Georgia’s latest rout kept a remarkable streak alive, and it also put one more number on the board in a chase that still has a long way to go.
The Bulldogs’ 70-20 win over Western Kentucky last week was their 50th straight victory over an unranked opponent, a run that reaches back to Georgia’s 20-17 double-overtime loss to South Carolina on Oct. 12, 2019. It’s the longest active streak in the country, and it has become one more sign of how consistently Georgia handles the games it’s supposed to win.
Still, the gap to the standard set by Alabama under Nick Saban is massive. From 2007 through 2021, the Crimson Tide won 100 consecutive games against unranked teams. Georgia is only halfway there.
As Brett McMurphy posted on Sept. 12, 2026: “Georgia wins its 50th consecutive game vs. an unranked opponent, downing Western Kentucky. That's the nation's longest current streak, but only halfway to Alabama's all-time record - 100 straight wins vs. unranked teams from 2007-21”
For Georgia, the streak matters because dropping even one of those games can change everything. The Bulldogs are favored in all 12 regular-season games this year and entered the season as the preseason favorite to win the SEC. Teams at Georgia’s level are judged on the big stages, but they also have to take care of the games that look easy on paper.
That’s part of what has made this stretch so impressive. Since the start of this decade, Georgia has not taken a loss to a team clearly beneath it.
That has helped fuel a run that includes three SEC championships and two national titles this decade alone. One bad night against an unranked opponent could have altered that path.
Instead, the Bulldogs kept moving.
The bigger picture is clear, too: Kirby Smart is still chasing Nick Saban’s place at the top of the sport. Saban’s résumé includes seven national championships - six at Alabama and one at LSU - along with 11 SEC titles. Smart has two national titles and four SEC championships, so the climb is still steep.
The win total is another hurdle. Saban finished with 297 career victories, while Smart has 119.
Smart’s winning percentage is better, at .850 compared to .806, which means that number could eventually be within reach. But the real separator remains the same one that defines coaching legacies in college football: championships.
Georgia’s streak over unranked teams is a strong marker of consistency. It is not, by itself, what will put Smart ahead of Saban. For that, the Bulldogs coach has to keep stacking titles.
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For a Bulldogs offense that is about to face a much stiffer level of competition, that kind of early contribution matters. Dandridge has not just flashed in limited snaps, he has shown enough to suggest he could keep earning opportunities once SEC play begins, which is exactly the sort of development Georgia wants from a young receiver. The bigger question now is whether his role keeps growing when the games tighten up and the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Suddenly Has A Depth Concern Fans Can't Ignore
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South Carolinas NIL Spending Picture Just Got Much Clearer
The latest Athletic analysis on projected 2026 roster budgets put a sharper price tag on the SEC arms race, and the league is again right at the center of it. With financial data used to estimate where every Power 5 program stands, the report showed three SEC teams inside the top five most expensive rosters nationally, underscoring how much money is already shaping the next wave of college football competition.
Texas topped the list with an estimated $45-55 million budget, but the broader takeaway for programs like Georgia is just as important: the gap between the leagues heavyweights and everyone else is becoming easier to see. The report breaks down budget ranges and national rankings for each SEC team, offering a clearer look at how the conferences spending picture may influence roster building, retention, and the stakes heading into 2026. [Read more 🡒]