UGA Football 2011: Why Georgia Can't 'Lose' vs Boise State or South Carolina

The Georgia Bulldogs enter the 2011 campaign needing a solid year to bring the program back into the upper echelon of college football and possibly save their head coach’s job.  Fortunately for the Dawgs, the first two games of the season play out very nicely, win or lose.  Conventional wisdom says that going 0-2 to start the season in FBS college football means it’s time to start looking ahead to next season, but not this year, at least not for UGA.

UGA is grooming some very young talent this year and will need many of the younger players to develop at a faster rate than normal for the Bulldogs to have success in 2011.  Having two very tough opponents to start the 2011 campaign will present the younger, less experienced UGA players with a trial by fire and almost certainly make them much better much faster than starting the season with some tune-up games against the likes of Florida Atlantic or UAB.  Even if both these games result in losses for UGA, the rest of the schedule lines up nicely for the Bulldogs to run the table and win the East.

Richard Samuel, making the move from linebacker to running back, will provide some experience at the position, but he will need some time to get back into the flow of being a running back.  Also, top recruit Isaiah Crowell will see significant playing time as a true freshman with the departures of Washaun Ealey and Caleb King during the offseason.  These first two games should get the Georgia backs up to speed in a hurry. 

Despite being anchored by seniors Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn and Justin Anderson, Georgia will also be seeing some new faces, shifting of positions and a lack of depth on the offensive line.  This group will have to develop some chemistry on the line quickly to support a running game and give Aaron Murray time in the pocket to make plays. 

Finally, the Bulldogs’ first two games will go a long way in establishing someone to step into the go-to receiver role vacated by NFL-bound A.J. Green.  Look for Tavarres King to step up and Orson Charles to be very involved at tight end.  Marlon Brown, a 6’5” junior, will also look to make the most of his opportunity this season with the door open for a wide receiver to have a breakout year for the Dawgs.

So even assuming the worst for the Bulldogs, an 0-2 start, the season is still definitely salvageable and still within the grasp of UGA’s perennial goal, to win the SEC East.  After the South Carolina game, UGA’s schedule is extremely favorable within the SEC. 

Out of the SEC West, UGA dodges having to play Alabama, LSU and Arkansas, three of the best teams in the league, and two of the best teams in the country.  The East is pretty wide open this year with Georgia and South Carolina favored and Florida as a dark horse to win the division.  So even after a theoretical 0-2 start, there is a good chance for the Bulldogs to take down the East title and play another game this season in the Georgia Dome, this time in December.