ESPN released its preseason college football power rankings today and Georgia is No. 4 behind Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State. That sounds about right.
The Bulldogs belong on the top tier of college football teams, but you can see why ESPN put those three teams ahead of them. Alabama is Alabama, Clemson will be elite on defense again and Ohio State can overcome the loss of quarterback J.T. Barrett with a one-two punch reminiscent of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb.
The Crimson Tide lost both coordinators, sent 12 players to the NFL and will have a revamped secondary. Yawn. Nick Saban’s machine will keep humming. The big mystery is who will start at quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts, but everyone knows they will be backed by waves of skill talent and a physical offensive line.
Clemson’s title hopes were cemented when four of its NFL draft-eligible defensive linemen, three of them All-Americans, decided to return. The defense is so good that the Tigers probably can get away with quarterback Kelly Bryant running a conservative offense again. If he falters, super recruit Trevor Lawrence may get a shot.
The Buckeyes return star tailback J.K. Dobbins. Mike Weber, the team’s leading rusher as a redshirt freshman in 2016, decided to return despite Dobbins’ emergence last season. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who replaced Barrett to lead Michigan’s come-from-behind win at Michigan last season, faces a tough early schedule (at TCU and Penn State in September) but he can lean on his running backs and a defense that should be strong again.
(There's off-field trouble brewing for Urban Meyer after Brett McMurphy reported today that Meyer knew about domestic violence allegations against a former assistant three years ago. Last week Meyer fired assistant Zach Smith and said he didn't know about the accusations. But, let's be real, there will be no real ramifications for the Buckeyes coach because there's still a certain amount of tolerance in sports and society for violence against women.)
As for the Bulldogs, they lost a lot of talent on defense and Michel and Chubb are in the NFL. But they have a shot to win the national championship because their offense could be more explosive. Quarterback Jake Fromm’s eventful summer on the water will have no bearing on his play, and he’s got a good offensive line and plenty of play-makers outside.
The Bulldogs could end up superior to Clemson and Ohio State. Losing seven defensive starters hurts, especially Roquan Smith, yet there’s plenty of young talent for Kirby Smart to work with. The early schedule is manageable.
Luck always plays a role, but the Bulldogs should win the SEC East going away. They'll get another shot at Alabama, either in Atlanta or in the CFB playoffs. Beating the Tide this time (and finally breaking the Saban Curse) is a big ask but it's not out of the question.
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