Should the Georgia Bulldogs Want to Play in the SEC Championship Game?

Should the Georgia Bulldogs want to play in the SEC Championship game?

Georgia celebrates after the winning the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. Georgia won 22-19. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Should the Georgia Bulldogs want to play in the SEC Championship game?

There are two weeks left in the regular season and with Georgia's conference schedule behind them, they will now wait and see to find out if they will be playing in the SEC Championship game. There are a few scenarios that would punch their ticket to Atlanta, but perhaps the bigger question is, should Georgia want to play in the conference title game?

Let's start with this. Adding an SEC Championship to your resume is not something that should brushed over. The SEC is considered to be the hardest conference to play in by many, and claiming yourself as the best amongst that bunch is an honor. Kirby Smart has also been very vocal about how much the conference championship game means to him.

The immediate rebuttal to that would be Georgia won the SEC title last season and it ultimately ammounted to nothing. On top of that, Georgia lost its starting quarterback, Carson Beck, against Texas in the SEC Championship game.

Why Georgia Should Want to Play for a Conference Title

Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart gestures in the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The push back I would make to that is for starters, had Beck not gotten injured against Texas, Gunner Stockton may have never been introduced to fan base. Or at the very least, Georgia would not have gotten to see what Stockton was made of in a live game situation. They were able to in both the second half of that game and during the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame.

It's also worth adding that Georgia had their fair share of struggles last year. Neither side of the ball was very consistent but they found ways to win more times than not. So it was only fitting that those players were rewarded with winning the SEC Championship, despite everything that was happening during the season.

So to answer the question: Should Georgia want to play in the SEC title game? In short, yes. You should want to prove you are the best team in your conference and potentially have the ability to earn a first round bye in the playoffs. However, there are certainly advantages to missing the conference title that cannot be denied. Things like an extra week of rest, getting a home playoff game and not having to worry about earning an extra loss while everyone else is sitting at home.

Right now, Georgia is not set to play in Atlanta, but there is certainly a possibility that it could happen, and if it does, fans should not greet that with harsh feelings.