Georgia Bulldogs football has more than its fair share of rivals, with ancient series played against regional opposition, plus divisional and conference foes aplenty and regular meetings in the postseason. While there is some fluidity in the relevance of each rivalry’s significance based on how both programs are performing at the time, and the ebbs and flows of the meetings, some things never change.
- Florida: As long as the Gators and Bulldogs are the second and first place teams in the SEC East division, playing annually at an neutral site game near the states’ border, Florida and Georgia will be the hugest of rivals. Throw in the animus of Steve Spurrier after Vince Dooley’s dominance of Florida, as the plot thickened. Plenty of drama has unfolded over the years, from Larry Munson’s famous “Run Lindsay” call to Mark Richt’s whole team dancing on the field. Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow calling timeout and running up the score the next year, back to that “mean man” Steve Spurrier scoring “half a hundred” in Sanford Stadium while the old Gator Bowl was being transformed into an NFL stadium. Florida being by far the most populated state in the Southeast and the site of what was once called the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party gives the Gators an advantage; Georgia being the site where the SEC championship games are played and containing the South’s biggest market in Metro Atlanta is advantage UGA. Georgia has won three straight. Florida does have two straight Top 10 finishes.
- Tech: Although Georgia has had no lasting problems with their only in-state rival in the last two decades, the Yellow Jackets location in Atlanta ensures that the rivalry stays near the top. They call it “Clean, Old-fashioned Hate” but the bad blood mostly flows from North Avenue east, instead of the other direction, these days. Kirby Smart has won three straight over Tech since a late game collapse Between the Hedges his first year back at UGA.
- Auburn: Georgia has won 12-of-15 in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, first played in Piedmont Park of Atlanta. In the Kirby Smart era, UGA had underperformed on the road at the SEC West in three straight blowout losses, until the 2019 team changed that with a big win on the plains, behind the best defense in the whole country. Some project the teams to play twice in 2020.
- Alabama: Bama and Georgia were on the biggest collision course in the whole country a couple seasons ago, coming off an Alabama overtime win in Atlanta that nobody can forget. They met again for the SEC championship game in the same building that same calendar year, with a similar outcome. Alabama has won five straight over Georgia. Georgia has won on their last two trips to visit Alabama. Which trend continues on in 2020?
- Tennessee: Georgia and Tennessee have each won 13 SEC titles, tied for second in league history behind Alabama. The coaches at Tennessee having coached at Georgia only adds to the intrigue in a series UGA leads 24-23-2. The series has been moved back on the schedule, with Auburn being moved forward toward the middle, out of their traditional spot as UGA’s last SEC game.
- South Carolina: The Chickens brought some passion back to the rivalry by beating the Dawgs in Athens in 2019. South Carolina regards Georgia as their second biggest rival, after Clemson.
- Clemson: Clemson is the nearest geographic rival to UGA, a few miles closer than Georgia Tech is to UGA. At this point, it is a rivalry of jealousy, in that Clemson has done what Georgia wants to do. The athletic departments have ensured that the longtime rivals will meet again in the future, but it could be sooner if Georgia can get back to the CFP. Clemson is there annually.
- LSU: Georgia was blown out in Baton Rouge in 2018 and again in Atlanta in 2019, at the hands of the purple and gold. Georgia has faced LSU four times in-state for the SEC championship, winning just once. Another meeting may come. In September of 2013, USA TODAY called it “The no hate rivalry.” No love, though.
