On the first day of 2026, the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs’ (12-2) season came to a disappointing end in a rematch with the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (12-1).
It’s taken a few days to even be able to bring myself to the keyboard. Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss on New Year’s Day was nothing short of an earth-shattering punch to Dawg Nation. On paper, it shouldn’t be among some of the worst losses in recent memory. The matchup wasn’t against a rival, wasn’t a championship game, but something about the College Football Playoff loss to the Rebels has hit UGA fans to its absolute core.
The shortcoming in the quarterfinal feels like it has cut deeper than past games. While I have to acknowledge that these are “first-world” problems because of the unrealistic level of winning that Kirby has done at Georgia, Jan. 1’s season-ender weirdly feels like almost an emotional rock bottom of the Smart era. “Rock bottom” is used very loosely, as if you are reading this, you are probably a fan of still the best program and coach in college football. Maybe just a little of the shine is gone.
Personally, this one is one of the hardest losses to stomach that I can ever remember. It may just be the freshness of the wound, but it’s one that I think will sit heaviest on me in the future. I am a lifelong fan, but I grew up in Florida and had only ever been to two games at Sanford Stadium. In May 2025, I moved to Athens, Georgia, as I had always wanted to do and was able to attend every home game plus GA/FL. Several of my family members visited throughout the year and went to their first game at Sanford Stadium. This season was my first time being fortunate enough to do professional work covering one of my favorite things in the world. 2025 was obviously special for me.
Outside of my own personal experience, New Year’s loss provided an extra sting to Dawg fans for a couple of reasons.
The 2025 season felt magical for Dawg Nation. Georgia delivered an unforgettable run, winning nearly every classic it played in. Almost every SEC game turned into an instant classic. Tennessee, Auburn, and the first matchup with Ole Miss will be remembered for years. That’s what made the ending so jarring. All that magic disappeared in an instant.
It really feels like we just left a national championship on the table that should have belonged to the Dawgs. All the adversity that UGA overcame throughout the season, how hot the team was going into the CFP and Ohio State being eliminated before the Sugar Bowl made it really feel that the national title was destined for UGA. 2023 was also a year it felt like the Bulldogs gave away that national championship by blowing the SEC championship, but it happens. Now, it has happened for the second time in three years, and Georgia has not won a playoff game since the 2022 National Championship Game. It really felt like college football’s biggest trophy was coming back to Athens. It hurt to fall so short after so much belief.
Lastly, I won’t repeat anything you have already screamed at your TV, but just the way the Dawgs lost the game made it worse. On one hand, I do really believe that it could have been one of those situations where Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss were just perfect and there was nothing that could be done. However, even with how perfect Chambliss was, Georgia still gave the game away. Without getting into the weeds of all the shortcomings of the first 59 minutes of the game, UGA was in complete control with the ability to end it. First-and-goal at the 2-yard line, and they took pretty much the only course of events that would result in the Bulldogs losing in regulation. The players played far from their best game, but the coaching staff on both sides of the ball cost Georgia a further shot at a national title.
This loss hurt and will hurt so much because of how great the season was, and that isn’t changed by the end result. I will never forget London Humphries catching that touchdown on fourth down in Knoxville or sitting in the end zone in Jacksonville watching Chauncey Bowens take down the Gators.
For personal and non-personal reasons, the 2025 season is one of my favorite seasons of Georgia football I have ever experienced, but it will always hurt knowing that it could have and should have been the greatest.
