Editor’s note: Saturday Down South’s annual Crystal Ball series continues today with Georgia. We’ll stay with the SEC East all week. Last week, we predicted every game for every SEC West team.

Previously: Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | LSU | Mississippi State | Ole Miss | Texas A&M | Florida

* * * * * * *

It’s one of the best feats in college football history.

It’s one thing to end a 4-decade long national championship drought and lose a record-setting 15 players to the NFL Draft. It’s an entirely different ballgame to then come back, go 15-0 and win the title game 65-7.

I don’t care what happens in 2023 and beyond. Kirby Smart is forever a legend for that.

But, as I would also point out, it’s one thing to repeat. It’s an entirely different ballgame tobecome the first team in 87 years to 3-peat. That’s what’s on the table for Georgia.

So can the Dawgs put themselves in position to get that done? Let’s look into the 2023 Crystal Ball:

Mike Bobo is back (sort of), which is … significant

After Todd Monken’s offense sparked a historic 2-year run, the Georgia OC went back to the NFL. Smart elected for the in-house promotion of analyst/former Georgia OC/college buddy Mike Bobo. It was met with mixed reactions.

The pro-Bobo crowd pointed out that he’s the same guy who led that historic 2014 Georgia offense, and that he’ll have more talent to work with than any point in his career. The anti-Bobo crowd pointed out that was 9 years ago and since then, he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his past 3 on-field roles.

This hire will come down to how well Bobo adapts. The expectation is that he’ll take the spread, tempo concepts that Monken masterfully incorporated and that this won’t be some schematic shift. Can Bobo stick with that? Or will he be the Achilles’ heel for a team that hasn’t had one of those the past 2 seasons?

Time will tell.

Carson Beck will be a ____________.

“Legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.”

One can have Bobo skepticism while also believing that Beck is about to torch defenses. If you don’t believe that, go look at Bill O’Brien’s approval rating during Bryce Young’s Heisman Trophy season in 2021. Beck has all the makings of a breakout candidate in 2023.

He spent 3 years learning the system and all signs indicate that he’s mastered it. Spring games should be taken with a grain of salt, as should mop-up duty and practice reports. But collectively, Beck received high marks in all areas. Add to it that he returns the best group of pass-catchers in Georgia history and yes, he should be cleared for takeoff.

Brock Bowers has a chance to establish himself as the best tight end in college football history, Ladd McConkey is quietly one of the most proven returning SEC receivers while Dominic Lovett was one of the conference’s best at Mizzou despite an underwhelming passing game. Throw in the mix the likes of Mississippi State transfer RaRa Thomas and the ever-intriguing speedster Arian Smith along with emerging tight ends Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie, and yes, it’s fair to say this group is deep.

Beck has an embarrassment of riches to work with. Don’t be surprised when that group helps pave his way to New York.

If Georgia loses a game, it’ll be attributed to the eventful offseason

Since the tragedy that took the lives of 2 members of the Georgia program the night following the team’s championship parade, there have been 14 incidents in which a UGA player has been charged with speeding or racing/reckless driving.

That’s not nothing. It’s the type of thing that has some questioning the discipline of Smart’s team as it begins its pursuit of a 3-peat. It’s also the type of thing that’ll resurface if Georgia falters in any way. Is that fair? That’s debatable, but when you’ve earned the spotlight that the Dawgs have, it’s reality.

It doesn’t help that with the Oklahoma series cancelation, Georgia’s path to 12-0 has never been more favorable. It could be a double-digit favorite 11 times, or even 12 if Tennessee can’t repeat its 2022 season. Any sort of letdown game — even if it doesn’t keep UGA out of the Playoff — will be considered a sign that Georgia isn’t locked in.

That can happen in wins, too. In 2022, UGA’s focus was questioned for slow starts against the likes of Kent State, Mizzou and Kentucky. It’s possible that 2023 yields a few of those moments, as well.

Just know that if that loss does indeed come in the regular season, it’ll be, well, open season on the Dawgs’ eventful offseason.

Game-by-game predictions

Week 1: vs. UT Martin (W)

How much Brock Vandagriff is too much Brock Vandagriff? Asking for me. Something tells me he gets ample throwing opportunities in a game that’s over before kickoff.

Week 2: vs. Ball State (W)

The future Joe Moore Award-winning Georgia offensive line plows a path for 5 rushing touchdowns en route to another laugher.

Week 3: vs. South Carolina (W)

Finally, Georgia faces a team that deserves to be on the same field. Well, at least that’s the consensus for the first half. South Carolina surprises Georgia by going vertical out of the gate. With the UGA front unable to get home, Spencer Rattler has a pair of first-half touchdown passes to Juice Wells and Xavier Legette. But South Carolina’s run defense leaves something to be desired all game. A healthy Kendall Milton prevents the Gamecocks from staying within arm’s reach in the second half. UGA rolls to a 42-21 victory in the SEC opener.

Week 4: vs. UAB (W)

It’ll be a reunion game of sorts for new UAB coach Trent Dilfer. He’ll get to see a couple of his former Elite 11 guys on Georgia’s sideline. Both will lead scoring drives in a lopsided victory.

Week 5: at Auburn (W)

This is where reality sinks in that Auburn just doesn’t have the dudes up front to compete for a conference title. Not yet. Even in the hostile road environment, Georgia’s loaded offensive line bullies Auburn up front. Just like he did 2 years ago on a long play-action pass from Stetson Bennett IV, Ladd McConkey hauls in another long touchdown from Beck to put the exclamation point on Georgia’s 7th consecutive victory in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

Week 6: vs. Kentucky (W)

Two things will be fascinating to watch in this matchup, which could tell the story: How much does Georgia’s defensive line regress and how much does Kentucky’s offensive line progress? Kentucky’s revamped offense the past 2 years scored just 19 combined points against the Dawgs, 6 of which came on a garbage time touchdown pass in the final seconds of the 2021 game. Can NC State transfer QB Devin Leary turn that around? Maybe, but the odds of doing so in a winning effort in Athens aren’t great. A pair of interceptions prove costly in a 3-score Georgia victory.

Week 7: at Vanderbilt (W)

Want a bold prediction? This will be the closest game these teams have played in the 2020s. Also of note, the lone games they played in the 2020s were 62-0 and 55-0. OK, so not so bold. A 3-interception day for Vandy QB AJ Swann keeps the Vandy offense stuck in neutral in a game that’s over by the middle of the second quarter.

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: vs. Florida in Jacksonville (W)

“Overwhelmed” will be the mood of the Florida offense by day’s end. Graham Mertz can’t handle the variety of ways Kirby Smart’s defense disguises pressure. Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Mykel Williams take turns blowing up plays in the backfield. After Florida scores on its first drive on a 60-yard Trevor Etienne play, Georgia closes with 35 consecutive points. The long awaited Thomas breakout game comes, as does yet another absurd Bowers touchdown. Beck’s Heisman Trophy campaign picks up some more momentum in a dominant showing in Jacksonville.

Week 10: vs. Mizzou (W)

After last year’s scare in Columbia, no, I don’t think Smart’s squad will get off to a slow start even after the Florida win. More likely is that his defense comes out with its hair on fire and force 3 turnovers in the first half. Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson pick off passes to set up short fields. Against his former team, Lovett gets into the end zone to put the exclamation point on a revenge game of sorts (if you can call it that) for the Dawgs.

Week 11: vs. Ole Miss (W)

Want another bold prediction? Ole Miss goes into Athens plays 3 of its best quarters of football all year. It goes into the 4th quarter holding on in a tie game after Jaxson Dart stretches the field and takes chances against the UGA secondary. Fans wonder if Georgia is looking ahead to Tennessee the following week, but in reality, an experienced Ole Miss offense is embarrassed after a pair of home losses, and it puts up 3 touchdowns against Smart’s defense. But just like his predecessor, Beck saves his best for last. Two 4th-quarter touchdown passes and a Dart interception wipe away Ole Miss’ upset bid.

Week 12: at Tennessee (W)

Last year, I told anyone that would listen that Tennessee was gonna go into Athens and win that football game. Foot, meet mouth. Maybe I was a year early on that, but I can’t double down. A back-and-forth first half has Neyland buzzing with the Vols showing offensive life earlier than last year’s loss in Athens. But unlike last year when Georgia was content to grind it out amidst rainy conditions, Smart leaves no doubt. Beck picks apart the Tennessee secondary to continue his stellar season, and Jackson makes a ball-separating hit that leads to a pivotal turnover late. Josh Heupel still can’t get over the Georgia hump.

Week 13: at Georgia Tech (W)

I don’t know that we can call this a “sleeper” game considering Georgia has 5 consecutive victories by at least 23 points, but do we remember last year that Georgia Tech had the ball and trailed just 13-7 in the middle of the third quarter? Smart won’t sleep on Brent Key’s squad. Bowers gets peppered with targets early, which allows McConkey to get loose on the outside. Instead of a hangover from an emotional Tennessee win, Georgia looks like a team hitting its stride at the perfect time.

2023 projection: 12-0 (8-0), 1st in SEC East

#GoDawgs

If you’re Georgia, this is the expectation. Plain and simple. Anything less than 12-0 and we’ll get the “Georgia hasn’t beaten anyone” Playoff arguments, which will be silly considering there’s no way that a 1-loss SEC champ would get left out of the field. Even a 2-loss SEC champ would have a likely Playoff path.

The questions that Georgia has to answer might still be murky heading into the postseason. Can they find that game-wrecker up front? Will Beck be clutch down the stretch against quality competition? And can Bobo channel Monken’s offensive wizardry?

We might not truly know the answers to those questions until the SEC Championship. This projection is similar to 2018 Alabama, which won each pre-SEC Championship game by at least 3 touchdowns. Maybe there’s a competitive 4th quarter sprinkled in there like what I suggested for Ole Miss, but for the most part, this will feel like the season doesn’t really start until that first week of December.

Starting 12-0 in 3 consecutive seasons is nothing to scoff at. Even Nick Saban only had consecutive 12-0 starts once at Alabama, and that happened in 2008-09. Smart insists that the subject of “3-peating” shouldn’t be on the minds of Georgia players, the vast majority of whom weren’t key contributors when this streak began. But that noise will be everywhere, win or lose. Smart’s squad earned that right.

We’ll see if they can earn the right to defend their title once again.