ATHENS -- Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity on Monday said he's been told the newly expanded SEC will stick with an eight-game conference schedule, yet he couldn't offer any clues to what the Bulldogs' schedule will look like next year.
Missouri and Texas A&M have joined the SEC, making it a 14-team conference beginning next season.
“I really don’t know anything,” McGarity said. “Two weeks ago all [the SEC athletic directors] saw were several different variations of a 13-team schedule. But we haven’t seen anything regarding 14 teams. The only thing we know is that Missouri is in the East.”
Presumably that would mean Georgia would drop one of its three Western Division opponents on next year’s schedule to add Missouri. Auburn has always been Georgia’s traditional rival. Ole Miss owes the Bulldogs a return next game next year and Mississippi State drops off after this season.
It would seem logical that Missouri would replace Alabama on Georgia’s schedule next season. The Bulldogs are set to play the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa next year on Oct. 6.
“You can’t assume anything,” McGarity said. “We’ll have to play everybody in the East, so that’s six games there. Then you play two Western opponents. One of those will have to be Auburn, we hope, just like Alabama hopes theirs will be Tennessee. So who knows?”
McGarity said the early word out of Birmingham is that SEC athletic directors will meet again in two weeks to finalize future schedules.
“We have to get moving on 2012,” McGarity said. “There are a lot of logistical concerns, so we’ve got to move pretty quickly here. But that’s just part of the challenges that occur when you go through expansion.”
SEC East scenarios
Georgia could hoist the SEC Eastern Division trophy by the end of Saturday’s game against Auburn -- or not.
If the Bulldogs win at Sanford Stadium and South Carolina loses at home to Florida, Georgia will have earned its fourth trip to the Georgia Dome for the SEC championship game, and first since 2005.
Conversely, if the Gamecocks win and Georgia loses Saturday, South Carolina wins the East. If the Gamecocks and Georgia both win, the Bulldogs would have to defeat Kentucky in Athens on Nov. 19 to clinch the East.
Everyone should know what’s at stake by Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. kickoff. South Carolina and Florida kick off at noon.
"If they can win seven SEC games in a row, we'll congratulate them and go from there," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier told reporters in Columbia Monday. "The only thing we need to think about is Florida."
Georgia could lose to Auburn on Saturday and still get to the championship game if South Carolina loses and the Bulldogs beat Kentucky on Nov. 19.
Harton aims for game time
Brandon Harton was asked Monday if he expected to start this week. He was, after all, the Bulldogs' leading rusher this past weekend, with 98 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown against New Mexico State, after three Georgia running backs were suspended.
“Not exactly,” the sophomore tailback said with a laugh. “I think if I come out and have a great week of practice, show the coaches I know the game plan and that I’m confident going into the game, I should get some playing time.”
Kentucky game to be televised
Georgia’s Nov. 19th home game against Kentucky was picked up by TV, and will be shown on the SEC Network with kickoff at 12:21 p.m. The Bulldogs played on the SEC Network earlier this season and defeated Ole Miss 27-13. They’re 5-1 all time on the network.
Etc.
Senior center Ben Jones was named the SEC's offensive lineman of the week for his performance against New Mexico State. Jones graded a team-best 85 percent with five intimidation blocks during just two quarters of play against the Aggies. ... Senior cornerback Brandon Boykin made the Paul Hornung Award weekly honor roll for the sixth time in nine games this week. On defense, Boykin was second on the team with six tackles, and forced a fumble against New Mexico State. On special teams he had a kickoff return for 33 yards and two punt returns for 19 yards. He also had one offensive play, catching a short pass out of the backfield that he turned into a 42-yard touchdown.
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