Georgia Football: Realistic Expectations for the Bulldogs' 2015 Season

The bar is always high for the Georgia Bulldogs. Before going into each season, UGA is expected to compete for the SEC title and a national championship.

Things have not gone according to plan in recent years, as the Bulldogs have not won the SEC since 2005, and the closest they have been to tasting the national title was in 2012 when they were five yards short of beating Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

The 2015 season is not going to be any different. With the talent on both offense and defense, the Bulldogs will be expected to do a lot of big things this season. Despite having a new offensive coordinator and a new starting quarterback, the fans expect nothing less than a national title.

But is that a realistic expectation, or are the Bulldogs just a team that can be good, but not great?

Here are realistic expectations for the Bulldogs’ 2015 season.

The Offense Will Once Again Be No. 1 in the SEC

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Last year, the Bulldogs were the best offensive team in the SEC. They led the conference in points per game (41.3), points (537) and touchdowns (70). The reason for their success on offense was the running of Nick Chubb and Todd Gurley, but quarterback Hutson Mason and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo also played big roles in the offensive production.

2015 is going to be a different story, because Mason has moved on to the NFL and Bobo is now the head coach at Colorado State. The Bulldogs did hire Brian Schottenheimer as the new offensive coordinator, and the starting quarterback position will be between Brice Ramsey, Faton Bauta and Jacob Park.

Despite the new additions on offense, the Bulldogs should be able to keep the production going and once again lead the conference in scoring.

Chubb will be back, four starters on the offensive line return and receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley should be 100 percent healthy.

As long as Schottenheimer uses the running game effectively and the quarterback is able to be successful off of play action, the Bulldogs will have no issues on offense.

The Defense Will Be a Top-3 Group in the Conference

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The defense improved last season, ranking fifth in the conference in scoring. It was 10th in the conference in 2013.

The reason for the improvement was the play of the secondary. Damian Swann, Quincy Mauger and Dominick Sanders all played well last season, and with the exception of Swann—who is now in the NFL—the unit should only be better.

And because the majority of the players in the secondary are returning, the defense should make even more strides and be in the top three in scoring defense.

Another reason the defense will improve is the linebackers. Even though Amarlo Herrera and Ramik Wilson are no longer in Athens, Reggie Carter and Tim Kimbrough are capable of doing big things at inside linebacker.

As for the outside linebackers, Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd could be the best tandem in the country. They not only get after the quarterback, but they can also be disruptive in the running game. If one of them gets injured, that won’t be an issue, because Lorenzo Carter showed last season he can fill in any time his number is called (4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss).

The defensive line will also be strong. Freshman Jonathan Ledbetter showed he can play with the big boys during spring ball, but when Trent Thompson arrives on campus, he has a chance to start and be the SEC's Defensive Freshman of the Year.

The Bulldogs Win Once Again Win 10 Games

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Last season, the Bulldogs were able to win 10 games because of the production on offense and the consistency on defense. It was an accomplishment to win 10 games, as the schedule was not an easy one.

This year, the schedule gods did the Bulldogs a favor. They start the season with Louisiana-Monroe and follow with Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Southern University.

The Bulldogs' toughest game will be against Alabama, but that game will be played in Athens. Other than that, the Bulldogs should be able to win at least 10 of their 12 regular-season games. When it comes to matchups, UGA is going to be more talented than its opponent—other than the Crimson Tide.

However, will the Bulldogs have the consistent intensity needed to survive in the SEC?

The Bulldogs Will Win the SEC East

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Based on the talent and leadership the Bulldogs have on both sides of the football, UGA will have enough to win the SEC East and play in December for the SEC title.

Tennessee, Florida and Missouri will all give the Bulldogs a run for their money, but if the Bulldogs stay focused and healthy, they should be able to win the East for the second time in four seasons.

When it comes to winning the SEC title, that remains to be seen, because Georgia has lost the last two title games it has played. But because of the way the last two seasons have gone for the Bulldogs, getting a chance to play in the Georgia Dome in December will be something the fans will appreciate.