B&S preview series: Dawg Repeat?
Photo via Doug Murray, Icon Sportswire
The mighty Georgia Bulldogs finally got over the hump in 2021, winning their first National Championship since 1980. Bulldog fans were rewarded for their years and years of loyalty with the ultimate prize. Taking down Nick Saban and Alabama to capture the title was the cherry on top. Georgia now sits on the throne of college football, but can they maintain their power? Can they get back to the College Football Playoff and defend their crown? It’s very possible. Despite 15 players from the 2021 team getting drafted in April’s NFL draft, this team is still loaded.
Beginning on the offensive side of the ball, Stetson “Tombstone” Bennett returns for what has to be his 7th year in college (its his 6th). The often maligned walk-on quarterback did the unthinkable by delivering a title to Athens, and despite the narrative surrounding his play, he performed quite well when called upon. Bennett threw for 2,862 yards, 29 touchdowns and 7 interceptions a year ago. He was efficient, protected the ball and overall played well. Maybe Georgia wasn't winning games because of Bennett, but rather just with Bennet, meaning another QB could step in and potentially take the Dawgs over the top. I don’t see that happening though. Kirby is loyal to Bennett and rightfully so. He hasn’t played poorly enough to lose the starting gig, and Kirby trusts him. Thankfully for Bennett, he’s got weapons at his disposal.
The key losses on Georgia’s offense from a year ago are running backs Zamir White, James Cook and wide out Jermaine Burton, who transferred to Alabama. But with the stout offensive line and a plethora of remaining weapons, expect this Dawg offense to be just fine. Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton are poised to take over in the backfield, and both are very, very capable. I’m not sure either will be able to do what James Cook did in the passing game, but both backs can run the damn rock. The running back position will be fine, as usual in Athens. Despite losing Burton, the wide receiver position should be fine as well. Burton is talented and was surrounded by a lot of hype during his time with the Dawgs, but his production was average at best. With the return of Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell, Georgia has a solid core of experienced receivers to catch balls.
The real strength of this offense is in the tight end room. Brock Bowers is the best tight end in the nation and he’s back for his sophomore year. Arik Gilbert is one of the most talented tight end prospects of the modern era, and he seems to have shaken his off the field demons that caused him to miss the entire 2021 season. Hopefully that remains the case, and Gilbert will be available the entire season. If that’s the case, look for a strong year out of Gilbert as he adds a playmaking ability that most players do not possess. And last but not least, Darnell Washington is coming back as well. Washington is a Goliath of a man, standing 6’7 and weighing in at 270. Along with Bowers and Gilbert, Washington is a matchup nightmare, especially in the red zone. I’m fascinated to see how offensive coordinator Todd Monken uses these three monsters in the coming season. Unfortunately for these tight ends, there is only one ball. If used correctly, we could witness the greatest trio of tight ends in college football history.
Now onto the defense, where most of the departures have come from, including defensive coordinator Dan Lanning who took his talents to Eugene, Oregon. Our old pal Will Muschamp and Glenn Schumann will take over as co-defensive coordinators. Many believe the Dawgs 2021 defense was the best in college football history, and it’s hard to argue based on what they accomplished, especially in the modern era where the deck is stacked in favor of offenses. The key departures from last year are Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, Lewis Cine, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Devonte Wyatt, and Channing Tindall. Massive shoes to fill of course, but we all know how well Kirby Smart and this staff have recruited. There are talented dudes ready to step in all over the field, but replacing that production will be difficult, especially at linebacker. What Nakobe Dean did in 2021 is impossible to replace.
They lost a ton on the defensive line as well, but given how much the Dawgs rotate, I think guys like Jalen Carter, Zion Logue, and Tramel Walthour will step in and all be a problem in 2022. Jalen Carter already has been a massive problem for opposing offenses as he was a key piece to the 2021 defense. At linebacker, Nolan Smith should be one of the best in the country but I’m not sure who steps in at the other spots. Again, big shoes to fill. Kelee Ringo and Tykee Smith return in the secondary and that unit has solid experience in most areas. Overall, it is impossible to expect this defense to match what they did in 2021, but this still has all the makings of a top 10 defense nationally.
So let’s look at the schedule. How does it set up for a potential repeat?
Sept. 3 - Oregon (neutral site - Atlanta) - W
Sept. 10 - Samford - W
Sept. 17 - at South Carolina - W
Sept. 24 - Kent State - W
Oct. 1 - at Missouri - W
Oct. 8 - Auburn - W
Oct. 15 - Vanderbilt - W
Oct. 29 - Florida (neutral site - Jacksonville) - W
Nov. 5 - Tennessee - W
Nov. 12 - at Mississippi State - W
Nov. 19 - at Kentucky - W
Nov. 26 - Georgia Tech - W
Thankfully for Georgia, they play in the SEC East. Outside of that, the schedule is very manageable, so I see another undefeated regular season incoming. The Dawgs play two neutral site games, one of which is in Atlanta and will basically be a home game, and only 4 total road games. Yes, just 4 road games, all of which are against teams they should have a strong talent advantage over. Could South Carolina, Mississippi State or Kentucky possibly trip Georgia up? Sure, but it’s unlikely. The only other real threat to me in the East is Tennessee, and the Dawgs get them in Athens. As far as SEC schedules go, this is a very manageable one and Georgia will be favored in every single game. Everything is setting up for the Dawgs to make another trip to Atlanta for the SEC championship game. Even if they slip up at some point, I don’t see another team out of the East only having one loss. It’s Georgia’s division to lose, and they have depth all over the field so even injury might not be able to derail this freight train. Once they get to Atlanta, all bets are off, as we saw a season ago.