Georgia to be tested early by Oregon after losing 15 players to NFL | College Football Enquirer

Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Ross Dellenger discuss the Week 1 matchup between 11 Oregon and 3 Georgia, and debate if Kirby Smart’s team will be able to survive all the losses to the NFL, or if the Ducks will stun yet another Top 5 opponent.

Video transcript

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PAT FORDE: I want to see the reigning national champions. I want to see what Georgia looks like. Can you pull an Alabama, basically, is the question here. Can you lose five first-round draft picks all on defense and come back the next year, win a division, possibly win a conference, possibly make the playoff, possibly compete for another national championship?

That's Alabama-level stuff. That's stuff that other teams are not usually able to do. Can Georgia do it? Is this Kirby Smart's next step in building the next Alabama? They're playing Oregon, very good opponent with a good offensive line, with some really good players on the defensive front seven.

Dan Lanning will know the strengths and weaknesses of Georgia's team and how Kirby Smart likes to coach and what he doesn't like. So he will have Oregon ready. I don't think Oregon's good enough, but I am intrigued just to look at the Dawgs and see how they come in after winning a national championship last year.

DAN WETZEL: Agree. Fascinating game. Oregon last year, different coach, but they walk into the Horseshoe, beat Ohio State. This year, can they go into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and do the same?

And yeah, is there any kind of hangover with Georgia? Dan Lanning, what do you bring to the table? Again, another really big game for the PAC-12 as a conference playing down in SEC territory.