The Georgia Bulldogs have national title aspirations heading into the 2015 season—the oddsmakers seem to agree as the team is receiving Top 12 futures odds—but the first order of business for 15-year coach Mark Richt and his squad is to win the SEC East and conference title. Georgia has not won the SEC crown in a decade and has only managed to play in the Championship Game twice during that span.

The Bulldogs will be facing a season of change come September with the addition of new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, an uncertain quarterback situation, and gaps to fill at the receiver position. Georgia is still expected to be very good; the team simply has questions to answer before we can put them into the elite contender category. Let’s take a closer look at the Bulldogs 2016 national title odds with predictions and analysis. All odds come from Bovada.

Georgia Bulldogs 2015 Schedule and Win Total Odds

Win Total: 9 wins (“Over” -135)

Georgia may have lost a few key players during the offseason, specifically running back Todd Gurley, but sophomore Nick Chubb is expected to step right in and be an anchor for the team as it incorporates a new offensive system and sorts out its quarterback situation. Last season Georgia produced a 9-3 regular-season mark and never earned any national title attention after losing the second game of the year. The team, however, did produce a number of huge wins against then-ranked No. 16 Clemson, No. 23 Missouri, and No. 9 Auburn.

Georgia has five key matchups on its 2015 schedule with games against South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia Tech to close out the year. The team currently has a totals line of nine wins, with the over being favored at -135, and essentially the squad would have to lose most of their big games in order to go “under” with an 8-4 regular season mark. In 2014 Georgia went 3-2 over its five big matchups and then dropped a game to Florida during the middle of the season. The over feels like the smart way to bet, particularly since a 9-3 mark pushes on the wager.

Sept 5: UL Monroe

Sept 12: @ Vanderbilt

Sept 19: South Carolina

Sept 26: Southern

Oct 3: Alabama

Oct 10: @ Tennessee

Oct 17: Missouri

Oct 31: Florida

Nov 7: Kentucky

Nov 14: @ Auburn

Nov 21: Ga Southern

Nov 28: @ Georgia Tech

Georgia Bulldogs 2016 National Title Odds and Trends

Title Odds: +2500

2014 ATS Record: 8-5; 4-4 home

2014 Totals Record: 9-4; 6-2 home

Georgia is receiving Top 12 futures odds, but the way the top of the field is stacked, the team might as well be miles away. Receiving +2500 on an SEC squad is always enticing, but with Ohio State, Alabama and TCU ready to dominate, the odds are a long shot at best. Expect the Bulldogs to be run-heavy early in the season, which could cause the team to struggle against the spread.

Georgia Bulldogs 2016 College Football National Championship Pick and Predictions

The Bulldogs are not expected to make a final quarterback decision until the preseason begins in August. Most experts believe sophomore Brice Ramsey will end up with the starting job, but there are two other capable quarterbacks on the roster hoping to win the position. Georgia could be a very good team with Ramsey, yet at the moment, there is nothing to suspect that he will be a game-changing player. Predicting a national title run would be going out on a limb—the team’s SEC schedule is simply too difficult. To me this season feels like another solid 10-3 season (with a bowl game) for Georgia.

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