The 2023 college football season is rolling around as spring games kick off. The reigning two-time National Champion Georgia Bulldogs are preparing to ascend where only one other has gone before — winning three-straight championships.
The last time one program won three straight national titles was Minnesota in 1934, ’35, and ’36. Kirby Smart‘s team is already being heralded as a dynasty, and though I have my reservations with that term, nobody can deny the Dawgs are the pinnacle of the sport right now. Everyone is gunning for them.
Fortunately for Georgia, the schedule is very favorable. The SEC forced the Bulldogs to cancel their matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners, so their stiffest competition is one of Tennessee, Ole Miss, South Carolina, or Kentucky — none of which exactly strike fear into many fans.
Georgia should waltz into Atlanta as SEC East champions, with either Alabama or LSU likely waiting for them.
The Bulldogs’ road to the College Football Playoff could not be any easier. FanDuel sees Georgia as the betting favorites, followed by Alabama and Ohio State. Here are the top six teams according to FanDuel:
- Georgia +220
- Alabama +500
- Ohio State +700
- Michigan +1000
- USC +1600
- Florida State +1800
Carson Beck is expected to take over for Stetson Bennett as the Dawgs’ signal caller, and the former four-star recruit looks like he already has an NFL-ready arm. I don’t expect much of a drop-off at the quarterback position, and despite losing Jalen Carter, Christopher Smith, and Kelee Ringo, among other significant contributors, Kirby Smart’s team isn’t rebuilding. Mykel Williams, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Smael Mondon, and Malaki Starks are the next crop of stars that will become household names by November.
Georgia has quickly turned into a football factory. There is a conveyor belt of NFL talent in Athens that is consistently replenishing voids left by draft eligible prospects. Nobody should expect the Dawgs to fall off.
There are a few questions that need to be answered, though. This is the first season without Stetson Bennett, and though he wasn’t a five-star recruit, the Mailman was the team’s leader for two seasons. Moreover, a loss not many people are talking about is Todd Monkin. The new Ravens offensive coordinator was a magician for Georgia, especially when the lights were brightest.
We know Kirby Smart’s defense will be ready, but the test of a true head coach is how he delegates. Running a college football program requires many hats, and being a CEO and hiring subordinates is an often forgotten aspect. Smart has done an excellent job in that facet since taking over, but 2023 will bring new trials and tribulations for the Georgia Bulldogs.
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Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire
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