Georgia Football: Bulldogs 2017 season preview and predictions

The Offense

Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason had a rough 2016. He was a 5-star recruit and he shows a great deal of promise.  He didn’t have much consistency last season. His completion percentage in 2016 was only 55 percent, which needs to improve if the Dawgs hope to compete in the SEC.

He does have a pair of the best running backs in the country with Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, who both chose to stay at UGA their senior season rather than move on to the NFL. Chubb, in particular, should finish the season as a Heisman contender if he can avoid injuries. The O-line struggled last year, but if Eason can settle into a rhythm and improve accuracy, the Dawgs have a chance to clinch the division title.

What’s holding them back?

The main problem lies not with Eason, but with the receivers. It’s not that they lack talent–far from it. It’s that they are young and inexperienced. There aren’t many consistent blockers on the UGA offensive line and that might hamper the receivers.  Indeed, the issues at offense were so pronounced in 2016 that Chubb and Michel’s formidable talents were almost negated, particularly in the first half of the season.

For some odd reason, OC Jim Chaney wants to run up the middle. He doesn’t have the OL for it and still won’t this year.  Hopefully, he will correct that error and also let Eason settle into the shotgun, where he excels. The offense did gain some momentum late in the season. If they can play like they did against Auburn last year and clean up their red zone play, the offense should have a good shot.  There is a great deal of room for improvement, but the talent is there.