Louisiana-Lafayette: A good opener to get Aaron Murray and some of the young talent settled in for the new season. Grantham will get a good look at his 3-4 defense against a team they should easily cruise by. No Tavarres King but it won't matter much. As The Situation says, "It's the game, before the game." Final Score Dawgs 45, Ragin' Cajuns 17 (UGA 1-0)

South Carolina: Even if Spurrier ends up suspending up to six starters for possible NCAA and team violations, the Dawgs should be able to win another close one like they usually do in this series. Sure this annual rivalry is always fun but it is always a nail-biter that costs me three years of my life every time South Carolina has a chance to win the game at the end. Barring a few lopsided games here and there, this game comes down to 60 minutes of defense (and a little sloppy play from rusty offenses). Unless Aaron Murray has a Quincy Carter night with 5 INTs, I do not expect this game to be any different and Georgia should come through in the end. Final Score: Dawgs 23, Gamecocks 17 (UGA 2-0)

Arkansas: I almost feel like Billy the Kid is coming to Athens on September 18th. We know what time he's going to rob the local bank, we just don't know how we are going to stop him. There isn't an SEC Quarterback being talked about more during the offseason than Ryan Mallet. And, it's almost as if he's an unstoppable force no matter how rides in with him. Last time I remembered, a team isn't defined by one great player and I'm not sure what Bobby Petrino has in Fayetteville to offer the Dawgs besides a gunslinging NFL prospect and a bunch a B and C talent. Look for the Dawgs to win a mild shootout in this one. Final Score: Dawgs 31, Hogs 27 (UGA 3-0)

Mississippi State: Think Dan Mullen doesn't have this game circled? He would love to quell any hesitation by the fans in Starkville by putting a signature win on the program and the season in the early going. This could very well be a trip-up game by the Dawgs as I expect them to be emotionally and physically reeling from back-to-back wins against South Carolina and Arkansas. Somehow the Dawgs need to make sure they don't have a letdown or they could be in trouble. Until I see it, I still think Georgia wins. Final Score: Dawgs 21, Bulldogs 13 (UGA 4-0)

Colorado: It took a last-minute Martrez Milner catch in the end zone to beat Colorado in 2006 when the Buffalos came to Athens. And while we thought they were a program on the rise, four years later it still hasn't materialized. Still, the Buffs can find ways to beat you and they could use the elements in order to do so. Georgia will have to come prepared to play a team that circles any SEC team on the schedule and paints a bulls-eye on their chest. If the running game is established early, Ealey and King should package this win from the ground. Aaron Murray may struggle in this game but he won't need to be counted on to win it. Final Score: Dawgs 28, Buffs 17 (UGA 5-0)

Tennessee: Never in my lifetime did I think Tennessee would ever end up a middle-of-the-road college football program. Three coaches in three years later, I think this is the year the Volunteers may be a doormat for twelve opponents. Derek Dooley has his work cut out for him as attrition, graduation, injury, secondary violations, etc. have greatly diminished his ability to win now. He had a decent recruiting class but we won't see them for a couple of years. Until then, he's going to need to win off second string equivalents and young talent, and that simply isn't going to happen. Georgia has fallen asleep in this game over the last five years but I can assure you it won't happen this year. The Dawgs run the ball, create turnovers, and play loud in Sanford Stadium. Final Score: Dawgs 35, Vols 13 (UGA 6-0)

Vanderbilt: The Commodores may be the worst team in the SEC and it doesn't help when Bobby Johnson retires three weeks before the start of season practice. This game has been competitive of late but I see last year's defeat to be much similar this year. Aaron Murray is starting to settle in and make a major contribution to the offense by this point in the season. He should be making less mistakes, which only makes the running game more potent. The 3-4 defense shouldn't have a problem creating three-and-outs and look for some special teams magic from Brandon Boykin and/or some young talent like Alec Ogletree on a big hit. Final Score: Dawgs 38, 'Dores 10 (UGA 7-0)

Kentucky: Joker Phillips takes over for Rich Brooks, who brought the Wildcats from doormat to respectability. Remember, the Wildcats beat Georgia last year, so Commonwealth Stadium should be rocking as Lexington tries to witness two-in-a-row. This could be a look-ahead game but after last year's loss, the Dawgs should know by now that the Wildcats aren't pushovers anymore. Aaron Murray will have to get AJ Green the ball a few times in order to run away with this one. And the running game should get a few big runs behind a good push from the offensive line. Look for the defense to slip a little bit in this one but the offense to prevail. Final Score: Dawgs 35, Wildcats 24 (UGA 8-0)

Florida: Urban Meyer is creating a smoke diversion by continually announcing to the media that his team isn't very good. On top of that, there are also rumors that some of his top freshman talent have boycotted a practice or two. I'm not buying it. No matter what this team is going through right now, lack of discipline and focus will not be an issue once the season starts. Urban is very good at rallying the troops and he won't allow a program to lose by mutiny and self-destruction. As for the World's Largest Cocktail Party, until I see the Dawgs win in Jacksonville on a consistent basis, I'm still going to give the edge to the Gators every time. However, with new coaches, quarterbacks, and talent moving in, this game may be one of the closest we've seen in quite awhile. Still, the Gators have a knack for finding wins and the intimidation level will give the edge to the boys from Gainesville. Brantley should have a decent day but it will be the ingenious play-calling by Urban Meyer that helps pulls the Gators to the finish line. Final Score: Gators 27, Dawgs 23 (UGA 8-1)

Idaho State: Look for the starters to rest in this one as Auburn and Georgia Tech loom large. Don't be surprised if Hutson Mason or Logan Gray receive most of the snaps while Ealey and King get limited carries. Final Score: Dawgs 31, State 17 (UGA 9-1)

Auburn: Although Georgia may be the better team going into this game, I'm not sure they will play polished enough to prove it. Aaron Murray will see maybe the best defense he's seen all year and while I think he's going to be playing like a veteran by this point in the season, I think a few keys mistakes and defensive lapses should create a heartbreaker for a team that is still in the national title hunt. The Tigers will remind Georgia that 2011 will be the Year of the Dawg. Final Score: Tigers 24, Dawgs 21 (UGA 9-2)

Georgia Tech: You don't need any reason to get up for this game. Neither team needs national title hopes, a possible 10-win season, or newspaper clippings to make this game important. In the two years Paul Johnson has been in Atlanta, he's 1-1 against the Dawg and he's made no bones about it that the end-of-the-year intrastate rivalry is the game he wants the most. The triple option may seem a bit confusing with the new 3-4 but I think the 3-4 actually works well for an offensive scheme like Tech provides. Look for big plays though as both offenses will have tricks up their sleeves. At the end of the day, the offensive line should be at its peak by now and the running game should help Georgia take the lead in the second half and control the clock the rest of the way. Final Score: Dawgs 35, Yellow Jackets 31 (UGA 10-2)

SEC Championship Game: Alabama vs. Georgia. Surprise, surprise! The hometown fan is picking the hometown team. Although I think Florida is a tad better than Georgia, as I've stated above, I think back-to-back games against Alabama and LSU in Week Five and Six will be too much for a Florida team still trying to find its identity. They will lose a heartbreaker to Alabama then blow an early lead at home to LSU the week after. Two huge games in two weeks is a recipe for disaster and while a 6-2 conference record is worthy of contention, I think Georgia will go 7-1 and play for the SEC Title. Look for Alabama to come out swinging in an effort to bully the Dawgs into submission. I think by now Georgia will know how to take a punch and get back in the game. McElroy and Murray will not look spectacular in this game but Murray will make one more mistake than Alabama's QB, which allows Ingram and Richardson to move the chains and seal the deal with a last-minute touchdown after a long drive. Final Score: Tide 27, Dawgs 17 (UGA 10-3)