Josh Pate isn’t looking past Georgia when it comes to the SEC race in 2026.
With the league once again sorting through the post-Nick Saban landscape, Pate sees the Bulldogs as the safest pick to come out on top, even with Texas still hovering as the other popular choice in the conversation.
“Why overthink the room? This is Georgia's league, this has been Georgia's league, and even though Texas has had multiple at them, it's remained Georgia's league," Pate said.
"Every single time there's this giant dust cloud during the week of folks hyping them (Texas) up. I've fallen victim to this, I've picked Texas at least once or twice over Georgia, not three times though."
That take lines up with how the SEC has been projected by the league’s own media over the last few seasons. Georgia was picked to win the conference in both 2024 and 2026, with Texas finishing second each time. In 2025, the roles flipped in the media poll, with Texas projected first and Georgia right behind it.
But the games have told a different story. Georgia has beaten Texas comfortably in both regular-season meetings, then needed overtime to slip past the Longhorns in the 2024 SEC Championship, a game that featured second-string quarterback Gunner Stockton starting in the second half.
That kind of track record is a big reason Georgia still feels like the team to beat. Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs have been a near-constant in the conference title game. They’ve missed the SEC Championship just twice in his 10 previous seasons: in 2016, his first year in Athens, and again in 2020.
And when Georgia has fallen short in the title game, it hasn’t been to anyone from the current group of SEC head coaches. Nick Saban beat Smart three times in Georgia’s four SEC Championship losses over Smart’s first six seasons, while LSU handed the Bulldogs the other defeat in 2019.
The 2026 schedule does include some real tests. A trip to Alabama stands out immediately, especially given Georgia’s recent win in the matchup, though the Bulldogs’ victories over the Crimson Tide under Smart have all come in postseason rematches.
Ole Miss also demands attention after its College Football Playoff run, and that trip has been a problem spot for Georgia for years. The Bulldogs are 2-3 against the Rebels under Smart, with those losses coming against three different head coaches.
Then there’s Oklahoma, the other 2026 CFP team on Georgia’s schedule. The Sept. 26 game in Sanford Stadium will be the first meeting between the programs since the 2018 Rose Bowl, and with both rosters carrying over plenty of familiar pieces, it shapes up as one of the more interesting early-season matchups on the slate.
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For a defense looking to build depth and reliability up front and at linebacker, having both veterans available again matters. Beaman and Latham are expected to play roles this season, and the early camp signs suggest they are not just healthy enough to practice, but intent on proving they can be part of the rotation once the games count. [Read more 🡒]