Facing one of the toughest schedules in college football, Georgia coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs know the expectations haven't changed for the nation's likely preseason No. 1 this fall: Achieve elite status in the SEC and get back to the College Football Playoff with a chance to win the national title. Georgia certainly has the roster to do so, but it's not going to be easy with this gauntlet ahead.
Combing through the schedule and highlighting Georgia's five most important games for the 2024 season, these are the matchups that will be year-defining for the Bulldogs and ones circled by the playoff selection committee ahead of the final vote in December. The outcomes will also determine which teams get to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
Georgia is the only team nationally that could theoretically play three top-5 teams away from home this season along with three others inside the top 25. If the Bulldogs return to the playoff after a one-year hiatus, they will have certainly earned it.
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Here's our ranking of Georgia's five most important games in 2024: