Georgia football is the No. 1 topic every day on DawgNation Daily — the daily podcast for Georgia Bulldogs fans. Catch up on everything happening with UGA athletics with host Brandon Adams and the DawgNation experts as they break down the latest Georgia football recruiting news and discuss coach Kirby Smart’s quest to return the Bulldogs to the top of the SEC. On episode No. 1,364 (Jan. 27, 2021) of the podcast, Georgia fans can hear a discussion about UGA’s new defensive backs coach, Jahmile Addae.
Georgia football podcast: Thoughts on UGA’s new defensive backs coach and 2021 schedule
NOTE: Today’s show was recorded prior to the schedule release. My thoughts on the Bulldogs’ 2021 schedule can be found at the end of this post. I also found out about Jahmile Addae’s hire while on the air today.
In addition to the Addae news, Mike Griffith joins the show, and I address the latest on Will Muschamp’s status and discuss some UGA recruiting news.
Here are my key takeaways from Georgia’s schedule.
UGA should have smooth sailing if it can get past Clemson in Week 1.
The Bulldogs matchup vs. Clemson in Charlotte to start the season is obviously one of the most anticipated matchups of the year. If UGA can earn a win vs. the Tigers, it could quickly build momentum.
The Bulldogs’ next six games after Clemson include a Group of Five team (UAB), three teams breaking in new coaches (South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Auburn) and two teams UGA easily beat on the road last season (Arkansas and Kentucky).
If UGA beats Clemson, it’s not a stretch to say the Bulldogs could be undefeated when they arrive in Jacksonville Oct. 30 to take on Florida.
UGA’s game at Auburn might not feel like a typical road game.
It remains to be seen how “normal” the 2021 season will be. For instance, we don’t yet know how many fans will be allowed to attend games.
However, possibly reduced attendance might not be the only thing hampering the atmosphere at Jordan-Hare Stadium when Auburn hosts UGA Oct. 9. The Tigers will have two tough road games of their own before playing UGA. Auburn is at Penn State on Sept. 18 and travels to LSU on Oct 2.
If the Tigers stumble to losses in those games under first-year coach Bryan Harsin, Auburn fans might stay home when UGA comes to call.
The Florida game once again looms large for the Bulldogs.
It isn’t new information to say the Florida game is significant for UGA, but the following week could matter too.
The Bulldogs host Missouri Nov. 6. And while the Bulldogs easily handled the Tigers on the road last season, Missouri stands to be one of UGA’s tougher opponents in 2021. The Tigers surprisingly won five games in 2020 in Coach Eli Drinkwitz’s debut season, and Missouri exceeded 40 points scored in three of those wins.
UGA will go a long time without hosting Georgia Tech.
The Bulldogs last played the Yellow Jackets in Sanford Stadium in 2018. UGA was scheduled for a home game against Georgia Tech last season before the coronavirus caused the SEC to cancel all its non-conference games.
However, UGA will return to Atlanta to face the Yellow Jackets again in 2021 — meaning Georgia Tech won’t be back in Athens again until 2022.
