Oddsmaker likes Dawgs to win SEC East … and BCS!
Georgia's schedule has the Dawgs in early conversations about the BCS championship. (Associated Press)
So far, Mark Richt’s 2012 Dawgs are having a terrific silly season, that time of summer when all teams are undefeated and fans and prognosticators alike can go crazy with predictions.
Here’s a headline on the handicapping site Beyond the Bets sure to quicken a UGA fan’s pulse a beat or two: Who will win 2013 BCS national title? Our pick: the Georgia Bulldogs, currently a 19/1 long shot
At 19-to-1, Georgia has the seventh-best odds to win the national championship. Here are the reasons why BTB likes the Dawgs to do so: 1. They’re good. 2. Schedule 3. They can afford to lose a game.
Under the first reason, the site notes that quarterback Aaron Murray heads up a bunch of returning starters, the passing game should be among the nation’s best and “Georgia should finally have a running game to complement it.” Also, the defense, which returns 20 of 22 players on its depth chart, “will again be dominant and could be the best in the conference.”
They do note that “the offensive line will be the major concern, as the Bulldogs must replace both tackles and add depth along the interior. Nonetheless, they should have no trouble improving upon last year’s 10-win season.”
One of the main reasons why, BTB says, is the schedule, with Georgia again avoiding Alabama, LSU and Arkansas during the regular season. Says BTB: “Georgia will play seven games at home, four on the road and one — the annual matchup against Florida on Oct. 27 — at a neutral field. That’s as manageable a schedule as any you’ll find, particularly when you consider that they’ll be favored in three of the four road games — at Kentucky, Missouri and Auburn.”
BTB notes that the toughest game on Georgia’s schedule will come against South Carolina, which is the only game in which the Las Vegas oddsmakers haven’t installed the Dogs as a point-spread favorite. (The Gamecocks are favored by 3.)
But that brings us to their third reason: “Georgia is one of the few teams in the country that has the potential to lose a game and still appear in the national championship. Assuming the Bulldogs open the season in the top 10 as expected, they’ll likely rise as high as fifth or sixth prior to their big swing game against South Carolina on Oct. 6. If the Bulldogs lose, they’ll have two full months to climb back into the top 5 of the polls and should still have a chance to earn a second straight SEC East crown. With a win over LSU or Alabama in the SEC championship, Georgia will be in position to play for the national title.”
To bolster their case for the Dawgs, the BTB folks cite Saturday Down South, which has picked Georgia as “the safe bet” to again win the SEC East, with South Carolina and Florida as “sucker bets” to do so, noting that “The Bulldogs are one of the most talented teams in the country. I put them on the same talent level as LSU and even slightly ahead of Alabama.”
SDS also cites the talent level and the schedule, saying, “This is a huge year for Richt’s legacy, and I think Georgia puts it together and wins the East — and maybe more — in what could be a special year for Georgia football.”
Is that enough to get you pumped up for fall, or do you think the oddsmakers are underestimating Georgia’s task in rebuilding the offensive line and repairing its dismal special teams play? How do you feel about the upcoming season?
Got something you want to discuss concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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282 comments Add your comment
Return to Glory
June 6th, 2012
5:05 pm
How sweet it would be, however with the questions up front on the offensive line I can’t see us winning the BCS, the East yes, the SEC a big maybe, the BCS not likely. …but I sure hope so !!
GO DAWGS
B. Beaver
June 6th, 2012
5:08 pm
You blow hards say the same thing year end year out. Blow on boys.
SSIgator
June 6th, 2012
5:10 pm
This from the NY Daily News today:
“Massachusetts man catches on fire after applying Banana Boat sunscreen”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/massachusetts-man-catches-fire-applying-banana-boat-sunscreen-article-1.1090811
Wow, Ole’ Marky Mark better go easy on the SprayTan. Would hate to see him go up in flames during a game. No, wait, he already did that last year in the SEC CG vs. LSU.
JB
June 6th, 2012
5:15 pm
Wouldn’t Tech love to be picked to win something…other than playing in the ACC champ game in front of a half full stadium.
cdpridf
June 6th, 2012
5:27 pm
what?…first off you are uninformed…now allow me to exp;ain how you are so. Teams dont pick their schedules…sothe avoiding certain teams on the schedule is a ignorant statement at best. Second…Arky…lol really the programwho just had their coach fired for running around with a girl 30 yrs younger…lol…a program that has never won anything in the SEC and never won 10 games before the 2 yr Petrino stint. We can toss that bit of misinformation right out the proverbial window as well. As a matter of fact if folks bought the garbage you spew the highways would filled with litter. Learn some facts before posting and looking the fool
IT IS WHAT IT IS
June 6th, 2012
5:30 pm
This is the worst piece of material you guys have every posted!!! Is it getting slim pickens or what!!! WHo CAres!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff
June 6th, 2012
5:50 pm
All of this means nothing. When will people learn.
TheTruthHurts
June 6th, 2012
5:51 pm
Mizzou will be the key and I am betting on Mizzou to win. Does Richt, aka Coach Overpaid, know the words to the Missouri Waltz?
DawgBrain
June 6th, 2012
6:01 pm
No way my Dawgs win no stinkin’ national championship this year…………That is BS. I will be happy beating the Florida Gators again and an SEC East title. They chump out on the schedual again,and it bites them in the tail down the road. Just being realistic here!
AltamahaDawg
June 6th, 2012
6:02 pm
The irony of asking “who cares”.
AltamahaDawg
June 6th, 2012
6:18 pm
Where did you watch that game?
A person SMART enough to know......
June 6th, 2012
6:46 pm
How is it that EVERY National Championship UGa has they NEVER played Bama?
KJ
June 6th, 2012
6:48 pm
“Blow on boys.”
Not the first time you’ve said that today, eh sweet thing?
LakeDawg
June 6th, 2012
6:54 pm
UGA definitely has the talent. It is second to no one, no matter what others say. It all comes down to COACHING. I hope CMR pulls it off, but I don’t have much confidence he will. If you don’t see the Dawgs RUNNING it down Mizzou’s throat in the 2nd game, then expect 2-3 losses. BTW I would like nothing better than to see CMR prove me wrong.
Beast from the East
June 6th, 2012
6:56 pm
Sorry, Dawgs but I’ve heard this same story several times the past half dozen years or so. I’ll believe UGA can win it all when they actually prove it on the field. At this point, I think the failures are more between the ears than between the hedges.
David Granger
June 6th, 2012
7:00 pm
Oh, Dear Lord, NO! Worst thing that could happen to us. For some reason, neither the Georgia fans nor the team reacts well to being picked to finish high. Let’s not forget 2008. We were preseason #1, the team was absolutely loaded, and we ended up having a wretched season…especially considering the talent we had on that team. And worst of all, the Dawg fans…who have always been pretty knowledgeable fans…got running our mouths and talking all kinds of smack. Ended up sounding EXACTLY like that damn FSU and Miami scum.
Pay not attention to these preseason rankings, guys. Keep on working out and practicing hard…let’s go into the season with a chip on our shoulder.
And have mercy, Coach Richt…don’t get all fixated on uniforms or jersey colors or helmet designs or “Black/Red out the stadium!” stuff this season. Let’s just make sure the team is ready to play hard all four quarters in every game this year…and we’ll do fine.
Jborodawg
June 6th, 2012
7:01 pm
Just one betting sight; and I’m not quite ready to agree the Bulldogs will win the SECC, much less a NC.
Yes, the O line is a big question mark, but so is Murray. If he can cut back on turnovers … and if we have a dominating running game…and if we can stop the run. Big ifs. But, hope springs eternal.
Look in the mirror
June 6th, 2012
7:04 pm
Alabama plays Michigan (Dallas), Western Kentucky, Fla Atlantic, and Western Carolina as OOC opponents. They miss UGA, SC, and UF in the East… the 3 toughest SECE teams.
Seems weak to me!
LakeDawg
June 6th, 2012
7:11 pm
Yeah, Bama’s skating by this year. The East will be vastly improved this year, while the West will be slightly down from last year.
WDE
June 6th, 2012
7:18 pm
Love it when a 3rd rate rag blows all common sense out and picks some one to OVER PERFORM to sell more copy/ads you name it, and then troll nation takes up the cry UGA is drinking the koolaid again..same old same old….lets start with beating Mizzou and work up from there..Go Dogs!
MT
June 6th, 2012
7:20 pm
SIgaTOR 48-40-2 Ya’ll can send Turncoat back to Texas after he loses
the 2nd straight to his former alma mater.
Never beat Florida as a player, has not beat Georgia as a coach.
Preseason polls mean nothing
June 6th, 2012
7:27 pm
Go Dawgs, Preseason polls mean nothing,preseason polls mean nothing,
again I say preseason polls mean nothing.
It will hard to beat Mizzou without defensive backs we need to fix that problem,preseason polls mean nothing.
AltamahaDawg
June 6th, 2012
7:33 pm
the team was absolutely loaded, and we ended up having a wretched season…
Nope
Patsy
June 6th, 2012
7:41 pm
It’s a sad life for he who places his all on a football team.
alex
June 6th, 2012
7:46 pm
only prob. with ga. & mark ritcth is he thinks u can win without a ol every year ga is rebuilding the ol how does a rb or qb do anything when u run for your life chompionships are won in the pits ritch needs to learn sec is not fsu football.
AltamahaDawg
June 6th, 2012
7:48 pm
Do you think this is the “worst thing” compared to losing our 2 best LT before the seasons starts and a couple more OL during the year? How about losing Jenkins, Gaithers, Washington and Ogletree since we are comparing 2008. Is an article on our 19-1 odds of winning a MNC worse than that? We might only have a 10 win wretched year if all that happened.
Scorekeeper
June 6th, 2012
8:13 pm
Results from the 2011-2012 season for the Big 3 men’s sports:
Football: UGA 1, GT 0
Basketball: GT 1, UGA 0
Baseball: GT 2, UGA 1
——————————-
Total: GT 3, UGA 2
In other words…
GEORGIA TECH RUNS THIS STATE!
Lantana Lil
June 6th, 2012
8:18 pm
Hey, that’s pretty impressive that an academic school like Tech can dominate a football factory like Georgia. I guess Georgia’s players just don’t gave much heart, do they.
I guess it’s the poor coaching or something.
LogicalUS
June 6th, 2012
8:18 pm
Yep, definitely it is June the best time in UGA beaner land….we can all bask in another PreSeason MNC for the puppies. Unfortunately, it will soon be Sept\Oct and this cast of misfits will actually have to play other football teams.
National Champions….bahahhahahhha..good lord.
StackedDeck
June 6th, 2012
8:19 pm
…’goldenrod…..that”s funny! ha ha ha ha ha ha! Good luck to you and the school of “BEES”…hey!
GO DAWGS!! Hooorah!!
UGA / ‘74
alex
June 6th, 2012
8:20 pm
all i am saying is ga does not go after enough ol they only get 2 or 3 a year needs to be more. 1 or 2 will not cut it or get hurt ga just needs to understand they more depth on the line.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
June 6th, 2012
8:31 pm
LOL
UGA a possible pick to win the BCS
LOL
Do they not realize this is the same coaching staff that didnt even have the guts to go for it inside the 5 yrd line against UCF in a meaningless bowl game
LOL
AltamahaDawg
June 6th, 2012
9:23 pm
get enough “lol”s in there, sweetie?
Glory between the Hedges
June 6th, 2012
9:30 pm
Anything less than a national championship this year is a failure.The road is paved all the way to the title game. Georgia will beat LSU in the SEC Championship game this year as long as we put two halfs together and not drop wide open touchdown passes. If the running game is there this year then look out. If not, then it’s another disappointing season. We have got to run the football!
Glory between the Hedges
June 6th, 2012
9:33 pm
Flat Tire,
Alabama lost to UL Monroe a few years back and got embaressed by Utah in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
Every season is different. What’s your point?? You have none.
kerryb
June 6th, 2012
9:35 pm
I think the talent we have on the O-line will be fine. It will be more athletic than last year. Last year they were just big ole slugs. Anybody a RT will be an improvement over Bean Anderson. I suspect we’ll be running the ball a lot to start the season. It is easier for young linemen to run block than pass block. Also, I saw some comments saying if we can get by Missouri. UGA should beat Missouri by at least 2 TD’s. That defense ranked 61st last year. They’re are not going to stop our offense. Also, everyone is worried about the secondary against Missouri. They will have to have time to exploit that. With our front 7 that’s going to be hard.
Glory between the Hedges
June 6th, 2012
9:39 pm
Good point Alex,
Georgias number one issue is not recruiting enough great Linemen. You can say whatever you want about coaching decisions, arrests , and all that, but a lack of a great O-line has been one of the biggest reasons of Georgia’s recent struggles on Offense.
tech sufferer
June 6th, 2012
10:11 pm
I can’t wait to get it going and hope so bad that the dawgs will again don their space suits. They look so CUTE in them and I believe that they are faster wearing them. Gosh they look so good.
Paul in NH
June 6th, 2012
10:18 pm
3 starting OL from 2011 were drafted by the NFL, the depth chart on OL for 2012 has a bunch of underclassmen and I am reading a post that the OL will be better?
Mobile Dawg
June 6th, 2012
10:49 pm
That’s a good point Paul. It speaks volumes. From a humble Dawg supporter the proof’s in the pudding. I hope it doesn’t turn rancid. Go Dawgs
T D
June 6th, 2012
11:18 pm
Dawgs can and should go undefeated. Junkyard Defense won’t give up much of anything. Offense has always scored 30 or more points under CMR. Running game will be as good as any team in America next year. The running backs will do lots of damage. That makes passing game easier. l do agree Dawgs special teams need to do their job. A good to great year by special teams puts us even with all the championship caliber teams. Go Dawgs. Just Win Baby.
Flo-Ri-Duh
June 6th, 2012
11:36 pm
That’s why they play the game……….. don’t count your Game Crocks before they hatch. UGA will win by 10 over loud mouth and go undefeated to the SEC champ game.
RED DOG 77
June 7th, 2012
12:49 am
The difference between this year and years past that were promising…………The attitude that coach Todd Grantham brought to our beloved BULLDOGS. I said last year Grantham would get his guys in place, and the D would “ROCK”…………The offense would want some of the glory and follow suit. CHEMISTRY, CHEMISTRY, CHEMISTRY…………………Thank God Almighty, the Georgia Bulldogs finally have found CHEMISTRY, and are about to whup some…………well youu know………….GO DAWGS…………..GATA…………….Regards to all DOGS, RED
The Open Dawg
June 7th, 2012
1:03 am
Is this new news? Whole country knows this!
DawgBrain
June 7th, 2012
1:58 am
Like Pool Champ Minn.Fats told his young challenger,” Stop talking and start chaulking,son”. See if we can handle Missouri first
THUG D
June 7th, 2012
2:17 am
If we can keep our defensive stars out of jail Dawgs can be a Top 15 team!
gary pickle
June 7th, 2012
2:24 am
ill scare georgia into defeat
augustusdog
June 7th, 2012
2:40 am
Easy now with the BCS talk…but we have a top 3 team!
Reality Dawg
June 7th, 2012
3:01 am
HILARIOUS!!! “Beyond the Bets” website?!? You are really reaching for a story here, Bill. This is such a HUGE, well respected (ha!) website that they have high rollers like COLORADO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY paying for the ads!
Please try again, Bill.
ERK
June 7th, 2012
3:54 am
These kind of articles/discussions bring bad luck upon the Bulldog Nation, turn away I say, turn away!