If you’re waking up this Saturday morning, January 17, 2026, and reaching for your lucky red and black jersey, you might want to take a breath. It's the middle of January. For most college football fans, this is the "dead zone" where we transition from the high-octane drama of the bowl season to the long, quiet wait for spring practice.
So, who does Georgia play today in football?
The short answer is nobody.
The Georgia Bulldogs football team is not playing a game today. Their 2025–2026 season officially ended on January 1, 2026, in a heartbreaking 39–34 loss to Ole Miss at the Sugar Bowl. While the national championship game is right around the corner—scheduled for Monday, January 19, between Indiana and Miami—the Dawgs are already looking toward the 2026 recruiting class and the transfer portal.
Honestly, it's a weird feeling for Georgia fans. We've spent the last few years basically expecting to be playing on the final Monday of the season. But this year, the path stopped in New Orleans.
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Why There Is No Georgia Football Game Today
It’s easy to get confused. Usually, if it's a Saturday in January and you're a Top-5 team, you're deep in the College Football Playoff (CFP) hunt. This year, the timing of the 12-team playoff bracket meant the semifinals wrapped up about a week ago.
Georgia entered the postseason with high hopes after a dominant 28–7 win over Alabama in the SEC Championship back on December 6. That win secured them the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye. However, the Quarterfinal matchup against No. 6 Ole Miss on New Year's Day proved to be a hurdle Kirby Smart's squad couldn't quite clear.
Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels put up 39 points, including a last-second field goal and a weird safety on the final kickoff that sealed Georgia's fate. It was a 12–2 season—objectively great, but in Athens, if you aren't lifting a trophy in mid-January, it feels like something is missing.
If You See "Georgia vs. Arkansas" Today...
Don't let the headlines fool you. If you see "Georgia vs. Arkansas" scrolling across the bottom of the screen today, that is a basketball game. Coach Mike White’s No. 21 ranked Georgia Bulldogs are actually hosting the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks today at 4:00 p.m. ET. It’s a massive Top-25 showdown at a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum. If you’re looking for your fix of "G" helmets and "Go Dawgs" chants, the basketball court is where you’ll find it today.
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Jeremiah Wilkinson has been on an absolute tear lately, putting up 30-plus points in his last two SEC home games. If you can’t make it to the Steg, you can catch that one on ESPN2.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Georgia Football Schedule
Since there's no game today, most fans are already pivoting to the 2026 season. And honestly? The 2026 schedule is a gauntlet. For the first time, Georgia will move to a nine-game conference schedule in the SEC.
Basically, the "cupcake" games are disappearing.
Here is what the 2026 road looks like for the Dawgs:
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- Sept 5: vs. Tennessee State (The "tune-up" game)
- Sept 12: vs. Western Kentucky
- Sept 19: at Arkansas (The SEC opener on the road)
- Sept 26: vs. Oklahoma (A massive early-season test in Athens)
- Oct 10: at Alabama (The rematch everyone will be talking about)
- Oct 31: vs. Florida (This one is in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year while Jacksonville's stadium gets a facelift)
- Nov 28: vs. Georgia Tech (The annual "Clean, Old Fashioned Hate" finale)
The loss of the second bye week and the addition of an extra SEC opponent means Georgia will have to be deeper than ever. We're talking about a season where you could play Alabama, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss all before the playoff even begins.
What Georgia Fans Should Watch Today Instead
If you’re a football purist and you just need to watch something today, you’re mostly looking at NFL playoff action. But if you’re staying tuned to the college landscape, keep an eye on the news coming out of Miami.
The Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes are currently in town preparing for the National Championship on Monday night. It’s the first time in a long time that the title game doesn't feature a "blue blood" like Georgia, Alabama, or Ohio State. It’s a bit of a shock to the system, but it shows just how much the 12-team playoff has blown the doors off the sport.
Actionable Steps for the "Offseason"
Even though there isn't a game, being a fan in 2026 is a year-round job. Here is what you can actually do today:
- Check the Transfer Portal: The winter window is active. Kirby Smart is likely looking for defensive line depth and perhaps another veteran wide receiver to help Gunner Stockton (or whoever wins the QB battle) next year.
- Support the Hoop Dawgs: Head over to Stegeman or turn on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. to see if the basketball team can knock off Arkansas.
- National Championship Prep: Watch the pre-game analysis for Monday’s Indiana vs. Miami game. Understanding how Indiana’s high-tempo offense worked this year might give us clues on how SEC defenses (like Georgia's) will need to adapt in 2026.
The wait for the "G" to return to the gridiron is about seven months away. It feels like forever, but in the SEC, the work never actually stops.
Next Steps:
Go ahead and set your DVR for the Georgia vs. Arkansas basketball game at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 to get your Bulldogs fix for the day. If you're looking for football recruiting updates, check the latest 247Sports or Rivals rankings for the 2026 class to see which five-stars are currently leaning toward Athens.