JD PicKell: Georgia's SEC schedule is tougher than it looks

Georgia has drawn criticism this offseason for their strength of schedule, or lack thereof, for the upcoming 2023 college football season.

On3’s JD PicKell defended the Bulldogs’ schedule, which does not land on ESPN’s top 25 strongest schedules list. The only other SEC team that didn’t crack the list was Vanderbilt, meaning one loss could change Georgia’s entire College Football Playoff hopes.

“I don’t see Alabama. I don’t see LSU. Georgia can’t play themselves outside of the bloody Tuesday practice. So who’s your most dangerous SEC opponent?” PicKell asked. “The team with the fifth-best odds to win the SEC, which is Tennessee.”

The Bulldogs’ 2023 regular season schedule is not a fault of their own. Instead, the SEC scheduling format — which will change following the additions of Texas and Oklahoma — should be blamed for the slate of games the reigning two-time national champions are preparing for. Georgia’s rotating SEC West matchup this season is Ole Miss.

Georgia’s non-conference games are lacking, too. They play UT Martin, Ball State and UAB during three of the first four weeks of the season before going ahead with the meat of their SEC schedule. They finish their reason on the road against Georgia Tech — but play no high-profile, ranked teams outside of the SEC before the postseason.

Despite being the clear favorite to win the SEC East, PicKell wouldn’t sleep on the teams that Georgia does have to face. He listed some of the dark horse candidates that could give the Bulldogs a run for their money during their respective matchups.

“South Carolina — I will never count out Shane Beamer anymore as long as I live. … I’m not predicting [Georgia] to lose that game, I’m just saying let’s give South Carolina the respect that they’re due,” PicKell said. “A lot of people are sleeping on Tennessee. I’m not going to be one of them.

“Kentucky, who knows what they’re going to be under [Mark] Stoops. Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin, every single year they seem to have a new way of getting it done.”

The bottom line is that no matter the schedule, the SEC will always be tough. The scheduling frustrations from outside the Georgia bubble is understandable, but at the end of the day — it’s not Georgia’s fault. The SEC is still a gauntlet and if Georgia is far and above the best team in the East, they should be able to prove their worth in the SEC Championship game and beyond.