ATHENS — It’s game week in Athens, with a short drive to Atlanta and explosive opening game matchup ahead.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart and his staff will be putting the finishing touches on what has been, by all counts, a relatively successful fall camp.
The preseason No. 1-ranked Bulldogs aren’t expected to be at full strength, but the 13.5-point line for the Tigers appears to be on the mark when comparing the teams on paper.
Of course, the game is played on the field, and what matters most is how the coaches have schemed things up and how the players execute.
That said, this Georgia football team has some areas to be watched more closely than others when the game kicks off …
Running Back rotation
Many have speculated that Florida transfer Trevor Etienne will be suspended as a result of his offseason driving incident, but Smart has yet to make such an announcement.
What is known, however, is that Roderick Robinson has been dealing with a turf toe that could leave him sidelined, which would leave the ranks thin against a Clemson team with a very strong front.
Branson Robinson is still working to come back from the serious knee injury that sidelined him last fall, and his effectiveness and durability is in question.
Incoming true freshman Nate Frazier has sizzled in fall camp, but he did not have the benefit of spring drills, and his relative inexperience could be a factor.
Defensive line depth
Senior Nazir Stackhouse is a solid anchor at defensive tackle, but Warren Brinson was held out of some work in camp because of an Achilles injury, and projected No. 3 defense tackle Jordan Hall is out indefinitely with a tibia stress fracture.
That will be more snaps for up-and-coming talents like Christen Miller and Jamaal Jarrett, particularly if South Carolina transfer Xzavier McLeod is still dealing with an abdominal strain.
Carson Beck connection
Beck, by most all accounts, is the top pro prospect at the quarterback position in the collegiate ranks entering the season.
But Beck no longer has explosive go-to targets Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey working their way open on every play, which will place a premium on his accuracy as his passing windows figure to be tighter.
Beck has worked to build chemistry with reliable returning targets like Dillon Bell, Dominic Lovett, Arian Smith and Oscar Delp, but will the re-tooled pass game provide the necessary consistency to maintain drives and create explosive gains?
Secondary growth
Georgia has some reloading to do with three defensive backs selected in the first 100 picks of the most recent NFL Draft, to the extent to imagine there won’t be some drop-off.
But how much, and to what extent?
All-American Malaki Starks is steady enough to be counted on, even coming off his off-season shoulder surgery.
But what of new starting defensive back Joenel Aguero, who is replacing the most productive and underrated defensive back off last year’s team, Tykee Smith?
Departed corner Kamari Lassiter is tearing it up in Houston’s NFL camp, leaving UGA to go with more inexperience at the position, as Julian Humphrey and Daniel Harris battle it out for snaps opposite returning starter Daylen Everette.
Team Personality
Smart has prepared several Georgia teams capable of winning championships, some getting more fortuitous bounces than others in his previous eight years.
Each of those teams has had a different personalty and resolve, growing as the seasons have progressed.
Having a veteran returning starter at quarterback is a tremendous advantage, as is a dominant and deep offensive line and a capable and hungry linebacking corps.
But the questions about the defensive line depth and ability and availability of new and added skill position players might ultimately be key to Georgia’s success in the opening game as well as the program’s championship hopes.