Winning back-to-back national championships should make you the favorite to do so again in 2023. And per Bill Connelly’s first batch of 2023 SP+ rankings, Georgia will open as the No. 1 team in the country.
The Bulldogs rank first in Connelly’s rankings, which are adjusted for opponent and tempo. Baked into his rankings are recent recruiting rankings, returning production and prior success.
Georgia has signed a top 4 recruiting class in each of the last five recruiting cycles and return 14 starters from the 2022 national championship team. The Bulldogs ended the 2022 season as the No. 1 team in Connelly’s SP+ rankings as well.
Related: Where Georgia football ranks in terms of returning production for the 2023 season
Behind Georgia is Ohio State at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3 and Alabama at No. 4. As for foes on Georgia’s 2023 schedule, the Bulldogs travel to No. 6 Tennessee and No. 28 Auburn, play No. 20 Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., and hosts no. 24 Kentucky.
No team has won three straight national championships in the modern era of college football, with Minnesota last doing it in the 1930′s. But prior to the 2022 season, no team had won back-to-back national championships in the College Football Playoff era.
Georgia, having to replace far more production from the 2021 team, proceeded to go 15-0 for the first time in school history. After squeaking by Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, Georgia rolled past TCU to win its second-straight national title.
“Sometimes it takes a loss to galvanize, put your team in a spot to win. It did that last year,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after beating TCU. “And it didn’t take that. I always tell guys, do you have to take a loss to learn? Why? Like, it doesn’t take that to learn that.
“And this team is special because they didn’t have a flaw. They had two games in which they came back in the fourth quarter, Missouri and Ohio State, with incredible comebacks and led by Stetson and the offense.”
The Bulldogs do have to find a new quarterback as Stetson Bennett is off to the NFL, as are All-Americans Jalen Carter and Chris Smith. As it stands though, the Bulldogs will bring back all 10 of their assistant coaches. Georgia had to replace four assistants from the 2021 team.
Georgia will begin its title defense in 2023 by opening against UT-Martin on Sept. 2. The Bulldogs do start spring practice in March, while Georgia will have its spring game on April 15.
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- Former Georgia quarterback raves about Bulldogs 2023 receivers room
- Resetting where things stand with Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken as NFL season ends
- SEC Commissioner drops hints on future league scheduling with Oklahoma and Texas joining in 2024
- UGA fans will likely say goodbye to numerous traditions in 2023
