Special season for Bulldogs? Here’s what stands in their way now

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart gives tailback Sony Michel a pat on the helmet after his long touchdown run against Vanderbilt.  Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart gives tailback Sony Michel a pat on the helmet after his long touchdown run against Vanderbilt. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Georgia improved to 6-0 by running over and through Vanderbilt in a 45-14 win Saturday in Nashville.

The Bulldogs got a bonus later Saturday when top SEC East rival Florida lost to LSU.

Here's what stands in the way of a special season for Georgia now:

1. Oct. 14 vs. Missouri in Athens: The Tigers are 1-4 after giving up 40 points in a 40-34 loss to Kentucky Saturday night. Missouri QB Drew Lock threw for 355 yards and three TDs but had 20 incompletions (he was 22 of 42).

(Georgia is off Oct. 21)

2. Oct. 28 vs. Florida in Jacksonville, 3:30 p.m. The Gators are 3-2, 3-1 in the SEC after falling to LSU 17-16 Saturday. Quarterback Feleipe Franks passed for just 108 yards and was sacked five times.

3. Nov. 4 vs. South Carolina in Athens: The Gamecocks are 4-2, 2-2 in the SEC after hammering Arkansas 48-22 at home Saturday. The Gamecocks' defense scored three touchdowns and QB Jake Bentley had three TD passes as South Carolina beat a team from the SEC West for the first time since 2013.

4. Nov. 11 at Auburn: The Tigers are 5-1. They handled Ole Miss 44-23 Saturday and have scored 144 points in their last three games. They beat Mississippi State by 39, Georgia beat Mississippi State by 28. Kerryon Johnson rushed for a career-high 204 yards Saturday.

5. Nov. 18 vs. Kentucky in Athens: The Wildcats are 5-1 after beating Missouri 40-34 Saturday night.

6. Nov. 25 at Georgia Tech: The state rival is 3-1 and did not play Saturday. The Jackets lost to Tennessee 42-41 to start the season. Georgia beat the Vols 41-0 last week. 

7. If the Bulldogs win the East, the SEC Championship Game is Dec. 2 in Atlanta at 4 p.m.

THEN FOR EVEN MORE

8. College football playoff game:  The semifinals are January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, Calif. and New Orleans.

9. National Championship Game: January 8, 2018 at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.