Georgia could be team to beat

This is the ninth in a series of short reports examining some of college football’s spring story lines. Today: Georgia … It’s on my mind.

Don’t be shocked if the team that thumped Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl enters 2008 as the nation’s No. 1 team in some polls. The only post-New Year’s misstep Georgia made was school President Michael Adams’ leaking his playoff proposal on the same day Louisiana State was celebrating its national title victory over Ohio State.

Spring forward: Georgia returns 15 starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno, from the 11-2 team that thought it deserved a spot in last year’s BCS title game. Adams’ playoff idea may have been dead on arrival, but his football team is not.

Early game to watch: Sept. 20, at Arizona State. It will be Georgia’s first contest against the Pacific 10 Conference since it defeated Oregon State in 1987.