Georgia Bulldogs Start No. 1, But Can They Finish There?

SEC East No. 1: Georgia Bulldogs

2007 Results and Offseason

In mid-October, not even the die-hard Georgia fans would have honestly told you they would finish the season ranked second in the country, but a win over Florida, followed by a win over Auburn and a thumping of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, led the way to a No. 2 final ranking. Georgia had another top-ranked recruiting class, but did have its share of offseason trouble that will result in some suspensions for the first two games. The Bulldogs enter the season ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.

2007 Record: 11-2 (6-2)
Ret. Starters: 16
Ret. Lettermen: 44
Offense: PPG 28.5 (6th) 175.6 (4th) 188.6 (6th) - SEC Play
Defense: PPG 21.4 (2nd) 131.3 (4th) 197.0 (5th) - SEC Play

Offense (7 RS 16 RL)

If you want to discuss Georgia's offense, you need to know the name Knowshon Moreno. After splitting carries with Thomas Brown in the first half of the season, the redshirt freshman burst onto the national scene in the 42-30 win over Florida and ended up with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Joining Moreno will be Caleb King and Richard Samuel, who were both highly recruited out of high school. Fullback Brannan Southerland may be out until midseason, but he should be paving holes by the time Georgia hosts Tennessee on Oct. 11.

Matt Stafford may be the No. 1 quarterback taken in the draft next year if he decides to forego his senior season. The junior has been good, but not great, in his first two years. If UGA is going to win the national title, Stafford has to become the elite quarterback the NFL is projecting him to be. Outside of Mohamed Massaquoi, the receiving corps is young, but talented. This group has suffered from drops the past few seasons, but did show improvement down the stretch in '07. Watch out for true freshmen AJ Green out of South Carolina.

The O-line was thought to be a big problem heading into last year, but played surprisingly well considering the youth. A big loss this year will be center Fernando Velasco, who was the glue for the young guys. Left tackle became a big spot to fill when starter Trinton Sturdivant went down for the season with a knee injury. Sturdivant's name may not ring a bell, but I bet his dance moves do. Currently, Richt has four new starters on the O-line, but says he might make changes.

Defense (9 RS 25RL)

Georgia returns its top four tacklers from last year and six of the top seven. The leader of the defense is senior Dannell Ellerbe, who made 93 tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss last season. Joining him at linebacker is Renne Curran who, despite his size, adjusted very well to SEC play as a true freshmen last season, finishing with 53 tackles. Marcus Washington will likely redshirt this season after suffering a shoulder injury in spring ball. Sophomore Akeem Dent steps into his place.

Colt Brennan still has nightmares of Marcus Howard coming off the edge in the Sugar Bowl. However, SEC quarterbacks can rest a little easier knowing Howard is gone to the NFL, but the 'Dawgs must replace the SEC's No. 1 sack artist from last year. The D-line's strength is in the middle with defensive tackles Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins. All the backups from last season return, so expect this unit to be strong once again. The secondary has three of four starters back. Free safety Reshad Jones steps in as a full-time starter this year in what should be one of the top pass defenses in the SEC.

Special Teams

The biggest question mark outside of the O-line is the place-kicker position, where Brandon Coutu has moved on to the NFL. True freshmen Blair Walsh has shown a strong leg in practice and is expected to take the job. Mikey Henderson is gone at punt returner and the buzz around Athens is that Moreno could be used as in that capacity this season. Asher Allen will figure heavily into kick returning duties.

Recruiting - Link

Schedule

It is brutal. Beano Cook said that Georgia should go to the Super Bowl if they go 12-0 through this schedule, and I agree. Road trips to the top two in the SEC West (Aub & LSU); vFlorida, @Arizona St, @South Carolina, vTennessee, vAlabama, vGa. Tech. The four-game stretch of @LSU, vFlorida, @Kentucky, @Auburn is the worst I have ever seen. I think Georgia will lose a game somewhere along the way.

Final Thoughts

The pieces seem to be coming together for Mark Richt. Georgia starts out ranked No. 1, so one loss will not drop them down that far. They are as good or better than everyone they play, but I think they slip up somewhere along the way, as no team could go through their schedule undefeated. The celebration last year in Jacksonville set a new tone in the Georgia-Florida rivalry, and the winner of that game will likely be playing in the BCS Championship.

Prediction

Likely Wins: vGa So, vC.Mich, vVandy, vAlab, @Kent, vGa Tech
Likely Losses: None
Likely Record: 11-1 (7-1)

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