Georgia Football and Preseason Coaches Poll: Just Win
The Georgia Football Bulldogs come in at a national nine rank in the preseason coaches poll. It doesn’t matter, Get to Atlanta, win. That’s what matters.
Related: Georgia Fans, Prepare For Missouri Dominance
The Preseason USA Today Amway Coaches Poll is out and the 2015 Georgia football team begins its run for a championship from the national nine position.
More from Georgia Football
- Georgia Football: Top 5 Nick Chubb Moments at Georgia
- Georgia Football: Know the enemy UAB Blazers
- Georgia Football: Should laundry list of injuries be a cause to panic?
- Georgia Football: Report cards for Week 3 game against South Carolina
- Georgia football: Sunday afternoon thoughts and feelings
The usual suspects are atop the coach’s board.
Ohio State, TCU, Alabama, Baylor, Oregon, Michigan State, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, USC.
Here’s a quick comparison to Phil Steele’s Top 10.
Ohio State, TCU, Southern Cal, Alabama, Baylor, Georgia, Stanford, FSU, Michigan State, LSU.
The SEC placed six teams in the coaches top 20. Georgia Tech comes in at 17.
If there is news here, it’s TCU ranked 2 and Arkansas ranked 20.
The complaints of school brand dominating on field performance rang true for many college fans last year when TCU was denied a spot in the National Championship Tournament. With the Frogs owning the 2 spot to start the season, for TCU it’s “just win” this year.
And with 10 returning starters on offense and a flat out boring September and October schedule, the Frogs can coach up their six new defensive starters and set their sights on the Oklahoma away and Baylor home contests that wrap up the season and will decide if Gary Patterson’s squad gets a national title shot.
More from Dawn of the Dawg
- Georgia Football: Top 5 Nick Chubb Moments at Georgia
- Georgia Football: Know the enemy UAB Blazers
- Nick Chubb is America’s running back, and he will return
- Georgia Football: Should laundry list of injuries be a cause to panic?
- Georgia Football: Report cards for Week 3 game against South Carolina
Arkansas is staring down the barrel of three great loss opportunities against Alabama, Auburn, and Mississippi to go with a road game at LSU and a road game against Tennessee, which claimed the 25 spot. But Head Coach Brett Bielema returns nine offensive starters to a smash mouth offense few defenses can adjust to in a week’s preparation.
With six defensive starters also returning, the choice makes some sense. There is room for argument, though, with Phil Steele pegging the hogs in the 22 national pre-season spot.
Back to back to back SEC contests against Texas A&M in Arlington, Tennessee in Knoxville and Alabama in Tuscaloosa will decide the Arkansas season. That three game stretch is preceded by a challenging game against Texas Tech.
Find a way to win two of the three Aggie, Vol, and Tide games and Arkansas will enter November with good a chance at a nine win regular season. But facing the Aggies in Arlington, traveling to Tennessee and then to Alabama could break any team.
For the Dawgs, the 9 spot is about right. Besides, the opening ranking for any SEC team means nothing. Reaching the SEC title game – and winning it – means everything.
put big a red and black circle around October 10
By now, the Bulldog roster has been picked over like a hog on Sunday morning after a Saturday night barbeque. Beyond players, whether the Dawgs can rise from a national ninth rank to SEC and National Championship contender will be determined by Madame October.
October begins with back to back to back contests of Alabama at home, Tennessee in Knoxville and Missouri for homecoming. Before the October run begins, the Dawgs get a break with a home game against Southern.
The September schedule sets up October nicely and If the Dawgs can win two of three while at the same time eliminating Missouri and Tennessee from the Eastern Division race, they have a great shot at playing Auburn for the spot opposite Alabama in the Georgia Dome for the SEC Championship. That makes the season’s key game Tennessee.
When the Dawgs and Volunteers meet on October 10, both will be in the midst of an SEC gauntlet, weaknesses will be exposed, everyone will be dinged and weary. Tennessee will be at home. The Volunteer Nation and the Volunteer football program are desperate for a win over Georgia. It will be a classic deep south confrontation.
It will be a war.
Georgia wants South Carolina. Georgia wants Alabama. Georgia would sell its soul for Florida.
But put big a red and black circle around October 10 and have something for the kids to do. Viewing is strictly adults only.
Then we’ll talk about Auburn and Tech.