1/21/2009 football Edit

Dawgs No. 18 in Preseason Ranking

Steve Patterson

Publisher

The Georgia Bulldogs have been tabbed No. 18 in Rivals.com's pre-spring top 25 for 2009.

"The Bulldogs lost three key players early – quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Knowshon Moreno and cornerback Asher Allen," writes the web-based college sports publication. "Still, this is a program with a lot of talent, and the three defections mean the Bulldogs might actually be under the radar a bit this fall."

Georgia, who entered the 2008 season ranked No. 1, fell short of championship expectations, but still managed a respectable No. 16 with a 10-3 record and New Years' Day bowl win over No. 18 Michigan State.

Returning nearly all of their key players, it comes as no surprise that Florida makes its debut at No. 1. Texas, Oklahoma, USC, and LSU round out the top five.

Other SEC teams ranked include No. 8 Alabama and No. 12 Ole Miss.

Check out the complete list here.