Georgia Aiming for Rare SEC Three-Peat as 2026 Season Looms
For Georgia, the mission is clear: make the 12-team College Football Playoff and finally break through. The Bulldogs are one of just four programs to reach the CFP in back-to-back seasons under the expanded format, but so far, the postseason hasn’t been kind. Two straight national quarterfinal exits - first to Notre Dame, then to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl - have left Dawg Nation restless and hungry for more.
That frustration, however, could turn into fuel. Because if there’s a year to believe in Georgia, it’s this one.
In a recent early look at the 2026 season, Georgia landed at No. 3 in the rankings, just behind Ohio State and Texas. But the boldest prediction came with the Bulldogs being projected to win the SEC for a third consecutive year - a feat that would place Kirby Smart in truly elite company.
Let’s put that in perspective: in the 34-year history of the SEC Championship Game, only two programs have pulled off a three-peat. Florida did it first under Steve Spurrier from 1993 to 1996, including a four-peat.
A decade later, Nick Saban’s Alabama matched the three-peat from 2014 to 2016. If Georgia can follow up wins over Texas in 2024 and Alabama in 2025 with another SEC crown in 2026, Smart would officially join that rarefied air.
And while the expanded playoff format has changed the calculus a bit - making a conference title less of a necessity and more of a bonus - winning the SEC still matters. A lot.
Not just for bragging rights or seeding, but because it guarantees a playoff berth. In the 12-team setup, every Power Four champion punches an automatic ticket.
That’s why a third straight SEC title would be more than just another trophy for Georgia. It would cement Smart’s dominance in a league that’s still the gold standard in college football.
Saban and Spurrier didn’t just win - they owned the SEC during their peaks. Smart is building that kind of legacy right now.
Of course, the ultimate goal in Athens is a national championship. That’s the bar Georgia has set under Smart. But make no mistake - winning the SEC is still a major milestone, and it’s one that reinforces Georgia’s place among the sport’s elite.
Heading into 2026, the Bulldogs look like one of the safest bets to make the playoff again. Alongside teams like Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana, Georgia is part of a core group that’s starting to become a fixture in the 12-team field. Programs like Miami and Texas Tech are surging, while teams that just missed out last year - Notre Dame and Texas - are expected to be right back in the mix.
But for Georgia, it’s not just about making the field anymore. It’s about finishing the job.
The SEC title would be another step - a big one - toward that goal. And if Smart’s squad can pull it off, they’ll be doing something only two other dynasties have managed in the modern SEC era.
That’s more than history. That’s a statement.