Georgia’s biggest home game next season, in terms of opponent prestige, will double as the team’s first SEC home game.

The Bulldogs welcome Oklahoma on Sept. 26 into Sanford Stadium. It will be the first SEC game of the season for the Sooners and the second for Georgia.

It will be the first time Oklahoma ever plays in Athens. The only previous time the two schools met came during the 2018 Rose Bowl. Just about everyone remembers how that game went.

Much has changed for both programs since that overtime epic. Kirby Smart and Georgia have won two national championships. Oklahoma had to replace Lincoln Riley and then left to join the SEC. The Sooners are now led by Brent Venables, who like Kirby Smart, emerged as a championship-winning defensive coordinator.

And whereas that game was a 54-48 overtime shootout, this year’s game has all the makings of a rock fight where both teams will be bruised and bloodied.

Georgia and Oklahoma both made the College Football Playoffs last season, leaning on their defenses to do so.

Oklahoma ranked third in the country in run defense, with Georgia coming in fourth. But whereas Georgia struggled to get after opposing quarterbacks, the Sooners racked up 45 sacks. They ranked third in the country in that category as well.

Even in losing ace pass rusher R. Mason Thomas to the Kansas City Chiefs, Oklahoma still brings back plenty of talent. David Stone could well be one of the most disruptive defenders in the conference.

For as much talent as the Bulldogs bring back on their defensive line, Oklahoma’s is even greater in the eyes of ESPN’s Greg McElroy. The former Alabama quarterback ranked Georgia’s defensive line as the No. 10 unit in the country. Oklahoma’s slotted in at No. 7.

“When Stone puts it all together, and I fully anticipate that he will this year, this Oklahoma defensive front could easily blossom into a top 5 unit,” McElroy said on a recent episode of the Always College Football podcast.

The way McElroy speaks about Stone and Oklahoma is not dissimilar from what he had to say about Georgia with Elijah Griffin on the Georgia defensive front.

Defensive line isn’t the only spot where Oklahoma and Georgia mirror each other, as the same could be said with regards to the quarterback position.

John Mateer dealt with a hand injury last season, which led to some accuracy struggles. He completed 62% of his passes while throwing 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

Like Gunner Stockton, Mateer was creative with his legs, as he rushed for 431 yards and 8 touchdowns. The Sooners didn’t have a running back with more than 500 rushing yards last season, putting much of the offense on Mateer.

Mateer can make the flashy wow plays. He and Stockton just need to play at a more consistent level in 2026 if Oklahoma is to have the type of season it hopes to have.

Stockton last season did some things Mateer did not, as he did beat Ole Miss and Texas. In those wins, Stockton was at his best, combining for 10 touchdowns and no turnovers in those two performances. Even in the loss to Ole Miss, Stockton still led a fourth-quarter comeback against the Rebels, only for the defense to give up a game-winning score.

The Oklahoma defense is going to make things difficult for Stockton, especially with how it gets after the passer. Without wide receiver Zachariah Branch and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, the game against Oklahoma will be the first real test the Georgia passing offense faces.

The Sooners do go to Michigan two weeks before taking on the Bulldogs. While Sanford Stadium will be a raucous environment, Oklahoma will have been tested in a way Georgia will not have yet in 2026. The only Power 4 team Georgia faces before Oklahoma is Arkansas, who did not win a conference game last season.

Georgia and Oklahoma both made the College Football Playoffs last season, with each having an unsatisfying ending to their respective seasons. Both lost to teams they beat during the regular season.

The only other time these two teams met was in an actual College Football Playoff game. With the talent both sides possess, the Sept. 26 game will have an impact on the College Football Playoff next season.

A win for either side won’t propel them to an appearance in the national championship. A loss won’t end someone’s season.

But the marquee matchup will give the sport a look at which maligned quarterback has stepped up and which defensive line can be a real difference-maker in the 2026 season.