Georgia Not Part of the Group...

There are always a lot of complaints that teams in the South do not schedule tough out of conference schedules, the argument from the Southern fans is that the conference schedules are the hardest in the country so why should they play a hard out of conference schedule too. Well in recent years teams in the SEC have started to add tougher games to their schedules. Tennessee seems to always schedule tough home and home series with teams all over the country. Georgia in recent years has started to schedule and play in tougher out of conference games as well, which as a fan you enjoy seeing these games. Georgia has played home and home series with Arizona State, Oklahoma State and Colorado. They also have scheduled a home and home series with Clemson that starts in a few years. Georgia also has a Georgia Tech out of conference game on the schedule every year. It goes without saying that everyone has at least one or two easier games on their schedules to play directional schools from Div 1-AA (refuse to call this the FCS) or the SunBelt.

When Georgia hired their new Athletic Director (McGarity) he stated that he was bringing the philosophy that Florida has used for years. Florida generally plays three easy games at home as warm-ups and has an out of conference rivalry game annually against Florida State. McGarity even cancelled a home and home series with Oregon that was scheduled to start in 2015.

Well good news Dawg fans, McGarity not only scheduled Georgia to play in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic against Boise State to kickoff the season, he has begun talks with Midwestern powers in football (Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State). McGarity confirmed to georgia247sports.com that he would like to work on scheduling home and home series with one or more of these Midwestern teams later in this decade.

As a Georgia fan this is exciting news to show that we are not afraid to get out and play anyone, not to mention to spreads the Georgia brand. I know there is something to be said for playing an easier out of conference schedule and then play the SEC schedule, but I like one of these big games on the schedule every year too.