Examining Georgia’s 2015 prospects is much like looking in the mirror.

If you’re an optimist, you focus on the team’s elite talent and feel like the Bulldogs have an excellent opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff, if UGA can just manage a 2-1 regular-season record against Alabama, Auburn and Georgia Tech.

RELATED: Best-case scenario — Richt’s team runs SEC table, reaches CFP playoff

If you’re a pessimist, knowing coach Mark Richt’s recent failures to win any sort of championship, you’ll find some flaw on this team or within the schedule to latch onto as a reason this UGA team will fail just like the others.

Which UGA narrative will rule the year? Will it be the scary partnership of All-American running back candidate Nick Chubb and the team’s triple-threat pass rush? Or will it be the collection of minor concerns and yet another slip-up in a so-called “gimme” game?

WHAT THE MAGAZINES ARE SAYING

ESPN: “Georgia hasn’t won the SEC since 2005, but with 13 returning starters, the Dawgs will be early favorites to retake the East from Missouri.”

Lindy’s Sports: “Georgia’s overall talent level is as good as it has been in several years, but a new quarterback and new coordinator inject uncertainty into the projections. Whether the Dawgs can work their way into the playoffs will depend on the quarterback play.”

Athlon Sports: “Once again, Georgia has the talent to make a run at the SEC title and the College Football Playoff. The question is whether the offense can be as good despite the changes, and whether the defense continues to improve.”

The Sporting News: “Everyone in the SEC East has their flaws, but Georgia gets tabbed the favorite because of [Nick] Chubb, [Mark] Richt’s long-term success and the fact no one believes Missouri will win the division a third straight year.”

Phil Steele: “[Head coach] Mark Richt has never finished lower than 3rd in his division in his 14 years here and no other SEC team has done that. UGA has never won a National Title under Richt and many fans believe he has underachieved because he raised expectations so high. Talent-wise Georgia is one of the big boys in the SEC and are a legitimate SEC and National Title contender.”

BEST PLAYERS

  • RB Nick Chubb
  • OT John Theus
  • G Greg Pyke
  • LB Jordan Jenkins
  • LB Leonard Floyd
  • LB Lorenzo Carter

WHAT WE LEARNED

  • Georgia’s run defense is a question entering the season as the team lost a slew of experienced starters along the defensive line and at inside linebacker. The team missed just 62 tackles last season, fewest in the SEC. Despite few concerns about what should be a fierce pass rush this season, the front seven needs to approximate that sort of sure-thing tackling if teams try to pound the ball right at them.
  •  UGA punter Collin Barber only averaged 39.3 yards last season, which strikes me as unusual. The Bulldogs typically are a mecca for All-SEC type punters and placekickers, and Barber is going to have to play better. If he does, Georgia is going to have one of the best special teams units in the country. Marshall Morgan is a potential All-American kicker, and Isaiah McKenzie is one of the SEC’s most dangerous returners.
  • Offensive line coach Bryan McClendon, who should get credit for the unit’s amazing performances in 2014, has shifted to wide receivers as the team brought in Rob Sale underneath new coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Most casual fans probably don’t realize the team made that move, and it will be intriguing to find out if it has any effect.

BIGGEST AGREEMENT

Georgia is a clear-cut favorite to win the SEC East.

One gets the feeling that if there were any other option here, the media would choose it, given that most are gun-shy about picking UGA to win any sort of title at this point.

Not to diminish what the Tigers accomplished the last two seasons, but Mizzou’s luck may finally be running out, as the team unofficially just lost a second projected starter along its defensive line in standout tackle Harold Brantley.

There are too many questions surrounding Florida and South Carolina to predict them to win the East. Although the Vols have played Georgia very well in the last two seasons, Tennessee’s overall talent and depth isn’t as strong as UGA’s, which should show up over the course of an eight-game SEC schedule.

This team should be the SEC East favorite.

BIGGEST DISAGREEMENT

I’m going to be liberal in my use of “disagreement” here. Throughout this series, typically I use this section to disagree with at least one of the preseason magazines.

Instead, I’ll frame it like this: none of the magazines can agree on Georgia’s biggest question marks or problem areas entering the season. Is it unknown starters at center and quarterback? The team’s receivers, which are either inexperienced or injury-prone? A run defense that needs to get much better? An unproven bunch of inside linebackers?

None of those concerns are big enough to sink the team. There’s enough talent to overcome the flaws. But we’ll need to watch the first several games of the season before determining the best blueprint to try to exploit a few of those potential weaknesses.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Biggest Remaining Question: Can Mark Richt overcome the perception of him and finally win another SEC title?
Consensus Projection: 1st place, SEC East
Impact Newcomers: DT Trent Thompson, WR Terry Godwin