“A healthy Georgia is a dangerous Georgia.”

So sayeth Paul Myerberg in his preseason preview of the Dawgs.  But not that dangerous – after all, he ranks them fourteenth.

I think a best-case scenario would find Georgia atop the East Division and in the midst of the playoff conversation, though this isn’t really a team worthy of being viewed as more than a dark-horse championship contender. Take the offensive line, for example, which could be a weekly nuisance. Or the defensive line, which has depth but not a tremendous amount of next-level athleticism, if that makes sense. Consider the secondary, which clearly lacks the sort of experience and consistency Pruitt demands from this vital grouping. These are the weaknesses that leave Georgia outside the nation’s top eight, to cite one number; these are also weaknesses that could very well be addressed before midseason, though I doubt Georgia gets its ducks in a row in time for Clemson and South Carolina.

That’s not unfair.  Push comes to shove, I’d rank South Carolina ahead of Georgia right now, too.  Simply put, the ‘Cocks have fewer holes than does Georgia.  But I think Georgia has a higher ceiling.  The question for 2014 is how quickly the coaches can get the team climbing higher.

I have a minor quibble with Myerberg’s well researched piece.  I wonder if it will be Leonard Floyd who will be coming off the field in obvious passing situations; my bet is on Herrera, as Pruitt tries to maximize pass rush pressure from the linebackers.  Other than that, you may disagree with his overall assessment, but you can’t say he doesn’t have valid reasons for it.