Chris Doering Tabs Tennessee As Top Challenger To UGA In SEC East

SEC Network's Chris Doering went on the Paul Finebaum Show last week and said that the Tennessee Volunteers are the biggest threat to Georgia in the SEC East.

Georgia is the class of college football. The defending two-time national champions finished the 2022 season 15-0, with only a few close games. Their biggest scare came against Ohio State in the CFP semifinal, and even then, they went on a long game-winning drive.

The question moving forward is simple: who can knock off Georgia? People will ask it until it happens, and with the Bulldogs reloading, there is no time like the present.

National analysts are beginning to wonder who could be their challenger within the SEC East. South Carolina closed the season strong, Kentucky has grown under Mark Stoops, and Florida is a national brand.

However, the consensus is that the Tennessee Volunteers are the No. 1 challenger for Georgia. Head coach Josh Heupel has proven he can compete on the big stage; he has seven ranked wins in his first two seasons and got the Volunteers to the No. 1 spot for the first time since 1998.

SEC Network's Chris Doering recently went on the Paul Finebaum Show and surmised as much. Doering noted the continuous improvements on the recruiting trail and how each week, Tennessee looks more potent.

"If we're talking about the east specifically, I think it would have to be Tennessee with what they've done to set the table for continued growth with their recruiting classes. They seem to be pretty set with Joe Milton returning and the highly recruited quarterback that they're bringing in from their class. That, to me, would be the team that is most evident."

While it's tough to imagine anyone defeating Georgia after their dominant win over TCU in the national championship, someone eventually has to beat them. History would say it's only a matter of time before they suffer a misstep, and they will be getting everyone's best game from now on.

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