Georgia will again begin the college football season as a top title contender. While Greg McElroy doesn’t dispute that status, he also warned that the Bulldogs aren’t a flawless team entering the 2024 campaign.
During last week’s Always College Football, the ESPN analyst ranked a Week 1 showdown between Georgia and Clemson as his top non-conference matchup of the season. Kirby Smart’s squad is a 13.5-point favorite for the Aug. 31 game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but McElroy is still intrigued to see how the Bulldogs fare against Dabo Swinney’s Tigers.
“I think there are more questions on Georgia’s roster than people realize,” McElroy said (h/t 247Sports). “Doesn’t mean that they’re not going to be really good. “They’re going to be excellent. This is a team that is no worse than No. 2 in college football coming into the season. There is no team outside of Ohio State that has more capable bodies on their roster. They are legit.”
McElroy called quarterback Carson Beck “the real deal” and believes Georgia’s wide receivers and offensive line can stack up with anyone in the SEC. He noted that the secondary can use some refurbishing, but he’s not too worried given the program’s success recruiting the position.
The former Alabama quarterback also deemed the Bulldogs a “shoo-in” to make an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Georgia is a +300 favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook to win its third national title in four years. The Bulldogs had won 29 consecutive games before an SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama cost them a chance to attempt a three-peat.
Georgia will instantly have its title credentials tested when opening the season against Clemson in Atlanta.