Georgia Bulldogs (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
College Football Week 1
Date/Time: Saturday, September 3, 2016 at 5:30PM EST
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN
By Loot, NCAA Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: UGA -2.5/UNC +2.5
Over/Under Total: 54.5
The Georgia Bulldogs meet the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Georgia Dome on the opening Saturday of the season. It's a tough opener for both teams, each of which has high hopes for the season. The site of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta makes it pretty close to a home game for the Bulldogs, who only have a drive of an hour-and-change to the A-T-L. But they should have their hands full with a UNC team that won 11 games last season. It should be a good one on opening Saturday, one of the more interesting matchups of opening week.
Georgia is in a state of flux in a leadership sense, with longtime head coach Mark Richt off to Miami. Former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart assumes the head coaching gig. With defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, look for the defensive acumen of Smart to really manifest and it will have to. There are also some questions on the offense, despite a ground-game that looks like it will be fierce in 2016. The Tar Heels need to replace a productive QB in Marquise Williams and still have work to do with a defense that could use another step forward after a promising 2015.
North Carolina started 11-1 last year. They were competitive in the ACC title game, losing by one score to Clemson. In other words, they weren't that far off, And there is optimism moving forward with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback, In limited time, he accounted for himself very well and will be given the horses to thrive. The ground-game returns Elijah Hood (1463 yards, 17 TDs) and TJ Logan (5 TDs). Look for Trubisky to lean on his backs as he finds his bearings. When he decides to sling it, he will have ball-catchers like Ryan Switzer, Mack Hollins, Bug Howard, Austin Proehl, and Brandon Fritts at his disposal. Look for the line to help the Tar Heels offense create great things this season. Their projected starting five has a combined 129 starts. At the end of the day, you have a rising star behind center, a very good running-game, a stocked cast of pass-catchers, and an experienced top-notch line. On paper, it looks like the complete package.
Former Auburn head coach and current defensive coordinator Gene Chizik had this Tar Heels "D" less of a laughingstock last season, as he made measurable strides with this bunch. They were still not very good. The thing is that they don't need to be. An average unit would help this team take flight with what looks to be a prolific offense. The line looks weak with three starters departing and youth abound. On the inside, guys like Jeremiah Clarke and Nazair Jones need to find a way to curtail the run, which looks to be a big issue in this particular game.
A lot of components of this line will need to be worked out for them to be so much as average. The same applies to the linebacker corps that lost their top two contributors from an underachieving group. Players like Andre Smith, Cayson Collins, and Cole Holcomb will need to really surprise. The secondary is nice, but might be under siege from all the mistakes up-front. Still, look for playmakers S Donnie Miles, S Dominique Green, CB MJ Stewart, and CB Des Lawrence to be a difference-making unit.
Georgia would like to see better, or at least more consistent play from Greyson Lambert this season and that's if he earns the starting gig, hardly a foregone conclusion with Brice Ramsey and possible heir-apparent Jacob Eason. Whoever it is should get a big boost from the ground-game. Nick Chubb is a monster and will probably be doing big things on Sundays in the future. While he was hurt last season, Sony Michel came in and went over 1000. Both return to combine for one of the best 1-2 punches in the country. At receiver, they are looking for help from the juco ranks with Javon Mims, along with Terry Godwin and TE Jeb Blazevich. Three returning starters on the line create a good foundation, with freshman Ben Cleveland and other solid recruits vying for playing time.
The Bulldogs' top passing defense from a year ago returns a lot of firepower. Most missing pieces occurred in the front-seven, where some questions will need to be answered. Coach Smart will really earn his money here, with LB Tim Kimbrough the only returning starter in the front seven. The line consists of a lot of incoming talent and scarcely-tested youngsters. DT Trenton Thompson and DE Jonathan Ledbetter will need a lot of help. The middle is even direr with no leadership and experience outside of Kimbrough. The secondary is actually pretty loaded with talent, featuring Malkom Parrish, Rico McGraw, Reggie Wilkerson, and Dominick Sanders. A little help up-front could make this group become the real deal and one of the top secondaries in the country.
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These teams share some common issues. Neither team has a truly cemented quarterback, with the Tar Heels' Trubisky assuming fulltime starting duties for the first time and the Bulldogs' gig still up in the air. Both teams look pretty good on offense. The Georgia ground-game is on a different level, while North Carolina could be explosive if Trubisky hits the ground running. And both teams face uncertainty on the other side of the ball, with defenses that will likely detract from their offenses.
With Smart coming aboard and considering what he repeatedly did with those great 'Bama defenses, you have to think he will come up with some answers. And the Tar Heels' defense will really be put to the test in their first game, especially up-front against the Georgia ground-game. That looks to be a major sticking point in this game. If they can't for the life of them stop Georgia from moving the chains, it's going to be a long day. For some reason, it's easier to trust Georgia coming up with answers on "D" than North Carolina, who looks a bit ragged in this context. I see Georgia coming out ahead in a tough one.
Loot's Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Georgia Bulldogs minus 2.5 points. Tired of your credit card not working for sportsbook deposit? End that problem today by signing up at Bovada Sportsbook where your credit card WILL work and where you'll receive a generous 50% sign-up bonus!
