26 sept. In Arkansas
October 3 vs. Auburn
October 10 vs. Tennessee
Oct. 17 in Alabama
October 24 in Kentucky
October 31 Open
Nov 7 Vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Nov 14 In Missouri
Nov 21 Vs. Mississippi State
Nov 28 In South Carolina
Dec 5 Vs. Vanderbilt
