Georgia Football: Predicting the Bulldogs' 2015 Win-Loss Record

It’s mid-May, and that means the college football preview magazines will be hitting the shelves in the near future. And odds are many of those magazines will have the Georgia Bulldogs high in the polls and have them in first place in the SEC East.

That would not be a surprise, because the Bulldogs won 10 games last year, and they have the majority of their starters from last season coming back in 2015.

But they are also replacing some starters at very important positions, and if they don’t grow up in a hurry, it could be a long and disappointing season for the boys from Athens.

So what will be the win-loss record for the Bulldogs this upcoming season? Let’s take a look.

Looking Back at Last Season

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2014 Record: 10-3 (6-2 SEC)

Before we look forward to the 2015 season, let’s take a look back at 2014.

Last season, the Bulldogs went 10-3, and they finished ninth in the AP poll. They started the season winning six of their first seven games, including the opener against Clemson.

The next loss came against Florida, where the Bulldogs had issues stopping the Gators' ground game. The Bulldogs won the next three games, including a blowout win against Auburn, but they lost to Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale. The Bulldogs ended the season with a win against Louisville in the Belk Bowl.

The Bulldogs were able to win 10 games because of the success of the ground game as well as the defense improving from what it was in 2013. Nick Chubb rushed for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Todd Gurley, who missed half of the season because of injuries and a suspension, rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns.

The defense was anchored by the linebackers. Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins, Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera were able to either get after the quarterback or be disruptive in the backfield.

The secondary also played a big part, as Quincy Mauger and Dominick Sanders recorded seven combined interceptions.

The Nonconference Schedule

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Louisiana-Monroe: Win

Southern: Win

Georgia Southern: Win

At Georgia Tech: Win

The Bulldogs will have an interesting nonconference schedule this year, as they will face two teams from the Sun Belt Conference, one team from the FCS and their in-state rival, Georgia Tech.

The Bulldogs have faced Louisiana-Monroe three times and won all three games by a big margin. UGA has faced Georgia Southern five times and won all five games as well.

Georgia has never faced Southern, so it will be interesting to see how the Jaguars can hang with the Bulldogs; it will not be an easy task for them.

The one nonconference opponent that will be difficult is Georgia Tech. Last year, the Yellow Jackets beat Georgia for the first time since 2008, and the win led them to an Orange Bowl win against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have not lost to the Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium since Mark Richt became the head coach, and that won’t change this season, because the Bulldogs are still cringing from what happened in 2014.

The Bulldogs' SEC Schedule

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At Vanderbilt: Win

South Carolina: Win

Alabama: Loss

At Tennessee: Win

Missouri: Win

At Florida: Win

Kentucky: Win

At Auburn: Loss

Like every season, the Bulldogs will have a tough SEC schedule, including a home contest against Alabama, which will be the first time the two teams have faced each other in Athens since 2008. That game could possibly be a preview of the SEC title game.

The most difficult road game for the Bulldogs will be at Auburn late in the season. With quarterback Jeremy Johnson and a new-look defense led by defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, the Tigers will be a much-improved team from last season and will likely rival Alabama for the SEC West title.

The wild card is the Tennessee Volunteers. They have gotten better each season under head coach Butch Jones, and even though they still have a lot of work to do, they could easily beat Georgia in Knoxville, especially if quarterback Joshua Dobbs shreds the UGA defense.

Projected 2015 Record

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Projected 2015 Record: 10-2 (6-2 SEC)

The Bulldogs will have another 10-win season, but this time, they should do enough to reach the SEC Championship.

After that, who knows what will happen, but this team has all the tools to be relevant in December and January.

The key for the Bulldogs is the quarterback. Once Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer figure out who will be the starter, he will need to become a leader and mature right away. Chubb, the offensive line and the defense can and will do a lot this season, but it will be the quarterback who will make the biggest difference in 2015.