Georgia Football: The 4 Most Important Games of 2011

For Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs, 2011 is a crucial year.

The Dawgs need to recover from an abysmal 6-7 season, and Richt needs to have a successful season to keep his job.

While every game is important for their 2011 campaign, four games stand out as paramount for the Dawgs.

Let's look at the four most important games of the 2011 season.

4. Georgia Tech, November 26th

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.

Always an important game on the UGA docket, Mark Richt and the Dawgs look to continue their dominance of their in-state rivals.

Richt is 9-1 against the Yellow Jackets, and hopes to make this series even more lopsided.

3. Boise State, September 3rd

Getting off to a fast start is important for the 2011 Dawgs.

Mark Richt needs wins, and he needs them badly.

A big win over a Top 10 team on national television will go far in setting the tone for the rest of the season.

2. Florida, October 29th

The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

This Gators have dominated this series for the last two decades having won 18 of the last 21 games.

If the Dawgs want to challenge for the SEC East in 2011 and years to come, they'll have to turn things around in Jacksonville.

Can Mark Richt survive another failure against the Gators?

1. South Carolina, September 10th

This game could determine whether or not Mark Richt has a job come January.

The Gamecocks are the front-runners to win the SEC East this year, and a win against them would give the Dawgs an inside track to the title.

Always a contentious affair, the last seven meetings between these border-state rivals have been decided by a total of 50 points.