Georgia Football: 2023 CFP and SEC Champion predictions

Many have given their predictions on Georgia football. Few have said the Dawgs, except the College Gameday crew, miss the playoffs. I agree that Georgia is primed to get into the playoffs. If someone picks any other SEC team to win the conference, they do it for the clicks. It would be embarrassing to the readers of this blog if I did not give you my genuine opinion on how the postseason plays out right now. I can’t in good conscience give picks that I do not believe in. I may be wrong later, but I believe in whatever I say. I promise I will not be Skip Bayless. I did enough preaching, so let’s get into some predictions!

SEC Championship: Georgia vs. Alabama

Everyone has picked Alabama because “you can’t doubt Saban.” I picked Alabama to win the West because I want Georgia to drive the final nail in the Saban dynasty. So, this is not because I think you should not doubt Saban and Alabama. I believe you have every reason to doubt Alabama. They have tons and tons of question marks.

As of Monday morning, we still do not know the starting quarterback.  The clubhouse leader looks to be Jalen Milroe, who, in the limited action we have seen him in, Milroe has not impressed. Alabama also has a very average wide receiver room. But they should be able to run the ball effectively. Alabama’s offensive line is supposed to be road graders. Furthermore, Alabama has a deep and talented running back core. Alabama has a new offensive coordinator in Tommy Rees, but it should not be hard to play murder ball.

Defensively, Alabama has a new defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele, who has been around the block in the SEC. Alabama has lost a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but they are still talented. The defensive backfield was more or less awful last year, so the question is, will they be any better? To be in Atlanta in December, they should be better.

Their schedule sets up well for Alabama; there are three losable games for Alabama. Two of those games are SEC opponents. I do not believe in Texas, and I don’t think Texas can go into Tuscaloosa and pull off an upset.  I also do not belive in Tennessee this year, and the Vols must travel to Bryant-Denny. So, it all comes down to LSU, and again, Alabama has a home game against the Bayou Bengals.

Alabama comes into the game with a loss or two. But they are the SEC West winners. The Dawgs drum the Tide, and the question of whether the dynasty is over for Saban becomes a reality.

Playoff Predictions:

#1 Georgia

Georgia is obviously in the playoff with the SEC championship. If Georgia goes unbeaten for the second year, the Dawgs should be the #1 seed. Everything sets up for the Dawgs to three-peat. Is three-peat a word? Carson Beck will be great for the Dawgs and could be in the Heisman conversion. My only worry for this Georgia team is the running back depth. Sure, it’s loaded with talent, but it needs to be proven. The counter-argument to that is in today’s age; an offense does not require a game-changing running back. That may be the case in this age of throwing offenses, but it still worries me. Georgia should be great, and they should go on unbeaten in the regular season. Some talking heads say Georgia will lose a regular season game. It is possible, but Georgia will be double-digit favorites in almost every game except one. I think many of those who say Georgia loses a game are hoping for it rather than believing it.

#2 Michigan

Have you seen the schedule for Michigan? People want to complain about Georgia having a cakewalk; complain about Michigan. I have Michigan in the playoffs because they have a two-game season and enough returning talent to make them a power J.J. McCarthy has a ton of hype around him, and he is a good QB, but the talent around him elevates Michigan. Jim Harbaugh said he believes they will have 20 guys drafted next year. That is a little ambitious, but if Harbaugh thinks that, then Michigan should be back in the playoffs.

3. Notre Dame

I have the Irish in the Playoff. Is it 100% based on the week 0 performance? No, but like 80%. The Irish finally have a QB, Sam Hartman. I’ve been a big Hartman fan since his appearance in the Netflix doc QB1. I know this pick is out of left field, but it is challenging if you look at Notre Dame’s schedule. They play Ohio State, USC, and Clemson. All three of those teams believe they can be in the playoffs. If the Irish win two of those three and not lose any other games, Notre Dame is a lock for the playoffs. Based on Week 0, I would be okay with playing USC and Clemson if I was a Notre Dame fan. Notre Dame should be in the top four if they win 11 games, and some out there will complain, but the Irish are playing a more challenging schedule than most. Also, a Notre Dame vs. Michigan Rose Bowl? Chef Kiss.

#4 Penn State:

What are the last two picks? You are probably asking yourself that, and I don’t blame you. I can not believe that I picked Notre Dame and Penn State. I feel dirty. But I do believe in it. Penn State has been my dark horse all offseason. They are one of the better teams in the Big Ten, and it is not out of the question they win the whole conference. Here is the name you will be hearing a lot about when Penn State is mentioned: Drew Allar. This guy is going to be in the Heisman conversation. I am a big fan of the talent that Penn State is returning. The defense lost Joey Porter Jr. and safety Ji’Ayir Brown; however, the rest of the starting defense from 2022 is returning. The Nittany Lions have to play Ohio State and Michigan. The good news is that they only have to play Ohio State on the road. Penn State splits those games and most likely is sitting at home for the conference championships. Inevitably, USC or Texas will lose the conference game, and Penn State will sneak in.  Georgia matches up against them and exercises some demons from past Sugar Bowls. This time, Georgia wins and has a date with history.

National Championship:

Georgia Over Michigan

You can’t beat Georgia at their own game. That’s what Michigan thinks they can do. We saw what happened in the 2022 CFP playoffs. The same will likely occur in Houston. Georgia is going for three in 2023, and they will get it. Most people are not picking Georgia because it is almost impossible to three-peat. Wow! Going out on a limb! Of course, it won’t be easy, but what Georgia is doing never happened. So, conventional wisdom should be thrown out of the window. If we had the playoff in 2013, Alabama would have probably three-peated. It is not unbelievable to think Georgia can be the team to do it finally. I think the Dawgs will get it done, and Broad Street will be filled with people again in early January.