2008 Georgia Bulldogs College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex’s college football picks each week and guarantee a win!!

Georgia Bulldogs (11-2, 6-2 in 2007, 2nd place in SEC East)
If you were to ask anyone affiliated with the Georgia Bulldogs what the one moment was in 2007 that stood out beyond all else, they will all give you the exact same answer. After scoring the opening touchdown against Florida, the entire team flew off the bench to celebrate in the end zone, setting a tone that would carry the Bulldogs to a 42-30 victory over their arch-rivals. Georgia rolled through the rest of their schedule, culminated by a 41-10 spanking of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.

Offensive Outlook: Eight starters return from a unit that put up 32.6 PPG in ‘07. There are two legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates on this unit. QB Matthew Stafford improved by leaps and bounds last year, and should improve upon his touchdown passes thrown. The better candidate might be sophomore RB Knowshon Moreno, who burst onto the scene when he ran for 188 yards and three TDs against the Gators last year. Moamed Massaquoi has had a productive career as a wide receiver, and will look to build his draft stock with an impressive ’08. A young offensive line looked to be strong coming into camp, but a season-ending knee injury to LT Trinton Sturdivant could be a huge loss.

Defensive Outlook: For as talented as the offense appears, the defense could be even better for the Dawgs. Nine starters return from their unit which held teams to a shade over 20 ppg in 2007. Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens are both forces on the defensive line. The secondary is young, but junior CB Asher Allen and safety Reshad Jones are both rock solid and should be able to keep the unit together. Obviously the more Moreno and the offense possess the football, the better shape these guys will be in.

2008 Preview: Without a doubt, the Bulldogs have the hardest schedule in the SEC and probably in all of college football. If Richt can pull off an undefeated season, the Bulldogs deserve to be named the national champions without playing in a title game. Difficult road games are all over the schedule, including dates in South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU, and Auburn. They also have to travel to Jacksonville for the annual Cocktail Party against Florida. They’ll have to protect their home turf against the likes of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech. If by some chance Georgia gets all the way through that brutal stretch of games, their reward will be a spot in the SEC title game where they’ll likely have to fight off another stiff challenge from either Auburn or LSU.

2008 will be a success if… Richt can keep the team’s intensity up week after week. There are a number of potential hazards on this schedule, and the Bulldogs will have a massive bulls-eye on their back for as long as they hold the #1 ranking in the land.

This could be the best team in the nation, but there isn’t a team in the state of Georgia that can get through this schedule unscathed, and that includes the Atlanta Falcons.

Prediction: 10-2, 2nd place in SEC East