Season Preview: Georgia

Season Preview: Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs

Head Coach: Mark Ricth
118-40 Record at UGA (12 years)


Review of 2012 Season- 

From the outside looking in, one would be hard pressed to find something to complain about when it comes to Georgia's season last year. Yes, South Carolina made them look like a junior varsity team but that same South Carolina squad only had two losses themselves and are becoming a force in the SEC-East. The Bulldogs other loss came in down-to-the-wire boxing match with eventual BCS champ, Alabama, in the SEC Championship game. A game in which the Dawgs fell short by a score of 32-28. A strong showing against Nebraska in the Captial One Bowl pushed UGA to a 12-2 finish.






Key Losses/Key Returners-

Standout LB Jarvis Jones won't be anchoring the defense this year and on offense the bulldogs need to replace the likes of Tavarres King. However, the bulldogs have a great deal going for them when it comes to returners on offense. First and foremost, Aaron Murray is back for his senior year and with him is arguably the best backfield in college football with Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. The duo has provided UGA with a nice one-two punch and have quickly gained the respect of their opponents.




2013 Schedule-

Aug 31st.               Clemson*
September 7th       South Carolina*
September 21st      North Texas 
September 28th      LSU*
October 5th           Tennessee
October 12th         Missouri 
October 19th         Vanderbilt
November 2nd       Florida*
November 9th        Appalachian State
November 16th      Auburn
November 23rd      Kentucky
November 30th      Georgia Tech

#- Home games in BOLD
*-denotes key game

Schedule Analysis- 

The probability of starting the season off 0-2 is a legitimate concern for Georgia with a road trip to Death Valley and a visit from South Carolina in back-to-back weeks to open the season. Both games will be extremely physical and have major BCS implications. The Dawgs will make two trips to the state of Tennessee in October but should handle their business on both of those road trips. The cocktail party will again be a huge showdown with all the marbles up for grabs and the chance for one of the teams to separate themselves from the rest of the Eastern division. All-in-All this schedule is a pretty favorable one. All of the Dawgs tougher opponents have to come to Athens except for Clemson. (Cocktail party in Jacksonville) Possible trap game with Auburn on the road two weeks before the annual showdown against rival Georgia Tech to conclude the regular season.

My Thoughts-

With Aaron Murray at the reigns, Georgia has the pieces in play to make a run at a SEC title this year. The first two games will give us a great and insightful perspective on what to expect the rest of the season. A 2-0 start will have UGA fans calling for a National Championship run, and rightfully so. However, if they could just as easily be facing an 0-2 record heading into their bye week. I don't see Georgia getting through both Clemson and South Carolina without (at least) one loss.

Bottom Line- 
Should be another great year in Athens. Bulldogs will return to the SEC Championship if they can stay healthy. Expect at least 11 wins for the Red and Black this fall.