UGA Football is no stranger to national relevance. As they are easily one of the better college football programs in the country. But being a solid school does not equate to being one of the elite few. Can 2021 be a year to showcase the Bulldogs as a member of the latter?
The Foundation
Some of this is in their control, while some more of it is not. A unique loadout is required to make a sports team one of the best in their field. The school in question must first have both esteemed coaching and talented players, but it does not stop there. The chemistry between the coach and team must be spot-on; otherwise, the squad’s dominance will be very short-lived.
Secondly, the schedule that awaits the program has to be manageable to at least some degree. In other words, if one’s slate includes Alabama, followed by Oklahoma and Ohio State, later on, their chances of surviving the season are virtually nonexistent. There have to be some easy wins somewhere.
The Luck of The Draw
Collegiate teams, luckily, have the power to schedule multiple opponents of their own choosing. This can help and/or hurt them, as abusing this power for too weak of victories can potentially soil a playoff argument. As a result, the out-of-conference slate of a renowned program should be difficult, but not impossible.
The Bulldogs have seemingly checked off all of these boxes for this upcoming season. It just might clinch them a playoff spot in the long run.
The UGA Football arsenal
Dawgs head coach Kirby Smart has cemented himself as one of the best coaches in the toughest Power 5 conference, the SEC. His football IQ is superior to most other coaches, and he always does his best to hype up his team and keep them on top of any game.
However, a lot of Smart’s praise falls upon who he has to work with. Georgia’s recruiting is consistently top-notch, and 2021 has seen no difference. According to 247sports.com, the Bulldogs rank fourth in the country with their recruiting haul. Failing is rather difficult with weaponry like that.
A Perfect Schedule
UGA Football does not have an easy schedule by any stretch of the imagination. But in regards to their usual quality of performance, it can certainly be handled successfully.
Of their four out-of-conference matchups, only one poses any sort of threat, and that is their season opener versus the Clemson Tigers. But the meeting will unfold at a neutral location, and the best week to face a team like Clemson is week one.
If Georgia were to topple Clemson, they will have had their cake and eaten it too. This is because they will have scheduled a brutal opponent (thus validating their worth as a top team), and not even suffered a loss for it.
Looking at UGA’s Southeastern stretch, none of their foes are as good as the Tigers. The toughest of the bunch are the Florida Gators, but they will be entering the fall after losing a ton of talent to last April’s NFL Draft. As a shell of their 2020 selves, they should be no match for the Bulldogs.
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Takeaway
It is common knowledge that the Georgia Bulldogs will be a force to be reckoned with in 2021. However, playing as good as they should easily lock them in the CFP. They have the combination of coaching, talent, and schedule to make just that happen. If an escape from Clemson and upset over Alabama are both possible, then UGA can without a doubt be hoisting up the National Championship trophy in January.
