Why Georgia fans feel better about championship chances than last year

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The Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) solidified themselves as the No. 3 spot in the College Football Playoff after winning the SEC championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-3). As a result, they earn a first-round bye and play in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026.

It’s a similar situation the Bulldogs were in last year. In 2024, the Bulldogs went 11-2, won the SEC championship in dramatic fashion against the Texas Longhorns, and secured the No. 2 seed, playing in the Sugar Bowl.

However, this year’s SEC title team feels different than last year’s team, potentially better. Here are the biggest reasons why Georgia is in a better spot this year than last year.

The Bulldogs have an established starting quarterback

Midway through the 2024 SEC championship, Georgia starter Carson Beck was rocked while trying to throw a Hail Mary. As a result, he suffered a torn UCL, knocking him out for the rest of the game and season. Backup quarterback Gunner Stockton had to come in cold, and he finished the job, helping the Bulldogs win 22-19 in overtime.

However, there was still a lot of uncertainty around Stockton, and it showed in the College Football Playoff, where Stockton led the Georgia offense to just 10 points against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl. After Georgia’s elimination, Carson Beck entered the transfer portal, leaving Stockton as the man for the starting quarterback job.

Now, Stockton is one of the best quarterbacks in the county. He’s thrown for 2,691 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions, with his 85.8 quarterback rating at sixth in the nation, better than Carson Beck (80.6). To cap off the season, he did the unthinkable by humiliating the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship.

Stockton is also better in ball control. While he threw just five interceptions this season, Beck threw 12 last season, which led the SEC. Beck’s back-breaking interceptions have continued in Miami, while Stockton has played safe and reliable at his worst. Stockton has much more experience this year.

Late-season momentum

The Georgia Bulldogs have more late season momentum this year. Since the Florida game, they’ve had a point differential of plus-101 in five games. It’s far from how the Georgia Bulldogs performed at the beginning of the year, when they needed big second-half games against Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss and Florida.

Part of that has been their defense rounding into form. Georgia’s defense has only allowed 60 points in the past five games, which averages to 12 points per game. In 2024, Georgia had just a +39 point differential in their last three games, with the defense giving up 127 points in the last five games leading up to the playoff. That’s 25.4 points per game, which is too much for a Kirby Smart defense.

The path is more manageable

The playoff bracket works out well for the Georgia Bulldogs as well. Last year, they had to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish first, and they had just played a game at there home stadium, defeating the Indiana Hoosiers 27-17.

However, this year, the matchup is much more favorable. In the Sugar Bowl play whoever wins between the Tulane Green Wave or the Ole Miss Rebels. If Tulane wins, Georgia should be favored by a lot. The Bulldogs haven’t lost against a non-Power Four opponent since 2011, when they lost to No. 5 Boise State to start the season.

If Ole Miss wins, then it’s a rematch on neutral site. Georgia won the last game 43-35, and now Ole Miss doesn’t have head coach Lane Kiffin. The scheme could look different with Peter Golding as head coach, although the Rebels still has offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.

If Georgia wins the Sugar Bowl, they’re projected to play the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s tough to win two titles in a row, though, especially with a potential playoff game looming against a physical, experience team like Georgia. Several people are already predicting Georgia to win the national championship, so it’s not impossible, unlike how last year’s path felt.

This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Why UGA football has better chance to win championship this year

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