I thought about doing yet another preview for the opener or, worse, the season, but what’s the point? If you’ve kept up with things over the summer, any Georgia preview is like a bad movie version of a good book. I think that’s why we’re all so dissatisfied and nit-picky with most any preview that’s out there. We’ve read the book.

Even Mark Richt is over all of this preseason crap. So instead we’ll keep things a bit more casual and random until we play ball.

Simoniz your watches

The Dawg Walk will take place at 10:45. The location hasn’t changed, but construction on the Tate Center expansion continues, so keep that in mind when heading down there.

Even though it’s an early game against a 1-AA team, I hope the pregame turnout will be better than usual. There will be a video tribute to Uga VI around 12:15, and his successor will be introduced soon after. Besides, being there to hear “your #1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs” is alone worth packing up tailgate a little earlier.

Tickets

Lots of stories about ticket scarcity. I’m not really sympathetic with those who decided that this would be a good time to start getting tickets. It’s not like this is the first promising year under Mark Richt. If two SEC titles weren’t enough to get your motor going before now (when there was much less demand for tickets), I can’t feel your pain.

I’m a little more understanding when it comes to the plight of current students. It seems as if there are always complaints, but the situation is justifiably tighter this year. Due to demand, ticket packages are even being split into three-game sets. Ouch. It’s a good time to be a UGA student, but that’s the price of success. Trust us, you’d much rather have it this way instead of how we had it in 1993 and 1994.

OK, I can’t help it.

Two quick things about the team. First, as impressive as Moreno and Stafford might be, this is still a Georgia offense that was outside the top 3 in the SEC in scoring offense, rushing offense, and passing offense. I’d feel a lot better about the season if the offense can get into the top 3 in those stats. Whether it’s the addition of a playmaker like A.J. Green or another year of experience under Mike Bobo, the offense should have the firepower it needs to become one of the best units in the conference. I hope to see some of that on Saturday.

But if you believe Mark Schlabach, the defense should still be the strength of the team (h/t Blutarsky). Georgia’s schedule has been the focus of many centimeter-deep Georgia previews, but it’s not much more different than the 2003 schedule (trading Clemson for Arizona State). In 2003 the Georgia defense was simply scary, leading to big wins over Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, and Tech. The defense even looked good in Georgia’s losses (with the lone exception of the SEC Championship). That 2003 defense helped Georgia overcome a young and, let’s face it, porous offensive line and weak running game to win the SEC East.

We have a higher regard for members of that 2003 defense (Pollack, Davis, Thurman, Jones, et. al.), but is this 2008 defense cut from the same cloth?