re: Phil Steele has UGA as his #1 surprise team in 2014

I don't have any problem with them as a #1 "surprise" team. If they can replace Murray, they can be pretty damned good. Not being an "Insider," I can't really discuss his logic in full, though I do have my doubts about whether UGA's defense will be quite as good as he thinks they'll be. His logic seems a bit iffy there (aside from being a bit disingenuous when implying that Pruitt was an integral part of developing the defenses of FSU -- where he was around for only one season -- and Bama -- where he was, at absolute best third in line of responsibility for the defense, and I'd argue fourth would be likely be more accurate.) Returning 8 starters from a mediocre -- not terrible but certainly not particularly special -- defense doesn't necessarily mean the defense will be great this season. But UGA overall is brimming with talent, so it could certainly surprise people by doing better than anyone expected.