Georgia football: 10 bold predictions for 2019 season
Bold doesn’t always have to be beautiful, right?
When tasked with coming up with these 10 bold predictions for Georgia’s upcoming season, there were many different directions to go. Sometimes it was the calm and conservative approach, like after I’ve had a good night’s sleep. (Rare.) Other times it was the bombastic approach, like after a day of being stuck in traffic and clicking off 3 dozen robocalls on my cell phone. (Too often.)
And then there’s my favorite approach, with a corner table at Starbucks while sipping on Caramel Macchiato No. 3. Let the caffeine take over and reach for the way-out thoughts. Bounce off the walls, and bounce off a few crazy ideas.
If it’s too outlandish, blame the caffeine. (And remember, many of these are with tongue firmly planted in cheek.)
No. 1: On Nov. 23, 10-0 Georgia will lose a game on purpose!
OK, follow along here. A really good Texas A&M team upsets No. 2 Alabama on Oct. 12 in College Station, and makes it to the Nov. 23 game with Georgia still unbeaten in the SEC. Georgia cruises through the “we’re not ready yet” SEC East — more on that in a moment — and already has clinched a trip to the SEC Championship Game. In order to screw Alabama out of a trip to the title game, Georgia lets A&M win on purpose so it wins the SEC West. (This thought came to me as I was gulping down the third macchiato.)
No. 2: And on Dec. 7, Georgia wins the rematch in the SEC title game
For all the marbles, Georgia proves it is the better team and wins 31-20 to claim its 2nd conference title in 3 years. With the win, the Bulldogs earn the SEC’s automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. (Yeah, I know better, but it’s really true. The SEC champ will never be left out of the Playoff.)
No. 3: Georgia beats Michigan in the Playoff semifinals, but then loses to Clemson
The Bulldogs will come up just short in the National Championship Game, and it will come in the same heartbreaking fashion as 2 years ago. This time, Trevor Lawrence leads Clemson on a game-winning drive in the final seconds. Lawrence and Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm combine to throw for more than 1,000 yards in the game. (No coffee euphoria. Georgia is a Playoff team.)
No. 4: George Pickens will not have 1,000 yards in receptions
Yeah, I saw the great catch, and, yeah, I already wrote about how special the kid is, but 1,000 yards is a ton, especially in a balanced offense that’s going to want to run the ball first. Pickens might still be the best true freshman in the league, but I think somewhere around 800 yards seems about right.
No. 5: D’Andre Swift will gain 1,000 yards on the ground
Despite battling through injuries early in the season, D’Andre Swift gained 1,049 yards a year ago. He’ll be much better in the first half of the season and will eclipse at least 1,200 yards on the year. It’s a very deep running back group in Athens, but Swift will still get the bulk of the carries. And then he’s off to the NFL, a likely top 15 pick.
No. 6: Georgia’s offensive line will miss 6 games to injury, and still be fine
I think Georgia has the best offensive line in the SEC, and 1 reason is that the Bulldogs can go 8 or 9 deep and never miss a beat. Cade Mays probably won’t start in the opener, but he’s good enough to start at center, guard or tackle for every other team in the country.
No. 7: The improving SEC East is still a year away from challenging
Georgia will win all 6 of its SEC East games again, and only 1 will be within a touchdown. That’s probably the Florida game, although the Gators weren’t terribly impressive Saturday. Last year, no SEC East team stayed within 14 points. Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky are trending upward, and Missouri can give people fits, but I can’t see any upsets here in 2019. Georgia keeps winning the recruiting battles every year, and that talent gap is still obvious.
No. 8: Jake Fromm will have his name all over Georgia’s record book
The skinny: The junior quarterback will have another sterling season and will leave Athens as the school’s all-time leader in winning percentage, yards per completion, touchdown-to-completion ratio and passer rating. He’s No. 1 in all those categories right now, and I don’t see that changing this year. I think he’s going to have a huge year and take one of the chairs at the Heisman Trophy presentation. (But I didn’t say he’d win.)
No. 9: Georgia won’t finish last in the SEC in sacks this season
It still shocks me that an 11-1 Georgia team finished dead last in sacks in the SEC in the regular season a year ago, especially with all that talent. I just don’t see that happening again, especially since there has been a heavy emphasis on getting to the quarterback all fall camp. I look for the Bulldogs to be crazy aggressive rushing the passer because they are confident the guys in the secondary can lock down receivers in man coverage.
No. 10: Georgia beats Notre Dame easily in the best nonconference game of the year
Most everyone agrees that this is the best nonconference game of the year, though Clemson and Texas A&M certainly have my attention. The Bulldogs host the Fighting Irish on Sept. 21, game time to be determined but you can bet your last dollar that this one will be under the lights and on primetime TV. Notre Dame went undefeated last year and made the CFP, but they’re just not that good. I think Fromm lights up their defense, and the Bulldogs force a few big turnovers. I’ve got the Bulldogs taking this one, say 41-17.
OK, barista babe. Let’s have that fourth cup!
I would rather beat TX A&M and then beat a 1 lose bama to keep them from the playoff all together. Watching and listening to bama fans lose it would be wildly entertaining.
No. 1: On Nov. 23, 10-0 Georgia will lose a game on purpose! – That’s certainly an interesting take on things. TAMU still has to get passed LSU though.
No. 3: Georgia beats Michigan in the Playoff semifinals, but then loses to Clemson – I’d rather beat OSU and Justin Fields in the semi’s.
No. 8: Jake Fromm will have his name all over Georgia’s record book – Sadly he will get drafted by the NFL.
No. 10: Georgia beats Notre Dame easily in the best nonconference game of the year – Hopefully our bevy of highly talented receivers are up to speed by then.
So some of these are pretty bold and others feel like safe bets (Pickens not getting 1K, Swift getting 1K), especially UGA not finishing dead last in sacks since you could reasonably expect a return to the mean.
More on that sacks bit, though. Although UGA was always trying to generate pressure, getting sacks is more than just on the front 7. The type of coverage played on the back half can be a huge factor in sacks. If you play press man, the throws tend to break open much later and DEs and OLBs have more time to turn the corner on a QB. If you are playing soft zone with a rally to the ball mentality because your speed eclipses the team you are playing, you’ll probably have fewer sacks but you’ll still have plenty of positive defensive plays. I’m really not worried about the sacks number being high or low as long as UGA gets stops on 3rd down either way.
I can see this happening. I’m not buying the A&M thing though. I think we are right there with Alabama, just bad luck, officiating, etc… the last 2 years. I think we have a legitimate chance at beating Alabama this year and look forward to the re-match. I think we win every game in the East by double digits. Those teams are so far in the rear view mirror.
It’s bold to think that A&M will win enough games to lead the SEC West and even more bold to assert that UGA will lose on purpose. I’m sorry, did I say bold? I meant asinine.
You’re an idiot to assert that any SEC team would lose a football game on purpose, let alone UGA or Kirby Smart. Bold indeed.
Good grief, it was tongue-in-cheek. Some of y’all take things WAAAAY too seriously.
Pretty sure LSU vs Texas has a lot of potential to be the best non-conference game.
Yeah, Number 1 is dumb. You want to play a one loss Bama game in the SEC Title Game, because I one-loss Bama team not in that game makes the CFB Playoff anyway.
I was honestly kinda expecting better from this list, but Number 1 was terrible and it was all downhill from there.
Losing to Texas A&M on purpose??? No, no, just no…..
#1 is very clever.
#4 is about as bold as a turkey sandwich on wheat. AJ freaking Green never even had a 1,000-yard receiving year in college.
So a one-loss Bama team that doesn’t win the SEC West can’t make the playoff? Hmmmmmmm… I seem to remember…
Any true title will need to go thru Bama for UGA. I don’t see Kirby as someone that would want to run away from that test.
Just wanted to call attention to the fact that there are no Florida trolls on this post about Georgia. Georgia has a good team. Predictions may come true.
“Notre Dame went undefeated last year and made the CFP, but they’re just not that good. I think Fromm lights up their defense, and the Bulldogs force a few big turnovers. I’ve got the Bulldogs taking this one, say 41-17.”
I’ll drink to that!
“The Bulldogs host the Fighting Irish on Sept. 21, game time to be determined but you can bet your last dollar that this one will be under the lights and on primetime TV.”
Might want to grab some more coffee. Game time (8pm) was announced several weeks or month ago.
Tom I like your tongue and cheek conspiracy theory for keeping Alabama out of the SEC Championship game. Saban’s head would explode. Especially with all the pressure that’s already been building up from Kirby’s recruiting victory’s over Alabama.
There’s a major flaw with the theory. It would be like handing Alabama a bye week before the play-offs.
I think they would put a one loss Alabama in over a one loss A&M, even when they beat Bama and won the West. Some teams don’t have to win their division or conference championships to get ‘in’. Alabama is one of them.
The only thing that will keep Bama out is two losses or possible a major beat-down in the SEC Championship game, along with three unbeaten conference champions.
I would much rather see Georgia beat an unbeaten Alabama.
The problem with #1 is A&M still has to travel to LSU. That prediction is a complete nonstarter. That just shows the effects of too much alcohol.
Dogs lose to Cocks once again
Not sure who the “Dogs” are but the Dawgs will truck SC by double digits, as usual.