We’re barely into Week 2, and Georgia already looks like it’s been handed another soft landing.
The Bulldogs opened with a comfortable win over Tennessee State, the kind of game that told you plenty about how clean Georgia looked and almost nothing about how far this team can go. The offense handled business without much fuss, the defense played fast and physical, and the whole thing felt over before it ever had a chance to breathe. Kirby Smart will still find something to complain about on tape - he always does - but from the outside, it was about as smooth a start as you could draw up.
This week brings a little more resistance, but not much. Western Kentucky arrives in Athens after an opening loss to Nevada, and the Hilltoppers didn’t exactly hold up well against the run.
They gave up more than 300 rushing yards last week, which means Nate Frazier and company should be eyeing this matchup with plenty of interest. With an early kickoff and SEC play looming next week, this feels like another game where the starters may be done before the afternoon gets too deep.
That should leave fans with time to pay attention to a pretty lively Week 2 board.
Oklahoma heads to Ann Arbor for a matchup that gives Michigan a chance to collect what would count as its first real win of the season after getting what was described as the most literal second chance ever last week. If the Wolverines pull it off, the reaction in the stadium will be worth watching. Oklahoma is good, though apparently not the powerhouse of Western Michigan.
Alabama gets its first real spotlight of the season with a trip to Kentucky, and the Wildcats remain one of those teams you never quite know how to read this early. Lexington has a way of making life awkward for good teams in September, so this is a useful early measuring stick for the new Tide, even if Kentucky is not being talked about as a conference title threat.
Georgia’s Week 3 opponent, Arkansas, also gets a test worth watching, heading west to face No. 20 Utah. That one should give Bulldogs fans a decent look at the Hogs before they show up on Georgia’s schedule.
There’s also Tennessee and Georgia Tech under the lights in Bobby Dodd Stadium, a game the source dubbed the Joke by Coke. It’s hard to root for Tennessee, but there’s at least some amusement in the idea of Tech starting 0-2. The problem, of course, is that the old “have Haynes King do everything for us while basically dying every game” approach is a lot harder to pull off when Haynes King isn’t there.
Still, the marquee matchup is in Austin, where Ohio State and Texas meet for the third straight year. Texas quarterback Arch looked shaky against the Buckeyes in last season’s first real test, though there’s been talk that he improved late in the year. The source wasn’t buying that so much, pointing to what it saw in Georgia’s win.
Texas will be geared up to bracket Jeremiah Smith, and the crowd will be ready to erupt at the first call that goes against the Longhorns. That, too, has worked before.
For Georgia fans, there’s a little envy baked into the weekend. Other fanbases get a meaningful game to sink their teeth into, while the Bulldogs are headed for what amounts to a second straight walk-through.
Maybe that’s fine. Maybe easing into a brutal nine-game conference schedule is the smart play. Or maybe it would be better to get a real stress test now and learn something before the games start counting for even more.
But then again, maybe it’s Maybelline.
In Other News...
Georgia May Have Found An Unexpected Answer On The Offensive Line
Georgias offensive line had a new face in the lineup against Tennessee State, and Zykie Helton made an early case that he belongs there. The true freshman started at right guard after winning the job with a strong spring and the benefit of early enrollment, becoming the third true freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener under Kirby Smart.
Heltons path has been anything but ordinary. He dealt with Crohns disease and major health challenges in high school, which makes his rise even more notable for a Georgia front that always values toughness and depth. Smart has already singled out Heltons toughness and growth, and the Bulldogs now have to see whether that unexpected answer up front can keep holding his place. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennett Gives Georgia Fans A Reason To Smile Amid NIL Anger
Stetson Bennett gave Georgia fans a small lift this week when the Los Angeles Rams named him their backup quarterback for the first time in his NFL career. For a fan base still measuring every former Bulldog through the lens of his college rise, the update was a reminder that Bennetts pro path is still moving forward, even as attention back home has shifted to a very different kind of frustration.
Kirby Smart, meanwhile, has kept the focus on Georgias next task with a motto about continuous improvement ahead of the Western Kentucky game. But the buzz around the program has not been limited to the field, with the Bulldogs NIL collective, Glory Glory Georgia, drawing criticism after placing week one game highlights behind a $20 monthly paywall, a move that has only added to the conversation surrounding how Georgia is packaging access for its supporters. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennetts Rams Role Feels Less Secure Than It Looks
Stetson Bennett has a backup quarterback label next to his name in Los Angeles, but it does not sound like the Rams are handing him any real security. Sean McVay said Bennett and rookie Ty Simpson are more like 2A and 2B than a clear starter-backup pair, which makes the depth chart look a lot less settled than it does on paper. For a former Georgia quarterback trying to carve out a long-term NFL foothold, that matters.
McVay also made it clear the pecking order could change if the Rams need a No. 2 during the season, which leaves Bennett in a tricky spot entering the year. His contract runs out after this season, and the team seems to view Simpson as a similarly capable option rather than a true understudy. For Bennett, the bigger question is not just where he starts the season, but how much trust he can actually earn once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]