Pregame forecast, what to watch

In today's paper, I picked Georgia to win 38-10. But that was before we knew that A.J. Green wouldn't play.

It's not enough to make me change the entire pick. But I will subtract a few points from Georgia's total, because I was assuming that Aaron Murray would hook up with him on a few big plays.

So let's go Georgia 30, Louisiana-Lafayette 10. The Bulldogs still have too much talent, especially on the offensive line.

The things I'll be watching the most:

- Aaron Murray's poise and decision-making. We heard all preseason that he had command of the offense and the confidence of his teammates. But what about when it really counts?

- The run game, and whether it can get five yards nearly every attempt. Even with Washaun Ealey out, the Bulldogs need to show they'll be able to rush the ball with near impunity this year, especially with a freshman QB and their star receiver's status up in the air. And Louisiana-Lafayette is not supposed to have a good run defense.

- Whether the aggressive defense dictates the game. You can virtually guarantee that there will be plenty of blitzing, but with ULL having an inexperienced front line, Georgia should be able to get plenty of pressure, even with just three down linemen. Next week against South Carolina, getting pressure on Stephen Garcia will be a huge key.