Georgia faces tough task as preseason No. 1
editor1 |Aug 21,2008
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By Carl Carchia
PA SportsTicker Staff Writer
The Georgia Bulldogs are in an unfamiliar position. They are
the top dogs of the college football world.
The Bulldogs are the preseason No. 1 for the first time in
school history, and many have already penciled them in for this
season's BCS title game in Miami.
But in order to fulfill those lofty expectations, Georgia must
by wary of another dog - the underdog.
In one of the most unpredictable seasons in college football
history, four No. 1 teams were upended and seven No. 2 teams
were knocked off in 2007. Six of those second-ranked teams were
knocked off by unranked teams. When the dust cleared, LSU
became the first two-loss national champion in the 11-year
history of the BCS.
So how does Georgia, which has one of the toughest schedules in
the county, avoid a slip-up and book its trip to Miami for the
2009 BCS title game?
By taking it one step at a time - especially since the Bulldogs
reside in the Southeastern Conference, easily the toughest
league in the nation.
"Our goal was to try to focus on the moment, not on way down the
road," head coach Mark Richt said. "I mean, people started
talking national championship after the Sugar Bowl last year.
That's too long to be chewing on that bone, so to speak."
Richt's Bulldogs may be chewing up and spitting out opponents
the same way they did Hawaii in the aforementioned Sugar Bowl,
which is why they have the media salivating.
Georgia returns 16 starters from last season's team that
dismantled Hawaii, 41-10, and earned the No. 2 ranking in the
season's final poll.
One of them is sensational sophomore running back and Heisman
candidate Knowshon Moreno, which only makes the media glare even
more intense.
However, Richt is well aware of what is going on, and he's
already warned his team not to get too full of itself.
"I told the players that this preseason hype could be a blessing
or a curse," he said. "It's a curse if you think it gives you a
sense of entitlement to where you think you don't have to
prepare. It could be a blessing if you look at it as one of the
greatest opportunities of your life and you put the work in to
even be in position to have a chance."
The centerpiece of Georgia's offense is Moreno, who ran for
1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman, earning
first-team All-SEC and Freshman All-America accolades.
In addition, the Bulldogs have one of the best quarterbacks in
the nation in third-year starter Matthew Stafford. Throw in a
stifling defense that returns nine starters, and it's easy to
see why Georgia is the media darling.
Still, Richt insists the expectations are no higher than in
years past.
"Dealing with the expectations, of the fans, our Bulldog fans
always have high expectations," he said. "We've always had high
expectations. We expect to win."
But as many found out last season, expecting to win and actually
doing so are two different things. And the Bulldogs have some
pitfalls to avoid in their road to Miami - namely their road
schedule.
Georgia has consecutive road games at South Carolina and Arizona
State in September, as well as games at LSU, Auburn and
Kentucky.
"I think there's enough guys that have been through that that
there will be at least the confidence that we can go on the road
and win," Richt said. "But until you do it, you're just not
sure."
If Georgia survives the road portion of is schedule unscathed,
it will still have to deal with rival and preseason No. 5
Florida on November 1 in the annual "World's Largest Outdoor
Cocktail Party." The Bulldogs have won just three of the last
18 meetings, including last year's 42-30 win.
As if they need any more motivation, the Gators are bound to
have some ill-will after Richt, searching for a spark, ordered
his players to get a personal foul on the game's first score
last season.
Moreno scored the first TD, and all 70 players jumped up and
down at the goal line in front of a stunned Florida team.
"I don't think there's any doubt it's intensified the rivalry,"
Richt said when asked about Florida head coach Urban Meyer's
plans for retaliation. "But what intensified the rivalry is
that we won - OK? I mean, that's the reality."
Another reality in the wacky world of college football is, even
with the immense talent the Bulldogs possess, their season may
not end in the Orange Bowl.
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