BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Georgia Bulldogs have had just two football head coaches in the last 20 seasons: Mark Richt and Kirby Smart. Both have had a very similar start to their careers in Athens. They won eight games in year one before contending for a national championship in year two. Years three and four saw double-digit win totals. So why are Bulldog fans so anxious entering 2021?

Even though both have been close, neither Smart or Richt have been able to bring home a national championship. To add on to that, both coaches struggled to beat SEC West rival Alabama. Add it all up and you got a fanbase that is losing faith that its team will ever reach the mountaintop.

2021 will be another opportunity for Georgia to prove the doubters wrong. They are a heavy favorite to win the SEC East for the 4th time in five seasons. All that might stand in the way of a playoff birth, is a possible (and very likely) date with Alabama in the SEC Championship.

If Kirby Smart can finally get the better of his former boss Nick Saban, the Bulldogs will be in a great position to get their first College Football Playoff trophy in program history.

GEORGIA 2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:

  • Sept. 4: Clemson, Charlotte
  • Sept. 11: UAB, Athens, Ga.
  • Sept 18: South Carolina, Athens, Ga.
  • Sept. 25: at Vanderbilt, Nashville
  • Oct. 2: Arkansas, Athens, Ga.
  • Oct. 9: at Auburn, Auburn, Ala.
  • Oct. 16: Kentucky, Athens, Ga.
  • Oct. 23: Off
  • Oct. 30: Florida, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Nov. 6: Missouri, Athens, Ga.
  • Nov. 13: At Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Nov. 20: Charleston Southern, Athens, Ga.
  • Nov. 27: at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga.