Kickoff at Noon, Give or Take Television

Evening Edition — filed after the afternoon news cycle.

GEORGIA MONEYBALL — Monday, September 21, 2026

Georgia will play Vanderbilt on Oct. 3 at a time to be named later, because that is how the sport works now.

ALBANY, GA — · By the RFA Sports Desk

The University of Georgia announced Monday that the Oct. 3 home game against Vanderbilt will kick off at noon. Or at 12:45. On ABC. Or ESPN. Or the SEC Network. The final decision arrives after the games of Sept. 26, which is television's way of saying it will let you know once it has seen how everybody looks in warmups. Somewhere in Athens right now a man is trying to plan a tailgate around three networks and two kickoff times, and I expect he has quit trying and decided to start the pork shoulder Thursday to be safe.

There was a time you knew when Georgia kicked off because it was printed in the paper in August and it never moved, same as church and dinner afterward. Now kickoff is a moving target, held hostage by men in New York studying other people's football games before deciding when yours may begin. Understand, the difference under negotiation here is forty-five minutes. Whole wars have been settled with less deliberation. But the networks pay the freight, and the fellow who pays the freight gets to say when the truck leaves.

Somewhere in Athens a man is trying to plan a tailgate around three networks and two kickoff times.

Meanwhile the Associated Press voters, a body historically slow to notice things, finally noticed. After the 45-17 handling of Arkansas, Georgia held at No. 2 with 1,580 points — twenty-nine more than last week — and, mark the date down, three actual first-place votes. That's behind Texas and ahead of Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Indiana. It took most of September for three voters to conclude Georgia might be the best team in America. I have seen juries move quicker on less evidence, but a conviction is a conviction.

The game the whole region argued about Sunday was down in Oxford, where Ole Miss beat LSU 32-24 and sent Lane Kiffin back to Baton Rouge with a loss in the game everybody insisted on calling his revenge game — or Ole Miss's revenge on him, depending which barstool you occupied. The Rebels built a 17-point lead, got caught at 24-all, then scored late and sealed it with an interception. The national writers framed it as a statement of playoff upside, which matters to Georgia, because Ole Miss lives in the same neighborhood and votes in the same elections.

And now comes Oklahoma, to Athens, Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on ESPN — the first meeting since the Sooners joined the SEC and only the second between the two programs ever. Oklahoma arrives 2-1 after narrowly escaping New Mexico at home, and The Covington News reports that quarterback John Mateer's offense needs rapid improvement. Needing rapid improvement the week you visit Sanford Stadium is a little like needing swimming lessons the week of the baptism. The timing could be kinder. Georgia, fresh off Arkansas and finally holding first-place votes, will be there at 3:30 sharp — a kickoff time somebody actually committed to.

The Notebook

• UPSET OF THE WEEK: Kentucky walked into College Station and beat No. 9 Texas A&M 31-21, picking off Marcel Reed twice and handing first-year coach Will Stein his first SEC win. The Aggies' playoff arithmetic just got harder.
• SIX SECONDS FROM SAFE: NC State led Vanderbilt 31-28 with the ball at its own five and six seconds left — then fumbled in the end zone with one second on the clock. Vanderbilt recovered for the winning touchdown, 35-31.
• NEXT UP: Oklahoma at Georgia, Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on ESPN at Sanford Stadium. The Sooners' first trip to Athens as an SEC member, and just the second meeting ever.

Written in the tradition of Lewis Grizzard, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1946–1994.

Hear the desk read tonights report on Radio Free Albany, WPFQ 96.7.