2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: #4 Georgia Bulldogs BCS Odds and Predictions

2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: #4 Georgia Bulldogs BCS Odds and Predictions: Perhaps more than any other team in the country, the Georgia has likely spent the offseason wondering what might have been. The Bulldogs were one play away from toppling defending champion Alabama in the SEC title game and playing Notre Dame in the BCS title game. Instead, the Crimson Tide defense held its ground, and in a weird twist that could only be produced by the BCS system, Georgia was essentially penalized by playing and losing in their conference title game. Idle Florida jumped the Bulldogs in the rankings, earning an at-large bid to a BCS bowl. Meanwhile, Georgia’s consolation prize was a trip to the Capital One Bowl, but to their credit, the Bulldogs took care of business against Nebraska in the bowl game. After coming so close to playing for a national title, only to watch it all slip away, Georgia should have plenty of motivation heading into the 2013 college football season. Now, it is up to the Bulldogs to finish what they started last year.

The Good News:

An offense that shattered just about every school record last year returns almost-entirely intact and has even added a few pieces. The strength of the unit is senior quarterback Aaron Murray and the running back duo of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Murray has 95 touchdowns and more than 10,000 yards in his career, and he will probably own just about every SEC passing record halfway through this season. Meanwhile, Gurley and Marshall combined for more than 2,000 yards as freshmen last year. Throw in an offensive line that returns all five starters and a talented receiving corps that welcomes back Michael Bennett from injury, and an offense that ranked in the top 20 nationally last year has a chance to be even better in 2013. On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore linebacker Jordan Jenkins appears well on his way to becoming the unit’s next big playmaker.

The Bad News:

Georgia’s defense was pillaged by the NFL Draft, and only three starters are back from last year’s unit. The Bulldogs suffered particularly heavy losses up front where massive nose tackle John Jenkins and fellow defensive lineman Kwame Geathers are both gone. Play-making outside linebacker Jarvis Jones is also gone, along with his NCAA-leading 14.5 sacks. The kicking game is a bit shaky, as well. Marshall Morgan missed six field goals and four extra points last year, albeit as a freshman. Last but not least, the Bulldogs will have to break in a rebuilt defense against a difficult early schedule. They open the year with games against Clemson and South Carolina, and with LSU lurking shortly thereafter, Georgia is slated to play three top-10 teams in the first four weeks.

Outlook:

Although the losses on the defensive side of the ball aren’t ideal, it is worth noting that last year’s uber-talented unit never really lived up to expectations. As long as this year’s group can provide solid play, the drop-off won’t be overly significant. Meanwhile, Murray and offense should be flat out special, and while the early schedule is rough, Georgia will have the most experienced offense in all three matchups. The rest of the schedule sets up nicely with an easy slate of SEC road games, and the Bulldogs dodge the Crimson Tide at least during the regular season. Add it all up, and Georgia’s path through the 2013 season could look a lot like their 2012 campaign. An early loss isn’t out of the question, but the Bulldogs should be able to recover and win the SEC East for the second year in a row.

Prediction: 11-1, SEC East Division Champions

Preseason Vegas Odds for Georgia’s 2013 College Football Team:
Georgia’s 2013 Odds to Win BCS Championship: +2000
Georgia’s 2013 Odds to Win SEC East Division: +150
Georgia’s 2013 Odds to Win SEC Championship: +300

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