Opinion: Dogs' 2010 season balanced on fine edge

The 2010 Georgia Bulldogs football season hinges on two things, two tiny, miniscule things:

1. Quarterback play

2. A new defense

OK, maybe I was fudging a bit when I said tiny -- make that hugely important.

Georgia has the pieces in place to field one of the best offenses of the Mark Richt era: a deep and talented offensive line, two stellar running backs, and proven tight ends and receivers -- that includes possibly the best pass-catcher in America in A.J. Green.

The only question is a redshirt freshman signal caller that has yet to play a down at the NCAA level.

That's a big "if," but it's an "if" that surrounds a highly-talented player that is undeniably driven. Aaron Murray overcame a broken bone in his leg during his senior year to lead his high school to a Florida state title.

Is he ready for the SEC? Probably not early in the season -- few freshman are -- but he has a great supporting cast to lean on and a coach that has developed a quarterback or two during his day. And while some point to Joe Tereshinski and Joe Cox as proof that Mark Richt can also miss on signal callers, the play of David Greene, D.J. Shockley and Matt Stafford shows that Georgia's head coach can win big with very different types of quarterbacks running the Bulldogs' pro-style offense.

Murray won't light the world on fire this season -- and he doesn't have to, which is why Georgia will be in the hunt for an SEC title game and 10 wins in 2010. And late in the campaign you will see the "eureka!" moment for the freshman, as the game inevitably slows down for him. In the meantime his talent will be more than enough to keep Dog fans encouraged.

On to question number two, and perhaps even more important, how will Georgia's entire defensive unit fare?

There is no doubt that the Bulldogs are blessed with talent, athleticism and ability on defense, but that may not keep Georgia from making its fair share of mistakes while learning new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's 3-4 system.

That said, Dogs fans are hopeful and excited that when, at least, mistakes are made, they come thanks to over-aggression and a lack of experience rather than timidity or poor fundamentals -- both terms that had come to symbolize Georgia's defense over the past two seasons (hints of which dated back to the end of 2005 and a Sugar Bowl loss to West Virginia).

While it will take some time for Georgia's players to become 100 percent comfortable with Grantham's style, players like Justin Houston, Akeem Dent, DeAngelo Tyson, Darryl Gamble and Brandon Boykin are too talented for the Dogs defense to devolve. And an increased attention to detail should mean a unit that is both more disciplined and more sure of itself...

With that said, I believe Georgia is in for a 10-2 season.

Nine wins is kind of the over-under for this campaign. For some 10 will sound overly-optimistic, and I certainly believe the Dogs could finish with as few as seven victories thanks to the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference. But Richt's new hires, old hands on the squad and a renewed since of hunger should be enough to keep Georgia in the conference hunt throughout the season.

There are three big swing games for Georgia on the schedule that will make or break or their hopes, and few should discount even formerly lowly Mississippi State this season.

Here's how the season could break down, by game:

Sept. 4, vs. Louisiana Lafayette: Win -- The Dogs may actually struggle more than some think in this opener, as they stretch their legs and get used to their new QB and defense against another foe

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