Who Does Georgia Play Saturday: The Top-25 SEC Battle You Can't Miss

If you're asking who does Georgia play Saturday, you’re probably looking for a football score that isn’t there. Let’s clear the air immediately. The Georgia Bulldogs football season ended back on New Year’s Day with a 39-34 loss to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. It was a heartbreaker. But don’t put the red and black back in the closet just yet.

Athens is absolutely buzzing right now, and it isn't because of the gridiron.

Today, Saturday, January 17, 2026, the real action is happening on the hardwood. The No. 21 Georgia Bulldogs men's basketball team is hosting the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks. This isn't some mid-season filler game. It is a full-blown Top-25 showdown in a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum.

The Saturday Matchup: Georgia vs. Arkansas

The tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Honestly, if you don't have a ticket by now, you’re looking at the secondary market where prices are swinging between $33 and $50. Stegeman has become a fortress under Mike White. The Dawgs are 51-14 at home during his four-season tenure. That’s a nearly 80% win rate.

This game is basically a collision of two high-speed trains. Georgia leads the entire nation in the percentage of field goals that are dunks. No, really. Over 20% of their buckets come from somebody trying to rip the rim off the backboard. Somto Cyril is a huge part of that. He’s a shot-blocking, rim-running nightmare for opponents.

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Arkansas isn't exactly playing "slow" either. They rank 6th nationally in dunk percentage. Basically, the rims at the Steg are going to need a structural integrity check by the time this is over.

Why This Game Matters So Much

The Bulldogs are sitting at 14-3 overall. They’ve been ranked for five straight weeks, which is their longest streak in over 20 years. But they’re coming off a stinging 97-95 overtime loss to Ole Miss this past Wednesday. It was their first home loss of the year.

You've got a team that's desperate to protect its turf.

On the other side, Arkansas is 13-4 and just dismantled South Carolina 108-74. They have this freshman guard, Darius Acuff Jr., who just dropped 18 points and 13 assists in a single game. He’s averaging nearly 20 points a night. Keeping him out of the paint is going to be the entire game plan for Georgia's defense.

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Key Players and What to Watch For

If you’re watching the broadcast, keep your eyes on Jeremiah Wilkinson. The kid has been on a tear. He’s posted 30-point games in both of Georgia’s SEC home games so far this year—31 against Auburn and a career-high 32 against Ole Miss. He’s become "the guy" when the shot clock is winding down.

• The Perimeter Battle: Blue Cain is closing in on some school records for three-pointers. He needs just a handful more to pass guys like Sundiata Gaines and Rashad Wright on the all-time list.
• The Paint: Somto Cyril is the anchor. He’s currently 13 blocks away from passing Terry Fair on the all-time career list. In a game against a team like Arkansas that loves to drive, he’s the most important person on the floor.
• The 1996 Reunion: Georgia is actually honoring the 30th anniversary of the 1996 "Sweet 16" team during this game. That was Tubby Smith’s first year, where they knocked off Clemson and top-seeded Purdue. It’s a nice nod to the history of a program that is finally finding its footing again.

Breaking Down the Odds

Vegas has this as a "toss-up" with a slight edge to the home team. Georgia opened as a 2 or 2.5-point favorite depending on which sportsbook you're looking at. The over/under is massive—sitting around 180.5 points.

That tells you everything you need to know about the style of play.

Georgia scores 96.4 points per game. That is number one in the country. Arkansas scores about 90. Neither of these teams really cares about "grinding it out" in a half-court set. They want to run, they want to dunk, and they want to shoot before the defense is set.

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Actionable Insights for Fans

If you are heading to the game or watching from home, here is the "watch list" to make the experience better.

Arrive Early: If you're a student, the first 750 through the doors at Stegeman Coliseum get a free Georgia-themed winter hat. Given it's mid-January, those will go fast.

Check the Stream: If you aren't near a TV with ESPN2, the game is also available on ESPNU+ and the Fubo streaming service.

Listen to the Legends: If you're driving, tune into the Georgia Bulldog Network. Scott Howard and Chuck Dowdle are the gold standard for college radio. They’re on Sirius channel 84 today.

Watch the "Dunk Count": Keep track of the transition points. Georgia is 13-0 this season when they hold opponents under 90 points. That sounds like a high number, but for this specific Bulldogs team, 90 is the magic defensive threshold.

The football season might be over, but the energy in Athens hasn't dipped a bit. Seeing who does Georgia play Saturday reminds us that this has quietly turned into a "basketball school" for the winter. It’s a Top-25 matchup with massive SEC tournament seeding implications. Enjoy the show.