Georgia Football: Realistic Expectations for Mark Richt in 2015

The 2015 signing class is set and spring practice is right around the corner. This only means the regular season is not far away, and the Georgia Bulldogs will come into the season with the expectation to win—and win big.

With a young and talented group returning, head coach Mark Richt knows his team is capable of doing some big things in 2015.

But can the Bulldogs really take the next step? Can Richt finally get the monkey off his back and get his first national title?

Here are some realistic expectations for Richt in 2015.

Top Offense in the Conference

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The Bulldogs had the No. 1 offense in the SEC last year in terms of points scored. A big reason for that was the play of running backs Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb, who ran over, past and around defenders to help the offense score over 500 points last year.

Chubb will be back in 2015, as will the majority of the offensive line. However, the team will be breaking in a new quarterback, so having the Bulldogs finish as the conference's No. 1 offense again may be a bit of a stretch. But because the Bulldogs will have no issues running the ball against any team they face, Georgia should have a top-five offense in the SEC.

Plus, new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer should be able to bring some new flavor to the Bulldogs' pro-style offense.

Defense Continues to Improve

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The Bulldogs ranked in the top half of the league in total defense last season, and they were the No. 1 pass defense in the SEC.

With another year learning Jeremy Pruitt's system and a slew of new talent coming in, the defense is expected to be one of the top units in the conference.

With new players coming in like Trent Thompson, Rico McGraw and Roquan Smith, Pruitt is starting to get the players that he wants to run his scheme. That means the already-improving defense will only be better in 2015.

Win 10 Games or More

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The Bulldogs won 10 games last year because they were able to score a ton of points, control the clock and force turnovers on defense. Based on the way the schedule sets up for Georgia, they have a chance to win 10 games in 2015.

It won’t be an easy task, but with four of the team's first five games being played at home and only four true road games on the schedule, 10 (or more) wins plays into the Bulldogs' favor.

Win the SEC

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Winning the SEC will always be expected of Georgia, no matter how the team looks going into the season. But in 2015, the Bulldogs winning the SEC is not out of the question.

Talent will not be an issue for the team, but executing consistently could be an issue. That was the reason the Bulldogs lost to South Carolina early in the 2014 season, and to Florida a few months later.

The biggest thing the Bulldogs need to do is play every game like it’s their last. They can’t worry about what happened last week, or what’s going to happen the following week. The Bulldogs need to worry about the task at hand. If they do so, they will reach their goals at the end of the year.