Georgia fans have plenty to feel good about heading into the season, even if the schedule talk is going to linger.
The Bulldogs are being discussed like a team with championship ambitions, but the one thing their fans would rather sidestep is the slate in front of them. According to ESPN’s preseason FPI, Alabama is the highest-ranked opponent Georgia will face.
That’s part of why ESPN’s computer model has Georgia with the weakest Strength of Schedule in the SEC. Still, in a conference this deep, being last in the league also means landing at No. 20 nationally among FBS teams.
Around the Georgia beat, the schedule is being handled with some caution. UGA Wire said the Bulldogs won’t have an easy road back to the SEC championship in Atlanta.
Dawg Nation went with the headline, "Georgia may have weakest SEC schedule in 2026, but it will be far from easy" and wrote, "On paper, this upcoming Georgia football schedule doesn’t seem as daunting as past iterations." SI’s Georgia site described it as "fairly challenging."
Dawg Nation still projected Georgia to finish 11-1 in the regular season, with a win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The site also called picking Georgia to win in Bryant-Denny a "fool's errand." The history backs that up: Georgia has not won in Tuscaloosa since an overtime victory in 2007, when Kirby Smart was Alabama’s defensive backfield coach.
That history may have some Georgia fans uneasy about the Oct. 10 game, but there’s no need to panic. The schedule should still put the Bulldogs in Atlanta in December.
And Georgia isn’t alone in looking at a favorable preseason path. Oregon sits just behind at No. 26 in SOS, while Miami is at No.
45, Notre Dame at No. 56 and Texas Tech at No. 71.
There’s also the point, credited here to Auburn-linked reasoning, that preseason SOS projections only go so far. SMU coach Rhett Lashlee is right that with rosters rebuilt every year, no model can truly nail schedule strength until the games are actually played.
In Other News...
Yhonzae Pierre Just Put Alabama In A Big 2026 Conversation
Todd McShays latest look ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft gives Alabama another sign that its pass-rush pipeline is staying firmly in the national conversation. The NFL Draft analyst recently stacked his top six college edge rushers for that class, and the SEC showed up in force, with names like South Carolinas Dylan Stewart and Texas Colin Simmons leading the way alongside Alabamas Yhonzae Pierre.
For the Crimson Tide, Pierre landing in that mix is the kind of recognition that can change how the rest of the sport talks about a defender before the season even gets rolling. Stewart has already been slowed by a back injury in camp, while Simmons comes in after leading the SEC in sacks last season, but Pierres presence on McShays list suggests Alabama could have a real early say in how the top of the 2026 edge market takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
EJ Crowell Is Building The Alabama Buzz Fans Have Been Waiting For
Fall camp has a way of sorting out the newcomers, and EJ Crowell is making sure Alabamas coaches and teammates keep talking about him. The 5-star freshman running back arrived with plenty of hype, and even before he has taken a college snap that counts, he has already started to look like one of the more intriguing young pieces on the roster. For a team that always seems to be searching for the next difference-maker at the position, Crowells early buzz has given Tide fans something to watch closely.
The challenge now is turning that promise into trust, especially after a spring that was limited by injury and a position where all-around reliability matters as much as burst. Crowell is expected to compete for playing time, but the path to meaningful snaps will depend on how quickly he rounds out his game, particularly in pass protection. If he keeps building the way he has through camp, Alabama may have found a freshman whose impact arrives sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Have Found An Under The Radar 2027 Defensive Line Target
Alabamas 2027 defensive line board has been relatively quiet so far, but Jeremiah Mark is the kind of name that can change the feel of a class early. The Picayune, Mississippi, prospect is unranked for now, yet the Crimson Tide have already put a scholarship on the table after he recently returned to football following a stretch centered on basketball. For a staff that spent much of its energy elsewhere after a strong 2026 cycle, it is another sign that Alabama is already combing for developmental pieces along the front.
Mark also has visits lined up for Alabama games this fall, including the East Carolina opener and the Georgia matchup in October, which should give the Tide a better read on where he fits and how much upside remains once he settles back into the sport. With only a few 2027 defensive line commitments in hand, Alabama does not need to rush, but it does need to keep identifying players who could grow into bigger targets as the cycle unfolds. [Read more 🡒]