As Georgia prepares to embark on its 2023 campaign, there’s one question on the minds of Bulldog fans – will history be made?

Georgia kicks off the season Saturday against UT-Martin with an opportunity to achieve a feat that has not been accomplished in 87 years – win three straight national championships.

Just don’t mention that to head coach Kirby Smart, who rarely likes to look back at the past, and is famous for not wanting to deal with hypothetical questions.

“I don’t want to talk about three,” Smart said. “I mean, it is human nature to relax. It's human nature to take the easy route. And I can be as guilty of that as anyone. …it's easy to get comfortable. And being comfortable does not win.’’

Whether Georgia can join the 1934-35-36 Minnesota team, the last school to win three straight national championships remains to be seen. However, it will not be for a lack of trying.

With Smart, every day has a purpose, and every hour a plan.

Even with inevitable staff change – like replacing offensive coordinator Todd Monken with Mike Bobo – Smart’s goals and ambitions do not change.

“We’ll do it (prepare) the same way we did the other two,” Smart told reporters.

While some may see such a comment as cocky, it’s really not.

Having sat under the learning tree for 11 years with Nick Saban at Alabama, Smart knows what it takes to be a champion. Those ideals were only reinforced in Smart’s mind after beating the Crimson Tide for the 2021 national crown before rolling past Texas Christian last January in SoFi Stadium.

So, why change?

Even with the tragic deaths of former Bulldog offensive lineman Devin Willock and football staffer Chandler LeCroy, Georgia players and coaches appear to have transformed their grief into resolve.

Sadness has been replaced with focus and drive.

With fall camp complete and the opener less than a week away, Smart appears to have the Bulldogs believing they can become the first major college football program in 87 years to win three straight national crowns.

“Our coaches work hard,” Smart said. “People in the organization work hard, and I'm very thankful that they buy in and believe in what we're doing.”

When breaking down Georgia’s offense, there are two storylines to keep an eye on.

First, Mike Bobo is back as the offensive coordinator after Todd Monken returned to the NFL as the new offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.

Second, Stetson Bennett, who quarterbacked the Bulldogs to consecutive national titles, has moved on to the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams.

The Bulldogs' offense is not expected to change under Bobo – who was Georgia’s offensive coordinator for eight years under Mark Richt. Bobo – who has also served as the offensive coordinator at Auburn and South Carolina following a five-year stint as the head coach at Colorado State – returned to Athens last year where he served as an offensive analyst for Monken.

Starting quarterback Carson Beck is the other storyline that bears watching.

At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Beck completed 26 of 35 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns in mop-up duty last fall. While not the scrambler Bennett was, Beck possesses pocket awareness and has an NFL arm.

Beck will have no shortage of weapons at his disposal.

Tight end Brock Bowers is considered by many the best tight end in college football after catching 63 passes for 942 yards and seven touchdowns. Coupled with a deep group of receivers that includes Ladd McConkey (58-762-7), Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett (56-846-3), and Mississippi State transfer RaRa Thomas (44-626-7), there will be plenty of quality targets.

Junior speedster Arian Smith, senior Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, and sophomore Dillon Bell give Georgia what may be its most competitive room of wideouts since Smart took over as head coach in December of 2015.

In the backfield, the Bulldogs graduated leading rusher Kenny McIntosh, but Kendall Milton (85-592-8) and Daijun Edwards (140-769-7) are proven SEC backs. They just need to stay healthy, especially after the Bulldogs lost Branson Robinson to a ruptured patella tendon. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Andrew Paul appears to have recovered from his torn ACL, while walk-on Cash Jones has impressed and will have a role this fall. True freshman Roderick Robinson will also receive some opportunities.

Up front, the Bulldogs must replace starting left tackle Broderick Jones and right tackle Warren McClendon, but once again seem to have capable answers in redshirt freshman Earnest Greene III (6-4, 330), junior Austin Blaske (6-5, 310), and junior Amarius Mims (6-7, 330). The rest of the line – junior center Sedrick Van Pran (6-4, 310), senior left guard Xavier Truss (6-7, 320), and junior right guard Tate Ratledge (6-6, 315) – are veterans with two years of starting experience.

After boasting a defense many called “generational” during its 2021 championship run, Georgia’s defense in 2022 was pretty good, too.

But even with some key losses to that unit, the defense should be stout once again

Certainly, the absence of Jalen Carter hurts.

Carter was a one-man-wrecking crew for the Bulldogs, someone opposing teams had to account for on every snap. In most instances, they were never quite able to do so.

However, what Georgia may lack in having that one dominant defensive tackle, the Bulldogs have capable players.

Senior Nazir Stackhouse was a steady performer at the nose, with sophomore Mykel Williams a burgeoning star at defensive end. Senior Zion Logue, defensive end Tramel Walthour, defensive tackle Warren Brinson, redshirt sophomore Jonathan Jefferson, and redshirt sophomore defensive Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins are other names to keep an eye on. Freshmen Jordan Hall will also figure into the mix.

Another huge defensive loss for the Bulldogs is outside linebacker Nolan Smith, who along with Carter, was taken in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Georgia does return junior Chaz Chambliss, sophomore Marvin Jones Jr., and sophomore Darris Smith.

The Bulldogs also have high hopes for a trio of true freshmen – Samuel M’Pemba, Damon Wilson Jr., and Gabe Harris – each are expected to play. Redshirt sophomore C.J. Madden also hopes to contribute.

There are some familiar names at inside linebacker in Juman Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon – once he recovers from a left foot injury - with redshirt sophomore Xavian Sorey as another option, along with sophomore Jalon Walker. True freshmen Raylen Wilson, C.J. Allen, and Troy Bowles – son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, aren’t far behind.

In the secondary, junior Javon Bullard – who won the Defensive MVP honors in both the semifinal game at the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Ohio State and the National Championship against TCU – is expected to move from star to strong safety.

Senior Tykee Smith is finally healthy and apparently ready to take over at star, a spot he saw time at along with Bullard last fall.

The only starting position seemingly up for grabs is one of the two cornerback spots opposite starter Kamari Lassiter, who started all 15 games opposite Kelee Ringo.

With Ringo now in the NFL, redshirt sophomore Nyland Green, sophomore Daylen Everett, redshirt freshman Julian Humphrey, and true freshman A.J. Harris are among the main ones who have competed for starting jobs.

Opposite Bullard at safety will be sophomore Malaki Starks, who earned Freshman All-SEC honors last season. Others to watch include David Daniel-Sisavanh, and senior Dan Jackson. Senior Tykee Smith and freshman Joenel Aguero are the two main competitors at star.

Georgia catches a lot of grief for the non-conference portion of its schedule.

It's not exactly Murderer's Row.

That's because the SEC forced the Bulldogs to cancel their scheduled game at Oklahoma because the Sooners would be members of the SEC before the two schools were to complete the home-and-home in 2031.

The Sooners and Texas join the league in 2024.

Nevertheless, the schedule is what it is. Below, I list what I believe will be Georgia's easiest to most difficult games for 2023.

... After two years of being snubbed, Georgia's offensive line will finally win the Joe Moore Award.

... Quarterback Carson Beck will throw for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.

... Brock Bowers will throw a touchdown pass.

... Cash Jones will rush for 500 yards and catch 25 passes.

... Jordan Hall and Joenel Aguero will make the SEC All-Freshman Team.

... Of the three freshmen wide receivers, Anthony Evans III will make the biggest early impact.

... At the end of the season, fans will be talking about Jalon Walker in the same way they did about Azeez Ojulari. Walker will also lead the Bulldogs in tackles.

... Offensively, the Bulldogs will average over 40 points per game.

... Defensively, the Bulldogs will be very good, but I'm not sure they will keep opponents out of the end zone as often as they did the previous two seasons.

... Georgia will finish the regular season undefeated.

I'll preface my final thoughts by saying, yes, Georgia can win a third straight national championship.

Assuming the Bulldogs will be as good as I believe they will offensively, even if the defense is not quite on par with the previous two years, Georgia will be a tough out for any team they line up against.

Will they?

The part that worries me the most is the law of averages. As good as the Bulldogs may be, there's a reason no team has won three straight national titles in 87 years - it's not easy.

Injuries always play a role. Plus, you cannot control what other teams will do. Neither can you control what the playoff selection committee thinks other than winning all your games.

That's why I'm a little bit concerned for Georgia's chances SHOULD the Bulldogs fall in the SEC Championship, assuming they are playing in the game.

This isn't a case of being negative; it's just the idea that bucking 87 years' worth of history would seemingly be an impossible mountain for any program to climb.

Should the Bulldogs accomplish that feat, it would be one of the great stories in the sport's history.