2010 Georgia Football Forecast: Year of Resiliency for Dawgs

This summer couldn't have put a darker cloud over the Georgia football program. While the blue-collar, excessively quiet ACC champs to the west are priming for another run, Georgia's football program and athletics department has been under fire.

Tech fans on internet boards couldn't be thriving more off the allegations of improper interaction with agents, the firing of athletic director Damon Evans, and the multiple arrests surrounding players.

The bad news couldn't hurt worse, considering Georgia's on-field performance yielded a mediocre 4-4 SEC record a year ago. Many have said head coach Mark Richt, who never seems to be directly involved with any of the nonsense, is not only too calm and collected, but possibly doesn't reflect the attitude needed for a team to be successful.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Jeff Schultz claims that Mark Richt doesn't scare discipline into his players. Now, Schultz's recent article draws an extremist picture of Richt's persona, correlating it way too much with the arrest of Damon Evans for DUI, which is absolute baloney, but there is no doubt writers are wondering why this program can't ever seem to get on it's feet.

I strongly believe two things will improve Georgia's on- and off-the-field issues in the future: discipline and intensity.

I also honestly believe Mark Richt definitely lacks in these two areas. His quiet and collected ways seem to lead to a disconnect between players and coaches.

Richt has proven time and time over that his attitude will likely never change.

But there still is hope for discipline and intensity. Enter new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. At the G-Day game, where I sat at the 50-yard line around 20 rows up, I got my first taste of the new coach.

The Georgia defense had just allowed a scoring drive. Grantham blew his top on the sidelines, huddling all of the defenders together and screaming at the top of his lungs for a strong three minutes.

Everyone in the stands tuned into the sideline shout fest, completely ignoring the first team offense performing on the field. There was unanimous approval from the fans around me, saying, "This guy will make a difference."

Grantham may not only make a difference for the defense's performance, but his intensity might rub off a tad on coach Mark Richt. If it does, the Georgia coaches might be able to muster up enough toughness to finally start disciplining.

Maybe all of those turnovers and penalties will finally go away. I guarantee you the defensive penalties will go down, because you do not want CTG yelling in your ear.

I had to hear it from the stadium seats, and I might have needed to change my underwear after the quarter. (Ok, maybe not, but you get my point.)

As of now, it seems like it's the same-old, same-old for Georgia football, you should be aware that a culture change is on horizon.

This will be the least star-studded cast of players Georgia has fielded in quite some time, with the lone star being one of the most humble players in the game, which is even more rare considering the position.

A.J. Green enters the year as college football's premier wide receiver. Even Green, who has been a quiet performer who lists "grades" as one of his interests on Facebook, is facing scrutiny. NCAA investigations, which will commence on UGA campus, will apparently focus on the agent involvement A.J. Green could have had at a party in Miami.

Even though Green claims he has "never been to south Florida," he still could very well have been involved with premature contact with NFL agents as well as agent representatives, or "runners."

Whether Green is at fault or not, or even knew he was committing violations, the fact trouble has been "finding" the Georgia program couldn't be more prominent.

I'm going to be honest, I never fully liked the personality of Knowshon Moreno, or even Matthew Stafford. Moreno always seemed way to heady or self-centered.

But evidence of A.J. Green, coming from coaches, players, interviews, and video couldn't draw a brighter picture of a humble superstar, or an ideal team player.

Again, AJC's Jeff Schultz criticizes Richt, quoting Richt saying that he could either blow his top over off-field incidents, or calmly deal with it correctly and move on.

I'm with Richt. He has the right idea. He needs to continue to calmly deal with situations, and move on. And, on-field performance in 2010 couldn't be a better place to shut up the naysayers.

It is time for the Dawgs to be resilient. An SEC East championship would greatly improve the way people look at the football program, which has been primed for scrutiny since it fell off the map in it's blackout game against Alabama in 2008.

This year's team couldn't be more ready to take back its pride. While under the radar, ranked between No. 15 and unranked by numerous publications, Georgia returns 10 starters the offense and plenty of talent on defense.

Grantham appears to be extremely excited with the personnel he has, and seems confident that the players will run his defense correctly. Mike Bobo knows what he has in the offense.

The only newcomer will be quarterback Aaron Murray, who was one of the highest recruited quarterbacks in the nation coming out of high school. Why Florida's first year starter John Brantley has been praised so much more than Murray in publications is beyond me, but Georgia fans can assure ourselves Murray is the most talented quarterback we've had since Stafford.

Mentally, he might even be better. A.J. Green believes Murray is "way mature for his age" and "prepares so well." Sounds like A.J. can't wait to start having balls thrown his way from No. 11.

The backfield and offensive line makes for one of the best in the SEC, if not the entire nation. Combine the most experienced line in the SEC, complete with All-SEC players like Ben Jones, Clint Boling, and former All-SEC frosh Trinton Sturdivant, with a dynamic duo of tailbacks in Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, and Georgia's running game is primed to dominate.

The Dawgs rushing attack struggled last year behind a makeshift offensive line, however the line gelled and healed and proved powerful toward the end of the year.

Mike Bobo might have learned a lesson in play calling as well, leaning away from a usually mixed game plan in favor of a pound-the-rock game plan vs. rival Georgia Tech.

Georgia's usually inconsistent offense, often plagued by risky throws turning into turnovers, dominated Georgia Tech's defense for more than 300 rushing yards.

Now, Tech's defense was never the cream of the crop, but Georgia appears to be ready to rush for at least 150 yards a game next year. It could be even more than that.

Ealey and King have confidently stated that the Dawgs will produce two, not one, two 2,000 yard rushers in 2010.

With that good of a running game, all you need is an effective vertical passing attack. A.J. Green, who many believe is the second coming of Randy Moss, will be the perfect option for Georgia's passing game.

Orson Charles also made huge plays for Georgia as a freshman last year, and should be a play maker and potential All-SEC tight end in the future. While many are unaware, Georgia's speed at the other receiver spot is insanely good. Rantavious Wooten and Tavarres King (who could see a one to three game suspension to start) are a couple of wide outs with game breaking speed.

King, at 6 foot 1, could surprise people as a possession receiver and compliment to Green, much like Mohamed Massaquoi was in 2008. Plus, Kris Durham, who like Green has been very very impressed with Murray, will return from knee injury to compete for a starting role. Durham, at 6'5", is a perfect target for Murray on the other side of the field.

As long as Aaron Murray stays away from the mistakes Joe Cox made last year, with a healthy line and confident backfield Georgia's offense should be one of the best in the Southeastern Conference.

Now to the defense, which has been awful the past two seasons. Georgia's issues with defending in the past was due to lack of up-field push. While the pass rush was weak, the secondary play relied on flawed zone schemes and players standing around, waiting for the ball to come to them.

Of course, even the least experienced quarterbacks never had trouble simply throwing away from standing defenders. The defensive backs, including all-world talent like Reshad Jones, always looked like they were trying to run in water.

Todd Grantham brings that hunker down, fast paced intensity to the defense. The new 3-4 scheme will rely on confusing pass rush schemes, as well as aggressive play from the defensive backs.

Georgia's strength, while many "pundits" may deny it, should be the talent of their secondary.

Yes. I said it. Georgia adds one of the best JUCO prospects in safety Jakar Hamilton, as well as highly recruited freshman safety Alec Ogletree. However, former linebacker Nick Williams, fan favorite Bacarri Rambo, and tenured practice team star Quintin Banks load the safety position.

It's very possible either Williams, or Ogletree could even make an eventual move to linebacker at some point in their careers.

Bryan Evans and Prince Miller, who started for UGA last year, never seemed to bring anything more than seniority. Miller's size hampered his performance at Georgia, while Evans' lack of focus always seemed to be an issue.

Enter Vance Cuff, a taller cornerback with 4.2 speed. Cuff was Georgia's most improved spring player according to coaches, and seemingly has won the starting cornerback battle over former recruiting gem Branden Smith.

Also, Georgia returns Brandon Boykin, a physical specimen at the other corner who won over All-SEC spots at defensive back and kick returner this preseason thanks to three touchdown returns on special teams and three interceptions last season.

Boykin could very well be one of the best players on the team. Athletically he has the skills, owning the leaping ability of former great Boss Bailey. Also, two of Boykin's interceptions from last year were brainy plays that required an aggressive attack to the football.

Boykin should thrive in Grantham's scheme.

Georgia's question marks might just arise in the front seven, where the Dawgs lose Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, Kade Weston, and linebacker Rennie Curran.

Linebackers Darryl Gamble and Akeem Dent seemed primed to be the starting linebackers, however the other two spots are up for grabs. As of now it appears Marcus Dowtin and Christian Robinson will complete the four linebacker rotation, but don't sleep on former tailback Richard Samuel. Also, Justin Houston is the obvious starter at one outside linebacker spot, which means Gamble, Dent, or Dowtin could get axed from a starting role. Not to worry though, the linebacking corpse is primed for a healthy rotation of fresh legs. Cornelius Washington is even listed as a linebacker, and coaches want him on the field making plays on third down.

The defensive line will be a mystery until we see it on the field. Abry Jones switches from tackle to end, joining DeMarcus Dobbs. The nose tackle spot will be filled by DeAngelo Tyson. While many say Georgia needs a bigger nose, Grantham insists the style Georgia will use doesn't require a plug in the middle. Outside rush from hybrid defenders will complete the front package of the scheme.

However, if Georgia ever needs a big man to fill in, Kwame Geathers could very well be the man at 6 foot 6, 330 pounds.

Special teams are all set for the Dawgs. Drew Butler and Blair Walsh, as Rachel Yost would say, "have all-American written all over them". Brandon Boykin is obviously the solidified game changer at the kick return spot, and Boykin, along with Branden Smith, Carlton Thomas, and even A.J. Green will make for an interesting and hopefully productive punt return game.

Plus, Green will take the "Boss" role as a potential kick blocker. Georgia's special teams have always been known for blocking kicks and punts and causing havoc on special teams, and this year should be no different. Speedsters like Vance Cuff and Branden Smith could become sneaky punt blockers off the guns. Plus, don't forget about Zach Renner, who has four career punt blocks.

Not many college athletes can say that.

Here is a look at Georgia's projected lineup, as well as a list of their 10 top players coming into the year, and five darkhorse players.

Starting Depth

QB- Aaron Murray

TB- Washaun Ealey/Caleb King

FB- Shaun Chapas

WR- A.J. Green

WR- Tavarres King

TE- Orson Charles

T- Clint Boling

T- Trinton Sturdivant/Josh Davis

G- Chris Davis

G- Cordy Glenn

C- Ben Jones

DE- Abry Jones

DE- DeMarcus Dobbs

NT- DeAngelo Tyson

LB- Justin Houston

LB- Akeem Dent

LB- Darryl Gamble

LB- Marcus Dowtin/Christain Robinson

CB- Brandon Boykin

CB- Vance Cuff

S- Bacarri Rambo

S- Nick Williams/Jakar Hamilton

K- Blair Walsh

P- Drew Butler

KR- Brandon Boykin

PR- Carlton Thomas

And here is a look at the best players on the roster, according to me.

1) Wide Receiver A.J. Green- Green is by far the best receiving prospect in the nation. The only area of his game with a question mark is his ability to be a good blocker. He's already been a pretty decent one.

2) Tackle Clint Boling- Boling, along with the return of Sturdivant, should give Georgia the best duo of tackles in the SEC.

3) Linebacker Justin Houston- Houston returns to the position he arrived at Georgia to be. Even in limited time last year he recorded 7.5 sacks. Houston should thrive in Todd Grantham's scrambled 3-4 alignment.

4) Center Ben Jones- Ben Jones has been the only true staple of Georgia's offensive line during the musical chairs from the past two years.

5) Cornerback Brandon Boykin- Boykin made himself known on special teams, even as a full time starter last year. He should become known around the conference as a playmaker on defense in 2010, and should improve on his three picks from last year. Shows great smarts and rarely gets lost in coverage.

6) Tailback Washaun Ealey- Ealey quickly leap frogged in the depth chart, starting all the way back at five last year and ending up dominating the Georgia Tech defense. The GHSAA legend could leave running mate Caleb King in a shadow, taking over as a playmaker in the SEC.

7) Tight End Orson Charles- Charles, a tight end-receiver hybrid, is a dangerous receiving weapon who was a great pass catcher over the middle last year. A more dynamic offense should mean more big plays from the sophomore, who played with Aaron Murray at Plant High School.

8) Linebacker Darryl Gamble- Gamble has two years of starting experience behind him and will have to take over making plays from the linebacker position following the loss of Rennie Curran. Gamble's performance against LSU in 2008 proved he is effective as a run stopper and coverage guy.

9) Tailback Caleb King- King was once the big name on campus, but a couple of No. 24's have kept him from taking over in the spotlight. King finally seemed to make strides at the end of last year as he continued to get his confidence back following leg injury.

10) Quarterback Aaron Murray- Aaron Murray doesn't have the experience, but he apparently has the intangibles and the physical attributes to be a great quarterback in the world of college football. If Georgia fans don't get greatness this year, they can be assured it will come in 2011 and maybe even 2012.

Five darkhorse players include,

1) Cornerback Vance Cuff- Cuff raised eyebrows in spring practice this year with his 4.2 40 yard dash. The senior corner has the size, speed, and smarts to give Georgia one of the best cornerback tandems in the conference.

2) Wide Receiver Kris Durham- Durham comes off missing the past year, and most of 2008. Georgia fans will enjoy his return, especially considering his huge 6-5 frame.

3) Cornerback Branden Smith- Smith has Champ Bailey 2.0 written all over him. He may not be incorporated as the receiver Bailey was, but his offensive ability, as well as potential for special teams might be more exciting than the prospect of him starting at corner.

4) Tackle Trinton Sturdivant- Trinton Sturdivant comes off missing two years in a row as well. The big tackle brings a big brain and a big body to an already deadly offensive line, however he will have to prove he has returned fully from two years worth of knee surgeries.

5) Receiver Marlon Brown- Many wonder if Georgia can compliment A.J. Green, even with speedsters like Wooten and King out wide, but Marlon Brown's size, which rivals that of Green, could give him the oppurtunity to blossum into a deadly weapon on the outside.

As far as Georgia's schedule goes, the only moderately intimidating road tests are at South Carolina and at Auburn. Georgia has had great success over both teams in the past five years, leading me to believe both games are plenty winnable. The toughest games will be home vs. Arkansas, against Florida in Jacksonville, and the final game of the year vs. Georgia Tech on Senior Day.

The one sleeper game to keep an eye on is at Kentucky. Kentucky has proven a dangerous team at home in the past, and their talent, if optimized through play, will make them a very dangerous giant killer.

Vanderbilt and Tennessee seem less intimidating than ever, even considering how Tennesee dominated us last year. The road test at Colorado, coming a week off a road game in Starkville, could be another spot where Georgia potentially trips up.

Overall, this is my gutsy and ill-informed schedule prediction, complete with game scores (even though I usually despise the aimless desperation of predicting scores in football games).

Game One: home vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (UGA wins 48-9)

This game will be a cake walk, and a great opportunity for Aaron Murray to get his feet wet. Logan Gray will likely see plenty of fourth quarter playing time in this game as well. The key in this game is that Aaron Murray puts up good numbers, that way any late show from Logan Gray doesn't create a quarterback controversy. Nothing would unsettle our stomachs more than seeing Murray go 8-17 and then Gray coming in and going 7-9 or something. Also, it will be a chance to see Kris Durham and Trinton Sturdivant compete for a full game. I'm excited to see how those two do here.

Game Two: at South Carolina (UGA wins 31-21)

The Georgia defense gets plenty of a test in week two vs. Stephen Garcia and the Gamecocks talented receiving corpse, however Georgia's pass rush will result in plenty of sacks and a few interceptions against SC's less than stellar pass protection. Steve Spurrier couldn't have sounded less enthusiastic about his team's progression in the pass protect department during media day. Aaron Murray will ride a powerful running attack, and the battle between A.J. Green and Carolina corner Stephon Gilmore should be exciting. Georgia will get by thanks to a fourth quarter turnover and clock control. Spurrier slams the visor, and somewhere those two security guards will be sitting together at an Athens bar giving a fist pound.

Game Three: home vs. Arkansas (UGA falls 35-24)

I don't like picking against Georgia's 12th man at Sanford Stadium, but I will here. Georgia will have an early season stumble. Even after defeating the rival Gamecocks, Corso will say it best by going "not so fast my friends." Arkansas' unrivaled passing attack will get up on Georgia early, and while trying to scrap back Georgia's offense will make a few mistakes. The game will be a shootout, but a mistake by Aaron Murray will turn into a double digit win for the Razorbacks.

Game Four: at Mississippi State (UGA wins 24-14)

This one will be a tough road game for Georgia, coming off a loss, but the Dawgs will win a slow paced running game and take care of the Bulldogs to the west. Georgia's running back will dominate, and the defense will have their first stellar SEC performance.

Game Five: at Colorado (UGA wins 20-17)

A second straight road game will be tough for the Bulldogs, however Georgia will prevail thanks to a last second field goal by Blair Walsh. Georgia will go up big early, but Colorado will ride some home field magic back into the game and tie it up. Georgia will control the ball for the fourth quarter and put the game away.

Game Six: home vs. Tennessee (UGA wins 30-7)

Tennessee will struggle to break in a new quarterback, and they will definitely miss the hype surrounding Bryce Brown. This game will be an energized one, full of Sanford Stadium noise. DaRick Rogers will have a tough day, and fans will definitely go berserk when Bacarri Rambo gets a hit on him. Georgia's energized defense will create plenty of plays, and the offense will have their best performance yet. This will be the second sweetest victory of the year, getting revenge on the blowout from last year.

Game Seven: home vs. Vanderbilt (UGA wins 29-3)

Georgia will easily get by Vanderbilt, who without Bobby Johnson should be the SEC's least impressive team by far. The Commodores will be no match emotionally for the hostility of Sanford Stadium, which will be full of urgently loud fans, hoping for a one loss record heading into Jacksonville in two weeks.

Game Eight: at Kentucky (UGA wins 31-28)

Here will be another close game in Lexington, with Georgia scraping by. Aaron Murray will begin to really impress on offense. On the other hand, Georgia's defense will get ambushed by the versatile Wildcat offense. The game will be a back and forth affair, but Georgia will pull ahead in the fourth. Kentucky will score a late touchdown to make it a 31-28 game, but they won't get the ball back in scoring position. Georgia heads into the WLOCP with a 6-1 record and a No. 9 national ranking.

Game Nine: vs. Florida in Jacksonville (UGA wins 23-13)

John Brantley will be having a good year, and Florida's offense will just now be heating up. The Gators will be entering this game with one lone loss, and the battle will be for supremacy in the SEC East. Florida will be picked to steam roll the Dawgs once again, but their offense will come out flat against Georgia's new look defense. The Dawgs will make a few big plays on defense, and the Tebow-less Gators will show signs of weakness on offense for the first time in two seasons. Aaron Murray will have an early touchdown pass to A.J. Green which will have the Georgia crowd going bonkers, and a late touchdown run by Washaun Ealey will signal the start of the property destruction. Don't break your chair, but the taste of sugar will start to sneak into your tongue.

Game Ten: home vs. Idaho State (UGA wins 56-0)

Things will be right in Athens again. Georgia will be ranked No. 5 in the polls, and they will obliterate the Bengals in front of plenty of happy fans. Despite being a historically relevant team in the FCS, Idaho State will be no match for Georgia's dominating offense.

Game Eleven: at Auburn (UGA falls 27-14)

This will be a tough one for the Dawgs. Auburn, which is full of talent, including former Florida quarterback Cameron Newton, will finally be hitting their stride and will defeat Georgia. The Dawgs will struggle in the most hostile environment since the South Carolina game, especially Aaron Murray. Auburn will get an energized victory that will set them up for a huge game against Alabama. Both Auburn and Alabama will have one SEC loss going into their final matchup. Gene Chizik will continue to grow popular in the plains, while Georgia will stay book a trip down the road to Atlanta thanks to winning a tie breaker vs. the two loss Gators.

Game Twelve: home vs. Georgia Tech (UGA wins 34-17)

While Georgia Tech has Josh Nesbitt and coach Paul Johnson, their uncharacteristic struggling defense and lack of passing firepower without Bay-Bay Thomas will make for struggles on offense. Georgia will dominate on the offensive side of the ball, frustrating the Jackets. Georgia is sure to create plenty of turnovers as well against the turnover prone men in Gold.

Game Thirteen: SEC Championship in Atlanta vs. Alabama (Bama wins 27-17)

Alabama will enter the game 11-1, while Georgia will enter 10-2. Georgia will be ranked No. 7, while Alabama will sit pretty at No. 1 once again. The game will be close until the end, however the Crimson Tide will pull away thanks to the play of Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram. The full fledged matchup between Julio Jones and A.J. Green will draw huge attention. Bama will head to the national championship game once again, while Georgia will head to the Sugar Bowl to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Game Fourteen: Sugar Bowl in New Orleans vs. Pittsburgh (UGA wins 38-17)

Georgia will get a classic rematch against the Big East champs, and stomp all over the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pitt, while impressive on paper, will fall to the overwhelming dominance of the SEC speed of play. Dion Lewis will be the only bright spot in the game for Pitt, rushing for over 100 yards, but it won't be enough. The Panthers will learn their place in the college football world, while Georgia ends the season on a high and a No. 5 finish in the polls.

Mark Richt will be sitting comfy and return the glory of Georgia football. Wins over Florida, Spurrier, Tennessee, and Tech will have everyone but the dominating Tide fans boasting.

Oh, and Georgia fans will have plenty more to be excited about, because the basketball team will be taking over a spot in the top 25 polls. Aside from the inevitable departure of A.J. Green, it won't be a better time to be a Dawg fan.

Hunker Down for September folks. I can't wait, and I'm sure you can't either.