Georgia Bulldogs 2024 College Football Preview
Posted July 16, 2024
2023 Recap
Record – 13-1
ATS – 5-8-1
That was a tough pill to swallow for Georgia fans. The Bulldogs came into the season with high expectations and a burning desire to book a THREE-PEAT and they ripped through the regular season like a TREMENDOUS MACHINE. The dream died in the SEC Championship Game when they were upset by ROLL TIDE (L 27-24) as the Bulldogs couldn’t find their way into the CFP, even though they were ranked #1 the entire year before that loss. Georgia took out their frustrations on a severely outgunned Florida St squad in the Orange Bowl (W 63-3) to finish the season at 13-1. Oh, what could have been.
Georgia Bulldogs 2024 Outlook
OFFENSE
The Bulldogs put up 40 PPG for the 2nd straight season LY (40.1, #5 FBS) and it was due in large part to the play of their new starting QB Carson Beck (72%, 24-6 TD to INT). Beck is back for battle this year but he’ll have to MATRICULATE the ball down the field without his two most lethal weapons in all-Universe TE Brock Bowers and WR Ladd McConkey who were both taken in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. The TE room is still STACKED with the return of Oscar Delp (11.8, 3 TD) and Stanford transfer Ben Yurosek (14.9, TD) and they added WR Colbie Young from YOUR Miami Hurricanes. We’re still not crazy about the collection of wideouts but maybe we’ll see some guys FLASH in fall camp. The RB room is loaded and it sounds crazy to not be worried about losing their top-two doods that combined for 27 rushing TDs LY (Edwards, Milton). The reality is that they added a freak specimen in Florida RB Trevor Etienne (1,472 yards rushing L2Y) to a yuuuge collection of talented young RBs such as Roderick Robinson and Branson Robinson. Oh ya, and the offensive line is one of the most talented in the nation despite losing two players to the NFL. This is one of the best offenses in the SEC but our DEEP GEORGIA INSIDERS project a slight downtick in output to 38 PPG.
DEFENSE
Yawn.
The Bulldogs were stout on defense yet again LY (289 YPG, #9 FBS) but they were a bit weaker than usual vs run (114 YPG, most since 2018) and they didn’t achieve the same level of PENETRATION as we’ve been accustomed to seeing (30 sacks, fewest since 2018). We expect more great things from the stop unit in 2024 and it starts up front with the return of the vast majority of their key pieces including their top-three tacklers. We’re not sure they have an elite sack master up front but we’ll see how things go. Smael Mondon and host of talented youngsters make for a solid LB corps, and you know the Bulldogs are gonna be excellent vs the pass (#7, #15, #2 pass efficiency D L3Y). Look for all-American Malaki Starks to have another great year on the back end and for the stop unit to be one of the best in college football this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Georgia will have to replace their productive PR/KR combo but they’ve got one of the best kicking duos in the SEC in punter Brett Thorson and PK Peyton Woodring (21/25 FG, 71/71 XP LY).
Schedule Analysis
Overall – It’s a lot more challenging than what they had to deal with in 2023. We don’t envision them losing at home but they’ve got a small handful of losable games on the docket. Georgia faces Clemson on a neutral site to open the season and the SEC slate features road trips to ROLL TIDE (!), Texas (!), and Ole Miss.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – at Ole Miss (Nov 9)
This is a tricky scheduling situation as the game pops up between the battles with their hated rivals from Florida and Tennessee, and we know that the Fighting Kiffins can SCORE the FOOTBALL.
Season Win Total
Market consensus July 16
Over 10.5 -130
Under 10.5 +110
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage.
Georgia is obviously one of the best teams heading into this season but the schedule features some tough games. Our best guess is that the Bulldogs finish the regular season at 11-1 but we’ll search the futures market for bullish investment ideas on Georgia. Stay tuned!
MEGAmazing Tidbits
The Bulldogs are a disappointing 18-27-1 ATS (40%) as a home favorite over the L10Y.
Georgia has won their last two bowl/CFP games by a combined score of 128-10 (!). WHOA, NELLIE.
Per our fascist friends at Wikipedia, “The first mention of ‘Bulldogs’ in association with Georgia athletics occurred on November 28, 1901, at the Georgia-Auburn football game in Atlanta. The Georgia fans had a badge saying ‘Eat ’em Georgia’ and a picture of a bulldog tearing a piece of cloth; however, it was not until 1920 that the nickname ‘Bulldog’ was used to describe the athletic teams at the University of Georgia. We deliver trivia BOMBS, yo.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
The Bulldogs made a valiant attempt to pull off a third straight National Championship last season and we believe they’ll be supremely focused to GIT R DONE in 2024. The bad news for the opposition is that they look great on both sides of the football and you know that Kirby Smart is one of the best head coaches in the nation. The Bulldogs are the most logical pick to win the whole thing but it won’t be a WALK IN THE PARK, so to speak.
GO DAWGS!