Georgia will travel to South Bend, Ind., on Sept. 9 to take on Notre Dame in only the second-ever meeting between the two programs. Their first clash came in the 1981 Sugar Bowl, a 17-10 Georgia win that brought the national championship to Athens.
According to SEC Network analyst Greg McElroy, this matchup will not be as close as the one 36 years ago.
“On paper, Georgia should win the game by at least 20 points,” McElroy said during SEC Media Days on Tuesday.
Of course, games aren’t played on paper, and going into Notre Dame Stadium is no easy task. The Fighting Irish struggled in 2016 and finished with a 4-8 record, but the talent is still there for coach Brian Kelly. Still, the Bulldogs are more athletic and have more depth than the Fighting Irish, and the Week 2 game will be a chance for the Bulldogs, who expect to compete for a SEC title — if not more — to make a statement.
Walking out of South Bend with any kind of win will be great for Kirby Smart in his second season as coach. Winning by at least 20? That would put the nation on notice.