The two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs enter the 2023 college football season as the favorite to claim another title. Coming off an undefeated season and boasting a 29-1 record over the last two years, the bar has been set high in Athens. Helping accomplish that was Stetson Bennett, unfortunately the Dawgs have to move on from their record-setting QB. Still there’s enough talent around to support whoever starts making UGA a threat. With the highest win total on the board at 11.5 there is no room for error. And playing in the rugged SEC isn’t a cakewalk. Oh, the Dawgs will be good, but I don’t think they run the table for a second straight year.
College Football Season Wins Odds
Regular Season Wins for the Georgia Bulldogs
Over 11.5 ( +119 )
Under 11.5 ( -135 )
With two straight national championship, a 17-game overall winning streak and just one loss in the last two seasons, the Bulldogs have supplanted Alabama as the class of the SEC. Completing the past two regulars seasons undefeated forced oddsmakers to set the number at 11.5, meaning the Dawgs have to run the table again in order to cash the OVER. I guess if any team can do it would be Georgia with the pipeline of talent available to Kirby Smart.
Roster
If Stetson Bennett was a product of the system then what Smart and his staff have going on is special. Not considered a top prospect Bennett just worked at being better and his teammates did the rest. I guess that’s why it’s not a major deal that the position is unsettled with what some would consider a quarterback controversy. If any of the players fighting for the starting gig can come close to what Bennett did over the last two seasons the unit will again be among the best in college football. UGA ranked among the top-four nationally in yards per game (501.1) and points per game (41.1) in 2022.
There’s no denying the talent among the group of hopefuls since they are all highly-regarded recruits. They do lack experience, though. With seven games of mop-up duty last season Carson Beck is the front runner for the gig. Beck threw 35 passes completing 26 for 310 yards with four TDs and no interceptions. Brock Vandagriff is a 5-star recruit and redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton is also in the mix.
It’s never a good situation to have uncertainty at the most important position on the field. Whoever gets the job will have one of the best offensive lines in the country protecting him. Four starters are back from a unit that surrendered only nine sacks in 2022 while opening holes for an average of 205.3 rushing yards and a DI best 44 TDs.
New coordinator Mike Bobo has all the weapons to keep the offense churning out yards and points. Brock Bowers is an NFL talent tight end and the portal landed Missouri’s 2022 leading receiver Dominic Lovett and Rara Thomas, who totaled 62 receptions and 12 TDs the last two seasons at Mississippi State.
Defensively the Dawgs will be strong despite the loss of Jalen Carter and Kelee Ringo. The group allowed an average of less than 300 yards per game to rank 10th nationally and they conceded just 14.3 points per game. If there is a weakness it would be on the edge with several players battling to inherit spots. However, the line returns intact and the secondary has three starters back in the mix, including championship game MVP Javon Bullard.
Schedule
As tough as the SEC is, the Dawgs got a few breaks on their league slate. First they’re in the much-less difficult East Division and will avoid the top three teams from the West meaning no regular season matchups with Alabama, LSU or Texas AM. And unlike last season when they opened against Oregon, there are no Power 5 non-conference opponents.
Prediction
It’s hard to win every game and that’s what Georgia has to do in order to reach the OVER. I’m leaning that direction given the talent and favorable schedule. However, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the QB situation leaving a big question mark on the offense and with key defenders off to the NFL adjustments need to made on that side of the football. They prevailed in their few close games last season and I just don’t think the Bulldogs will as fortunate so I’m backing the UNDER.
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