The 2012 college football season is now right around the corner. Today we head to the Southeastern Conference to preview the No.5 school on the Rant Sports 100 in 100 college football preview series, the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs had an odd year in 2011. Picked by many to win the SEC East, Georgia lost it’s first two games to ranked opponents Boise State and South Carolina, but then proceeded to go on a 10-game winning streak, ending the season with losses in the SEC Championship game and the Outback Bowl to Louisiana State and Michigan State respectively.
After another stellar recruiting year, the expectations for Georgia are even higher in 2012, but a slew of off-season suspensions and distractions could derail the Bulldogs’ championship hopes. The Bulldog Nation remains hopeful that third-year starting quarterback Aaron Murray, and incoming freshman running back Keith Marshall – the nation’s number one rated prospect – can keep Georgia in the hunt for both SEC and BCS titles.
Offense:
It’s going to be no surprise that the Georgia offense will revolve around Aaron Murray. In two short seasons he has grown into what many believe is the best quarterback in the nation’s best conference. Murray will have to continue to show good mobility, as the Bulldog’s offensive line has undergone some huge losses, and has been revamped. Expect to see many more timing routes, screen plays, and quick outs from the Bulldog offense this season, as Georgia will rely less on explosive big plays, and lean on the running game and possession passing.
It’s possible that incoming freshman quarterback Faton Bauta could also be used in some special plays, or in designed QB run options.
The Georgia backfield is one of the deepest in the nation, and even with the dismissal of 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year Isaiah Crowell, the Bulldogs are still well stocked at running back. Look for the speedster tandem of Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley to get the bulk of the carries, with 6’2″ 250 pound red-shirt junior Richard Samuel being able to provide some change of pace, and get some goal line opportunities.
The Georgia receiving corps has undergone another overhaul, and is still full of question marks. Last year’s leading receiver, Malcolm Mitchell, is being moved to defensive back but could still see time on both sides of the ball. Murray will probably primarily target incumbents Marlon Brown and Michael Bennett until some of the younger receivers have had a chance to show what they can do.
For the first time in a couple of decades, Georgia actually has a question mark at the tight end position. All-SEC tight end Orson Charles opted for the NFL this season, which leaves Georgia with four red-shirt freshman and one junior (Arthur Lynch) tight ends who only have two starts between them all. Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo feels tight end depth is a concern, and he says coaches need to get freshman Ty Smith “ready to play.”
Defense:
This is a defense that, as they say, is loaded for bear. With all the hype and accolades that the Alabama and LSU defenses are receiving, Georgia has become somewhat lost in the shuffle. But make no mistake, this is a top defense with a lot of speed and some serious size on the line.
If you had to look for a weak spot in this defense, you might look to the secondary. There are still a few unanswered questions, and with Mitchell moving from wide receiver to defensive back, things might get hairy.
Losing All-American safety Bacarri Rambo to a four game suspension to open the season isn’t going to make things any easier on an already stretched thin secondary going along with the additional suspensions of cornerback Sanders Commings and linebacker Alec Ogletree.
What this means is that cornerbacks Branden Smith and the newly convered Mitchell are going to have to hold down the fort for at least the first two games of the season.
But if you want to get into that secondary, either running the ball or passing on them, you are going to have to get past the Bulldogs’ defensive line and linebackers, and that in itself is quite a difficult task.
Junior Jarvis Jones leads one of the nations best linebacker corps, and a group that is surely only to get better this season. The defensive line is anchored by nose tackles Kwame Geathers and John Jenkins, flanked by some defensive ends that defensive coordinator Todd Grantham loves to send after the quarterback.
And of course everyone is excited to see what five-star recruit and incoming freshman Josh Harvey-Clemons will bring to add to an already ferocious Georgia defense.
Schedule:
A lot has been made of Georgia’s light conference schedule (if there is such a thing in the SEC), and while it’s true that the Bulldogs don’t have to deal with Alabama, LSU or Arkansas this season, playing SEC newcomer Missouri in their opening conference game will be no easy task.
Away games at Missouri, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Auburn give Georgia a pretty difficult road schedule, and the always important game in Gainesville, Fl. against Florida could end up being the most meaningful Cocktail Party in quite a few years.
Prediction
Georgia has to figure out a way to survive the game in Columbia, Mo. without some of their best players, and against what will be an extremely hostile environment. If they can come out of that game unscathed, the table will be set for the Bulldogs to run the table in the SEC and possibly their entire schedule.
The Bulldogs almost always have a game where they are unexpectedly tripped up, and I don’t see this season as any exception. I’m predicting a 11-1 season, with the lone loss coming once again at the hands of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Georgia will ride in the SEC Championship game as the East champs once again, and will stun the Alabama Crimson Tide on their way to a BCS bowl.
