Georgia football: 2017-18 was more important than you realize

Return of the U, and the ascension of USF and UCF

For every reason I just mentioned, recruiting just got very difficult for the Florida Gators. And out recruiting the Gators can lead to the Dawgs retaking the rivalry and their spot as the best team in the SEC East.

First of all, firing Mark Richt wasn’t just a great decision because it brought us Kirby Smart and the 2017 SEC Championship. Richt has re-energized the Miami Hurricanes program. And while we’re bound to deal with the revamped “U” in the future, for now, they’re Florida’s problem.

The Dawgs don’t have one head-to-head in-state recruiting rival. The Gators have two with Florida State and Miami once again. But the Canes and Noles aren’t their only issue. South Florida and Central Florida are solid mid-tier programs.

Willie Taggart built USF into a mid-tier power and Charlie Strong will continue that new tradition. And Scott Frost’s UCF Knights played so well, they thought they deserved a national title. Josh Heupel should keep that program heading in the right direction.

Those players I mentioned earlier who aren’t ready to start quickly at great program, have two options in the state of Florida. The kids from Georgia that Smart signs to add depth and provide a stable future, similar kids in Florida have a tough decision to make.

Backup as freshmen and possibly as sophomores at Florida? Or play a huge rule as a youngster in Tampa or Orlando? And both of those programs have become pretty decent NFL pipelines which makes the decision to choose them over Florida a little easier.

Next: Georgia, Auburn and the college football Mecca of Atlanta

The Bulldogs are on the rise thanks to the relative ease of in-state recruiting compared to other schools. But for those same reasons, one of our biggest rivals may start to struggle. Which will make our stay at the top of the SEC East much easier.