When Georgia Bulldogs announcer Jeff Dantzler last visited Baldwin County for his annual preseason commentary, he was asking, “Why not us?” The question referenced UGA’s opportunity in 2023 to win three national championships in a row.
Of course, everyone knows Georgia lost a heartbreaker to Alabama in the SEC championship game last year and missed the four-team College Football Playoff.
Dantzler was in town Tuesday night for his 10th annual appearance at Duke’s Lounge and Dawg House on Lake Sinclair, where he shared his views on the upcoming season. Dantzler was asked following his remarks to again give a prediction for the upcoming season. The answer showed a similar philosophy.
“10-2 and we win the national championship,” Dantzler responded, drawing a lot of applause from an audience of nearly 100 Bulldog fans.
At the outset, Dantzler pumped up the crowd with some superior numbers.
“Seven-straight years in a bowl game is a Georgia record, seven-straight years in the top 10 a Georgia record, sevenstraight postseason victories, counting those two national championship games,” he recited.
“46 and 2 in the last 48 games. That’s incredible,” Dantzler exclaimed. “The greatest stretch ever by an SEC team over that period.
“Last year,” he added, “we became the first college football team in history to achieve a record of 12-0 at any point in the season for three consecutive years. Six in seven years a record of 11-1 or 12-0. It is just astounding what we have been able to do.”
Dantzler also talked of the fruits of winning the first national championship since 1980.
“We didn’t just get a monkey off our back; we got King Kong off our shoulders by winning that national championship, then another one. It’s so refreshing to be more excited than nervous going into a year.”
Dantzler also went through what he termed “if not the toughest, one of the three toughest schedules,” for this season, starting with former arch-rival Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta this Saturday at noon. Also on the 2024 schedule are road games at Alabama, new SEC member Texas, and Kentucky as well as Mississippi.
A home contest with Auburn is sandwiched between the Alabama and Mississippi State contests, and Tennessee will be between the hedges the week after the Ole Miss game. The Dogs will host Tech the Friday after Thanksgiving in a night contest.
NCAA rules allow 85 players eligible to play, and Dantzler talked about Georgia’s numbers.
“The depth, 1-to-85, is it the best in the country? I don’t know,” he pondered.
“Is it one of the best in the country? Yes! It might be the best in the country. He added he believes this year’s group of players to be “as talented as we’ve ever had,” overall.
Dantzler said he didn’t know if a star player would show up in that group of players but suggested that could be an advantage.
“I think that depth – if we can make it to the playoffs – will really show and if we’re one of those teams that gets in, will give us an excellent chance to make a run.”
Dantzler pointed out that under the 12-team format, the champions of the ACC, SEC, the Big 10 and the Big 12 are guaranteed first-round byes. So, losing the SEC championship game would be “really bad,” he said.
“Because you’re not going to get a top-four seed and a bye. You’re going to have to play – at home hopefully – and then you’re going to have to play three more. So, if you lost your conference championship, to play for the national title you will be playing your 17th game of the year,” Dantzler pointed out.
The announcer also praised head coach “King” Kirby Smart, pointing out the depth Smart has accumulated and the annual cost of success.
“It is absolutely astounding,” Dantzler proclaimed. “Think about the number of players year in, year out that we’re losing to the NFL, and yet, here we are, year in and year out, sitting on top of the college football world. It’s just absolutely awesome.”