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For the first time in 34 years, Georgia and Tennessee will not play during the regular season. Considering Tennessee is one of the most underwhelming teams in the SEC every season, they more than likely won’t meet in the SEC Championship game either.
This is a bit of a bummer because this matchup has become one of the most heated contests in the SEC that doesn’t feature two traditional rivalries. That has even remained the case during Kirby Smart’s tenure where he holds a 9-1 record against the Vols.
That one loss came in Smart’s first season as Georgia’s head coach too, so Tennessee has essentially turned into a free win for Georgia. Don’t ask Smart how he feels about that statement though because he won’t admit it himself, but he won’t stop others from saying it for him.
Georgia will miss playing Tennessee in 2026
Georgia has beat Tennessee nine times in a row. Most of those years the Vols were a pretty decent football team, but they just don’t know how to beat the big bad Bulldogs.
During SEC Media Days on Tuesday Smart was asked if he’ll miss playing Tennessee this season since they have been a free win for Georgia. Smart was quick to say that those weren’t his words, but it’s clear that this is exactly what he’s thinking.
And the best part of all is that there’s nothing Tennessee can do about it.
They had their chance to beat Georgia last season as they got out to a quick 21-7 lead. They also had a chance to win the game with a last second field which they of course missed. 2025 was their chance to finally beat Georgia, but just like the eight years prior they just couldn’t get it done.
It’s a shame that Georgia doesn’t get their guaranteed victory against a quality opponent in Tennessee this year. Even when they’re a good team and do nearly everything right they still find a way to hand the game to Georgia, so it’s unfortunate that UGA won’t get that resume building win this year.
But there’s no need to worry about that too much because Smart found a way to get a small victory over Tennessee on the recruiting trail instead.
Kirby Smart found a way to beat Tennessee on the recruiting trail in an obscure way
Tennessee is on the verge of landing five-star running back David Gabriel Georges. They were just predicted to win his recruitment a few days ago, and that clearly will be a big win for them.
But even that doesn’t give them a reason to brag to Georgia because he is just the No. 2 running back in the country. And who is the No. 1 running back? Kemon Spell, who is committed to Georgia.
On top of that, Gabriel Georges will reportedly sign the biggest NIL deal by a running back recruit ever. His recruitment has also looked more like a reality TV show than an actual recruitment too, so not only is Georgia getting the better player but they’re getting a drama-free player who isn’t obsessed with NIL money.
Tennessee fans still deserve to celebrate this win though if it goes their way, but don’t let them forget that Georgia has the better running back recruit and a nine game win streak as well.
Now would normally be a good time to say “see you in Atlanta,” but we all know Tennessee won’t be getting there.
Today's best reads
- Day 1 of SEC Media Days indicated that Georgia has no chance to win the SEC
- On3 analyst “guarantees” Georgia will set a unfathomable SEC record this season
- Kirby Smart is challenging college football's greatest indicator of success
- As Tennessee nears a 5-star RB, Georgia should value Kemon Spell even more
- Georgia's SEC Media Days player selections offer early leadership clues
This article was originally published on dawnofthedawg.com as Kirby Smart cleverly let the media flex on Tennessee for him at SEC Media Days.
