The Georgia Bulldogs and their fans knew that in 2016, they’d have to undergo a lot of transitions. The biggest switch was knowing that Kirby Smart would take over as head coach after Mark Richt ruled the Bulldogs for 15 full seasons. That was a culture shock and a way of proceeding which inevitably required some patience. However, as rocky as the 2016 season was, it still fell below this team’s expectations. There is never an excuse for Georgia to lose at home to Vanderbilt. That shouldn’t happen. The loss at home to Georgia Tech also cut deeply – the Bulldogs owned the Yellow Jackets when Richt was coach. It’s now time for Georgia to build itself to the best program in the SEC East. How can the Bulldogs get there?
How will Jacob Eason develop?
The 2016 season was a bumpy freshman journey for Jacob Eason, a young man who played the way a first-year player would play. Eason made a lot of basic mistakes, but Georgia was willing to live with them because it wanted Eason to get used to the position and gain the experience which would translate into a better sophomore season and a strong overall career. If Eason does make the jump from jittery freshman to steady sophomore, the Bulldogs will certainly improve upon their 7-5 regular season from 2016. If Eason can be something more than merely steady, using his mobility in the pocket to become a next-level quarterback, the Bulldogs could have something special, and they would be the odds-on favorite to win the SEC East. Eason had a problem throwing the ball accurately in the Liberty Bowl game against TCU. He regularly threw the ball high. He has mechanics he needs to polish. If his decision making accompanies an improvement in technique, he could make the leap Georgia is looking for.
Is Eason about to find a reliable target?
There is one thing beyond the realm of coaching which would help Eason to blossom as a quarterback the next season. That’s the need for the Bulldogs to give Eason a receiver he trusts in every situation, especially the difficult moments that occur from time to time during a season. Georgia receivers and tight ends have been plagued by dropped passes in recent seasons. This is a program for which depth and quality at the receiver position have not been commonplace. That matters in an SEC East which has struggled so noticeably over the past three seasons, especially the last two. Giving Eason help is more crucial to this team than outsiders realize.
Will the Bulldogs find and cultivate depth in the secondary?
When one realizes that Vanderbilt and Kentucky made considerable improvements on offense this past season, and when considering the athletes Tennessee has continued to recruit under Butch Jones, SEC East defenses have to have defensive backs which are up to the task. Georgia appears to have a good front line of corners and safeties, but when it has to go to dime or nickel coverages – which is a commonplace occurrence in this day and age – it has to know its players lower on the depth chart can reliably diagnose and cover various pass plays. This is something Georgia has to tend to if it wants to win the SEC East in 2017.
Can the running game thrive again?
The Bulldogs fell short of their goals in many ways in 2016, but one area of the team that still did well was the running game. They ran the football very effectively. Sony Michel and Nick Chubb combined for just under 2000 yards (1,970) and 12 touchdowns. They were the focal point of opposing defense this year as many didn’t trust Eason early on and decided to sell out to stop the run. Could this unit be even stronger in 2017 if the passing game starts to function effectively?
The good news is that Chubb decided to return for one more season at Georgia. That will give this backfield a big boost as they try to lead the way for the Georgia offense once again.
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