Georgia is paying how much to beat up on UMass? Cost of Week 13 buy game

The No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs are back in the College Football Playoff conversation after bouncing back from an embarrassing Week 11 loss to Ole Miss and taking down a Top 10 ranked Tennessee team in Week 12.

Now, as they return to SEC and playoff relevancy, the Dawgs are getting a Charmin soft matchup to pad their win column in Week 13. Enter the UMass Minutemen.

Georgia is paying $1.9 million to the FBS independent program for the game this weekend. That's tied for the biggest payout for any school this season. Alabama paid Western Kentucky the same amount for a 63-0 beatdown in Week 1 and Auburn also paid the nearly $2 million price tag to smack New Mexico 45-19 in Week 3.

Buying a Week 13 win is the reprieve Georgia needs in a tight SEC and CFP race

After a tumultuous past four weeks in which the Dawgs went 3-1, including a win over then-No. 1 Texas and a loss to Ole Miss, the boys from Athens can finally breath easy.

The team will host the 2-8 Minutemen in what is sure to be a massive beatdown. ESPN analytics give the Bulldogs a 99 percent chance of earning a ninth win, putting them in excellent position to face in-state rival Georgia Tech in Week 14 to potentially clinch a spot in the SEC title game.

The buy game is also an opportunity for Georgia to avoid another upset that would surely eliminate it from College Football Playoff consideration. The SEC only plays eight conference games in a season, compared to nine for others like the Big Ten, so its members are afforded an extra non-conference game that is usually filled with a small, non-contending team.

Don't expect any upset on Saturday. Head coach Kirby Smart won't let his players lapse and risk ruining their best shot at a national title since 2022.