And now begins Mark Richt’s 2012 challenge: Managing high expectations for his team.
ESPN’s “College Football Live” has released its preseason poll, and five SEC teams are in the Top 10, including Georgia at No. 6. USC is tops, with LSU No. 2 and Alabama No. 3, Oregon No. 4 and Oklahoma No. 5. Behind Georgia in the Top 10 are Florida State, South Carolina, Arkansas (the voting took place before the fall of Bobby Petrino) and Michigan.
ESPN SEC blogger Chris Low thinks “Georgia seems a little high at No. 6. I think the Bulldogs will be very good, and they’re my pick to win the Eastern Division this season. But I don’t know that they’re the sixth best team in the country. To me, Georgia and South Carolina are just about dead even. Both teams should be nasty on defense again, and both teams have experienced go-to players on offense. At the end of the day, the Bulldogs have the best chance to get to Atlanta because they have the easier schedule and don’t have to play Alabama, Arkansas or LSU.”
I tend to agree with Low. Taking into account that all preseason polls are basically guessing games and nothing more, I think Georgia certainly has the potential to repeat as SEC East champ and be a Top 10 team but I’m not sure they should be ranked that high at this point.
What do you think? Do you see the 2012 Dawgs as a Top 10 team? Does “College Football Live” have it about right or is that too optimistic at this point?
Got something on your mind concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
Find me on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg
410 comments Add your comment
uga goon
May 3rd, 2012
8:13 am
U ppl must have forgot this is Georgia’s year. Plenty of depth on defense to play 4 qtrs to finish the drill. They showed they can play with lsu last yr just didn’t finish the drill when it comes to play calling. No team will beat uga this yr. Forget the rankings when its done ppl gonna complaint about schedule . They can’t help if teams that were once powers now weak ( Tenn, Uf, Auburn) complain about y Usc #1 since they finally off probation with their weak schedule every yr. If u haven’tnotice that’s the bcs favorite team
DawgByte
May 3rd, 2012
9:06 am
No mention of the Gators in the Top 10. Life is good!
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 3rd, 2012
9:07 am
The scores will tell…
DawginLex
May 3rd, 2012
9:13 am
Snoop you are an idiot if you read my comments and still call me a kool aid drinker
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 3rd, 2012
9:21 am
Pre-season polls are basically worthless, the BCS is the only poll that matters for crystal trophies and that does not kick in until traffic clears about halfway through the season.
GA Top 10!!!
May 3rd, 2012
10:51 am
The Dawgs roster is loaded—look for a top 5 finish, easy wins over fla, ut and south carolina and another trip to the SEC title game. This year, things will be different. Ga beats lsu for the title!!!!
Aug Dawg
May 4th, 2012
11:04 pm
GT Bob must be a miserable soul. He just goes trolling day in and day out wishing he had something good to say about his beloved jack-ets
Bama Bill
May 5th, 2012
5:38 pm
Georgia clearly has great talent but a very soft resume – Now we will see after they meet Spurrier and then travel down to Jacksonville – win these two and top ten until they meet the other SEC division and then it’s over !
Tucker
May 5th, 2012
9:59 pm
Top Ten in the SEC seems doable.
Winder Spartan
May 6th, 2012
8:03 am
I moved to Athens in 1988, and have been treated to the Trip down Memory Lane (1980) almost every year. 1980 was the worst thing to ever have happened to UGA football, and until it eventually fades from everyone’s collective memory, Dawg fans are whistling in the cemetery. And with a cupcake schedule this year, expectations will be even more unrealistically higher. If the preseason ranking is correct, we’re all in for some miserable college football this season.