No sense mincing words. Georgia will win the BCS title, and here are 10 reasons why.

1. They'll be ranked loftily from the get-go. LSU could lose twice and still play for the 2007 BCS title because the college football world had grown accustomed to the Tigers at or near the top. And pollsters snubbed Georgia in the final balloting because, even though folks kept voting the Bulldogs higher and higher, nobody had given them much consideration as a national champion.

2. Their schedule will keep them visible and therefore viable. Back to LSU: The Tigers played big games every single month. Even though they lost twice, they kept getting chances to redeem themselves. Georgia has South Carolina and Arizona State and Alabama in September, Tennessee and LSU in October, Florida and Auburn in November. If the Bulldogs lose only once, they'll be playing in Miami in January.

3. Even if the Bulldogs lose a big road game in the Central Time Zone, they could well get a second chance. If we assume that the loss will come either at LSU or at Auburn, we can also assume that a rematch in the SEC championship game in the Georgia Dome would favor the team from Georgia.

4. Florida's hold has been broken. The World's Largest Outdoor Whatchamacallit runs in streaks, and the Bulldogs are about to start one. Mark Richt's celebration-on-demand changed the dynamics of a series that had seen his side come to believe it couldn't beat the hated Gators. (Losing 15 of 17 can have that effect.) The Bulldogs now know otherwise. So do the Gators.

5. Knowshon Moreno is the nation's best back, and his presence brings balance to Georgia's offense. There's nothing wrong with throwing the ball strategically, but it's worth noting that Georgia's best seasons under Richt —- the breakthrough of 2002 and last year's revival —- have come when it had a 1,000-yard back. And let's not forget Caleb King. (ajc.com bloggers haven't.)

6. Matthew Stafford throws better when he throws less. It's simple math, really: If Stafford looses 30 passes a game, assume five will be forced. If he grows accustomed to handing the ball off and throws 10 fewer passes, figure his completion percentage —- only 55.7 last season —- will rise to a more suitable level.

7. Mark Richt has been pointing toward the national title since 2002, but he hasn't yet had the right team at the right moment. This time he will, and he'll know how to handle it better than in 2004, when a gifted bunch of Bulldogs peaked too soon.

8. Willie Martinez gets no credit —- just results. Georgia fans still bemoan the loss of Brian VanGorder, but the unloved Martinez has returned the defense to unyielding eminence. Remember how many splendid defenders LSU fielded last season —- Dorsey, Highsmith, Steltz, Jackson? Those Tigers yielded 33 touchdowns in 14 games. Georgia yielded 28 in 13.

9. Sophomore linebacker Rennie Curran is about to get huge, figuratively speaking. He isn't big —- 5 feet 11 —- but he's everywhere. Curran made his first start against Florida, and over the final six games he had 36 solo tackles and three sacks. You won't find him on early All-American lists, but you'll know him by season's end.

10. Uga VI is gone but not forgotten, and there exists no deeper feeling than the memory of a beloved dog. Who among us didn't get teary-eyed over Old Yeller? What red-blooded Bulldog wouldn't clothesline Urban Meyer's grandmother to dedicate a posthumous championship to this fallen critter?

mbradley@ajc.com

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