The Georgia Bulldogs cruised to an SEC East title in 2017, and they’ll be the big favorites to repeat in 2018.

However, that doesn’t mean the Dawgs can take it easy against conference foes, as ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum thinks the South Carolina Gamecocks could provide a tough game for the national runners-up.

During an appearance on WJOX on Monday, Finebaum said he thinks Georgia’s Week 2 game in Columbia will be a tough one for the Dawgs:

“I really like this team,” Finebaum said. “(Will) Muschamp is a different coach at South Carolina than he was at Florida. He just doesn’t seem to be carrying all the burden of that position, and Florida is a very difficult job. He seems loose.

“And listen, I realize it’s April 2; this is no time to start suggesting, ‘Hey, watch out for this game,’ although we’ll be doing it soon enough. But I still think Georgia fans will be concerned when they head to South Carolina on the second Saturday of the season. Georgia will be a favorite, but that’s a dangerous game. And I think if you look at South Carolina’s schedule, they have some real opportunities for another nine-win season, maybe if they turned a game possibly 10. I don’t see them winning against Clemson. Georgia is probably the second most difficult game of the year.”

Last year, the Bulldogs only won 24-10 in Athens, so they could be in for an even tougher matchup this year when they hit the road to take on the Gamecocks.

It’s still early in the spring, but this will be a highly anticipated SEC East matchup when the time finally comes.