Georgia is "that team" heading into the 2017 college football season.
The Bulldogs finished 8-5 in Kirby Smart's first season as head coach, and that included losses to rivals Tennessee, Georgia and Georgia Tech. Georgia, however, received good news when running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel decided to stay in school. That should help sophomore quarterback Jacob Eason improve, and a top-five recruiting class heightened expectations. The Bulldogs will be the chic pick to win the SEC East. There's no doubt about that.
MORE: Georgia's title drought is on the clock
The Bulldogs are No. 10 in Sporting News' Way-Too-Early Top 25 as a result, and here's a preview of Georgia's 2017 schedule, roster and biggest questions entering the season.
When is Georgia's spring game?
Georgia's G-Day spring game is 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.
Where will be Georgia's spring game be televised?
Georgia's spring game will be televised by the SEC Network.
2017 Georgia football schedule
Sept. 2: vs. Appalachian State
Sept. 9: at Notre Dame
Sept. 16: vs. Samford
Sept. 23: vs. Mississippi State
Sept. 30: at Tennessee
Oct. 7: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 14: vs. Missouri
Oct. 21: BYE
Oct. 28: vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Nov. 4: vs. South Carolina
Nov. 11: at Auburn
Nov. 18: vs. Kentucky
Nov. 25: at Georgia Tech
Dec. 2: SEC championship game
2017 Georgia recruiting class
This is a big reason for the excitement around the program. Georgia had a composite ranking of No. 3 across four major recruiting sites. Five-tackle Isaiah Wilson and five-star safety Richard LeCounte III were among the impact players in the Bulldogs' 26-commitment class.
2017 Georgia roster
Georgia's roster will be updated in the spring and summer here.
Three things to watch
1. Can Chubb contend for a Heisman?
Chubb's career at Georgia has taken several interesting turns. He stepped in for an injured Todd Gurley as a freshman, suffered a nasty leg injury as a sophomore and returned to rushed for 1,130 yards and eight TDs as a junior. Chubb, however, averaged just 41.6 yards per game in the Bulldogs' five losses. He's the key to the offense, and Michel can help carry the load. These two running backs are the keys to Georgia's SEC East championship hopes.
2. What's Eason's next step?
Eason arrived as a five-star recruit with a lot of buzz, and he had an up-and-down freshman season. Eason had a pair of 300-yard games last season, but he needs to improve on a 55.1 completion percentage. He'll have the same friendly running game, and he threw just eight interceptions. There's big-time potential here, and that should be visible in the spring.
3. Is the defense SEC title worthy?
Smart and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker have more depth on that side of the ball this season, and that starts with a deep D-line led by defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, who led the Bulldogs with five sacks last season. There's depth at that unit for new defensive line Tray Scott to work with. All four starting linebackers are back, including leading tackler Roquan Smith. Lorenzo Carter, Natrez Patrick and Davin Bellamy round that group out. The secondary will have to hold up, and it will be interesting to see if LeCounte III makes an instant impact on that side.
