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ESPN Reveals Georgia's Season-Defining Game For 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 2:04 PM ET

Georgia won't have an easy trek back to the College Football Playoff next season, and ESPN has used its way-too-early rankings to name the season-defining game for the Bulldogs in 2025.

After winning the SEC championship and making a playoff appearance under head coach Kirby Smart in 2024, UGA returns a talented roster that should contend for the postseason.

While there are questions to address with transfer portal losses and NFL draft departures, recruiting is perhaps the largest barometer for success. Georgia signed the nation's top class in 2024 and the No. 2 class in the 2025 cycle, providing plenty of talent to field a competitive roster in Smart's 10th season at the helm.

UGA, ranked No. 5 by ESPN, will once again face an SEC gauntlet next season, as the conference replays the same slate from last season with alternate sites.

According to ESPN's Mark Schlabach, "no Saturday figures to be as important" as Week 5's matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 27.

"No Saturday figures to be as important as Georgia's Sept. 27 game against Alabama at Sanford Stadium, given the Bulldogs' 1-6 record against the Crimson Tide under coach Kirby Smart," Schlabach wrote.

Last year's Week 5 matchup between the SEC giants proved to be worth the anticipation. Then No. 2 Georgia met No. 4 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium for first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer's first SEC matchup.

The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 30-7 lead in the first half and the Bulldogs, who hadn't lost a regular season game since 2020, looked defeated already. But Georgia mounted an incredible comeback and took a 34-33 lead with 2:18 to play.

That's when Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe connected with true freshman wideout Ryan Williams on a 75-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the game-winning score.

The early-season loss proved to be a sticking point for the Bulldogs, who went on to lose one more game (Ole Miss) before taking Smart's third SEC championship and ultimately falling to Notre Dame in the playoff quarterfinals.

On the other hand, the Tide went another direction, losing three regular season games – upset losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma – before losing to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

"Another loss to the Tide wouldn't knock the Bulldogs out of the SEC title game or the CFP, as we saw last season, but it would put them in an early hole," Schlabach wrote.

Kirby Smart and Co. will need to navigate more than only the matchup against the Crimson Tide, yet the game does hold some extra motivation considering UGA's curious 1-6 record against Alabama under Smart.

Georgia will also visit Tennessee, Auburn, Florida (neutral), Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. The home slate is a highly-anticipated one with Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Texas coming to Athens.

The Bulldogs will open the 2025 season at home against Marshall on Aug. 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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