No. 1 Georgia hosts No. 10 Ole Miss in a huge SEC matchup

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — After breezing through much of the season, No. 1 Georgia is facing a much tougher November.

Next up: No. 10 Ole Miss, which is looking to snap the Bulldogs’ 26-game winning streak.

Georgia is in the midst of three straight games against ranked teams, having already passed the first test with a win over Missouri.

Now they get the high-scoring Rebels, followed by a trip to Rocky Top to face Tennessee.

Georgia is on the verge of clinching a spot in the SEC championship game but has its sights on a much bigger prize - a third straight national title.

STREAKS GALORE

The Bulldogs are putting all sorts of streaks on the line.

Georgia has won 26 consecutive games — a school record — since its last loss to Alabama in the 2021 SEC title game. The Bulldogs haven’t lost a regular-season game since 2020, ripping off 36 wins in a row. Finally, Georgia has a 24-game winning streak at Sanford Stadium, tying the school mark set from 1980-83 during the Herschel Walker era.

For good measure, Georgia has been ranked No. 1 by The Associated Press for 21 consecutive weeks, tied with Miami for the second-longest streak in the poll’s history. Southern California holds the record at 33 weeks in a row.

Kiffin was on Pete Carroll’s staff at Southern Cal when the Trojans won 34 consecutive games from 2003-2005 and spent all those weeks at No. 1. Kiffin was Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator when Alabama won 26 straight from 2015-16.

“The only way that happens is to have a phenomenal head coach like Pete Carroll and Nick Saban and now Kirby Smart,” Kiffin said. “Things aren’t going to go well. It’s football. And to overcome those poor games, to me, is what being a super elite program, being a super elite head coach is about.”

QUARTERBACK DUEL

Two of the nation’s best quarterbacks will be facing off between the hedges on Georgia’s field.

Georgia hasn’t missed a beat with Carson Beck, who took over from Stetson Bennett and has kept the Bulldogs right on winning.

Beck has completed more than 72% of his passes for 2,716 yards and 16 touchdowns, with just four interceptions.

Dart has been throwing darts for Ole Miss, completing nearly 66% for 2,467 yards and matching Beck with 16 TDs and only four picks. The Rebels quarterback is also a weapon with his legs, rushing for 334 yards and seven TDs.

FACING NO. 1

Ole Miss has never beaten a team ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll.

Kiffin noted that Ole Miss is a 10 1/2-point underdog in this one, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

“It’s kind of like playing with the house’s money,” Kiffin said. “No one’s expecting us to win, or probably even play them close, so we’ll just go in there and see what happens.”