College football preseason rankings: No. 2 Georgia has the talent to navigate a scheduling gauntlet

Welcome to the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

In anticipation of the first four-round postseason in college football history, we’re counting down our predicted playoff field as the season approaches. The top five conference champions in the CFP selection committee’s rankings will make the playoff and the rest of the field will be filled out by seven at-large teams. Who will lift the national championship trophy on Jan. 20 in Atlanta?

Previous previews: Nos. 25-13, No. 12 Boise State, No. 11 Utah, No. 10 Florida State, No. 9 Missouri, No. 8 Michigan, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 5 Alabama, No. 4 Texas, No. 3 Oregon

No. 2 Georgia

2023 record: 13-1, 8-0 SEC

Last season in 100 words or less

The SEC championship game derailed the Bulldogs’ hopes of a national title. Georgia went through the regular season undefeated and had just one one-possession win. That came at Auburn when the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 27-20 on the road.

Missouri gave Georgia a game late in the season but the Bulldogs’ talent made it clear who was the better team in the second half. A week later, Georgia demolished Ole Miss in a game that solidified Georgia’s spot atop the SEC. However, the Bulldogs got dethroned three weeks later when they lost to Alabama 27-24 in the SEC title game. That loss dropped Georgia to No. 5 in the CFP rankings and they took out their frustrations on Florida State in a 63-3 win.

Why Georgia can make the playoff

It’ll be an absolute shocker if the Bulldogs miss the playoff. Georgia has a hell of a schedule — more on that later — but this team is too talented to miss an expanded playoff. And it’s likely too motivated to miss out after what happened a season ago.

Carson Beck emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in college football last season and threw for nearly 4,000 yards. He could be a Heisman winner and the No. 1 pick into the the 2025 NFL Draft. Especially if Georgia runs roughshod in the SEC.

Four starters return on an offensive line that could be dominant in 2024. The strength of the line will help open holes for Georgia’s running backs as the team needs to replace its top two rushers from 2023. Former Florida RB Trevor Etienne figures to be the top back after he rushed for 1,472 yards in two seasons with the Gators, but backup Roderick Robinson will miss the start of the season after needing toe surgery. Branson Robinson should get carries too.

Replacing Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey is paramount and the task got a bit harder with the dismissal of Rara Thomas this summer following his arrest. Former Missouri WR Dominic Lovett was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2023 with 54 catches for 613 yards. He’ll probably be the No. 1 option, but there’s still plenty of talent behind him. Dillon Bell has shown he can help both on the ground and as a pass catcher while Oscar Delp could have a bigger role in the pass game.

The defensive line was fairly young in 2023 and was still very good. Think of how good it’ll be in 2024 as Mykel Williams, Warren Brinson and others have another year of experience. Smael Mondon leads the linebacker corps while Malaki Starks headlines the secondary. Georgia’s defense has allowed fewer than 20 points per game in six of the past seven seasons and it’s hard to see how that trend won’t continue.

Key player

• WR Colbie Young

The former Miami receiver arrives in Athens with the chance to have a significant role in 2024. Young had multiple catches in every game last season for the Hurricanes as he ended up with 47 grabs for 563 yards and five touchdowns.

With Thomas now out of the picture for the Bulldogs and Bowers in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders, there are opportunities for players like Young and others to capitalize on Beck’s excellence. We have little doubt that Georgia can adequately replace what it lost with Bowers and McConkey given the talent Kirby Smart and his staff have accumulated.

Biggest game

• Sept. 28 at Alabama

The SEC schedule gods didn’t give the Bulldogs a break in 2024. We went with the game vs. Alabama in Week 5 over a trip to Texas in October and a visit to Ole Miss in November. Yes, Georgia could feasibly play road games against three playoff teams this season.

The upside is that Georgia will get those games at home in 2025. But that doesn’t have any bearing on this season. This is a team that’s the most talented in the SEC and should once again be playing for the conference title. And unlike last season, Georgia shouldn’t have to worry that a loss in the title game prevents it from making the playoff.