Georgia Football: The Ins and Outs, Highs and Lows of the 2012 Schedule

The Georgia Bulldogs have recently wrapped up their spring and the spring game and will begin turning their focus to the regular season.

Georgia finished last season with a 10-4 record and is quietly one of those teams that can compete for a conference title.

The Bulldogs return six starters on offense, including quarterback Aaron Murray. They also have nine players coming back on the defensive side of the ball, a unit that ranked fourth in the SEC last season.

This is a team that could do damage in the SEC this season, but it has to overcome a difficult SEC schedule.

As we get closer to kicking off the regular season, here is your 2012 Georgia Bulldogs complete schedule breakdown.

Easiest Game

If these were the Buffalo Bills, maybe they'd have a shot, but it's the Buffalo Bulls instead.

Buffalo is a team in the MAC conference that has taken three seasons to win 10 combined games. The Bulldogs can jump out to a slow start like they did last season and still win this game.

Georgia will start the season with a victory.

Toughest Game

Much like Georgia, South Carolina is a team that's quickly on the rise and has a great shot at the conference.

The Gamecocks return eight starters on offense, and that includes getting a healthy Marcus Lattimore back at running back. In last year's victory over the Bulldogs, he ran for 176 yards and scored a touchdown.

South Carolina also returns six starters from a defense that was ranked third in the country.

The Bulldogs have lost the last two meetings against the Gamecocks, and with this one being played in Williams-Brice Stadium, it doesn't get much easier.

Potential Blowout

Florida Atlantic won one game last season in the Sun Belt conference.

Its scoring offense was ranked 119th in the country, and its scoring defense was ranked 103rd.

This isn't a potential blowout; this is a "white flags waived by halftime" type of game.

Potential for Disaster

One thing that really killed the Bulldogs' season last year was starting off sluggish and slow.

They started the season with two losses, which put them in an early hole they weren't quite able to dig themselves out of.

A Week 2 loss to Missouri is the last thing the Bulldogs need.

The Tigers have a very explosive offense, led by quarterback James Franklin and 5-star recruit wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.

They also have solid depth on the defensive line and should be able to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

This will also be the first SEC game for the Tigers, and it's taking place at Faurot Field. A loss here wouldn't be good for the Bulldogs.

Most Intriguing Matchup

Isn't the Georgia-Florida game always one of the more intriguing matchups on both teams’ schedules? After all, it is considered the "world's largest cocktail party."

Last season’s game was very interesting because despite the Gators' struggles, they took the Bulldogs down to the wire and only lost the game by four points.

This season, Florida returns 18 starters, including 10 on defense, and with a year under Will Muschamp's belt, this team should be better than it was a season ago.

Can Florida compete this season in the East Division? This game should tell us a lot about both teams as they head down the stretch.

Trap Game

We're back to the game against the Missouri Tigers. 

The Bulldogs schedule is extremely easy by SEC standards, so it's kind of difficult to find a true "trap game." But the game against the Tigers could be considered one, because they are the new kids on the block.

Will Georgia really take this team seriously? Many believe it doesn't quite have what it takes to compete in the SEC just yet.

This game is also in between the games against Buffalo and FAU; hard to wake up for both of those teams.

Rivalry Game Prediction

Georgia Tech was a decent team last year, but very inconsistent. It started the season off with a 6-0 record and then lost five of its last seven down the stretch.

The Yellow Jackets do return 15 starters, including eight on the offensive side of the ball.

The question I have for them is, can their offense become a little bit more balanced this year?

Georgia Tech had the second-best running game in the country, but passed the ball for only 142 yards a game. That's not going to get it done against a defense as tough as the Bulldogs have, and their 31-17 victory showed that last season.

Georgia has won 10 of the last 11 meetings against the Yellow Jackets, and I believe they'll make it a fourth straight victory this season.

Georgia wins: 35-24

Upset Special

For the last few seasons, Tennessee has been a team that nobody in the SEC has really been concerned about.

That may change this season, as the Volunteers return 19 starters from last season and are getting a few key players back from injury as well.

Wide receiver Justin Hunter didn't play in last year's meeting due to tearing his ACL earlier in the season. The 6'4", athletic receiver will be back in this meeting, as well as linebacker Herman Lathers, who missed all of last year with a fractured ankle.

This Volunteers team is looking really good, as the young guys begin to mature. They only lost by eight points last season, so the Bulldogs had better not take the team from Knoxville lightly.

Heisman Highlight Game

Aaron Murray is one of the top quarterbacks in the conference and should be considered one of the best in the country.

But with the lack of quality games on the Bulldogs schedule, he'll have to take advantage of the big-time showdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

It's on the road in a hostile environment. Both teams should be ranked fairly high. The game will have BCS implications on the line, and it's against a top-tier defense.

In last year's meeting, Murray threw for 248 yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort. If he plays like that again, but this time picks up the victory, he will really help his Heisman case moving forward.

Must-Win Game

While the West Division of the SEC has several contenders, the East isn't quite as loaded with teams that can compete this season.

The Gamecocks are by far the toughest competition for the Bulldogs this season, and they'll have to go into Columbia and walk out with a victory.

We saw how close the division was between these two teams last season, and it's possible the winner of this game could determine the outcome of who moves on to the SEC Championship Game.

Win this game, and I believe that Georgia returns for another shot at a conference title.