Georgia enters the 2024 season as one of the top teams in the country. The Bulldogs were overwhelmingly picked to win the SEC at last week’s SEC media days.

But even Georgia faces some valid questions entering the 2024 season. ESPN’s Bill Connelly lists Georgia as a top-tier national title contender but says Georgia must answer two key questions if it is to win the final game of the season and become a national champion.

The first deals with Georgia’s new skill players. The Bulldogs have to replace their top two rushers from last season and three of their top four receivers. Georgia brings back Dillon Bell, Dominic Lovett and Oscar Delp, but the Bulldogs will rely on running back Trevor Etienne, wide receiver Colbie Young and tight end Benjamin Yurosek to really put the offense over the top.

“I think there’s so much depth on our offense and there’s so much talent that there’s not one or two names that I could really pronounce right now, which makes me excited as a quarterback,” Georgia quarterback Carson Beck said. “I’m very excited to see who those guys are going to be that step up and make those big time plays and those big time moments.”

Bringing back Beck, along with perhaps the best offensive line in the country, will go a long way in getting the most out of the offense. Beck was named First Team All-SEC quarterback at SEC media days.

The other question Connelly has for Georgia deals with the Bulldogs’ schedule. Georgia faces road games against Kentucky, Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss, while also playing Clemson and Florida away from Sanford Stadium.

“It’s rare that you see a top-five team taking on a top-five schedule. Georgia’s schedule ranks fifth overall in difficulty, featuring the teams currently projected fourth (Texas), fifth (Alabama), eighth (Ole Miss), 14th (Clemson), 16th (Tennessee) and 25th (Kentucky) in SP+,” Connelly said. “You get a couple of mulligans now with the expanded 12-team playoff, but even an elite team might go 10-2 or 9-3 against this schedule. Tread carefully, Dawgs.”

Georgia hasn’t lost a regular-season game since the 2020 season. While the Bulldogs face a beefed-up schedule thanks to a new-look SEC, Georgia is looking forward to meeting the challenge of its difficult schedule.

“We kind of embrace that and we love it. I mean, what you didn’t get to mention is we open with Clemson, too, one of the top programs in the country,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said at SEC media days. So we’re really excited about that. I think that motivates our off-season so that we have the right kind of approach to the off-season.

“You know, our guys embrace that.”

The Bulldogs are one of two teams with just two ifs per Connelly, as Ohio State is the other team. Oregon and Texas each have three ifs as far as becoming championship-winning programs.