Reigning SEC Champion Georgia is one of college football’s most interesting teams in 2018.

UGA lost a ton of talent and experience yet it reloads with arguably more talent but less experience.

ESPN released its first Football Power Index Thursday, and UGA was ranked as the No. 3 team in the country behind Clemson and Alabama respectively. You can see the full win/loss projections for the SEC here.

ESPN describes its FPI as follows:

The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily.

The index projects Georgia to win 10.9 games and lose 1.9 games and has a 41.6 percent chance to win the SEC Championship. The FPI also ranks Georgia’s schedule as the 43rd toughest schedule in the country. Here are the Dawgs three toughest games, according to the FPI:

  • Saturday, November 10 vs. Auburn (66.7 percent to win)
  • Saturday, October 13 at LSU (77.2 percent)
  • Saturday, September 22 at Mizzou (78.3 percent)

Interestingly, South Carolina could be the Bulldogs’ toughest test aside from Auburn, and the Gamecocks weren’t even ranked in the top four toughest. The FPI gives the Dawgs a 79.1 percent chance to beat South Carolina; however, this game could end up being one of the best of the year. Will Muschamp has an ever-improving football team with a veteran QB, and going on the road in week two will make UGA fans somewhat scared.

ESPN’s Booger McFarland agrees that South Carolina is the team to watch out for in the East aside from UGA.