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College football rankings: Preseason top 25 – Clemson at No. 1, SEC owns half of top 10

By Cody Williams

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Malik Herring, Nolan Smith, Georgia football (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images). /

3. Georgia Bulldogs

After an 8-5 start to his tenure in Athens, wins have been in short supply for Kirby Smart with Georgia. The Bulldogs have averaged 12 wins per season over the past three years and, though they only have 10 games on the SEC-only schedule this season, the notion that the Dawgs will keep winning at a high clip is not difficult to buy into. If they can win the big one, however, remains up in the air.

The departures of Jake Fromm and D’Andre Swift to the NFL leave big holes on the offense as the duo had been a longtime staple on that side of the ball. Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman is the assumed starter at quarterback for 2020, offering more questions than Swift’s replacement, Zamir White.

Newman won’t be short on talent around him. And his skill-set is enticing as a true dual-threat player. Having said that, this is a jump in competition for him. But with Georgia replacing their two tackles from 2019, the biggest task on offense might be the one on the plate of new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who will have to design a system that best utilizes Newman’s unique talent.

Despite the questions on offense, though, Georgia can rest easy going into this shortened season as they should be one of the best defensive teams in the country. Whether it’s Malik Herring up front, Nakobe Dean and Monty Rice at linebacker or Tyson Campbell and Richard LeCounte III in the secondary, the Bulldogs are completely loaded and can handle any type of offense thrown at them.

If Newman and the offense can coalesce quickly, watch out for Georgia as a team that could legitimately vie for a National Championship.

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