Georgia football 2019 season preview: Best and worst-case scenario

Georgia has their sights set on a National Championship in 2019, anything less than that will be a disappointment.

Georgia has undergone a resurgence with Kirby Smart at the helm. The Bulldogs have a strong grip on the SEC East, having won the last two division titles. Tough losses to the Crimson Tide in back to back seasons, though, makes Georgia’s 24-5 record over the past two seasons feel like not enough.

Expectations are high for Georgia this season. The SEC East title is theirs to lose. The national championship is theirs to win.

They will be led, once again, this season by Jake Fromm. Fromm has been at the helm for much of the success, and failure, over the last two seasons. He has thrown for 5,376 yards and 54 touchdowns while completing 65 percent of his attempts and throwing just 13 interceptions.

With the departure of Elijah Holyfield to the NFL, the backfield belongs to D’Andre Swift. Swift is one of the most exciting players in the country. He is a dynamic dual-threat running back that has the speed and agility to beat you on the ground and hands and ability in space to beat you through the air.

Swift ran for 1,049 yards, totaled 297 receiving yards, and racked up 13 total touchdowns playing in a split backfield last season. Swift may be sharing the backfield this year with James Cook and Zamir White, two young running backs that will look to carry on a tradition of excellence at the position for the Bulldogs.

Georgia’s offensive line is considered to be one of the best units in the nation; a rare combination of talent and depth. Their line is littered with top recruits but is anchored by Andrew Thomas. Thomas is a 6’5″ 320-pound left tackle that will be at the top of many NFL  draft boards come April.

Georgia football best-case scenario

• Aug 31-at Vanderbilt-W
• Sep 7-Murray State-W
• Sep 14-Arkansas State-W
• Sep 21-Notre Dame-W
• Oct 5-at Tennessee-W
• Oct 12-South Carolina-W
• Oct 19-Kentucky-W
• Nov 2-Florida-W
• Nov 9-at Missouri-W
• Nov 16-at Auburn-W
• Nov 23-Texas A&M-W
• Nov 30-at Georgia Tech-W

Record: 12-0 (8-0 in SEC), playing in the SEC Championship Game

2019 appears to be the perfect storm for Georgia. Their on-the-field talent is matched by a favorable schedule.

They open the season with a slew of inferior opponents and should head into their match-up against Notre Dame as 3-0. The Bulldogs get to take on the Irish at home this season, in what is sure to be a difficult environment for Notre Dame.

Georgia then draws back to back home games against South Carolina and Kentucky and then a bye week before playing Florida at home, in what is likely to be their biggest challenge during regular season play.

Georgia football worst-case scenario

• Aug 31-at Vanderbilt-W
• Sep 7-Murray State-W
• Sep 14-Arkansas State-W
• Sep 21-Notre Dame-L
• Oct 5-at Tennessee-W
• Oct 12-South Carolina-W
• Oct 19-Kentucky-W
• Nov 2-Florida-L
• Nov 9-at Missouri-L
• Nov 16-at Auburn-W
• Nov 23-Texas A&M-W
• Nov 30-at Georgia Tech-W

Record: 9-3 (6-2 in SEC)

Georgia went into South Bend and shocked Notre Dame, both in score and crowd support, in a rare trip to the mid-west last season. The Irish return to Athens to complete the home-and-home series this season. It will prove to be one of the toughest match-ups for them and if the Irish can pull out some early season magic it could set the Bulldogs back.

What Kirby Smart and Georgia fans really have to be aware of, though, is the four-game stretch at the beginning of November. They face Florida, Missouri, Auburn, and Texas A&M-four teams that would love to make a name for themselves by taking down the top dawg in the conference.

Florida has not come close to knocking off the Bulldogs in either of the last two seasons. Georgia beat them 42-7 in 2017 and 36-17 in 2018. Still, the Gators were voted to finish 2nd in the East at SEC Media Days for a reason; their defense will shutdown SEC offenses this season.

Missouri is an underdog team to knock-off Georgia late this season. The Tigers are led by Kelly Bryant, who has experience winning big games. They also boast one of the most talented offensive line units in the nation. If the Tigers remained banned from bowl play, a victory against Georgia will be the greatest achievement they can accomplish this season.

The Georgia Bulldogs are primed for a breakthrough season. They have the talent, the coaching, and the schedule to dominate the regular season and roll into the SEC Championship game with significant momentum. Anything less will be a disappointment.