The inability to win championships ultimately cost Mark Richt his job, so new Georgia football coach Kirby Smart has no illusions about what’s expected of him in Athens.

It’s a high standard for sure, but one that the Dawgs are capable of matching, perhaps this even season. Smart inherits a team that is deep in talent and in complete command of one of the most fertile recruiting havens in the country in the state of Georgia.

His team is ranked No. 12 in ESPN’s most recent preseason poll, just two spots behind Tennessee. They’re firmly inside the top 20 in several others.

He still awaits with baited breath to see how quickly stud tailback Nick Chubb (pictured) can bounce back to previous form after suffering a terrible knee injury against Tennessee last October, and there are major questions at quarterback, where Smart will likely have to choose from incumbent Greyson Lambert or ballyhooed former five-star recruit Jacob Eason.

Sep 12, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) runs for a first down during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

But there’s no reason UGA still couldn’t win the SEC East for the first time in four years and compete for the school’s first SEC Championship since 2005.

It’s possible that could happen this fall if these three SEC games go the Dawgs way this season.

1. Georgia at Ole Miss (Sept. 24): Yes, this is a cross-divisional game against an SEC West opponent in the Rebels, but it’s also a true road game for the Dawgs against a nationally ranked team that has beaten high-fallutin’ Alabama in each of the past two years.

Ole Miss suffered several big losses to the NFL, but coach Hugh Freeze’s team is again loaded with the likes of gun-slinging quarterback Chad Kelly, the SEC’s best returning quarterback. It’s very possible that Eason will have ascended into the starting quarterback job by this point, so going into a hostile environment and playing well could do wonders for his growth and confidence, as well as that of the team as a whole.

Georgia has won its past 10 games against Ole Miss, although the two schools haven’t met since 2012. A win in Oxford in September could be the first steps to the Georgia Dome in December.

2. Georgia vs. Tennessee (Oct. 1): Blessed with an abundance of talent and experience, the Vols are the trendy pick to win the SEC East and contend for the conference championship. Powered by do-it-all quarterback Josh Dobbs and the talented running back tandem of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, Tennessee will be the most formidable opponent to come to Athens this fall.

UT marred the Dawgs’ season a year ago with a 38-31 win in Knoxville that also saw Chubb lost for the season with a knee injury on his first carry. There’s nothing Georgia fans would love more than returning the favor by knocking the Vols out of SEC Championship contention. UGA has won the past four meetings in Athens and can even the all-time series (UT leads 22-21-2) with a victory.

3. Georgia vs. Florida (Oct. 29): EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., was the site of the nadir of last season’s offensive ineptitude by the Dawgs. They committed five turnovers – including four interceptions by overmatched quarterback Faton Bauta – en route to a season-low point total in an embarrassing 27-3 loss that really opened the door for Richt’s subsequent departure.

Now winners of the past two meetings in Jacksonville despite considerably less talent, the Gators minimized their mistakes and propelled themselves into the SEC Championship Game.

Smart is a proud Georgia alum, so nobody needs to tell him what this rivalry means to his fan base. But the Dawgs will need to avoid beating themselves again if they are to turn the tables and get back to Atlanta.