Kirby Smart knew the challenge he faced when the schedule came out, his Bulldogs facing one of the toughest road slates in league history.

Playing six opponents on the 12-game schedule that were ranked in the Top 10 at some point — with four of those games away from home — proved as daunting as imagined.

That’s probably why Smart noted the great amount of “elasticity” required to maintain focus with one challenge lined up after another.

Saturday night, Georgia finally snapped, dropping a 28-10 game to an Ole Miss team that broke the bank to land key transfers out of the portal.

The Bulldogs were simply unable to overcome the adversity of the hostile road crowd, inclement weather conditions, and key attrition on the offensive line, receiver and running back.

Here are five key takeaways from the loss to the Rebels, and what comes next:

Win out

If Georgia wins out it will make the 12-team college football field, even if a spot in the SEC Championship Game is looking less likely than more likely because of the tiebreakers fellow-two loss teams Alabama and Ole Miss would hold.

The Bulldogs, in a win-out scenario, would likely be ranked between No. 5 and No. 8, meaning they would host a first-round game at Sanford Stadium on Friday Dec. 20, or Saturday Dec. 21.

Play-in game

Coaches like to say the next game is always the biggest game, but in Georgia’s case that’s absolutely true, as the season will be on the line when Tennessee comes to Athens for a 7:30 p.m. kick next Saturday.

The odds appear slim a three-loss UGA team would make the College Football Playoffs.

The Vols handled Mississippi State 33-14, but starting quarterback Nico IIamaleava sat out the second half after taking a hard hit

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said he sat his quarterback as a “precautionary measure,” but it’s an injury that will be closely monitored as practice time will be at a premium for the current SEC leaders.

Getting back on track

Offensive guard Tate Ratledge and tailback Trevor Etienne — two of Georgia’s most elite offensive players — were limited against Ole Miss on account of injuries.

Etienne, dealing with a rib injury, was limited to just six carries and 23 snaps.

Ratledge, who is dealing with a foot injury and coming off tightrope surgery, started but played just 17 snaps.

The lack of a run game and adequate pass protection led to Carson Beck getting sacked five times by Ole Miss, which entered the night leading the nation with an average of more than four sacks per game.

Not on Beck

The low-hanging fruit for critical fans will be to blame Beck.

But Smart said otherwise, as a closer look revealed how key dropped passes at tight end and receiver, along with a running back fumble, stemmed potential scoring drives that would have kept the game management.

Beck’s interception came on a fourth-down pass that was tipped at the line, and the fumble he lost came on a blindside hit after the left tackle was beaten badly by one of the Rebels’ high-priced free-agent acquisitions.

Transfer takeaway

Georgia will need to upgrade its transfer portal action to compete for championships in the future.

Two key receivers Georgia acquired through the portal — Mississippi State’s Rara Thomas and Miami’s Colbie Young — had domestic issues take them off the field.

Stanford tight end Ben Yourasek is improving but has not yet measured up in key blocking or catching instances — costly, as other UGA tight ends have not performed as well as expected.

Etienne was a key add from Florida in the backfield, but injuries have limited him at times in a season that’s season power backs Rod Robinson and Branson Robinson out with injuries.

Georgia might well consider offering players with remaining eligibility a bigger chunk of money to stick around.

Indeed, having players like receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint or backs Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton still on the roster — players went undrafted — would have provided quite a lift.