ATHENS —Two national championship contenders will be colliding when Georgia plays Oregon on Sept. 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

First-year Ducks coach Dan Lanning made that perfectly clear during his presentation at Pac-12 Media Day on Friday.

Lanning, who served as Georgia’s defensive coordinator the past three years, pointed out that Oregon is one of only nine programs to play for the national championship in the past 11 years.

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“Our goal, like I said, is to win every single game,” Lanning said. “That’s our goal. We have the team and the ability to do it.”

The Las Vegas betting line suggests Coach Kirby Smart’s reigning national champions are a 17-point favorite to blow out the Ducks.

But listening to Lanning and taking a closer look at what Oregon brings back — against a reloading Georgia team — suggests this game might be closer than many believe.

Former Auburn star Bo Nix gives the Ducks a transfer quarterback with a high ceiling, and Oregon brings back seven of its top eight offensive linemen.

The Bulldogs, it’s worth noting, are replacing five starters in their back seven, including last season’s top cover corner — Orange Bowl Defensive MVP Derion Kendrick — and first-round NFL draft pick Lewis Cine at safety.

To boot, UGA lost four first-round draft picks out of a front seven that anchored a historically dominant front.

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Georgia’s offense is positioned for an explosive season provided the run game is as powerful and effective as expected.

The Bulldogs’ play-action game is predicated on a strong ground attack, something Lanning knows better than anyone having sat in the team meetings.

Stopping the run will be the biggest question for the Ducks, though Oregon does have some talent on the defensive side of the ball.

Defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus and inside linebacker Noah Sewell were first-team All-Pac 12 picks this week, and inside linebacker Justin Flowe is a second-team pick.

Sewell was a primary target for current UGA co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann on the recruiting trail, and Lanning said he recruited Flowe while still at Georgia.

Lanning, like Smart, knows better than to look too far ahead to the game.

“Honestly, we haven’t spent a ton of focus on game one,” Lanning said. “I know our players are certainly excited to be on a national stage early and get to play obviously an elite opponent in Georgia that we’re really familiar with.

“That being said, we’re really focused on right now. You can’t play game one until you have practice one, right? That’s our next approach.”