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An Early Look at SEC Opponent: Georgia
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- An Early Look at SEC Opponent: Georgia
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
For the first time in Oklahoma football history, the Sooners will be inside Sanford Stadium, arguably the toughest place for any visiting team to come out with a win. Before the 24-21 loss to Alabama last season at home, the Bulldogs were on a 33-game home winning streak which is the longest active home winning streak in college football. Georgia has been dominant on its home field especially since Kirby Smart took over as head coach in 2016. Under Smart, the Bulldogs are 56-5 at home, with only two of those losses coming after his first season in 2016. Just based on these stats alone, this may be one of Oklahoma's toughest tasks in recent history.
Georgia Quick Outlook:
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Location: Athens, Georgia
Stadium: Sanford Stadium
Head Coach: Kirby Smart, 11th season (117-21 overall record at Georgia, 69-12 in SEC)
National Championships: 4 (1942, 1980, 2021 (Under Kirby Smart), 2022 (Under Kirby Smart)
SEC Championships: 16 (1942, 1946, 1948, 1959, 1966, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2002, 2005, 2017, 2022, 2024, 2025)
2025 Record: 12-2 (7-1 in SEC), SEC Champions; Lost to Ole Miss 39-34 in the CFP quarterfinals
Players to Watch:
Gunner Stockton , QB Senior (6-1, 215): When Stockton enrolled at Georgia in 2022, he was amongst a deep quarterback room including Stetson Bennett , Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff . Fast forward three years, Gunner finished seventh in the Heisman voting and helped lead the Bulldogs to their second straight SEC championship in 2025. He was also a Manning Award finalist and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Davey O'Brien Award. During Georgia's run in 2025, Stockton completed 69.7% of his passes with 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. Not only does he have a strong arm, but he is also very accurate in the mid-range game. Gunner also tied for first in the SEC for most quarterback rushing touchdowns. Diego Pavia , Arch Manning and Stockton each scored ten times on the ground in 2025. According to DraftKings, Gunner currently has the ninth highest odds to win the Heisman in 2026. I think he could end up way higher if his stats are even slightly better than last year. While he'll most likely face a lot of pressure from Oklahoma's defensive line, he also isn't afraid to take off and run. Earlier this summer, Stockton earned preseason All-SEC third team honors.
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Drew Bobo , OL Senior (6-5, 305): The offensive line room should be stout again this season led by preseason All-SEC center Drew Bobo. Bobo also made ESPN's first-team All-American list for 2026. In 2025, Drew largely contributed in his first season as a full-time starter in a well-balanced offense that averaged 32.1 points per game, 182.1 rushing yards per game and 220.3 passing yards per game. Entering 2026, he is on the preseason watchlist for Outland Trophy, the Rimington Trophy and the Lombardi Award. If you add Earnest Greene III and Dontrell Glover, this is a scary offensive line. But if anyone can plan a great scheme against a lineup like this, it's Brent Venables.
KJ Bolden , DB Junior (6-0, 195): The Bulldogs' defense had its ups and downs last season, but they were elite for the most part. Georgia returns some key pieces on defense including preseason All-SEC safety KJ Bolden. Along with center Drew Bobo, ESPN listed Bolden in its first-team All-American list. Bolden showed promise from the very beginning of his collegiate career. As a true freshman in 2024, he appeared in all 14 games, ranked fifth on the team in total tackles with 59 and earned an SEC All-Freshman selection. Bolden did most of the work in 2025, ranking second on the team in total tackles with 76. Ten of those tackles came in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Ole Miss.
Overall, this Georgia program isn't going away as long as Kirby stays in command. Besides hosting Oklahoma in 2026, the only remaining difficult games for the Bulldogs include traveling to Alabama and Ole Miss. While Georgia does have their annual rivalry against Florida , the game will be in Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027 due to renovations at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. This gives the Bulldogs significant home-field advantage against their top SEC rival. All in all, it's a pretty manageable schedule. A win in Athens would be massive for the Sooners and could put some pressure on the defending SEC champions.
This will be an extremely difficult challenge for the Sooners, but Venables isn't new to this, considering his time with Clemson. Almost everyone counted the Sooners out in 2025 after the Ole Miss loss. But with Oklahoma stealing wins at Tennessee and Alabama, anything can happen in the college football world, even with NIL.
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Georgia will host Oklahoma on Saturday, September 26, with a kickoff time slated either in the afternoon (2:30 or 3:30 p.m. CT) or evening (5:00-7:00 p.m. CT). Georgia is currently listed as a 10-point favorite, with the over/under at 52.5.
