Georgia coach Mark Richt has set the bar high for the Bulldogs this season.
With several players back from a team that won its first SEC East division title since 2005, Richt and the rest of the Bulldogs have set a goal to return to Atlanta for the SEC title game this season.
“I’d be disappointed,” Richt said. “That’s where we want to be.”
Georgia will begin that quest Saturday at home against Buffalo.
The Bulldogs have several pieces in place to make a championship season possible. Third-year starting quarterback Aaron Murray threw for a school-record 35 touchdowns last season and is being mentioned as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.
Linebacker Jarvis Jones is back after leading the SEC in sacks last season with 13 1/2.
“It just kind of seems like the stars are kind of aligning for us to be able to do a whole lot of great things this year,” Georgia linebacker Cornelius Washington said. “We’ve got to put in the work and put in the effort, and I feel like we go out every day and do that.”
Added tight end Arthur Lynch: “Our goal is to get to Atlanta, to get to (the BCS title game in) Miami and to win. (Snapper) Ty Frix said it well the other night. Let’s forget Miami. If you win every single game and you’re in the SEC, you will be national champions.”
Georgia finished 10-4 last season. The Bulldogs proved they were capable of getting a run last season. Sandwiched between a two-game losing streak to start the season and two-game losing streak to close the season were 10 consecutive victories.
“We want to be undefeated when we get to the SEC championship,” safety Shawn Williams said. “It’s going to take a great team, it’s going to take everybody clicking. We just don’t want to set our standards too low.”