Phil Steele projects Georgia Bulldogs for 11 regular season wins

Over the weekend, the Associated Press poll was released, and the national perception of the Georgia Bulldogs was cemented with yet another projection that placed Mark Richt’s club at 12th in the country. However, college football expert (and legend) Phil Steele has forecast a slightly higher ceiling for the Dawgs this season, and in his latest post for ESPN ($), Steele pegged Georgia for an 11-1 record during regular season play.

Here is what Steele had to say about the 2014 edition of the Bulldogs:

"Last year’s injury-plagued season gave several Georgia players a jump-start for 2014. That includes fifth-year senior QB Hutson Mason, who will be surrounded by some of the best skill-position talent in the country, led by RB Todd Gurley, who is the main reason I ranked UGA’s RBs unit No. 2 in the country. After returning just three starters on D last year, the Bulldogs have 10 guys back who had seven or more starts and return 10 of their top 13 tacklers, led by LB Ramik Wilson. And I think they’ll be much improved under former FSU D-coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, which is why I ranked them my No. 1 surprise team this season. In terms of the playoff path, I have the Dawgs favored in every game (four by less than a TD) except the trip to South Carolina."

It is always encouraging to see one of the best minds in the college football world with high expectations for the Bulldogs, and Steele’s perception of the defense is optimistic yet conceivable. The combination of Ramik Wilson, Leonard Floyd and Jeremy Pruitt should be a fruitful one, even in the first year under Pruitt’s leadership, and if Hutson Mason can simply manage the game (cliche alert!), things will be just fine.

What do you think about Steele’s projection? Let us know in the comments below!