Georgia Bulldogs ranked 12th in Sports Illustrated poll

It is prognostication season in the world of college football, and after the Georgia Bulldogs ranked 12th in the “official” preseason poll from USA Today, Amway and the coaches, Sports Illustrated unveiled its top-25 release on Wednesday morning. In a bit of an odd coincidence, the Bulldogs also ranked 12th in the less traditional poll.

Here is what SI had to say about Mark Richt’s club:

"New defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who coached in the last three BCS title games, has to turn around a unit that gave up the most yards per play (5.4) of the Mark Richt era. The Bulldogs also allowed 29.0 points per game, 10th in the SEC. There was a different vibe around the D this spring, with many players talking of a culture change since Pruitt’s arrival. The offense has a giant question mark at quarterback, now that the SEC’s all-time leading passer, Aaron Murray, is gone. But new starter Hutson Mason, a senior, knows coordinator Mike Bobo’s offense."

I am in record, on multiple platforms, that ranking Georgia at the #12 spot is too low based on their talent level, but at the same time, SI seems to be writing in glowing terms about the Dawgs. Defensively, it will be intriguing to see how Jeremy Pruitt handles the off-season defections, but with Ramik Wilson, Leonard Floyd and company, UGA is still loaded from a perspective of talent.

Offensively, Huston Mason may turn into a game manager, but when you have Todd Gurley and veteran wide receivers, that isn’t a bad thing. With Clemson and South Carolina on the schedule before the middle of September, the learning curve may be steep, but if the Dawgs can navigate that gauntlet, it could be smooth sailing.

Stay tuned.