Even though the Georgia Bulldogs have won the past eight Deep South's Oldest Rivalry matchups, the Dawgs know that at some point, the Auburn Tigers will get at least one lick back. UGA fans sound fearful that 2026 could be the year.
Particularly, Dawn of the Dawg's Trevor Michael, who accused the SEC of conspiring against the Bulldogs by giving AU the bye week right before the two teams play for the second year in a row. The following is just not the words of someone who is convinced his team will continue owning this matchup.
"Could there actually be a chance that the SEC is trying to help Auburn finally beat Georgia? The Tigers have lost nine straight to Georgia, so maybe the SEC wants to see Auburn get a win in what is one of the biggest rivalries in the SEC. ... If the SEC wanted to help Auburn win there really wouldn't be much that they could do to help them without being too obvious. In fact, arranging the schedules in a certain way to benefit one team over another is about the only thing they can do," Michael wrote.
"That is exactly what the SEC did because Auburn has a bye week the week before playing Georgia while UGA does not. In fact, Georgia plays arguably their most difficult game of the season (at Alabama) one week before playing Auburn this season."
Alex Golesh is inspiring hope for the orange and blue, which means dread from opposing fan bases. Given how serious he is on the recruiting trail, and how he's explicitly promised that his legacy on the Plains won't be defined by golf, it's not unfounded. Most reasonable observers could understand that Golesh having his play-caller, quarterback, and some skill-position threats from his time with the USF Bulls makes the Tigers offense live-wire in 2026. DJ Durkin lost some elite talents, like edge-rushers Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford, and 3-technique/nose tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis, but he'll maintain his defensive identity with far less turnover than the offense.
Not for nothing, the pendulum has to swing back from UGA at some point. The Dawgs still recruit well because of Kirby Smart's presence at the helm, but Georgia isn't dominating like it did before third-party sources started buying recruits.
There are signs that the fall of the Dawgs, at least from the mythical status they've had for the past decade, could happen sooner rather than later.
Losing Auburn transfer Amaris Williams could doom the Dawgs
Perhaps losing Auburn transfer EDGE Amaris Williams to an ACL tear in April could be the kind of devastation that sets the team's mood back. Expected to anchor the defense and cause issues for opposing backfields, Williams will now miss the 2026 season.
With no extra portal window to compensate, UGA is starting the year from behind. While there will be depth to cover for it, to a degree, you wonder if the machine runs smoothly for yet another year. At some point, the law of averages has to drag the Dawgs down. Taking an emotional blow early in the offseason from losing a potential difference-maker could cast a black cloud over the Peach State this season.
The more panic seems to seep through UGA fans' words, the likelier it is that there is a real opening to finally end the Tigers' struggles in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry this season. Perhaps the Bulldogs are due for the kind of down year that the Alabama Crimson Tide had in 2024, where the CFP isn't in the cards and widespread worries about competing in this era are.
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