The Georgia Bulldogs did not win the national title last season, but they were the breakthrough team in college football. Georgia had been struggling for several seasons and had not played for a national title since the 1983 Sugar Bowl against Penn State. That 35-year wait ended in January, when Georgia took the field against Alabama. Many people think Georgia will fight Alabama for many years in the SEC, which suggests that surpassing the regular season win total of 10.5 is more likely than not.
Georgia 2018 regular season win total
Over 10.5 (-115)
Under 10.5 (-115)
Odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook.
What Happened Last Year
The Bulldogs put all the pieces together, and they did so despite an injury to their starting quarterback in the season opener. Jacob Eason got hurt, and freshman Jake Fromm stepped in. He was cool, calm and unflappable, playing with poise and allowing his offensive line to do the work in front of him. Fromm and Georgia escaped Notre Dame in Week 2 of the season with a one-point win in South Bend. That was the game which catapulted Georgia to the next level. Had the Bulldogs lost that game, they probably wouldn’t have entered November unbeaten.
Even though they lost at Auburn, they won the SEC East and gained a rematch with Auburn in the SEC Championship Game, which they won, to make the College Football Playoff. Georgia then beat Oklahoma in double overtime in a classic Rose Bowl after trailing by as many as 17 points. The Bulldogs used a huge third-quarter rally and a blocked field goal in double overtime to overtake the Sooners. They led Alabama in overtime of the title game and had Alabama in second down and 27 from the 42-yard line, but then the secondary broke down and allowed a 42-yard touchdown pass to lose the game. That will motivate Georgia this season.
What Will Change This Year
The Bulldogs will likely be worse in terms of their conference championship status and their College Football Playoff prospects because they will probably face Alabama in the SEC title game instead of Auburn, which means their hold on the SEC title is not likely to remain in place. Accordingly, Georgia’s hold on a spot in the College Football Playoff is likely to be broken this year.
Georgia will still be very good, but this team will have to replace two great running backs, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, while also losing linebacker Roquan Smith, who was so essential to everything the Georgia defense tried to do. So many cornerstone players have left for the NFL, which puts Georgia in a really difficult position. The Bulldogs will still be able to make a legitimate run at 11 regular season wins because of an elite recruiting class which was right there with Alabama’s at the top of the list, but that talent is still raw and might need one year of seasoning. Fromm is more experienced this year, which is a big plus, but can he make up for all the team’s new limitations? Probably not.
Outlook & Prediction
Georgia gets Auburn at home, which is a plus. Georgia has to play a Florida team with a new coach, Dan Mullen, who might be a better coach than the Gators’ previous boss, Jim McElwain. That’s a minus for Georgia. The wild card is a road game at LSU, a team which typically has a lot of talent but was not coached well last year by Ed Orgeron. If Georgia beats LSU, it probably will win 11 games, even with a loss to Alabama in the SEC title game. If Georgia loses to LSU, it probably won’t make 10 wins. Ultimately, Georgia will not defend its SEC title, but it will still get to 11 wins thanks to a win at LSU. Take the over, even though UGA is not likely to return to the College Football Playoff this season.
