Schedule adjustment: Great for AU, not for UGA

Most times in November, it’s usually jacket weather. Also by that time, it’s usually known how much of a shot at a conference title and other things that Georgia teams may have.

In many years, Georgia’s hopes of a title have hung on its result against Auburn. The cold weather, prestige and atmosphere - it makes any Georgia-Auburn game feel like a big deal, even if both teams are having a bad year.

They don’t call it the Deep South Oldest Rivalry for no reason. It means a lot, and the November timing means a lot to many people, especially those in red and black.

It’s for this reason that the chatter of moving the game earlier in the season would be one of the most idiotic decisions that Georgia athletics has made. It’d rank up there with the hiring of Ron Jirsa, someone thinking Brian Schottenheimer was a good idea, wearing black helmets against Florida and choosing to cooperate with the NCAA during Gurley Gate.

I mean...nothing quite says hard-hitting, time-honored old-school hatred of a rival than sweltering heat in September and October.

According to at least one report, discussions have been ongoing to move the Georgia-Auburn game earlier in the season.

Auburn, and one cannot blame the War-Tiger-Plainsmen for it, is trying to ease up its schedule in late-season that’s loaded with Georgia and Bama. In other words - Aubie’s schedule is too tough these days. So instead of packing a lunchpail, the solution is to do what tends to work when you are at a disadvantage in the SEC - lobby your way out of it (see Fulmer pushing back on Richt’s no-huddle when he got to Athens, Spurrier wanting an open date before WLOCP...).

It’s very much a move that’d be likened to Dale Earnhardt’s quote about kerosene rags and a candy ass.

So since Auburn is opting to ease up its schedule, the solution is to get one of its big bad rivals away from playing the other so close together.

This move benefits Auburn and Auburn alone. Unless the SEC rights the wrong of two road trips to The Plains after the Mizzou/Texas A&M addition, it shouldn’t even considered.

For Georgia?

Assuming that the Georgia-Florida game does not change dates, it’d be hard to see the SEC place the game in middle October. That’d mean, in theory, late September or early October.

What would that mean for Georgia?

Looking at this year’s schedule, it’d mean Tennessee around the same time of the season. Two rivals close together? Maybe Georgia can its way out of an unfavorable schedule.

Another big conference game early in the year? There’s less incentive for a marquee non-conference game. It’d open up a non-conference slot later in the season - good luck getting a Notre Dame or other big name for a November non-conference tilt. If you think the home non-conference schedule is light now, it’ll be worse.

Georgia and Auburn moving earlier in the year? Great for Auburn. Not for Georgia.

Go Dawgs!