College Football Preview: Georgia Bulldogs

The long awaited college football season is here. With it comes all the fun and excitement of one of our favorite American pastimes. The following is a preview of the upcoming season that the University of Georgia Bulldogs will face in 2009.

Coaches- Coach Mark Richt returns for another season as head coach for the Georgia Bulldogs. He will once again build on his outstanding record and most likely increase his astounding record of winning on the road. He has won 34 times on the road since becoming the lead dog in Athens, Georgia. Coordinating the offense will be Mike Bobo, former Georgia quarterback. Bobo will have the challenge of guiding and directing a group of new play makers with the loss of superstars Matthew Stafford and Knownshon Moreno who were drafted in the first round of the National Football League. The defensive coordinator, Willie Martinez, will be charged with improving a defense that did not perform to expectations during the 2008 season.

Schedule- Unlike most years in the past, the Georgia Bulldogs open on the road against a top ten opponent. The Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater, Oklahoma begin the schedule. The Georgia home opener brings the South Carolina Gamecocks to town under the leadership of the Ole Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier. This Southeastern Conference match up always finds a way to surprise spectators because of the heated rivalry between the two conference foes. The Georgia Bulldogs will then hit the road again at Arkansas to do battle with the Razorbacks. This game may prove to be a challenge for the Bulldogs as they go up against former Falcons coach, Bobby Petrino. The Bulldogs return home for a two game stand featuring Arizona State's Sun Devils to be followed by the conference match up against the Louisiana State University Tigers. LSU will certainly be seeking some payback for the previous year's loss in Baton, Rouge. Next, the Bulldogs will head north to Tennessee and face the Volunteers and new Coach Lane Kiffin. The following Saturday will be spent in Nashville taking on the Commodores of Vanderbilt. A must needed break will follow the first seven games and hopefully the Georgia Bulldogs will be healthy and ready to take on their very next foe. The perennial powerhouse Florida Gators will clash with the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville, Florida at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Many have predicted the Gators to once again demolish the Bulldogs but there are some that say the Bulldogs could be the team to upset the Gators this year and derail their national championship hopes. Following Florida, the dogs take on Tennessee Tech in Athens as a precursor to the oldest rivalry in southern football. Auburn University comes to the classic city and no matter the records of the two teams, this game will bring the hard hits and intensity that only a grand match up dictates. The next week, the Georgia Bulldogs host the Kentucky Wildcats in yet another conference battle. Kentucky, like the majority of SEC football programs, will bring their A-level game to Sanford Stadium. Finally, the Georgia Bulldogs will seek to gain revenge and re-establish their dominating position over in-state rival Georgia Tech to close out the regular season.

Players to Watch- First and foremost, everyone's eye will be on the individuals who will fill the positions vacated by those who left for the NFL. Joe Cox has been slated as the quarterback, but it will be interesting to see if Logan Gray will get some opportunities under center. At running back, young Richard Samuel will most likely carry the ball along with Caleb King. The most exciting offensive player very well may be talented receiver A.J. Green. Defensively, keep your eyes on linebacker, Rennie Curran. He is one hard hitting beast of a player.

In 2009, this most likely may be a year of struggle for the traditionally mighty Bulldogs. The Georgia Bulldogs simply lost too much key talent and no longer have what they brought to the table a year ago. If the right leadership emerges, we could be in for pleasant surprises between the hedges and around the southeastern conference.