The Georgia State Panthers missed out on bowl eligibility for the first time in four years last season. Can Shawn Elliott’s team rebound in the upcoming college football campaign? Our Georgia State season predictions hold all the answers ahead of the 2023 season.
Georgia State Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the Sun Belt and across the country.
Find Every Sun Belt Season Prediction per team: App State | Arkansas State | Coastal Carolina | Georgia Southern | Georgia State | JMU | Louisiana | UL-Monroe | Marshall | ODU | South Alabama | Southern Miss | Texas State | Troy
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, do the Georgia State season predictions forecast a roar or a whimper from the Panthers in 2023?
Week 1 – Georgia State vs. Rhode Island: Win, 41-8
Georgia State didn’t schedule a non-FBS team last fall, starting their campaign with games against the SEC and ACC. In 2023, they open against a Rhode Island team that lost their star talent to the transfer portal, setting up an opening weekend win.
Week 2 – Georgia State vs. UConn: Win, 31-19
Although they possess a dangerous threat offensively with a stellar running back room, UConn’s defense will likely struggle to hold Georgia State under 30 points when the Huskies travel to Atlanta in Week 2.
Week 3 – Georgia State at Charlotte: Win, 27-24
These two teams played out a thriller last season, with Chris Reynolds finding Grant Dubose in the final seconds to give Charlotte a 42-41 win. While our Georgia State season predictions point to another close game, the Panthers could steal a win as the 49ers find their feet under new head coach Biff Poggi.
Week 4 – Georgia State at Coastal Carolina: Loss, 22-30
Forget the result for one second and just bask in the awesomeness that will be a duel of two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation. While Grayson McCall and Darren Grainger should be a joy to behold, the Coastal ground game could be a difference-maker as Georgia State opens Sun Belt play with a defeat.
Week 5 – Georgia State vs. Troy: Loss, 10-20
In addition to facing Coastal and James Madison from the East, Georgia State’s Sun Belt schedule sees them entertain another conference front-runner as reigning champions Troy come to down in Week 5. A defensively superior Trojans team should hold an advantage over the Panthers.
MORE: Sun Belt WR Rankings 2023
Week 7 – Georgia State vs. Marshall: Win, 25-22
After starting Sun Belt play 0-2, Georgia State picks up their first conference win after their bye week. Marshall edged a close one in Huntington last season, but the Panthers flip the script after bolstering their roster with several Power Five portal acquisitions.
Week 8: Georgia State at Louisiana: Win, 25-20
Louisiana is far from the perennial Sun Belt contender that we’ve become accustomed to, and with quarterback Grainger impacting the game in multiple ways, the Panthers could record a first ever win against the Ragin’ Cajuns at the sixth attempt.
Week 9: Georgia State at Georgia Southern: Win, 21-20
The last time the two teams met in Statesboro, the Panthers came home with a win by a touchdown. They’re currently riding a three-game winning streak against their in-state rivals, and despite split opinions between our college football analysts, Georgia State could extend that run to four games with the tightest victory in the history of the in-state rivalry game.
Week 10: Georgia State vs. James Madison: Loss, 15-22
Don’t expect a sophomore slump from the Dukes as James Madison enters their second season in the Sun Belt. Despite losing some talent to exhausted eligibility and the transfer portal, Curt Cignetti’s team will still be a power in the conference this fall and prove too much for the Panthers in Week 10.
Week 11: Georgia State vs. Appalachian State: Loss, 22-29
Georgia State struggled to stop the ground game last fall while giving up an average of over 30 points per game.
While some of the new defensive pieces should ensure the Panthers are more competitive on that side of the ball, an Appalachian State ground game featuring one of the best backs in the Sun Belt – Nate Noel – may be too hot to handle.
MORE: History of the Appalachian State Mountaineers Mascot
Week 12: Georgia State at LSU: Loss, 8-37
Don’t be surprised to see LSU repeat their trip to the SEC Championship Game this fall, and don’t be surprised to see a Tiger defeat a Panther when these two teams do battle in Week 12.
Week 13: Georgia State at Old Dominion: Win, 24-21
After three straight losses for Georgia State in our season predictions, they end the year on a high against Old Dominion. The turnover in talent might be too much to overcome for the Monarchs this fall, resulting in a Panthers win over their Sun Belt foe for the second consecutive season. With their sixth FBS win of the year, the Panthers book a spot in bowl season.
