GEORGIA
Georgia is the favorite in the East this season, but that moniker has been more curse than blessing the last few years.
On paper, the Bulldogs have the premier program in the division. Quarterback Jacob Eason is no longer a first-year starter, running back Nick Chubb — Sony Michel, too — came back to Athens and the defense returns 10 starters off a pretty stout unit.
However, there are still tons of legitimate questions surrounding UGA coming into 2017. Did Eason simply experience typical freshman growing pains this past season, or was he overhyped by those recruiting services? Will the receivers and offensive line be any better, or are they not good enough to lend Eason the level of support he obviously needs to succeed?
Perhaps most important, is coach Kirby Smart ready to finally step out of Nick Saban’s long shadow? We’ll find out soon enough.
2016 Projection: 9-3 (6-2)
Actual Record: 7-5* (4-4)
* doesn’t include bowl game
Coaching Situation
Mark Richt won double-digit games 10 times in 15 seasons, but he was never able to get the Dawgs over the hump on the national scene.
Smart cut his teeth on Saban’s staff for nine years at Alabama, the last eight as his defensive coordinator. The Saban coaching tree has produced some wild successes (Jimbo Fisher at Florida State) but some spectacular failures (Derek Dooley at Tennessee), as well.
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
After a mildly disappointing 8-5 debut in 2016 that featured defeats to East doormat Vanderbilt and ACC rival Georgia Tech — both at Sanford Stadium, by the way — Smart is already starting to feel some pressure between the hedges. He replaced Richt with the clear expectation that he could take this team to the next level, so he must deliver.
It’s only Year 2 for the one-time Georgia defensive back, but Smart will have a hard time playing the “rebuilding” card if a roster this talented can’t make it to Atlanta.
Quarterback Situation
For the most part, Eason’s performance a year ago was in line with what you tend to see from a QB straight out of high school.
That being said, Alabama’s Jalen Hurts was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. South Carolina’s Jake Bentley totally transformed the offense upon being inserted in the lineup. Ole Miss’s Shea Patterson beat Texas A&M on the road in his first career start.
Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
It’s beyond reasonable to point out that the Bulldogs’ ground game with Chubb and Michel wasn’t as productive as many had hoped. Receivers dropped a fair amount of passes. The O-line also failed to protect Eason consistently. On the other hand, he didn’t do much to make up for those shortcomings and elevate the level of play around him.
In the spring game, he was outplayed by early enrollee Jake Fromm. If Eason is already looking over his shoulder, it’s justified.
Strengths & Weaknesses
In terms of his skill set, Eason has more to work with than most field generals. He needs to develop some touch and timing, though.
Not only are Chubb and Michel still in red and black, but both should be healthier than they were in 2016. Even if they’re not the top tandem in the league anymore, there’s no reason why they can’t combine for about 2,000 yards rushing.
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Assuming that defensive tackle Trenton Thompson is good as new, he’s a difference maker in the trenches on defense. The linebacking corps looks fantastic with Natrez Patrick and Roquan Smith in the middle and Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter on the outside. While the secondary is full of familiar faces, a true cover corner is yet to emerge.
Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship came out of nowhere to be pretty effective last year. Still, special teams overall were abysmal.
Game-by-Game Predictions
Week 1: vs. Appalachian State (W)
The Mountaineers came close to taking out Tennessee in 2016, so shame on Smart and Co. if they’re not fully prepared for this giant slayer.
Week 2: at Notre Dame (L)
One of the more unique road trips in recent SEC history, the Fighting Irish aren’t as bad as last season’s 4-8 record suggests.
Week 3: vs. Samford (W)
Remember the Nicholls State scare a year ago at home? Hopefully, this battle of Bulldogs doesn’t resemble that near catastrophe.
Week 4: vs. Mississippi State (W)
More Bulldogs in town. Nick Fitzgerald tends to maul lesser competition but hasn’t been very effective against elite defenses.
Week 5: at Tennessee (W)
It took a Hail Mary from Joshua Dobbs to Jauan Jennings for the Vols to upend UGA in 2016. Expect no such miracle on Rocky Top.
Week 6: at Vanderbilt (W)
The Dawgs have revenge on their minds after losing their last matchup with the Commodores. The box will be stacked for Ralph Webb.
Week 7: vs. Missouri (W)
Eason threw a game-winning touchdown pass in the waning seconds this past year in Columbia. No heroics should be necessary in Athens.
Week 8: bye
Week 9: vs. Florida (W)*
Win the Cocktail Party, win the division. That’s the most likely scenario. Georgia feels overdue after losing three straight to the Gators.
Week 10: vs. South Carolina (W)
If this contest were to be played on the road, I might be tempted to go with the Gamecocks. But at home, give me the Bulldogs.
Week 11: at Auburn (L)
On the short list of best crossover rivalries in the conference, this could be one of those seasons when the Tigers are truly for real.
Week 12: vs. Kentucky (W)
The Wildcats live and die by their running game, but the Bulldogs are building an Alabama-like front seven under Smart.
Week 13: at Georgia Tech (W)
Preparing for what the Yellow Jackets do offensively is always a chore. Smart should’ve learned a lesson or two from last year’s loss.
* at EverBank Field in Jacksonville
2017 Projection: 10-2 (7-1)
Final Standings: 1st in SEC East
Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
#UGA
If everything goes according to plan, then Georgia will be in the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium the first Saturday in December.
Yes, Eason should be better in Year 2 than he was in Year 1. Yes, the unexpected return of Chubb and Michel was a nice morale boost. Yes, the defense is littered with experience at all three levels. But the East has been incredibly unpredictable lately.
Like it or not, it’s fair to wonder if Eason will ever live up to his 5-star billing. Wideout is a concern, as is the blocking up front. Defensive back Maurice Smith is the only defection of note off last season’s defense, but he was a key cog in the wheel. While Smart did sign the country’s No. 3 recruiting class in February, relying on freshmen to fill in the blanks can be tricky.
Again, the Bulldogs have the division’s top team on paper. Nevertheless, that hasn’t mattered much in recent years.
* * *
SDS CRYSTAL BALL SERIES
SEC West
ALA | ARK | AUB | LSU | MISS | MSU | TAMU
SEC East
FLA | UGA | KEN | MIZZOU | USC | TENN | VAN
UGA winning the East while losing to ND would be about as bad as when Missouri won it while losing to Indiana. That won’t bring credibility to the division. That being said, I think UGA wins that game easily.
Couldn’t agree more. Don’t see why this writer gave a nod to Notre Dame at all. Bulldogs are definitely a much more talented team with much better pieces across the board.
We were more talented than most of the teams we played last year, but that doesn’t always cut it. That said, I do hope we beat ND.
I’m gonna go ahead and apologize for crushing those dawgy dreams in
Jacksonville this season.
It would be quite poetic for us to add four points to last season’s score, and see UGA lose 10-28 on 10/28 ;-)
I live up in Michigan and I have several friends who are Notre Dame fans and they are all in agreement that Georgia is going to Crush Notre Dame. They are also saying that ND won’t be any good this year either. I don’t know much about the team and what position they are in bbut that’s just what IO’m hearing.
No such thing as ‘more unique’. It’s either unique, . . . or it ain’t.
It seems almost inconceivable to me that UGA could lose at Notre Dame but still be good enough to win the East. I think they’re far more likely to lose in Knoxville or Jacksonville than South Bend. ND is garbage.
As much as I love Auburn I think Georgia deserves the benefit of the doubt in this rivalry until proven otherwise. On paper I feel as though Auburn has more answers, and the game is in Jordan-Hare, but those factors have not seemed to make a difference in recent memory. I am hoping Auburn and Gus find a way to win this game but I have to see it to believe it at this point!
How does the barn have more answers? QB hasn’t thrown a pass in the S.E.C., running.backs are the same.if not better at UGA. I’ll give auburn the nod.at both lines but barely on the d-line and UGA has a scary LB core like Alabama. Secondary also.goes to UGA.
Georgia is in a need to see it before i’ll predict it kind of way. Win against Notre Dame not a loss. Tennessee Georgia has been some of the most thrilling games of the past 5 years. It’s a tossup so I’d take Tennessee in Neyland. Loss to Florida. Benefit of the doubt to the Gators. Georgia win against Auburn. Auburn has only beaten Georgia twice in the past 10 years and one win was because of Cam and the other was a miracle because Georgia didn’t just bat the ball down. Mix in an upset either early from Fitz and Miss State or a late upset by South Carolina. Super big trap game between Florida and Auburn. 9-3.
I agree UGA should beat ND, but I have them losing to only one of UT/UF and probably a loss to Auburn as well. Don’t see South Carolina pulling it off this year. Maybe in 2018 when it’s back in Willy B.
In 2018 UGA should hands.down be one.of the top 5 teams in the country.
I’m trying really hard not to be optimistic. I WANT to win the East but I don’t think it’ll happen honestly.
South Carolina scares me the most. That game is different last year if they had figured out Bentley by the time we played them. It is a perfect trap game and Georgia is RELIABLE for dropping a game they shouldn’t.
Until the Dawgs prove otherwise, no one should outright predict a win against Florida. They’ve spoiled our party many times and they know they can do it again.
But the same holds true for us against Auburn. We were a dead team by November last year and we still ground out a win last year. If not for a botched D play in 2013, Georgia has a 9-1 record for the last decade against Auburn and some scrub from a bible school in Texas won’t change that momentum.
I feel like 9-3 is the ceiling here, realistically. Notre Dame and Tennessee are a toss up, and South Carolina is a perfect trap game with a coach that we mocked endlessly for several years.
But we’ll see. Watch us do some real dumb poop and win out until the GT game and lose by 25 so we get dumped to #5 in the playoff ranks. Now THAT would be a Georgia thing to do.
I,m also from the 912. Been here awhile.Loving downtown on 37th hearing those gunshots every night. UGA.should be fine.
Im so looking forward to the UGA vs SC game. I think that will be the best game played in the Sec this season. Hard fought and close. If the gamecocks can start off hot early in the season i see this being the game that decides whos going to Atlanta. Its 2 man race and Fla Tenn and Uk simply wont make the cut. But that game is the only game on my teams schedule that im not willing to pick a winner at thjs point in the preseason.
Sav912 don’t jump man….damn the epitome of negative Nancy.Heres the deal Georgia should win East period.If we don’t it is a complete failure.I don’t see Carolina as much of a threat as Kentucky.Hang in there it’s going to be a good year.
Damn SAV you almost have me ready to jump and I’m not a jawja fan! Man I’m tired of all the predictions already. I usually get a kick from them. We need some preseason college games. 3 weeks left until we start to find out who the winners and pretenders are. Good luck to all unless you are playing us.
OH I WANT them to win for sure. It’s just habit after so many years of disappointment. I kept my remote control that’s in pieces after the 2012 title game against Alabama lol.
It just seems so often that we do well enough to still have to depend on the chips to fall a certain way for another team instead of just taking care of our business like we are supposed to do. Hard to have to worry about tie breakers and needing someone to lose if we just win all our conference games.
NO predictions here but losing to ND on a national stage would be a disaster. Getting Florida out of our heads as an annual loss is the other huge hurdle. Woe unto Tech on their home field this year, it won’t be pretty.
Why do people focus on the hail mary by Tennessee and act like Georgia was winning the whole game up to that point when it took their own deep pass to go ahead right before that?
We lost but if I remember correctly it was because Tennessee played a better 4th quarter. We, in fact, were winning the whole game up until pretty much the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter. 7-0 after Q1, 17-7 at halftime, and 24-14 after Q3. So, what is it you are trying to say?
UT tough to beat at Neyland, but these Dawgs might be hungry enough to do it. Usually a thriller, I expect this year to be no different. Hoping the VOLS stomp on the Insects for ya, then you kick their butts at then end of the season.
I agree with you. It should be a good game. Unfortunately, I have to root for y’all because Tech pulled one out of their arse last year and then rubbed it in.
I just hope we come out of Knoxville without any gruesome injuries. I don’t know what they do to their field, but it’s been a curse for UGA players’ knees the past 2 times we’ve played there.
I feel you the single handedly took out marcus lattimores knees.. both of them…. it was heartbreak and not even from a fans prospective but just over all heartbreaking the dudes respected by everybody.
UGA won’t lose to ND. And if they do send them to the ACC cause those embarrassing loses to the like of Ga Tech, Ok State, and Boise St throught the years have pi$$ed me off since my mother’s side.of the family is.all.DAWGS. There is a new feeling inside UGA with Kirby and he got.some.recruits that could.put together a great season. I’ll say 10-2 but to different teams. I wanna we UGA in S.E.C.C.G. against Bama. The.past three have been awful.with Mizzou and the 2 Florida teams.