Georgia's 2024 Schedule is Missing some of its Distinct SEC Flavor

Christian Goeckel | Jun 6, 2024

Sep 17, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie (16) catches a touchdown pass in front of Missouri Tigers defensive back Aarion Maxey-Penton (11) in the second half at Faurot Field. The Bulldogs won 28-27. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports / John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

In 2024 (and 2025) Georgia will play an elite schedule with big matchups nearly every week, but with the addition of new teams, it's missing some familiar foes and some SEC flair.

College football looks a lot different than it did in 2021 when Texas and Oklahoma announced they'd accepted invitations to join the SEC. Now, after three seasons, we get to see the the two blueblood programs on the field in the conference, but with their addition, Georgia's schedule has lost some foes that had developed into, if not rivalries, something very close to it.

On the schedule are Texas, Alabama, and Ole Miss. Gone are matchups with former SEC East foes South Carolina, Missouri, and Vanderbilt. Some may call this an upgrade, but it's hard to look back at the end of an era without some longing for years gone by.

Georgia and South Carolina have not played each other in just six seasons since 1958. The last time Georgia didn't have the Gamecocks on the schedule was 1991. Think about the classic games and moments that made the series so special. David Pollack's strip-sack pick-six, Steve Spurrier's constant jabs, and Georgia sending Spurrier to retirement. It may not have always had national significance, but it always mattered in the South.

The same goes for Vanderbilt and Missouri. Okay, Vandy didn't always put up a fight, but they jumped up and bit the Bulldogs plenty of times. As for Missouri, that game was developing into a real rivalry. The Tigers represented Georgia's most physical divisional matchup every season. When they entered the conference a decade ago, Mizzou didn't get in line behind the big dogs in Athens, Gainesville, and Knoxville. They came in swinging and won the division twice. In Kirby Smart's first season, it took a miracle throw from freshman Jacob Eason to Isaiah McKenzie to pull out a win in Columbia. Want to find a team that could've spoiled Georgia's back-to-back title runs? Take a look at the Missouri game from 2022. Eli Drinkwitz is building something in Columbia and it's sad Georgia won't get to play them in the regular season.

Again, this schedule for Georgia is incredibly fun, no one will argue that, it just doesn't have the same feel as years gone by. Maybe it's just that change sometimes stings, but we'll always look back on the SEC East days with fondness.

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