Defensively, the Bulldogs will have to replace defensive end Marcus Howard, who was a one-man wreaking crew against Hawaii, coming up with three sacks, two forced fumbles, one recovery for a touchdown and one tipped pass that resulted in an interception in his last collegiate game. However, nine starters on defense are expected to be back next season, including sophomore cornerback Asher Allen, who had two interceptions, and freshman linebacker Rennie Curran, who had a pair of sacks.

“We hope that we are ranked high in the preseason,” Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. “I think that we are going to return a good team, but in the SEC it doesn’t matter. There will be seven or eight teams as good as you are and to predict that you’ll be in contention at the end is pretty brash. But we are going to have a more veteran team that we’ve ever had.”

Richt’s return is just as important. After disappointing losses to South Carolina and Tennessee, he really got his squad going with an unmistakable swagger. The predetermined celebration penalties are already a thing of the past and turning to the black jerseys won’t be needed for an extra lift. He’s got a formula working and it starts with himself.

“You have to add energy and excitement to your play,” Richt said. “It’s important to have good strategies and to play with solid fundamentals, but if you don’t play with passion, you can’t play to your peak level. I’ve learned that I have to get excited myself to get these players to play that way.”

The excitement drops a couple notches when you take a peek at Georgia’s schedule for next season. Shivers get sent down your spine when you see that daunting stretch of four consecutive games away from home, including visits to LSU and Auburn, in addition to the annual showdown with Florida in Jacksonville. But, that’s life in the SEC.

On the bright side, LSU has proven that if you have a high enough preseason ranking, you can overcome a loss — or even two — to play for the national championship.

After chalking up style points in the Sugar Bowl, the Bulldogs appear to be headed for that kind of head start in August.

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