SEC drops Bama, adds Missouri for UGA’s new 2012 schedule
TAMPA — If Georgia does not repeat as Southeastern Conference Eastern Division champions in 2012, it will not have the schedule to blame.
The SEC on Wednesday finally released its new football schedules for next season and the Bulldogs made out well. They dropped the Oct. 6 game at Alabama and picked up a road game against new conference member Missouri in Columbia, Mo., on Sept. 8. Meanwhile, UGA’s traditional SEC opener against South Carolina was moved back to Oct. 6. That game will also be on the road, as originally scheduled.
The only other change for the Bulldogs was their game at Kentucky, originally scheduled for Oct. 13, moves back one week. That will eliminate what was originally an off week before the Florida game. However, the Gators also lose their off week before playing the Bulldogs, so neither team has an advantage.
Georgia’s non-conference opponents of Buffalo (Sept. 1), Florida Atlanta (Sept. 15), Georgia Southern (Nov. 17) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 24) remain the same.
“I don’t think anybody in this conference has an easy schedule,” Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity said Wednesday. “We have nothing to base a road game to Missouri on. There’s no question going to Columbia, Mo., is going to be a tremendous challenge. just like Florida going to Texas A&M is going to be. I know within our building nobody is thinking there’s anything easy about our schedule.”
Bulldogs coach Mark Richt declined comment on the new slate. “I think the focus should be this game and that’s what we’re going to be focued on,” he said. “I don’t want to get too far down the road. Let’s finish up this season and we’ll talk about those things in the future.”
McGarity said it’s important to note that Georgia is not replacing Alabama with Missouri. The Bulldogs simply are keeping Auburn as their traditional rival from the West and had to honor their return game with Ole Miss after playing the Rebels in Oxford last season.
It should also be noted that the new schedule, revamped to accommodate new conference members Missouri and Texas A&M, is intended for just one year. The SEC will reconvene in the spring to look at schedules for 2013 and beyond.
“The SEC transition team and our athletic directors did a great job with significant logistical challenges in a short time frame in developing the 2012 football conference schedule,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. “The ability to come together for the conference is what makes the SEC so strong and that was evident yet again in this process.”
Said McGarity: “The entire scheduling process was difficult and the transition team led by the SEC office had to deal with some very difficult scheduling challenges and formats. That’s why it took a long time to make it through.”
McGarity remains skeptical that the league would go to nine conference games.
“It really restricts scheduling flexibility to do that, especially when it comes to traditional rivals and having a seven-game home schedule,” McGarity said. “That’s going to be very difficult to do.”
Georgia’s players were essentially oblivious to the changes.
“I really don’t pay attention to any of it,” sophomore linebacker Jarvis Jones said. “We just watch film, look at the personnel and line up and play. We can’t help who we play. We don’t make the schedule. So we just go out there any chance we get and try to make the best of it.”
Said fellow linebacker Alec Ogletree: “I didn’t know anything about it. I’m still trying to focus on this year and getting this last game over with. I’ll worry about next year when it’s time to.”
Here’s how the new slate looks:
2012 GEORGIA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
- Sept. 1 Buffalo
- Sept. 8 at Missouri
- Sept. 15 Florida Atlantic
- Sept. 22 Vanderbilt
- Sept. 29 Tennessee
- Oct. 6 at S. Carolina
- Oct. 13 OPEN
- Oct. 20 at Kentucky
- Oct. 27 vs. Florida in Jacksonville
- Nov. 3 Ole Miss
- Nov. 10 at Auburn
- Nov. 17 Georgia Southern
- Nov. 24 Georgia Tech
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1,129 comments Add your comment
MG
December 28th, 2011
11:45 am
Schedule sets up well for the Dawgs again, but that Mizzou game can’t be taken lightly. 1st SEC game for the Tigers in Mizzou coupled with UGA’s typical slow start could be a nightmare for Dawg fans. The Mizzou fans will be JACKED for that game. But after that, it looks like the only other tough game is at USC. Could be another good year for the Dawgs…especially since USC has to play both Ark and LSU from the West.
10 out of 11
December 28th, 2011
11:45 am
Buzzman: watch tech get beat by Utah this coming Saturday.
Rob
December 28th, 2011
11:45 am
Yep, another EASY schedule for the Dogs..might has well book the SEC championship only to get slaughtered by the winner of the west, again. I think the Big East has a tougher schedule than Georgia.
Kilroy
December 28th, 2011
11:46 am
2012 schedule looks favorable. Let’s concentrate on beating MSU and then have a great recruiting class come in who want to compete. For all of you UGA haters (GT) go find a rubic’s cube blog so you can have an intelligent conversation with like minds. This is a UGA blog!!
Buzzman
December 28th, 2011
11:46 am
The SEC does not set all of the games. The Coaches do most of it. This is the weakest schedule I have seen Georgia play in a long time. I guess when they got waxed by LSU they didn’t want to play them anymore….
CCDawg
December 28th, 2011
11:46 am
Good quote Neutral!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bronco
December 28th, 2011
11:46 am
Buffalo, Florida Atlantic and Ga Southern. Really? LOL.
Flowery Branch Dawg
December 28th, 2011
11:47 am
It is not often to get such a favorable schedule and the next few seasons that favorable will likely change to be very tough, so Richt and staff need to coach their butts off and try to win a title while the opportunity is there.
Bishop Eddie Longs Red Panties
December 28th, 2011
11:47 am
Them Dawgs are Skeered of Bama RTR!!!!
DAWG ONE
December 28th, 2011
11:47 am
Stop dreaming and come to the realization that Mizzou played some pretty good ball this year and they will be a mystery of sorts, anything can happen with Vandy, SC, TN, KY in this conference, and downplay all you want AU, but they have plenty of athletes. Then there is FL. They are recruiting a great class so far although I don’t know why, so get a dose of reality guys. We could come out smelling like a rose, or have a few disasters.
True Dawg Fan
December 28th, 2011
11:47 am
A person SMART enough to know……
December 28th, 2011
11:37 am
What a JOKE. Will UGa ever have to play a difficult schedule? Richt & Bobo are going to look like freaking coaching geniuses winning 10 games/yr. against the worst teams in the SEC. UGa should be called the All Cup Cake SEC Champs.
Wonder who set the schedule??? Retard
The educator
December 28th, 2011
11:47 am
Schedules run in cycles. There was a time when having Bama on the schedule was no big deal. You can bet Missouri will play their arse off at home to demonstrate they belong in the SEC. These schedules are made years inn advance and you never know who’s gonna be up and who’s gonna be down by the time you get to them. UGA will be very good next year and having 8 home games is a slight advantage.
RxDawg
December 28th, 2011
11:48 am
By the way, USC is notorious for starting the season out strong and floping towards the end. So having the USC game moved back could equate to our slight advantage.
Jborodawg
December 28th, 2011
11:48 am
Paul R. … you obviously don’t know squat about SEC scheduling, especially for 2012. You think UGA delayed the announcement? No, it came down from the SEC. However, they do take into account each teams ‘traditional’ opponents. In our case…Tenn, Awbun, SC and Flawduh.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 28th, 2011
11:48 am
Aaron Murray wins 10 games again. He makes all kinds of records. He leaves for the NFL to Much Hype and Accolades only to SUCK when he actually has to play against Good teams every week.
People should say MURRAY is a QB GOD with the schedules he faces, but he is yet to win a BIG game against a Good team.
DAWG ONE
December 28th, 2011
11:48 am
Buzzman – you have no idea of what you are saying. The coaches do NOT make up the schedules!
Bishop Eddie Longs Red Panties
December 28th, 2011
11:48 am
Skeered say your Skeered
Cmon man
December 28th, 2011
11:49 am
Correct me if im wrong, but didnt the SEC create this schedule? Stop crying and blaming uga play your games and take care of business.
True Dawg Fan
December 28th, 2011
11:50 am
Buzzman
December 28th, 2011
11:46 am
The SEC does not set all of the games. The Coaches do most of it. This is the weakest schedule I have seen Georgia play in a long time. I guess when they got waxed by LSU they didn’t want to play them anymore….
The only games teams get to set are OOC retard. Not our fault that the SEC decided to add 2 teams and take away Bama from our schedule.
You do know though that the schedule rotates so eventually we will be playing bama and LSU and Arky.
Do research before you post nerds. Figured that would be easy for you people.
10 out of 11
December 28th, 2011
11:50 am
Buzzman: Good point. That is exactly what we did. You should consider doing the same with UGA. By they way….since LSU beat us so badly how would your team do against them? Didnt we crush you again? Shut Up!
The educator
December 28th, 2011
11:51 am
Yes on the other hand, with sure wins like Tech on the schedule I guess it is easier than I thought.
Flowery Branch Dawg
December 28th, 2011
11:52 am
The SEC does schedule all SEC games. Each school’s athletic director then sets all non-conference games around what dates are left over after the SEC gets through scheduling. That is the fact.
UGA athletic director Greg McGarity has already stated that he will follow the formula followed at Florida all those years he worked there of scheduling the easiest opponents possible so the team can concentrate on winning SEC games. Florida won 3 national championships (and many SEC titles) following that policy.
Hope it works!!!!
CCDawg
December 28th, 2011
11:52 am
Dang, What happened to playing anybody, anywhere???? (I.E. LSU). Cmon Dawgs we have to do better. Like anything else, if you play garbage teams, you become a garbage team.
Strange Murphy
December 28th, 2011
11:52 am
AU in ATL is a typical Auburn mornon.
NFL is better than College
December 28th, 2011
11:52 am
WoW…….really, now really. This is the schedule that UGA puts together. Now you know why no one outside of the state of Georgia takes you serious. Most of your fans will agree that this schedule is watered-down and with a schedule like this, how could you play in the NC game. No worries, LSU or Alabama will take care of that in Atlanta next year…….
The SEC is just like other conferences, it’s top heavy with 2 good teams. The rest of the teams are in the middle of the pack.
Yes, the NFL is better than college football
Steelers Fan!!!!!
Kevin Everett
December 28th, 2011
11:53 am
Chip, don’t mislead the masses with “GEORGIA DROPS ALABAMA & PICKS UPS MISSOURI”. Georgia didn’t do ANYTHING. The SEC decided what the schedule would be, not Georgia. I have to admit, though, that the topics you usually use are misleading in order to make Georgia look worse than should be. We can’t help what our SEC schedule is, we just have to play it. Be sure to use similar headlines in the years when we’re playing LSU or Bama. But by then, I’m sure they’ll be in their “down” years just because they’re playing Georgia. That’s how you usually spin it.
Chip Towers
December 28th, 2011
11:53 am
Georgia didn’t get any special breaks on the schedule. It’s just the natural SEC rotation. For instance, the Dogs played both LSU and Bama in 2008 and it played LSU and Arkansas in 2009. It also could be written that Bama, LSU and Arkansas avoided having to play UGA in 2012 as the Bulldogs are projected as a preseason Top 10 team.
Raiderbeater
December 28th, 2011
11:55 am
WOW!
I’m a UGA fan……but the last thing I want to do is go 12-0 then loose to LSU/Bama in the SECCG…….then wind up in the Capital One bowl instead of the NC……very real possibility. We better be damned good next year.
THE FACTS
December 28th, 2011
11:55 am
The SEC does set all SEC games. The SEC teams have no say so really in that process, except I am sure that UGA & Auburn specifically asked that they do not have their annual game broken up, since they have played each other every single year they have had a team. .
The schools are only in charge of scheduling non-conference games.
Strange Murphy
December 28th, 2011
11:56 am
Paul R! Dumbarse! SEC makes the schedule not the teams. Unless you are a team like Bama who the SEC and NCAA fall over backwards to keep happy.
SEC East Cupcakes
December 28th, 2011
11:56 am
It will be a repeat season. go ahead and pre-order your 2013 outback bowl tickets.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 28th, 2011
11:57 am
Murray 16-10 should finish his career at UGA 28-13 after next year. He will not come back for his senior year.
BUZZards
December 28th, 2011
11:58 am
Hey Tech fans our schedule wouldnt look so easy if you would put together a decent football team.
10 out of 11
December 28th, 2011
11:58 am
Tech fans: why would you be concerned about anything other than beating UGA? everything else is irrelevant regarding our schedule. It still has you on it and that is all that matters. You don’t control that and neither do we. 10 of 11. what a joke!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 28th, 2011
11:58 am
Should win the East next year with no excuses
dawgkicker
December 28th, 2011
11:59 am
once again… UGA making sure they dont have to play any real teams so they can pound their chest… then get blasted in a bowl and championship game… LOL lets do it again… the overhyped puppies will show us again how not to do it…
CCDawg
December 28th, 2011
11:59 am
With the SEC setting all the games… I guess it is safe to say that the SEC is giving Richt a shot at a NC.(LITERALLY)
Raiderbeater
December 28th, 2011
11:59 am
UGA 2012 NCAA Division II Champs (thats all we play outside of the SEC)……..
PLEASE UGA…..play a Texas, Oregon, or Ohio St one year……heck, I’d settle for freaking ND or Wash St at this point!!!!!!
True Dawg Fan
December 28th, 2011
11:59 am
NFL is better than College
December 28th, 2011
11:52 am
WoW…….really, now really. This is the schedule that UGA puts together. Now you know why no one outside of the state of Georgia takes you serious. Most of your fans will agree that this schedule is watered-down and with a schedule like this, how could you play in the NC game. No worries, LSU or Alabama will take care of that in Atlanta next year…….
The SEC is just like other conferences, it’s top heavy with 2 good teams. The rest of the teams are in the middle of the pack.
Yes, the NFL is better than college football
Steelers Fan!!!!!
Wow so many dumb statements were to start???
UGA didnt put schedule together SEC did. (Everyone schedules 2-3 easy OOC games, which are the only games UGA gets to schedule)
Thats fine if no one takes us seriously, they can sit back and watch us destroy them for looking past us. Def fine with us.
The SEC is hands down the best conference in the country. NO ONE COMES CLOSE.
No the NFL for overpaid cry babies.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 28th, 2011
12:00 pm
CHIP T the reason UGa is considered a top 10 team is because they haven’t beat anybody but have a winning record. Yea, LSU is so afraid to play UGA after the SEC CG. CHIP you were making a Joke right? UGA hasn’t played and beat a GOOD team with Murray at QB.
MG
December 28th, 2011
12:02 pm
Chip, this isn’t the ‘natural’ rotation at all. Sources have all said this is a transitional schedule for 2012.
If it were ‘natural’, USC wouldn’t be dropping a home game against MSU (return trip from Starkville last year) to play LSU in Tiger Stadium.
Jborodawg
December 28th, 2011
12:03 pm
Bama’s 2012 schedule…they play Ark and LSU because they are West teams, not because they want a tougher schedule. They have three ‘cupcakes’ just like everybody else.
Michigan @ Cowboys Stadium
Western Kentucky
@Arkansas
Florida Atlantic
Ole Miss
open
@Mizzou
@Tenn
Miss State
@LSU
Tex A&M
Western Carolina
Awbun
Devil's Advocate
December 28th, 2011
12:03 pm
1) Why is it a requirement for UGA to play Bama to have a legit schedule?
2) If UGA were a “bad” team, would they be favored in the majority of their games in the first place?
3) When talking about stacked “home” scheduling, why does no one bring up all those seasons where UT and UF would only play 3 games outside of their respective home state on their way to SECCs and MNCs?
Haters gonna hate…
AU in ATL
December 28th, 2011
12:04 pm
Nice spin job Chip Towers…I’m sure LSU feels better about “avoiding” UGA in 2012:) It is what it is, UGA has a very easy schedule compared to most of the other SEC teams…don’t apologize just win them all like most of your rivals have done the past ten years…
Cobb Dawg
December 28th, 2011
12:04 pm
@miz-am: Your warnings are well heeded. UGA fans shouldn’t get so excited about not having SC as the first conference game next year — Missouri won’t be a walkover, especially at home and especially in their first SEC game, where they will be primed to make an impression on the rest of the conference. I still think UGA will be favored in that game, but let’s not forget the Oklahoma State opener a few years ago — Mizzou deserves our respect.
Joe
December 28th, 2011
12:05 pm
UGA didn’t drop anyone, as they don’t make the conference schedule. You want to blame someone, blame the SEC for making the schedule.
True Dawg Fan
December 28th, 2011
12:06 pm
Raiderbeater
all that needs to be said to you is that u are a moron.
True Dawg Fan
December 28th, 2011
12:07 pm
dawgkicker
December 28th, 2011
11:59 am
once again… UGA making sure they dont have to play any real teams so they can pound their chest… then get blasted in a bowl and championship game… LOL lets do it again… the overhyped puppies will show us again how not to do it…
Making sure??? So Silve is in our pocket now, since the sEC sets the schedule. Get a clue before posting
DougsMugsDOTcom
December 28th, 2011
12:08 pm
Missouri still should be in the West. How expensive is their travel budget going to be for golf, swimming, gymnastics, etc?
It will impact all our budgets, too, but not as bad as theirs. It was a stupid decision.
HEY PAWL
December 28th, 2011
12:08 pm
No MNC with that schedule Dawgfans. You could run the table and still not get a sniff at it.