2009 Georgia Bulldogs College Football Predictions

2009 Georgia Bulldogs Predictions
2008 Record: (10-3, 6-2)
Coach: Mark Richt, 8th year, (59-30 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Mike Bobo (3rd year)
Def. Coordinator: Willie Martinez (5th year)
Returning Starters:14 (7 offense, 6 defense, kicker)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: No

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Offense: Senior Joe Cox (6-1, 198) takes over at quarterback for Matthew Stafford. While he doesn’t have the same tools (great arm, size), he knows the offense and is a very accurate passer. They also lose star RB Knowshon Moreno, but sophomore Caleb King (5-11, 210) and a slew of others, should make up the difference. Georgia always seems to have talent at running back. At least they return sophomore A.J. Green (6-4, 207), who caught 56 passes for 963 yards and eight TDs as a freshman. Up front, the Dawgs return all five starters, including junior LT Clint Boling (6-5, 297), who can play guard as well. He could move to guard if senior Trinton Sturdivant (6-5, 306), who missed last season with an ACL injury, comes back healthy in the fall.

Defense: The defense returns six starters from a unit that allowed 24.5ppg (59th in the nation) and 312 yards per game (22nd in the nation). Georgia needs improvement from this unit if they are to unseat Florida. They do get former starter Jeff Owens (6-3, 306) back to man one of the defensive tackle spots. He missed last season with a knee injury and he should help improve the run defense. They need to find a defensive end who can pressure the quarterback. Senior Rod Battle (6-4, 259) should return after missing spring practice. At linebacker, Georgia is loaded. Junior Ronnie Curran (5-11, 222) is short, but powerful. He led the team in tackles last season with 115 and also added three sacks. The secondary, which returns two of four, is led by junior SS Reshad Jones (6-2, 212), who picked off five passes last season. Senior Bryan Evans (5-11, 190) moves from corner to free safety.

Outlook: The Bulldogs take on Oklahoma State on the road to start the season, highlighting a very tough schedule. They also face LSU at home and Florida in Jacksonville. Tennessee Tech at home is the only gimme on the schedule. They also take on Arizona State at home and rival Georgia Tech on the road. Richt has a very good team that will go bowling and probably to a major bowl. But their defense and lack of certainty at quarterback keeps them a notch below Florida.

This SEC conference prediction is courtesy of the ATS Sports Blog. If you are looking for winning college football betting picks be sure to choose ATS Consultants this year, A featured sports handicapping service on Touthouse.com