What is Michigan’s All-Time Record Against Georgia?
The final game of the 2021 calendar year is Michigan against Georgia in the second College Football Playoff game at the Orange Bowl. After a wild season in college football, Georgia fell to Alabama in the SEC title game, and Michigan won the Big Ten to earn a spot in the CFP.
These two historical programs will face off against one another. Surprisingly, these programs have only faced each other twice in history.
Michigan and Georgia have only placed each twice in history
For as storied as these programs are, it’s pretty shocking to see that they haven’t played each other very often. In the two matchups, each school won one of them.
The last time these programs played against each other was in 1965, a game the Bulldogs won, 15-7.
Both meetings were in Ann Arbor, the first being in 1957 as the Wolverines blanked Georgia, 26-0.
This time around will be much different and will earn one of the programs a trip to the National Championship game. Who will walk away with the 2-1 series lead?
The 1965 Michigan-Georgia game changed the course of history for the Bulldogs
The last time these teams met was in 1965, a game that Georgia won.
Leading up to the Orange Bowl matchup, former Bulldogs head coach Vince Dooley discussed that game (h/t Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
“That was a money game for Georgia to go up there. It was the second time Georgia went up to Michigan with no return game. During that time, we went wherever we had to get a game and make some money, trying to play off the crowd.”
Formr Georgia HC Vince Dooley
Dooley was the head coach for Georgia back in 1965 when they traveled to the Big House in Ann Arbor. As he said, they went wherever and stunned the crowd with a victory over the Wolverines.
The year after, in 1966, Georgia went on to win the SEC title. Dooley would be the school’s athletic director for quite some time and could never secure a home-and-home matchup with Michigan.
But, since that victory at Michigan, Georgia has won the SEC nine times and made a trip to the title game in 2017 against Alabama.
Now, the former Georgia head coach is excited to watch this game materialize nearly 60 years after upsetting Michigan in Ann Arbor.
However, he knows it won’t be an easy matchup (Chip Towers).
“It’s a tough draw. They are a fine football team.”
Vince Dooley
Nearly 60 years later, these teams meet again on the biggest stage.
The Bulldogs are favored to defeat Michigan in the Orange Bowl
As of Thursday, Georgia is favored by a little more than a touchdown against Michigan. However, this figures to be the game of all games during this bowl season.
Jim Harbaugh has Michigan playing incredible football, with Heisman Trophy finalist and potential top 2022 draft choice Aidan Hutchinson leading the way on defense. Harbaugh is also the first coach to be in the College Football Playoff and the NFL Playoffs.
On the other side, Kirby Smart has the Bulldogs firing on all cylinders. They kept pace all year before falling to Nick Saban and Alabama in the SEC title game, but a possible Georgia-Alabama rematch could very well be in the works.
Although Georgia is favored to win this game, Michigan has been one of the biggest surprises this season. The Wolverines’ lone loss came at Michigan State at the end of October. Since then, they defeated Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa to capture the Big Ten trophy.
Will Michigan continue their impressive season and take the 2-1 all-time series lead over Georgia?
Or will the Bulldogs head to the National Championship game and try to claim their stake as the best team in college football?
