EXPECTATIONS
Three years ago, the Kirby Smart era at Georgia opened with an 8-5 team that lost to Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech in the same season for the first time since 1961. Then 2017 happened, a remarkable thrill ride that contained 13 victories, including one at Notre Dame and a double-overtime win over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. Georgia was on the doorstep of its first national championship since 1980 and led Alabama 20-7 midway through the third quarter in the title game of the four-team playoff before losing in overtime. The Bulldogs followed that with the nation’s No. 1 signing class in February 2018, so expectations were forever launched from just winning the SEC East to being the nation’s best. Georgia was on the verge of the four-team playoff last season but again lost a double-digit lead to Alabama, this time in the SEC title game. With Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift and a loaded offensive line, anything short of the playoffs would be disappointing.
CONCERNS
Fromm replaced an injured Jacob Eason in the opening game of the 2017 season and never looked back. Last year, Fromm repelled the challenge of Justin Fields and now has managed to send Eason and Fields, two former five-star signees, elsewhere as transfers. There was a comfort the past two seasons that the Bulldogs had viable backups in case of injury, but the reserves this season are redshirt sophomore Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on, and true freshman D’Wan Mathis, who had a cyst on his brain removed in May and was limited at the start of this month. The top four receivers from last season are gone, with Terry Godwin, Riley Ridley and Mecole Hardman in the NFL and with Jeremiah Holloman getting dismissed this summer. Top tight end Isaac Nauta must be replaced as well. The schedule is more challenging compared to a year ago, with both Notre Dame and Texas A&M visiting Sanford Stadium.
WHAT’S NEW