Georgia head coach Kirby Smart loves the type of games his Bulldogs will play like Saturday in the season-opener against Oregon.

For coaches as competitive as Smart, there’s nothing quite like kicking off the season against an opponent the caliber of the Ducks.

While some programs like to ease into the season against Little Debbie Do-Dah State University, Smart makes no secret he'd rather that first game be against someone he and his Bulldog can sink their teeth into.

The Ducks qualify as that.

When the contest was proposed by the folks at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Smart did not hesitate to say yes. Thus, we’ve got one of the more interesting match-ups to kick off the 2022 campaign.

The eyes of the college football world will be on Atlanta Sunday afternoon when the game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.

As the Bulldogs put the finishing touches on their game plan, we’re going to roll out a new feature taking a dive into what the Bulldogs need to do in order to be successful and come away victorious in that week’s respective game.

Today, there’s a lot to dissect:

Win the line of scrimmage: No duh. But this area does deserve mention. Georgia’s losses on the defensive front have been well-documented, but the fact the Bulldogs will be facing a team to which all five members of the offensive line return tells us this figures to be a good first test.

Fortunately for Georgia, its defensive line faces good offensive linemen every day in practice, a fact Smart raised during Monday’s press conference.

“I think they've got more returning starters, returning snaps than almost anybody in the country on their offensive line,” Smart said. “You have to control the line of scrimmage and strike people to be a good football team. They know that. Dan (Lanning) knows that. There is nothing hidden about that. Our defensive line has to stop the run and be able to control the quarterback. Depending on which quarterback it is, you got some really good athletes back there.”

Left tackle Steven Jones (6-foot-5, 332 pounds) is a hoss while left guard T.J. Bass is a first-team All-Pac-12 selection. But otherwise, it will not be the biggest offensive line the Bulldogs will face, with right guard Ryan Walk listed at “only” 6-4, 293 pounds.

Keep an eye on an untested Duck secondary: Experts like to bring up the youth in Georgia’s secondary, but the Ducks have some new faces of their own that the Bulldogs will look to exploit.

Other than senior free safety Bennett Williams, Oregon’s projected secondary consists entirely of sophomores, including Colorado transfer Christian Gonzalez. Nickel back Jamal Hill is a returning starter, but at just 6-0 and 199 pounds, he figures to need some help covering Brock Bowers and the rest of Georgia’s talented tight ends. There’s a potential for some big plays here.

Bulldogs have had Bo Nix’s number before. Will that continue? These days, it’s unusual to play against the same quarterback four years in a row. But assuming Nix gets the call as expected, that’s exactly what will happen Saturday.

After spending his first three years at Auburn, Nix transferred to Oregon in the offseason, and although Lanning has not officially named his starting quarterback, Nix figures to be the guy.

Smart actually cracked a funny when asked about Lanning’s remarks, noting “I know who the quarterback is going to be. I'm not worried about that.”

In the three previous games against Nix, he’s thrown for a total of over 600 yards, but he has tossed just one touchdown and been prone to mistakes when facing the Bulldog defense.

While that likely means nothing considering Nix is playing with brand new teammates, you’d think it would give Georgia defenders a certain level of confidence competing against him Saturday.

Have answers for Noah Sewell: Sewell will be one of the best inside linebackers the Bulldogs will see all year, and if running backs Kenny McIntosh, Kendall Milton and company want to get to the second level, putting a consistent hat on the All-Pac 12 performer will be key.

Sewell (6-3, 251) led the Ducks in tackles last year with 114 and four sacks. Along with Justin Flowe, Sewell is expected to give Oregon one of the best inside linebacking duos in the country.

Flowe missed all but two games before redshirting as a true freshman, but is finally healthy.

The Ducks will hope to take a page out of Georgia’s defensive playbook by plugging up the middle of the Bulldog offensive line, which will allow Sewell and Flowe to make plays.

…How many defensive linemen are ready to play? The Bulldogs love to rotate their defensive linemen and this year will be no exception. Counting projected starters Jalen Carter, Zion Logue and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, the Bulldogs also have Tramel Walthour, Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse, and Bill Norton as names you will recognize. However, also keep an eye on players like Mykel Williams, and possibly Bear Alexander and Christen Miller.

…How much more explosive will the Bulldogs be? There’s been a lot of talk that despite scoring a school-record 579 points last year, Georgia’s offense could potentially be more explosive. The Bulldogs averaged 38.6 points last year, but many believe that number will jump over 40 this fall.

…How will Todd Monken use his tight ends? One can almost imagine Monken sitting in his office, cackling to himself while thinking up the different ways he can bamboozle opposing defensive ends with the tight ends he has at his disposal.

Whether or not that becomes as intricate as some believe, we will see. But two tights on the field at the same time figures to be a common occurrence. Three? We’ll have to see.

How much rotation will we see on the offensive line? Georgia has been known to rotate players in and out of its offensive line. Although they likely will not do it a ton, its conceivable both Xavier Truss and Devin Willock could both see action at left guard. Smart also noted Monday that Micah Morris, Dylan Fairchild, and Warren Ericson have also repped in and out. Should right guard Tate Ratledge need a break, it will be interesting to see which one goes in first.