Visit by LSU, return to Auburn highlight Georgia’s ‘13 schedule (updated)
By TIM TUCKER
Georgia’s 2013 football schedule restores South Carolina to a familiar early-season spot, includes a visit to Athens by LSU and — in an odd quirk — calls for the Bulldogs to travel to Auburn for a second consecutive season.
The SEC finally unveiled next season’s league schedule Thursday after spending many months sorting through the complexities of expansion to 14 teams. The league emphasized that next season’s schedule, like this season’s, is a transitional “bridge” and not a model for an ongoing rotation.
For Georgia fans, the 2013 schedule might be disconcerting: It is UGA’s first since 1957 without a home game against either Auburn or Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs’ two oldest rivals.
For more than a half-century, Georgia has hosted Auburn in odd-numbered years and Tech in even-numbered years. But the SEC said it shifted next season’s Georgia-Auburn game to Auburn “in order to maintain a balanced schedule for the 2014 season and beyond.” Two other games, Ole Miss at Alabama and Texas A&M at Ole Miss, also will be played at the same site this season and next.
“Repeat-venue games, while not desired, provided the only solution to the complex scheduling issues,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said in a statement.
The other thing that jumps out about Georgia’s 2013 schedule: It is tougher than this season’s and last season’s, both of which avoided the top SEC West teams.
After opening next season with a previously announced non-conference game at Clemson on Aug. 31, Georgia will start SEC play Sept. 7 in Athens against South Carolina. On Sept. 28, Georgia will host SEC West power LSU. Clemson, South Carolina and LSU are currently ranked among the nation’s top 14 teams.
Next season’s Georgia-South Carolina game will mark the 21st time in 22 years that the teams meet in their SEC openers. The exception was this season’s October meeting.
The Georgia-LSU game will be a homecoming for Zach Mettenberger, currently LSU’s starting quarterback and a former Georgia player. He grew up near Athens.
After the early-season gauntlet, Georgia’s remaining SEC games next season are Oct. 5 at Tennessee, Oct. 12 at home against Missouri, Oct. 19 at Vanderbilt, Nov. 2 against Florida in Jacksonville, Nov. 16 at Auburn and Nov. 23 at home against Kentucky.
In addition to the opener at Clemson, the previously announced non-conference schedule includes home games against North Texas (Sept. 21) and Appalachian State (Nov. 9) and the road game at Tech (Nov. 30).
Next season’s schedule is spread over 14 weeks. Georgia will have a bye week following the South Carolina game and another before the Florida game.
“The 2013 schedule will obviously be very challenging,” UGA athletic director Greg McGarity said in a statement. “Our No. 1 priority throughout this process was to protect our long-standing rivalry game against Auburn, and in order to keep this series intact, it necessitated a return to Auburn in 2013. We will start working on the 2014 rotating SEC schedule this spring, and we can confirm that Auburn will be returning to Athens in 2014.”
Beyond that assurance, the SEC described the ’13 schedule as “not based on any previous or future scheduling formats.”
GEORGIA’S 2013 SCHEDULE
All caps signifies home game
- August 31 at Clemson
- September 7 SOUTH CAROLINA
- September 14 Open
- September 21 NORTH TEXAS
- September 28 LSU
- October 5 at Tennessee
- October 12 MISSOURI
- October 19 at Vanderbilt
- October 26 Open
- November 2 Florida ( Jacksonville)
- November 9 APPALACHIAN ST.
- November 16 at Auburn
- November 23 KENTUCKY
- November 30 at Georgia Tech
SEC WEEK-BY-WEEK, 2013
Aug. 31
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
Sept. 7
South Carolina at Georgia
Sept. 14
Alabama at Texas A&M
Mississippi State at Auburn
Vanderbilt at South Carolina
Sept. 21
Auburn at LSU
Tennessee at Florida
Sept. 28
Ole Miss at Alabama
Texas A&M at Arkansas
Florida at Kentucky
LSU at Georgia
Oct. 5
Arkansas at Florida
Ole Miss at Auburn
Georgia at Tennessee
Kentucky at South Carolina
LSU at Mississippi State
Missouri at Vanderbilt
Oct. 12
Alabama at Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas
Florida at LSU
Missouri at Georgia
Texas A&M at Ole Miss
Oct. 19
Arkansas at Alabama
Auburn at Texas A&M
Florida at Missouri
Georgia at Vanderbilt
South Carolina at Tennessee
LSU at Ole Miss
Oct. 26
Tennessee at Alabama
Kentucky at Mississippi State
South Carolina at Missouri
Vanderbilt at Texas A&M
Nov. 2
Auburn at Arkansas
Georgia vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Mississippi State at South Carolina
Tennessee at Missouri
Nov. 9
LSU at Alabama
Arkansas at Ole Miss
Auburn at Tennessee
Vanderbilt at Florida
Missouri at Kentucky
Mississippi State at Texas A&M
Nov. 16
Alabama at Mississippi State
Georgia at Auburn
Florida at South Carolina
Kentucky at Vanderbilt
Nov. 23
Mississippi State at Arkansas
Kentucky at Georgia
Texas A&M at LSU
Missouri at Ole Miss
Vanderbilt at Tennessee
Nov. 30
Alabama at Auburn
Arkansas at LSU
Tennessee at Kentucky
Ole Miss at Mississippi State
Texas A&M at Missouri
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
247 comments Add your comment
Chip Towers
October 18th, 2012
4:52 pm
clockstoppa: Not sure where you’re coming from on this. UGA played relatively weak schedules this season and last. But they don’t traditionally play weak schedules. In 2010 played MissSt, Ark and Nat’l champion Auburn in West and Colorado in non-con on road. In 2009 played LSU, Ark and Auburn from West along with non-con Ariz State at home and Okla State on road. In ‘08 they played both Bama and LSU from the West along with Auburn and Ariz State on road. Of course they’ve got to Tech every year. It goes on back from there. So this junk about UGA always playing a weak schedule doesn’t really hold water.
AltamahaDawg
October 18th, 2012
4:53 pm
Are you saying we need to fire Mark Richt this offseason, INsider?
HoneyBadger Has the Munchies
October 18th, 2012
4:55 pm
Want to be measured? Here ya go! No more excuses
Dum-Bass
October 18th, 2012
5:00 pm
“BjohnDawg” the bye weekends are not for who you play after those dates, but who you played the week before. In other words, “recuperation days” for getting well again after getting the snot beat out of ya! The week before the first bye date is South Carolina and the second one is Vanderbilt. NOW, I understand!
mark
October 18th, 2012
5:04 pm
@East, Gruden? You are clueless or stupid. Which is it?
NrGreggo
October 18th, 2012
5:05 pm
Wow UGAg 0-2 early in September. CMR gone soon afterwards……if not before…..
Here we Go
October 18th, 2012
5:08 pm
Better start getting a list of candidates for coach after the 2013 season.7 and 5 or 6 and 6.Maybe just maybe 8 and 4 with some luck.With the number of players gone after 2012, next year will be a season that will take excellent coaching by CMR and Staff.
George P. Burdell
October 18th, 2012
5:25 pm
I do think switching the Auburn game is interesting because Tech has shown an interest in swapping the UGA game from the current schedule. Of course, now the ACC will be reshuffling with Pitt and Syracuse so it may not work but this seems like it could work out well for Tech and UGA.
That 2013 schedule is a pretty tough opening act. October and November get a little better by comparison but overall that is a tough slate.
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
October 18th, 2012
5:25 pm
FINALLY….FINALLY…..FINALLY….UGA is going to be playing some teams other than the fluff teams they’ve played the last few years.
The sad part…..by mid-season they (fans) will be screaming for the coach’s resignation or to have him fired since their record will be very interesting and the fans always think, for whatever reason, that the UGA football program is a top tier program…..NOT!!!!!
BTW…..I’m not a Paul Johnson fan either!!!!!
Joe Greene
October 18th, 2012
5:25 pm
Don’t over look the Mean Green next year….they are going to be loaded….I’m calling it now…..Beat Down!
Reality Dawg
October 18th, 2012
5:31 pm
UGA’s schedule for home and away games is awful. What the hell do those idiots over in Athens do when it comes to getting home and away games scheduled with the clowns over in Bham at the SEC office? Do you people know we will have had only one game combined at home during Oct this year and next? Why can’t they get us away from playing TN and Vandy home and home to a home and away schedule. The FL game in Jax really really hurts us in playing a balanced home and away schedule but that what the Georgia folks won’t so this is why we get a really unbalanced away and home
Macon Mike
October 18th, 2012
5:36 pm
It is past time to get rid of Jacksonville. Home and home with the Gators!
HSV Vern
October 18th, 2012
5:43 pm
Hey, better to play Auburn in their house while they are terrible, save the home slots for decent teams.
Lou Holtz "AKA The Spitting Cobra"
October 18th, 2012
5:43 pm
I predict South Carolina and Notre Dame will both undefeated next year.
Wildgator
October 18th, 2012
5:47 pm
It should be a fun year for the bull puppies next year. They haven’t had a schedule like this in a while. So fans, suck it up!
SuperB
October 18th, 2012
5:53 pm
Hiring Greg McGarity was a huge mistake. He is from the same old guard that thinks;
1. Playing Florida away is a good idea
2. Opening with Clemson is a good idea.
3. The fantasy that Georgia will not have 2-4 players suspended for the Clemson and USC games won’t happen.
What’s the use to get excited by football when this guy is undermining any possibility of winning a championship.
Georgia’s future is doomed as long as we proceed with nos. 1 and 2.
dale
October 18th, 2012
5:55 pm
What is so brutal about it? Is Georgia becoming like Spurrier and going to complain about playing LSU? It’s the SEC, what do you want?
dale
October 18th, 2012
5:59 pm
Not strictly home and home against the Gators, but one vote for mixing in home games with the Cocktail Party. So UGA players can play in the Swamp and Florida players can play between the hedges.
(and yes, I remember 95, when a lousy Georgia team got stomped by the best Florida team Tank Black could buy)
JRW7
October 18th, 2012
6:04 pm
Maybe this 2013 schedule seals CMR’S fate for us? Can’t wait!
DirtyDawg
October 18th, 2012
6:05 pm
Looks as if The Old Ball Coach’s pi$$in and mounin about the schedule has paid off for him. SC’s schedule next season is one of those ‘cupcakes’ he gripes about.
Texas Dawg
October 18th, 2012
6:09 pm
Hey I like it……tired of beating up on cupcakes……….let the big dawg eat or get off the porch! Time to hire Tommy T!!!!!!! Bobo DGD but can’t outcoach a team of equal or better talent……you see LSU gameplan against USC……..BoBo didn’t have one against USC
good high school coach could have developed a better game plan against SC
JRW7
October 18th, 2012
6:09 pm
When this DAWG/Gator contract in JAX runs out, maybe Greg McGarity will agree to play our home game in the GA DOME, and Gators can play their home game in JAX?
dewnsav
October 18th, 2012
6:13 pm
Can I cry like some other people the last few years about the schedule…UGA is cycling back into a grind…that’s how it works in the SEC…some will have an easier schedule, wah, wah, wah…go dogs
Smarticus
October 18th, 2012
6:13 pm
If Richt can make it through this season without getting fired, he will definitely get his pink slip during the 2013-14 season. His total incompetence will be laid out for all to see. Next year is going to be extremely painful.
RunninWithTheDawgs
October 18th, 2012
6:13 pm
I like having SC for our second game in 2013. Gives Spurrier less time to study us. He’ll have to come up with some other surprise than a noise bowl next year ’cause we’ll be “Between The Hedges”. GO DAWGS !
Smarticus
October 18th, 2012
6:14 pm
Hiring McGarity will go down in the history books as a mistake of gargantuan proportions…
joe in tucker
October 18th, 2012
6:27 pm
in secret, Slive and Saban are closet lovers, it’s the only way to explain the schedule….
LOL
October 18th, 2012
6:34 pm
This conference is a joke now, they really screwed up a great conference…
lol
October 18th, 2012
6:35 pm
by that time I hope mark richt will be fire.
dave
October 18th, 2012
6:35 pm
back to back losses against teams from sc. what a start!
Rick James
October 18th, 2012
6:41 pm
Why are all of the people who can predict Georgia’s wins and losses next season not buying lottery tickets?
dale
October 18th, 2012
6:42 pm
Chip, any chance Spurrier can be asked about his “only East games count” stance for next year?
RunninWithTheDawgs
October 18th, 2012
6:44 pm
I really don’t get it where everybody says this is an easy schedule. This season isn’t over by a long shot and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we don’t lose a couple more before it is.
GO DAWGS !
Gamecocks return to front of UGA’s schedule as SEC releases new 2013 games lineup – Georgia – Dawg News
October 18th, 2012
6:55 pm
[...] original here: Gamecocks return to front of UGA’s schedule as SEC releases new 2013 games lineup ← Back to Home Tags: auburn, auburn tigers, back, carolina, consecutive, games, [...]
dan
October 18th, 2012
7:15 pm
First off, there is no difference between Tommy Tuberville and Mark Richt. Both are 8-10 win coaches, but both underachieve with talent. Tuberville’s last couple of years on the Plains weren’t anything to write home about.
The schedule is what it is. Also, its hard to say which teams will really perform and which won’t. I think Richt will win against a few of these ” big programs” and then lose to others. I could see us beating a Florida but losing to a Tennessee. I say this team will be 8-4, which will basically illustrate what we are as a program. Good but not good enough.
Sunbury Ga dawg
October 18th, 2012
7:18 pm
We can easily be 1-3 by October 5…………Or we can be 4-0………If we lose players to suspension during the summer then 1-3, if we keep the same coaching staff 1-3……..
no more kool aid for me guys! i truly believed we would win it all this year…..21-0 at half time woke me up! we are doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result……..nope, pass the kool aid to someone else my friend.
also let me know when i can wear my GA hat again, because i took it off at halftime two weeks ago and it’s still on the shelf
Beast from the East
October 18th, 2012
7:18 pm
Whine, whine, whine. The schedule is too easy. Then it’s too tough. Some of you people are just ridiculous. Line up, play the dang games and may the best team win.
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
October 18th, 2012
7:24 pm
@ Da’Rick:
It would be much better if YOU hit the ground running back to Tennessee!!!!!!!!!!! Oops! I forgot. They fired you
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
October 18th, 2012
7:26 pm
@ Beast:
You said well bro and after all, it’s just a DAMN GAME. Obviously some people need to get a life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
October 18th, 2012
7:30 pm
@ Sunbury Ga Dawg:
Don’t worry about the hat dude!!!!!!!!!
Just pick another team and call D E L T A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg Nation does not need you or your ilk!!!!!!!!!!!
It is just a DAMN GAME you dumba$$!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
October 18th, 2012
7:35 pm
@ Chip Towers(4:52 pm post)
Excellent comments but even you are not going to be able to get through to the Single Digit IQs on here!!!!!!!!
Hugh Jass
October 18th, 2012
7:39 pm
Auburn sucks and we get LSU at home. I am fine with it.
DawgNole
October 18th, 2012
7:40 pm
ozzfest
October 18th, 2012
3:54 pm
Anybody notice that since Ohio State cancelled the 2020-21 series, they have changed their minds, and decided to schedule powerhouse teams for those future years. If only McGarrity had a brain (or a heart…)
____________________
Or the courage to schedule decent OOC competition EVERY year.
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
October 18th, 2012
7:41 pm
@ Gomdawg:
Read the ARTICLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It explains it in GREAT detail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We either had to take 2 in a row at Auburn or run the risk of losing the Auburn/UGA rivalry game being played every year!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It, in my opinion , was a no-brainer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kingdaddy
October 18th, 2012
7:42 pm
I say play ball. Make the coaches earn their pay. Make them Gameplan for a change. If you are,scared to play good teams, then get out of the SEC. I want to hear Steve Spurrier complain to everybody that UGAs schedule is unfair, lol. I really don’t care what he thinks. Maybe playing better competition will make us compete for a change. Screw the cupcakes, let Spurrier play them so he will keep his piehole shut for a change…
DawgNole
October 18th, 2012
7:44 pm
Macon Mike
October 18th, 2012
4:38 pm
robodawg, maybe McGarrity will start scheduling a BCS conference opponent every other year in November…
____________________
Not a chance. His cowardly OOC scheduling strategy is well documented.
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
October 18th, 2012
7:45 pm
@ LOL:
Flunked SPELLING, didn’t you????
DawgNole
October 18th, 2012
7:50 pm
Macon Mike
October 18th, 2012
4:48 pm
do I have this figured right? Using the 6-1-1 format, UGA will play west teams (except Auburn) in Athens once every 12 years? So, LSU is here in 2013, Georgia goes to Baton Rouge in 2014, and you don’t see them again until 2025? Right?
_______________________
I think you’re right. That’s the sissy SEC scheduling for you. We should be playing nine conference games a year, but everybody wants their 3 cupcakes (at home) a season. Spineless.
collegeballfan
October 18th, 2012
7:51 pm
If UGA can handle Clemson and South Carolina on consecutive weekends – more power to them.
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
October 18th, 2012
7:51 pm
@ joe in tucker:
It is kinda ironic that the Slive, Saban and Sandusky trio is being torn apart with poor old Jerry’s longterm vacation starting soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!