2013 Georgia football schedule: Dawgs' AD Greg McGarity talks 'bridge' schedule

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity acknowledged the challenge facing the football team in its 2013 schedule. The Bulldogs host LSU and South Carolina, but again travel to Auburn for their rivalry game.

What makes Georgia's schedule especially difficult is the quality of opponents it will face so early in the season. The LSU, South Carolina and Clemson games are all in the first four weeks of the season.

"(The 2013 schedule) will obviously be very challenging," McGarity said, courtesy of the Athens Banner Herald. "Our number one priority throughout this process was to protect our longstanding rivalry game against Auburn, and in order to keep this series intact, it necessitated a return to Auburn in 2013. We will start working on the 2014 rotating SEC schedule this spring, and we can confirm that Auburn will be returning to Athens in 2014."

This is the first time Georgia and Auburn play at the same location in consecutive years since 1958, but the Southeastern Conference said iit was necessary in order to "maintain a balanced schedule for the 2014 season and beyond."

Ole Miss at Alabama and Texas A&M at Ole Miss are the other two SEC games that will have repeat sites in 2013.

UGA will not face Alabama on its schedule. The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 13 with a 5-1 record on the season, 3-1 in conference play with the loss coming to South Carolina. UGA faces Kentucky on Saturday.