Georgia once again faces a difficult schedule in 2025.

The Bulldogs have home games against Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas, while they take on rivals Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech all away from the friendly confines of Sanford Stadium.

But for all those big contests, it’s the Sept. 13 game against Tennessee that stands out as a swing game on Georgia’s schedule, according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.

“It will be a significant road test for starting quarterback Gunner Stockton and the offense playing in one of the most intimidating road environments in the SEC,” Schlabach said. “The Volunteers dominated the Bulldogs throughout the 1990s, but Georgia has flipped the script, winning eight in a row and 13 of the past 15 contests in the series. The Bulldogs won each of their past four games at Neyland Stadium by at least 24 points. With a home game against Alabama coming next on the schedule, coach Kirby Smart will be looking for a similar performance at Rocky Top.”

The same ESPN article had Alabama’s game against Georgia as the big swing game for the Crimson Tide this season.

The Volunteers were one of three SEC teams to make the College Football Playoff a season ago, led by a strong running game and stout defense.

Yet Tennessee lost 31-17 when it visited Athens this past November. The Volunteers have to replace starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava and star rusher Dylan Sampson, which is why this game has lost some luster this offseason.

The Georgia-Tennessee game is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET start on Sept. 13. While it’s an important game for the Bulldogs as the SEC opener, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel very much understands the stakes of this game, especially early in the season.

“We haven’t been able to be on the right side of the scoreboard in that game,” Heupel said at SEC Media Days. “Kirby and their staff and their players have done a really good job and played really well in those games. It will be important for us — that’s week 3 – that we’re ready to go play at the level that we need to against a really good football team.”

Prior to facing the Volunteers, Georgia gets games against Marshall and Austin Peay, which should allow the Georgia offense to get its feet under them.

The Tennessee game is the first of eight straight conference games. Beginning that slate with a win will be Paramount for the Bulldogs.

Since Smart became Georgia’s head coach in 2016, he is 8-1 against the Volunteers. The lone loss came in his first year as Georgia’s head coach, on a Hail Mary no less.

For all the success Georgia has had over the years, beating Tennessee has been a staple. The Bulldogs need that to continue in 2025, as it could provide a significant confidence boost to a young Georgia team.