By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

UGA is loaded in 2019. Kirby Smart is a recruiting machine.

Smart enters the 2019 season with an overall record of 32-10.

UGA won the SEC in 2017 but lost the National Championship game to Alabama and lost the SEC Title game to Alabama in 2018.

Jake Fromm leads the offense; JR Reed and Monty Rice will lead a faster more athletic defense in 2019. Andrew Thomas will lead the best offensive lineman in the country.  The Swift/Herrien/White/Cook running back rotation will beat teams to a pulp.

Georgia’s talent across the board is well documented. This team should contend for a National Title this season and next season if Jake Fromm returns.

My game by game predictions:

Aug. 31: at Vanderbilt: Season and SEC opener at night in the Music City.

Vandy will be sky high and UGA has not always played so well in Nashville. Jake Fromm and a solid run game will spell doom for the Dores as UGA takes care of Vandy 38-13. George Pickens starts making a name for himself at Wide Receiver.

Sept. 7: MURRAY STATE: UGA drills Murray State 52-7.

Fromm and company will be discussing which band to go listen to downtown after the game midway through the second quarter.

Sept. 14: ARKANSAS STATE: Tougher than expected for a half then UGA pulls away in the third quarter and wins 45-14.

Sept. 21: NOTRE DAME: Athens, Georgia will be the center of the college football universe on 9/21. The Irish roll in and it will not be a cakewalk like most UGA fans expect.

This one will be a war. Zamir White has his coming out party as UGA eats up yards and clock to put ND away 27-17.

If UGA wears the black jerseys, then put the Dawgs on upset alert right now.

Oct. 5: at Tennessee: UT is still two recruiting classes away. Dawgs win in Knoxville 38-17, and UGA takes the lead in the series for the first time in 30 years.

Oct. 12: SOUTH CAROLINA: Carolina’s schedule is brutal, and Muschamp is trying to get them back in the mix in the SEC East. UGA has too much talent and wins at home 41-14 to stay undefeated.

Oct. 19: KENTUCKY: UGA blew out UK’s best team in 40 years in Lexington last year, and UGA is better in 2019. Kentucky is not as good as they were in 2018. Dawgs win 49-17.

Nov. 2: vs. Florida (Jacksonville): Dan Mullen has been popping off about UGA all “Talking Season”.  Kirby isn’t much on talking but look for UGA’s best effort of the season in this one. Dawgs win the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party 35-20 over a good Gator squad.

Nov. 9: MISSOURI: Kelly Bryant didn’t get a national title ring from Clemson last year and he won’t get a victory in Athens either. Dawgs win 38-21.

UGA clinches the SEC East for the third straight year.

Nov. 16: at Auburn: Unbeaten UGA rolls to the Plains and I smell trouble brewing for the Dawgs. Auburn will be solid on defense, but will they be good on offense?

Will Gus still be employed by November? If he is then I smell upset. Auburn upsets UGA 24-21 in Jordan Hare.

Dawgs fall to 9-1. History tells us that UGA lays an egg against someone every season, right? Enjoy this November contest folks. Auburn lobbied the SEC and won and now the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry moves to October in 2020 and beyond.

Heck, maybe with that pansy move UGA rips Auburn a new one, 35-17 and stays unbeaten on the season.

Nov. 23: TEXAS A&M: Everyone is jumping on the Aggie bandwagon. Not me. The Aggies lost their leading rusher and leading tackler, nor am I sold on Kellen Mond at QB.

Senior Day in Athens as UGA rolls 38-24. UGA goes to 11-0 on the season.

Nov. 30: at Georgia Tech: Jackets go to a pro-style offense with option attack players. Georgia Tech will get better fast by focusing on the Atlanta area in recruiting. Dawgs go to 12-0 with a 42-17 blistering of the Jackets.

SEC Championship: UGA finally breaks the Alabama jinx and beats the Tide 31-24 in another title game classic between these two teams.

UGA goes into the College Football Playoff as the #1 team in the country.