They are, Marshall

As we enter the first full week of the 2025 CFB season (and the 6th annual edition of Dtru's Dimes), I must admit that there was temptation to enlist the help of Chat GPTtru for drafting this post. For the record, I reserve my right to do so in the future. But for now, I maintain my status as a Luddite. As an Under Armour commercial once stated the only way is through. For many years, I mistakenly attributed "the only way is through" tagline to an ESPN college football commercial. As recently as this past week, during a conversation with our friend Kritesh, I made a reference to it. Some would say the quote has become my personal mantra, so I had to face a hard truth when I learned of it's true origin. But, I digress.

In terms of our opponent, where do we begin? Outside of Byron Leftwich, Randy Moss, and Chad Pennington (and the box office classic We Are Marshall), I don't know much about Marshall. As much as I enjoy watching Sun Belt football, it's hard to keep up when there is a roster exodus at the conclusion of a season. I am sick, but not sick enough to closely monitor Sun Belt recruiting and portal additions. Marshall won the Sun Belt title in 2024, and right after the conference championship game, former head coach Charles Huff announced that he had accepted the job at Southern Miss. As a result, this roster completely turned over. Per ESPN, 29 scholarship players entered the portal, and Marshall has 61 new players on the team in 2025. So, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to expectations for the 2025 Marshall squad.

Interestingly enough, your Georgia Bulldogs also have a fair share of uncertainty around the team. Per Bill Connelly, the Dawgs rank 105th in returning production entering the 2025 season (out of 136 teams). Most teams don't recruit like Georgia, and aren't able to reload as quickly. But, it is harder to predict the range of outcomes for a season when there is so much turnover on the roster. My prediction for the outcome of the 2025 season? 10-2. But if the Dawgs go 9-3, 8-4, or 11-1, I can't say it will be a huge shock.

A big key to the 2025 season? A man named Bobo, of course! This may come across as a surprise, but I am not talking about Mike. In this case, I'm referring to his son Drew. The OL for the Dawgs was a major weakness in the 2024 season. Although the running backs were not without blame, I think the rushing production was primarily an OL issue. Injuries certainly played a part in the poor performance of the OL, that much is clear. What concerns me is that arguably the top 3 performers from last year's unit departed for the NFL after the season and were drafted in the first 3 rounds. The performance of the next men up (Drew Bobo and Micah Morris, along with true freshman Juan Gaston) will define the 2025 season. As will the health of Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene, both highly rated OT recruits that have battled injuries throughout their time in God's Country.

Kipp Adams of Dawgs 247 tracks annual production statistics from year-to-year, and the 2024 numbers that he posted were alarming (see the chart below from Kipp's article).

The Dawgs ranked 102nd nationally in rushing in 2024, with an average of 124 yards per game. As a point of reference, this was the lowest total by far during Kirby Smart's tenure as head coach; the next lowest average rushing output was 174 yards per game in the 2020 season. In the back-to-back national championship seasons, the Dawgs ranked 19th and 36th nationally in rushing output, averaging 191 and 205 yards per game, respectively. Maybe it's all just random data points, but I thought it was worth noting.

There is a lot to excited about with this Dawgs team. CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson are back and headline the talented group of inside linebackers, but young bucks including Justin Williams will push the veterans for playing time. Although the interior of the defensive line might not have the same collection of future 1st round NFL draft picks as the national championship winning Dawgs teams, Christen Miller, Xzavier Mcleod, and a (hopefully) healthy Jordan Hall are back, and will be joined by true freshman, Elijah Griffin, who was a consensus top 10 player in the 2025 recruiting class. I think there is enough within that group to become a dominant unit once again. The transfer portal haul was impressive, with Noah Thomas, Zachariah Branch, Josh McCray, and Elo Modozie headlining the list of projected contributors in 2025. After the struggles in 2024, I am quite excited about UGA's wide receiver corps in 2025. I think Colbie Young is going to be THE guy in the WR room in 2025. But what do I know.

As Kirby Smart enters his 10th season as head coach (long may he reign!), the current team probably has more unknowns than any other team during his tenure. I made it through the entire post without mentioning what some view as the biggest unknown of all, quarterback Gunner Stockton. I am no longer a betting man, but if I were, I like the odds of Kirby convincing his entire roster that the national pundits are conspiring against them. The only acceptable remedy for countering the mainstream media bias is a national championship.

Go Dawgs!