Georgia Football: 10 Reasonable Goals for the 2012 Season

This Saturday will mark the end of spring practice for the Georgia Bulldogs, and that also means the 2012 regular season will be here before we know it.

Last year, the Bulldogs were able to accomplish a lot, which led to higher expectations for this year.

Despite the suspensions of some of the defensive starters, this team still has a chance to have a better season this year than in 2011. However, they have to get off to a fast start and can't go 0-2 like they did last year.

Here are 10 reasonable goals for the Bulldogs in 2012.

A Running Back Will Rush for 1,000 Yards

Now which running back will rush for 1,000 yards remains to bee seen. More likely it will be Isaiah Crowell if he stays healthy. But if the injury bug comes into play, I think Ken Malcolme  or Keith Marshall will have a great chance to rush for 1,000 yards.

What it comes down to is the Bulldogs need to have a consistent running game to reach the SEC title game for the second consecutive year. They have the talent to have a 1,000-yard rusher; it just depends on who will step up and be that guy.

A Wide Receiver Will Have over 1,000 Yards

Tavarres King led the Bulldogs in receiving yards with 705, and Malcolm Mitchell was right behind him with 665.

Mitchell will play some cornerback this season, so it's uncertain how much time he will see at wide receiver. King had a breakout game at the Outback Bowl and is hoping he can build from that success.

Plus, with 2012 being his final year, King would like to have a big season not only because that would help the Bulldogs have a successful season, but it would also help his draft status.

Aaron Murray Will Complete over 60 Percent of His Passes

As good of a season Aaron Murray had in 2011, he only had a 59 percent completion rating. Part of the reason for that is he threw 14 interceptions, and earlier in the season, he had trouble connecting his deep passes.

With the receivers more experienced and Murray being in his third year as a starter, he should learn from his mistakes and should complete close to 65 percent of his passes. If that happens, Murray will be a Heisman candidate.

The Defense Will Rank in the Top Three in the Country

Last year, the defense allowed 277 yards per game, and that was good enough to place the unit fifth in the country.

Despite a depleted backfield, the Bulldogs have a chance to better that stat because nearly the entire starting front seven is back.

Other than Missouri who was ranked in the top 15 in total offense, the opponents the Bulldogs will face this year are not that intimidating when it comes to lighting up the scoreboard. If the unit can stay healthy, it should be able to do some damage this year.

Jarvis Jones Wins the Butkus Award

If the defense has a better season, it will be because of Jarvis Jones.

The All-American linebacker from Columbus, Ga., was a finalist for the award last year, so he is already a leading candidate.

Will he lead the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss again? That remains to be seen. But if he does have similar numbers and continues to play at a high level, he should win the Butkus award easily.

The Bulldogs Will Have Five All-Americans

Last year, the Bulldogs had four players make at least one All-American team, and they were Orson Charles (AFCA first-team and Walter Camp second-team), Cordy Glenn (AP third-team), Bacarri Rambo (AP first-team and Walter Camp second-team and Jarvis Jones (consensus).

With the players that are coming back, there is no reason the Bulldogs can't have five or six making the list.

Jones is already a shoo-in, but Rambo is not due to him being suspended the first four to six games. Murray has a chance if he continues to improve, and Malcolm Mitchell also has a shot of being an All-American at cornerback or wide receiver if he stays healthy.

I also think that one of the offensive linemen will step up and have an outstanding season. I think Kenarious Gates has the best chance of being an All-American, but don't count out Kolton Houston either. He has been impressing coaches and will see a lot of action this fall.

Special Teams Will Be Better

Last year, the Bulldogs ranked seventh in kickoff returns, eighth in kickoff coverage, ninth in punt returns and 11th in punting and field goal kicking.

At that point, there is nowhere to go but up, and the special teams is one area the coaching staff has focused on this offseason.

There will be a new kicker and punter, and odds are Marshall Morgan and Colin Barber will win the jobs. Branden Smith should be taking care of the return duties full-time, but there are other players that can step in like Keith Marshall or Mitchell.

As far as the coverage teams go, reserves usually are the ones who fill the spots, but if they struggle early in the season, expect Richt to put the starters in those roles like he did last year.

Having a 7-1 SEC Record

The Bulldogs were able to go 7-1 in SEC play last year and would have gone 8-0 had it not been for costly mistakes against South Carolina.

Based on this year's schedule, the Bulldogs have a chance to at least win six conference games. Their toughest SEC opponent will be South Carolina, which they will play midway though the season. By that time, all the players that were suspended at the start of the season should be back.

Auburn and Florida will also provide Georgia some challenges, but the Bulldogs should be able to defeat those teams, and if they are able to win six or seven conference games, they will win the SEC East.

Winning the SEC

As good as LSU played in the SEC title game against Georgia last year, the Bulldogs had a chance to go up two or three scores early in the game had it not been for dropped passes. So winning the SEC is not an unreasonable goal.

What do they have to do in order to achieve that goal? Winning the SEC East is first, which should not be a huge challenge.

Then once they reach the championship game, they can't get intimidated by their SEC West opponent whether it's Alabama, Arkansas or LSU. They have to play like a team wanting to win the SEC and not a team that is just happy to be there.

Winning a BCS Game

If the Bulldogs do win the SEC East and the SEC, the next step would have to be winning a BCS game. Whether it's the Sugar Bowl or the BCS National Championship, the BCS should be the focus for the Bulldogs if they are able to reach the SEC mountain.

It's never an easy task to reach a BCS game, but Mark Richt has led the Bulldogs to the Sugar Bowl three times during his career. This team is as talented as the three teams that went to the Sugar Bowl, so it's up to them to go out there and make it happen.