It’s a new world this college football season with realignment bringing Texas and Oklahoma into the SEC and a regular season that will feature teams jockeying for their spots in the expanded 12-team playoff.

Making Georgia football predictions against that backdrop is harder than ever because the Bulldogs have as tough a schedule--especially away from home—as anyone starting with No. 14 Clemson Saturday.

Remember that a 10-2 season or maybe even 9-3 may not kill a team’s postseason chances.

There are two bye weeks in the schedule. For Georgia that comes before a monster game at Alabama and in the usual spot before Florida in Jacksonville.

Kirby Smart’s teams have run through the regular season unbeaten each of the last three years, but Vanderbilt and South Carolina are no longer on the schedule. Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss are.

And so again is Georgia Tech which just took down Florida State in Ireland.

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Georgia predictions for 2024 college football season

Aug. 31: Georgia vs. Clemson

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

About the game: College football’s first full Saturday begins with a bang with programs who have each won a pair of national championships over the last eight years. Georgia’s No. 1 ranking shows it remains a force. Clemson has dropped since the teams last meeting to start the 2021 season.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Clemson 14

Sept. 7: Tennessee Tech at Georgia

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens

About the game: The Bulldogs home opener is the debut of public alcohol sales at long last in Sanford Stadium. As for the game, it will be a chance for backups—hello Gunner Stockton—to get some snaps against an FCS team that went 4-7 last season. Early forecast is promising for a 2 p.m. kick—a high of only 82!

Prediction: Georgia 63, Tennessee Tech 3

Sept. 14: Georgia at Kentucky

Location: Kroger Field, Lexington

About the game: A trip to the Bluegrass state comes on the front end of the schedule instead of its typical spot on the back end. Get ready for Jamon Dumas-Johnson pressuring Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff against the Bulldogs defense on a designed run. Mark Stoops teams often play Georgia close at home, but maybe not this time.

Prediction: Georgia 42, Kentucky 17

Sept. 28: Georgia at Alabama

Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa

About the game: A matchup of top 5 unbeatens will make this one of the games of the season. The last time Georgia played a top 5 opponent on the road was a 41-24 loss at Alabama in 2020 in a stadium limited in capacity due to COVID. I can’t see Georgia going unscathed through this schedule and this one is essentially a toss-up.

Prediction: Alabama 24, Georgia 23

Oct. 5: Auburn at Georgia

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens

About the game: This could be a sneaky game coming the week after Alabama and all the buildup. The Tigers gave Georgia all they could handle last season on the Plains before the Carson Beck and Brock Bowers connection came through. The Tigers haven’t won in Athens since 2005 and the Bulldogs will make it eight in a row in the series.

Prediction: Georgia 34, Auburn 10

Oct. 12: Mississippi State at Georgia

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens

About the game: Every SEC team Georgia will face ranks in the top 25 of ESPN’s SP+ rankings, except for Mississippi State which is No. 55 right behind UTSA and just ahead of James Madison. At least first-year coach Jeff Lebby will have a bye week before this one after playing at Texas.

Prediction: Georgia 49, Mississippi State 13

Oct. 19: Georgia at Texas

Location: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin

About the game: Georgia could certainly run the table in the regular season once again this year, but it’s hard to think any team would be likely to against this road schedule. This one would have been the one that I thought would have dented that win-loss record a month ago, but season-ending running back injuries including to C.J. Baxter has changed that. The Bulldogs will get a playoff-resume building win in Austin by taking aim at the Longhorns through the air.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Texas 27

Nov. 2: Georgia vs. Florida

Location: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville

About the game: Florida will be fascinating to watch this season. They have a chance to start strong if the Gators can pull off wins against Miami and Texas A&M. It’s a four-game gauntlet starting here followed by going to Texas and home games with LSU and Ole Miss. Trevor Etienne rushing against his former team is an added element.

Prediction: Georgia 38, Florida 21

Nov. 9: Georgia at Ole Miss

Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford

About the game: Nick Saban has given the Rebels their flowers for how they’ve upgraded on both sides of the line of scrimmage. It would be something if a trip to the SEC championship game is on the line between Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart, two of his former assistants. Georgia still has the quarterback edge with Beck over Jaxson Dart.

Prediction: Georgia 35, Ole Miss 27

Nov. 16: Tennessee at Georgia

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens

About the game: The Volunteers rolled into Athens two years ago as the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings and the Bulldogs made a statement win en route to a second straight national title. This one seems likely to have playoff implications at least for one of the teams. Josh Heupel is 0-3 against Kirby Smart and this doesn’t seem to be the team to get that fist win even with dynamic Nico Iamaleava at quarterback.

Prediction: Georgia 37, Tennessee 17

Nov. 23: UMass at Georgia

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens

About the game: The Bulldogs took it to the Minutemen 66-27 back in 2018 in their only previous meeting. This one shouldn’t be as close. This will be UMass’s third SEC game after hosting Missouri and going to Mississippi State. Penn State beat UMass 63-0 last season.

Prediction: Georgia 70, UMass 3

Nov. 29: Georgia Tech at Georgia

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens

About the game: If Georgia Tech’s win over Florida State in Dublin last Saturday is an indication, moving this game to Friday of Thanksgiving weekend looks like it will mean big TV ratings. The Yellow Jackets were already trending up under Brent Key after pushing Georgia in a 31-23 Bulldogs win last season. Beck and Malaki Starks will have their last game between the hedges (unless the Bulldogs are hosting a first-round playoff game).

Prediction: Georgia 34, Georgia Tech 17

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia college football predictions 2024. See our game-by-game picks