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UGA starts title defense with showdown vs Oregon

January flashback: Coach Kirby Smart celebrates. Photo: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty It's title defense time for the Georgia Bulldogs. Expect Atlanta to be a sea of red and black and green and yellow Saturday. What's happening: The Dawgs open their season with a clash against the Oregon Ducks.UGA won't be between the hedges though. They'll be just down the road at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30pm. The big picture: This marks the first time since the 1981 season that Georgia has had a national title to defend. After winning it all in 1980, UGA went a painstaking 41 years before sitting atop the throne of the college football world. Catch up fast: UGA avenged their 2017-18 championship loss to Alabama by beating the Crimson Tide 33-18 in a dominating performance to win the CFP title. Yes, but: Since then, they've lost 15 players to the NFL, setting a record for most players taken in a single draft. Those included key defensive players Travon Walker (picked first overall), Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean. They also lost some talent on the offensive end in receiver George Pickens and running backs James Cook and Zamir White. Of note: Their 2022 signing class should help lessen the blow. Four of their five star recruits are on the defensive side of the ball. What's next: Not saying this season will be easy, but the scheduling gods smiled on UGA. UGA is currently only set to face two teams who are ranked in the AP's preseason poll — Oregon at no. 11 and Kentucky at no. 20.Matchups against Samford and Kent State are cake walks. That leaves the Georgia/Florida game and a visit from Auburn as the only other times we could see UGA sweat a little. What we're watching: Will Georgia end its season playing in the same place it started: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, site of the SEC championship. Even with its national victory, UGA hasn't won the SEC title since 2017. They've appeared in the game six times since 2011, losing five. (Three to Alabama and two to LSU) Ross' thought bubble: Yea, yea I get it. All the hype surrounding the Dawgs and their dominating season last year. Kirby Smart got his bag with a 10 year, $112.5 million deal. But this season will belong to The Ohio State University.Go Bucks! OH! Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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