Georgia Bulldogs: Get past Alabama
It has been the Achilles heel for Georgia the past two seasons. They seem to be on the cusp of achieving all of their dreams, and then a backup quarterback from Alabama ruins it all. If Kirby Smart wants to achieve his goals, they start with getting past the Crimson Tide.
The Bulldogs will be returning Jake Fromm and D’Andre Swift on offense, and that alone will make them one of the better teams in the SEC. They are losing a ton of talent, however. They lost three receivers including Riley Ridley and Mecole Hardman. They also lost Isaac Nauta, their tight end.
Defensively, the Bulldogs will have to do without Deandre Baker and D’Andre Walker. Walker was the only player to get more than two sacks this season, getting to the quarterback 7.5 times. Defensive pressures will be important, since the secondary will be without Baker and could use as many people in coverage as possible.
Of course, Georgia has brought in tons of talent through recruiting the past few years. They are almost on Alabama’s level in terms of reloading as opposed to rebuilding. They have the players who have been there before, the coaching staff that knows Saban better than anyone, and the belief that they can get by the Tide in a potential SEC Championship game.
Both teams expect to be great this season. If that is the case, expect for there to be another instant classic in Atlanta the first Saturday in December.