2019 College Football Season Preview: Georgia Bulldogs
2019 College Football Season Preview: Georgia Bulldogs
In the weeks leading up to the season, I’ll be previewing some of the top programs in college football. Today, I will cover the University of Georgia. All stats according to sports-reference.com
2019 Coaches Poll Ranking: 3
2018 AP Final Ranking: T-7
2018 Record: 11-3
Coach: Kirby Smart
Conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Summary: The highlight of Georgia’s season came during the SEC Championship game, when they scored to go up 28-14 on Alabama with 12:39 left in the third quarter. They were already ranked fourth in the nation, and a win would have sent them to the playoff as the SEC Champions. Unfortunately for Georgia, that never happened. Alabama scored three straight touchdowns, Georgia was eliminated from the playoff, and the season ended with a 28-21 loss to Texas in the Sugar Bowl. How to evaluate Georgia is a hotly-debated topic around the nation. One on hand, they beat Kentucky and Florida, two top-12 teams. They also played Alabama close and won the SEC East. But on the other hand, they also lost to a three-loss LSU by 20 points, and the team wasn’t in the national top-10 in yards gained, points scored, yards allowed or points allowed. Georgia is talented, but are they truly a top team in the nation? Only time will tell.
Most Valuable Player: Jake Fromm, Quarterback Jake Fromm led Georgia to an SEC Championship and National Championship appearance as a freshman, when he threw for 3600 yards and 26 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. His sophomore year was less successful from a team standpoint, but Fromm was actually better individually. While Georgia failed to win the SEC, Fromm added 100 yards and four touchdowns while bringing his interceptions down to six. This performance ultimately led to five-star recruit Justin Fields transferring to Ohio State as he realized he wouldn’t be playing until Fromm left for the NFL. This year, Fromm is back and looking to close the deal in the SEC and ultimately win the national championship. For Georgia to accomplish that, he will play a crucial part as the leader of the offense. If he can get even better as a passer, watch out.
Biggest Game: #8 @Florida This game could decide the SEC East. It is Georgia’s top regular-season game by opponent’s rating, and Florida is looking to establish itself as a bonafide SEC contender this year. Georgia finished just in front of Florida in the division last year, primarily due to the head-to-head matchup, where they dominated Florida to the tune of 36-17. This year, Georgia will be looking for a repeat performance to propel themselves to the SEC Championship.
One Big Question: Can Georgia solve Alabama? Georgia has played Alabama three times in the last two years: twice in the SEC Championship and once in the National Championship. Alabama won two of those three: once to win the national championship (this came to avenge a previous loss to Georgia in the conference championship), and once to win the SEC and eliminate Georgia from the playoff. If Georgia can manage to beat Alabama, they become serious contenders to win it all. But as of yet Georgia can’t seem to make the Tide go away. If Kirby Smart is ever going to win a championship, he’s going to have to find a way to beat the Titans of the SEC first.
My Prediction: 11-2, Loss in the SEC Championship. Florida, Notre Dame, Auburn, Texas A&M. Each of those teams are in the preseason top-25, and Georgia plays all four. Three of them are scheduled within four weeks of each other. That schedule sounds brutal, and until the Bulldogs can prove that a defeat of Alabama is probable I won’t be predicting one. None of this means Georgia can’t go undefeated, they are a talented team that lost a comparatively low amount of top players to the NFL. But their schedule is going to be hard to overcome, and the Bulldogs are going to be viewed as Alabama’s little brother until they can beat them consistently.
For my previous season previews:
#1 Clemson
#2 Alabama
-By: Alex Spieldenner