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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Georgia has looked like one of the best teams in college football for much of the 2026 season, but its recent loss to Auburn was a clear reminder that the Bulldogs still aren't invincible. Kirby Smart's team started 6-0, including an impressive 20-17 road victory over Alabama, before suffering a surprising 27-24 upset at home against Auburn two weeks ago. The loss dropped Georgia from No. 1 to No. 5 before it climbed back to No. 3 during its bye week.
The Bulldogs now enter Saturday's rivalry matchup against No. 17 Florida at 6-1 overall and 4-1 in SEC play, still boasting one of the most balanced teams in the country but also needing a win to keep their edge in the sport's most competitive conference. The Gators are a tough matchup, having already upset Ole Miss and Texas this year, along with knocking off Auburn early in the season, but Georgia remains the favorite for a reason.
Leading up to kickoff, Paul Finebaum sent a clear message to Florida, praising Georgia's head coach while warning the Gators about what they're up against.
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"Kirby Smart is the best coach in the country on his worst day," Finebaum said. "A ticked-off Kirby Smart is like a dangerous gator. And I have faced gators before. I don't want to see a gator in front of me with his mouth open, and I don't want to see Kirby Smart pissed off, and he is. So you better watch out, Gators, because Kirby Smart's coming for you."
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Smart has turned Georgia into perennial title contenders since taking over in 2016. He has a career record of 123-22, an impressive .848 winning percentage that places him among the all-time greats. He's already led the Bulldogs to two national championships, has won four SEC titles, and the last two consecutively. He also owns the most wins by an FBS head coach in his first 10 seasons during the modern era.
Smart already has the Bulldogs positioned for another serious title push this season as well. They rank third nationally in scoring offense at 43 points per game, and allow just 15.9 points per game, which leads the SEC. Smart's teams are also 17-3 following a loss, and Georgia hasn't suffered back-to-back regular season defeats since 2016, boding well for their chances against Florida on Saturday.
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After Florida, the Bulldogs will travel to No. 12 Ole Miss on Nov. 7, before hosting No. 23 Missouri, going to South Carolina, and hosting Georgia Tech to close out the regular season. That's a challenging stretch for Georgia, but Smart has proven to be the last coach you want to bet against.
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