2011 College Football Preview: Boise State vs. Georgia

College football is finally here, and it doesn't take long to have a great game on the schedule. On Saturday the Boise State Broncos square off against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Both teams are going to be out to prove something. Boise is out to prove to a national audience that they can hang with the big boys, and Georgia is out to prove that they are still an elite program after losing 12 games in the last two seasons combined.

Both teams may feel good as they debut their new Nike uniforms, but one team will look better with its play.

Here is your preview and prediction for one of the top games of Week 1.

Breaking Down Boise State

The same Boise State team you saw go 12-1 last season is pretty much the same Bronco team you'll see this year.

They return seven starters on both sides of the ball and that includes Heisman candidate Kellen Moore, who is 38-2 as a starting quarterback. The offense ranked second in the country last year in points per game and yards per game, averaging over 500 a game. You can expect more of the same this season with this unit.

On defense the team only has two juniors starting, the rest are all seniors. They return seven starters that helped this defense rank second in total defense, pass efficiency defense, and scoring defense in 2010. In nine of the 13 games Boise played, they gave up less than 14 points.

This team is full of talented veterans who know how to win.

Breaking Down Georgia

Quarterback Aaron Murray really impressed last season during his freshman year, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. But with A.J. Green and Kris Durham gone, receivers like Marlon Brown, Rantavious Wooten, and Tavarres King need to step up.

There are huge question marks with the offensive line and running back positions that may prevent this offense from reaching its full potential with Murray leading the way.

The Bulldogs struggled with the defensive line last year, but another season with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham should bring improvement. The secondary had 16 interceptions last season, and that should remain the same with players like Brandon Boykin, Bacarri Rambo, and Sanders Commings all returning. The only problem is the linebackers, where only one starter out of the four is still on this team.

Georgia should be better than the 6-7 record they finished with last year. But the question is, how much?

Key Matchup

The key matchup for this game will be Georgia's offensive line going up against the Broncos' defensive line.

Boise State returns several starters from their defensive line that led the nation in sacks a year ago with 48. Even Tyrone Crawford, who wasn't a starter, still had seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss in 2010. This is a unit that will be out to prove that they are really that good on a national stage.

On the other side Georgia has question marks with their offensive line. With the torn ACL of Trinton Sturdivant, the Bulldogs are missing three starters from last season. Although Cordy Glenn and Ben Jones have great potential, everybody else on this unit is young and unproven.

This will be a huge test for the Bulldogs up front, but if they can't block the sack-happy Broncos it will be a long day for Aaron Murray and company.

Prediction

A victory for the Georgia Bulldogs may help save head coach Mark Richt's job, but I just don't believe it's going to happen.

Boise State has been in this situation before when they traveled to FedEx Field to take on the Hokies last season. That will help in this game when they travel to a hostile Georgia Dome that will be filled with Bulldogs fans. 

This game should be close, but Boise State is the overall better team. They have the experience, the more polished quarterback and the defense to go with the offense. 

Broncos win 37-28