Georgia Football: 5 Games the Bulldogs Must Win in 2012

While teams are just beginning spring practices, we're already looking forward to the regular season. Sure, it is still a good six months away, but it's never too early to think about everything that comes with college football and the games that actually matter.

Georgia was a team to pay attention to last season, and they should be considered SEC contenders this season. They return all of their key offensive weapons, and nine players on that solid defensive unit come back as well.

Georgia is without question the most talented team in the Eastern Division and should be one of the favorites to win the conference. But in order to accomplish those goals, there are key games that the Bulldogs must win.

Here are five games in which Georgia must be victorious in order to have a successful season.

At Missouri

The first must-win game will come in Week 2 against Missouri, and while the Tigers may not exactly be as complete a team as the Bulldogs are, it's still the first SEC game for the newbie.

Missouri has a very talented offense and a dual-threat quarterback in James Franklin, who can really cause fits for the Bulldogs defense.

Also, playing in Faurot Field, in a hostile environment, will really make for an interesting game. Its important that Georgia gets off to a fast start (unlike last season) and shows the Tigers exactly what they're in for in making the transition from the Big 12 to the SEC.

At South Carolina

Heading into South Carolina to take on a talented Gamecocks team won't be easy. They return several key members of their defense, eight starters on offense and should get a healthy Marcus Lattimore back at running back.

Georgia lost to the Gamecocks last season in a thriller of a game, but the Bulldogs weren't exactly clicking like they were at the end of the season.

How do you prove that last year's outcome was a fluke? You beat them in their house in the middle of the season.

Vs. Florida (in Jacksonville)

Georgia snapped a three-game losing streak against the Gators in a very close 24-20 victory last season. You should expect another close outcome considering eight of the past 10 meetings have been decided by 12 points or less. Florida returns 18 starters, which should make them much better than the 7-6 team they were last year.

The Gators are probably one of only a couple teams that could challenge them for the Eastern Division, so the Bulldogs must win.

At Auburn

Georgia gave Auburn a beat down last season by a score of 45-7, but that doesn't mean that  the result will be the same this year.

The Tigers return nearly their entire team, including 10 starters on the defensive side of the ball. Granted, they do have a lot of work to do to improve last year's results, but earning a victory in Jordan-Hare Stadium is never an easy task.

You can bet coach Gene Chizik and company will have his quad ready for this big game; it's up to the Bulldogs to respond.

Vs. Georgia Tech

The Bulldogs have won 10 of the last 11 meetings against the Yellow Jackets, but it appears that Georgia Tech is closing ground. They only lost last year's game by two touchdowns, and they are returning eight starters from an offense that averaged over 34 points per contest. The Yellow Jackets are a team that will compete for the ACC title this season and a team the Bulldogs shouldn't overlook.

If Georgia expects to be in the SEC championship and compete for a national championship, losing the last game of the season is not an option.