“If you want to kick my ass, go ahead. Just explain to me why you are doing it.”

“Ah, you wouldn’t be worth it.”

“We’re all worth it, man…we’re all worth millions of planets and stars and galaxies and universes.”

River Phoenix to a gang of Gainesville skinheads at party in 1989

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic is three days from this moment. The heat dome over most of the country is slowly easing and will give way to a much more temperate climate for a spell next week. It reached 102 in my garden, and the heat index rose to 110 across middle America yesterday. “This too shall pass.” Mild temperatures are on the way.

So, the Georgia Bulldogs. As the title of this piece gives away, they are my National Champion entering this season. A semi-chalk pick, but when a team is built to ‘kick ass’ like this one, it’s hard to see it any other way.

It’s not my expectation that Georgia will kick every team’s ‘ass’ on their schedule this year, but by season’s end they will have at least 10 wins and a spot in the playoff. With a team that is built to go the distance this year and a favorable schedule (#44 SOS) this team will find it’s rhythm Week 6 and will not look back. I expect that if any losses occur, they will be in the first four games.

Georgia Bulldogs 2025 Schedule:

• Week 1: Marshall
• Week 2: Austin Peay
• Week 3: @Tennessee
• BYE
• Week 5: Alabama
• Week 6: Kentucky
• Week 7: @Auburn
• Week 8: Mississippi
• BYE
• Week 10: Florida (Neutral)
• Week 11: @Miss St
• Week 12: Texas
• Week 13: Charlotte
• Week 14: Georgia Tech 11/28 (Neutral)

While this Bulldog team is talented to the gills, I believe a slow start will be in order. Marshall and Austin Peay will provide little to no resistance to this squad in the first two weeks, but then the Bulldogs travel to Knoxville Week 3 and host Alabama Week 5 following a Week 4 bye week that falls for both teams. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to win both of these tough matchups, but it is equally possible that they lose both. One thing is for sure, by the time the Wildcats and Kentucky pull into Athens, the kinks will all be worked out and this team will be ready to roll. Only playing three true road games is a significant cherry on top.

So, who do I like on this team?

Several players jump off the page to me that I will list below.

2025 Georgia Bulldogs Offense:

• QB Gunner Stockton 6’1 215 Junior
• RB Nate Frazier 5’10 210 Sophomore
  • 2024 Team leading rusher as a freshman: 681 yards, 8 TD’s
• WR Noah Thomas 6’5 205 Senior
  • Texas A&M leading receiver in ’24: 574 yards, 8 TD’s
• TE Oscar Delp 6’5 245 Senior
  • 21 catches and four TD’s in ’24
• WR/PR Zachariah Branch 5’9 180 Junior
  • Offensive ‘X-factor’
  • USC’s 3rd leading receiver last year: 47 catches, 503 yards
  • Elite speed, gamebreaker in space

Dual threat dark horse Heisman candidate Stockton at the helm is a massive improvement over Carson Beck last season. A fully healthy Nate Frazier is the best running back in the SEC coming into this season. Noah Thomas will be an insanely tough cover on the perimeter, Delp will be a mismatch on 3rd and medium and in the redzone, and Branch will be the piece that holds it all in place. I see Branch as a Percy Harvin type. Line him up in the slot or the wingback and get him the ball quickly in space. My expectation is that this receiving corps will allow Stockton to look his best and allow him to shine. By season’s end, he will be a Heisman finalist where he will lose to Ohio St receiver Jeremiah Smith.

An upgrade at QB, the best running back, and elite receivers should have this offense ready to do its part in this national title run.

2025 Georgia Bulldogs Defense:

• The two Jordans:
  • DT Jordan Hall 6’4 320 Sophomore
  • DT Jordan Thomas 6’5 315 rFreshman
    • TWO highly recruited Explosive gap pluggers
• LB CJ Allen 6’1 235 Junior
  • #2 Team tackler in ’24
• SS KJ Bolden 6’0 180 Sophomore
  • #5 tackler on team as a freshman
• CB Daylen Everett 6’1 190 Senior
  • 58 tackles, 3 INT in ’24
    • Backup Elias Robinson 6’0 180 rFr.
      • Robinson will add depth and make an impact on this team

Georgia is going to have an elite defense this season. Stop me if you have heard that before today. Redundant as the statement is–it’s as true as a Dominic Zvada fifty yarder (The Michigan Kicker was 7/7 in ’24 on kicks 50+). Kirby Smart knows how to build and coach a defense, and this year is no exception. This defense has elite top-level talent and elite depth at nearly every position. Zayden Walker and Justin Williams will help add depth at LB as underclassman this season. This is relatively young defense that looks like it will start just two Seniors, but the abundant elite young talent is evident. You don’t have to be a Senior to act like one. Sophomore Strong Safety KJ Bolden will prove that this year.

To conclude, with the offensive upgrades and defense reloaded, the Georgia Bulldogs are ready to win another title. At least, according to the guy that was backup CB on his West TN JV squad back in ’02 and now current expert of his own opinions. This guy.

Truth is–it’s anyone’s season. The games played on the field will decide. Like Florida Head Coach Billy Napier said two days ago,

“”This team will have an opportunity to define itself…we will decide with how we play. That’s what our focus is on.”

I’m sure Kirby has said something similar, but Billy said that most recently. Each team has the opportunity to “decide how they play” and let that decide who wins it all. Chris Vernon, Tom Fornelli, Joel Klatt, or amateur guys like me can predict anything. It doesn’t mean it has to be true in the end. This is just for fun and I’m sure the others would say the same.

The team that works hardest and dreams biggest will win in the end. Don’t stop dreaming, don’t stop believing because of someone else’s expectation. Players, let your play on the field decide who you are. You are champions if you believe it to be so.

Like River Jude Bottom (Pheonix), keep dreaming for the best in others to show. Maybe “we’re all worth millions of stars and galaxies” like the talented teen said thirty-six years ago.

Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’

Whit W.