Here is a preseason write up that I received from a friend of a friend. I hope the author, Jody, will not mind that I am posting it here.

We’re almost back around to the time of year we all look forward to. It’s hard to believe it’s been 7 months since we watched that amazing Peach Bowl comeback. It’s also hard to believe we’re just over a week from watching football in Sanford again. For those of you familiar with my diatribes, take this for what it’s worth, one fan’s perspective on the team. I don’t pretend to know everything. This is merely for fun and hopefully it will be an enjoyable read to get you more ready for the season (as if you needed help on that).

The State of the Program

It’s really hard to fathom that this will be Richt’s 7^th season between the hedges. He’s developed nicely from an un-trained, oft-questioned first-year head coach into a man widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the country, much less the SEC. His greatest strength might very well be that he’s willing to acknowledge his weaknesses (recall that he got some offseason coaching after 2001 because he felt he had some in-game clock management issues), and this year marked perhaps the largest step Richt has taken towards improving a perceived flaw as he handed off Playcalling and Offensive Coordinator status to QB coach Mike Bobo. While fans had clamored for Richt to step aside from these duties off and on for the entirety of his tenure, there are still some questions as to how exactly this whole thing will play out.

Bobo coordinated two games last season, both wins, with one being a solid, if unspectacular, win over a good GT defense (with a brilliant final drive) and the other a veritable offensive explosion against another good defense in VT. It’s widely accepted that the players love what Bobo is doing with the offense and we can expect to see more motion, more formations, etc., but I don’t expect a wholesale departure from the offense that has been extremely successful in most all statistical categories since Richt’s arrival. While we never really saw the offense many thought he’d bring from FSU that some assumed would set the SEC on its ear, that can be attributed to a couple of things…one, the better defenses in the SEC and two, the rule modifications made by the SEC to curtail the use of the no-huddle (rules that specifically referenced Richt on their arrival).

While the defensive staff underwent no changes (stability has largely been a hallmark of the Richt staff), the offense saw a significant change in addition to the announcement of Bobo as OC with the departure of Neil Callaway and the addition of Stacy Searles. Searles comes to Athens from LSU where he managed to put together a string of amazing offensive lines. He is a young, fiery coach that has already left his mark on the OL by abandoning the Split-Tight designations favored by Callaway to the more traditional Left-Right designation. Early returns are that the players love him. If you were going to change OL coaches, now would be the time as we brought in a ton of OLs in the recruiting class and return only two upperclassmen. Before you get completely freaked out, we returned absolutely ZERO upperclassmen OLs in 2003 and managed to win the East (while setting a record for sacks allowed along the way).

Don’t ask me what the season holds this year, there are plenty of questions, and I don’t think anyone has any idea what the answers will be until the whistle blows, but if nothing else, Richt has earned my trust that he’ll trot out a team that we can be proud of and one that won’t give up no matter what. It would’ve certainly been easy for UGA to roll over last year after the UK loss, but they rallied to beat 3 straight ranked opponents, leaving us all with a much sweeter taste in our mouths this offseason. I’m not so blindly optimistic as to think we’re going to win every game, we’ve simply got too many question marks along the OL and at various places in the defense to expect that, but every team has questions and it’s certainly possible that we could pull off a miraculous run. Certainly not probable, but possible.

Quick Position Rundown…I’ll try to keep it quick…

QB – Stafford certainly has all the things you look for in a QB…massive arm, mobile enough to stay upright (that might come in more handy this year), smart, charismatic, etc. He made big strides late in the year last year and from all accounts he’s continued that progression through the offseason. He managed to pull these stats together in the most recent scrimmage against our #2 D…14-17, 218 yards and 4 TDs to 4 different receivers. Now that’s exciting. Behind him, Joe Cox has been so good that Richt has announced Cox will get in for a series in the opener. Cox is the steady, confident backup every team wants. He’s a team favorite and he’s got a great approach to being the backup. We’re in a great spot at QB this year

• Top Question: Will Stafford make the next step towards fulfilling his promise?
• Future Star: You still have to go with Stafford.

RB – loaded again. Lumpkin returns for his senior season and Thomas Brown amazingly appears recovered from his ACL tear to be pushing for the start. They both are good, steady backs, with neither being a pure breakaway threat we’ve lacked for a few years. The buzz around redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno is as loud as any in recent years. True-freshman Caleb King is as talented a 4^th string back as you’ll find and could be the homerun threat we’ve appeared to lack in recent years although camp hamstring injuries have kept him off the field and possibly heading for a redshirt.

• Top Question: Will Moreno live up to the hype?
• Future Star: Knowshon Moreno appears to have it all

FB – Southerland is beyond solid. He returns and brings two touted redshirts with him in Munzenmaier and Chapas. We’ve been blessed with excellent FB play under Richt, but Southerland is more than just a blocker, as evidenced by his lengthy reception in the G-Day game and his constant inclusion on short-yardage rushes.

• Top question: Who wins out the #2 spot behind Southerland?
• Future Star: Fred Munzenmaier has the size you want plus a great football name.

WR – This is a strength in numbers position. We’ve got 13 guys (literally) that are vying for time and hopefully out of that bunch we can pull enough solid contributors to avoid the inconsistencies that dogged the position last season. MoMass struggled at times but closed the year with a series of clutch catches in the win over GT. Kenneth Harris has the measurables but disappeared often last season. The return of Sean Bailey and Demiko Goodman from injury should help to stretch the field. Youngsters Mike Moore and Tony Wilson will add a physical presence. AJ Bryant has always been on the cusp of a breakout. There’s a ton of talent in this unit, we just need for it to start showing.

• Top question: Who steps up to become the go-to guy and can we catch the ball consistently?
• Future Star: True Frosh Walter Hill has been generating some buzz but will likely redshirt

TE – Milner is gone to ATL. For the first time in years we don’t appear to have a true weapon at the TE position. Tripp Chandler is a solid option but he’s not going to be a guy that defenses key on like Watson, Pope or even Milner for that matter. NaDerris Ward has the size and speed, but he missed a chunk of spring, hindering his development. Figgins has been impressive early. Aron White is like Weapon X (whatever that is)…he’s a hybrid that the coaches want to get on the field.

• Top question: Can Ward emerge as the next great UGA TE?
• Future Star: Bruce Figgins appears to be a blocking machine

OL – This is where things start to get shaky. Gone are Inman, Shackleford and Jones, stalwarts of the OL for a number of years. In their place, we’re going to trot out a mixture of OLs that will likely result in not a single returning starter (at the same position) as the lone 2 returnees (Velasco and Adams at both guard spots) are presently slotted for OC and RT. A talented incoming freshman class and well-chosen JUCOs have resulted in enough bodies to fill out the depth chart, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the quality of the line. Given the nearly complete turnover in the depth chart (in addition to the departed starters, backups Watts and Smith are also gone), now is as good a time as any to bring in a new OL coach with his different schemes, nomenclature and techniques. Searles comes as highly regarded as an OL coach possibly could. If he manages to put together an effective line with this group, he’s worth every penny we paid him. Early Camp injuries to Adams (RT) and JUCO signee Scott Haverkamp (RG), together known as Team Extreme (self described), resulted in a line that consisted of 1 senior (Velasco), 1 redshirt-Frosh (Chris Davis) and no fewer than 3 true freshmen (Sturdivant, Boling and Bean). While that’s great for the future, it’s a significantly scary proposition for the immediate present. With injuries being such a potential issue for depth, Kiante Tripp offered to move over to OT from his DE spot. Richt has raved about the sheer athleticism Tripp brings to the spot and if he’s able to add a few pounds, don’t be surprised to see him out there, he’s going to be special. Don’t forget, he was a highly rated OT recruit out of HS.

• Top question: Can Trinton Sturdivant adequately handle LT as a true freshman?
• Future Star: Kiante Tripp has NFL OT written all over him

DT – Gant, Elmore and Dixson are gone. In their place we added JUCO signee Corvey Irvin and Ricardo Crawford and Brandon Wood from the redshirt ranks. Jeff Owens is the clear leader of this group, bringing quickness and surprising strength for his somewhat under-sized frame. He didn’t have quite the year last year many expected, mainly because expectations were so high. Kade Weston still has the potential to shine given his size and our needs. Geno Atkins seems to be a favorite of DT coach Rodney Garner. Last year was his first as a DL and he managed to see the field. I expect good things from him although he’s somewhat undersized as well. Jarius Wynn has cross-trained here as well and should provide some interior pass rush.

• Top question: Can Irvin contribute immediately, shoring up our depth?
• Future Star: Geno Atkins was impressive last year and should continue to improve

DE – Moses and Johnson didn’t have quite the season everyone pegged them to have, but they were still players that opposing OCs had to gameplan for. Right now, we don’t have anyone that is going to scare anybody right away. I feel like I should be more worried about DE than I am, but the last time I was concerned about DE was when I was wondering how we were going to replace Charles Grant’s QB pressure when it appeared an unathletic converted DT was slotted for his spot. That DT was Pollack and if you don’t remember, he turned out OK (3 time AA). The apparent starters right now are Howard and Battle, neither of whom is overly large, with Howard being downright small at 6-2, 235. Battle has been impressive in limited action, but he’s yet to prove he’s an every down DE in the SEC. There are a couple of impressive bodies in the redshirt freshman class in Dobbs and Lemon as well as redshirt sophomore Jeremy Lomax who has begun to add weight to his lanky frame. Dobbs in particular has been mentioned as developing nicely. Given the departure of both Tripp and Wynn from the DE position battle, the coaches have to feel pretty good about the situation there.

• Top question: Can Battle turn his good numbers in limited time into an all-conf season?
• Future Star: DeMarcus Dobbs sounds like he’s ready to step it up

LB – Jackson, Taylor and Verdun-Wheeler completed what seemed to be their 8^th years of eligibility last season. Taylor will be most difficult to replace as he blossomed as a playmaker last season, making several clutch INTs and a particularly memorable fumble recovery and TD in the win over GT. After a brief, and somewhat misleading, fling at MLB, Brandon Miller moves back out to his more comfortable SLB spot which he’s manned for 3 years now. With that taking place, Ellerbe moves inside to MLB and Dewberry kicks over to WLB, where he could really raise some havoc. Ellerbe apparently go the coaches extremely excited with his play at MLB. Given his size (6-1, 235) and number (33), let’s hope for an Odell Thurman type season (on the field). Rennie Curran has been all that was advertised and appears to have nailed down the backup slot at WLB. Marcus Washington had a good camp and is entrenched as the backup at MLB after struggling with injuries and weight in his first two seasons in Athens. Akeem Dent is a very solid backup at SLB. LB is a solid 2 deep talent-wise but aside from Miller there’s not a whole lot of experience.

• Top question: Can Ellerbe make an impact at MLB?
• Future Star: Rennie Curran just screams future fan favorite

S – Tra Battle’s undersized body and oversized heart graduated. In his place, C.J. Byrd gets the nod initially to join Kelin Johnson as a starting safety. Both guys have good size and solid ball skills, but their backups are what have Dawg fans salivating. Reshad Jones showed at G-Day why he was the nation’s top rated safety out of HS. He’s got a nose for the ball and isn’t afraid to hit anybody. His fellow backup Quintin Banks appears to be the next in line for the Thomas Davis-Greg Blue guided missile award. Safety is in good shape.

• Top question: How does Martinez get Jones on the field?
• Future Star: Reshad Jones is living up to the hype so far

CB – Losing Oliver is tough, but if we could absorb the loss of a projected AA at any position, it would have to be CB. Even with his loss, we’ve got 4 young guys that I would feel comfortable seeing start in Allen, Miller, Evans and Ramarcus Brown. Allen has really had a good camp so far and Evans was starting to grow into his considerable talents before tweaking his hamstring. He really looked good at the end of last season. Prince Miller saw the field as a freshman last fall and is no slouch either. As if from nowhere, nearly forgotten senior Thomas Flowers appears to have taken a starting spot with Allen backing him up. Baldwin will provide depth. Vance Cuff took forever to get on campus but has drawn rave reviews from players and coaches and could possibly see the field. Brown sits the first two games but when he returns, he’ll provide another uber-talented underclassman body with starting experience to the table…we’re stacked at CB.

• Top question: Is Evans ready to take his game to the next level?
• Future Star: You pick...Allen, Evans, Miller, Brown and Cuff are all young…and good

ST – Coutu is everything you want in a kicker…big leg, no fear. He’s just unflappable. His injury might have been the most damaging injury we’ve received in recent years. He’s probably also our best punter but I’d be surprised if we asked him to do it. Mimbs and Kevin Butler’s son Drew are still battling it out for the job. Ely-Kelso struggled at times last season, so I wouldn’t expect a big drop off. Henderson and Flowers might be the top pair of punt returns in the country. We’ve got lots of weapons to try at the kick return spot. The new rules will likely force more teams to go to a directional kickoff, something we’ve been doing for years.

• Top question: Who will win the punting job and can they excel? (OK, that’s two)
• Future Star: Given his pedigree, I wouldn’t vote against Drew Butler

The Incoming Class

Not everyone out there obsesses about UGA as much as we (ok, I) do so for those less addicted fans (what’s wrong with you?) here’s a rundown (with numbers!) of our incoming freshman class, grouped into their likelihood of seeing the field. Given that Richt recently did a rundown of about half these guys, this is a fairly sturdy limb I’m climbing out on.

The Locks

• OT Trinton Sturdivant (#77) – our starting LT since spring
• OG Scott Haverkamp (#70) – our starting RG from JUCO
• OG Justin Anderson (#79) – prep-schooler hasn’t dominated, but provides mobile beef
• OT Vince Vance (#72) – already redshirted at JUCO
• OL Clint Boling (#60) – backup guard and tackle has really impressed, helps with depth
• LB Rennie Curran (#35) – backup at WLB, could be a special teams enforcer
• TE Bruce Figgins (#89) – has shown incredibly developed blocking skills
• DT Corvey Irvin (#90) – adds beef in the middle
• DL Jarius Wynn (#99) – a solid addition, will play inside and out

The Bubble Guys

• TE Aron White (#87) – coaches really seem undecided here…he’ll be a mismatch though
• LB Charles White (#43) – an injury away from the 2-deep, he came in ready
• CB Vance Cuff (#25) – has gotten good reviews, but the secondary is loaded
• P Drew Butler (#13) – obviously if he wins the punting job, move him up

The Likely Redshirts

• RB Caleb King (#22) – crowded backfield and injury have held back future multi-threat star
• WR Walter Hill (#80) – very impressive, but raw…when polished he’ll be dangerous
• WR Isreal Troupe (#28) – victim of crowded WR corps
• DE Neland Ball (#92) – 6-5, 220 lb DE has to gain weight
• QB Logan Gray (#19) – if he plays, something’s gone horribly wrong
• OG Ben Harden (#76) – all of the incoming OL can’t play
• OG Tanner Strickland (#54) – see Harden, plus Tanner was hurt
• OT Chris Little (#73) – see Strickland, plus he came in a little heavy (think darker Fulmer)
• LB Justin Houston (#42) – move to LB pretty much locked down a redshirt
• S John Knox (#32) – latest arrival because of academic questions, shape a concern

5 Potential Breakout Players

Two things to look for in a breakout player…1) opportunity and 2) talent. These guys have the opportunity to help out this season coupled with the talent to take advantage of it. Breakout doesn’t necessarily mean All-American, it might just mean a significant improvement over expectations or past performance. This is where I go out on a limb (some sturdier than others…these are all pretty safe this year) and say whom I think is due to take advantage of their opportunity by applying their talent.

1 – Sean Bailey – This guy has been tabbed for a breakout for years now. Coming off injury, he’s probably the one guy of our baker’s dozen of WR prospects that is a pure deep threat. He’s got speed and always seems to have that knack for getting behind a DB. If he and Stafford can get on the same page, look out.

2 – Bryan Evans – Evans was likely to start opposite Oliver anyway, but with Oliver gone, there will be that much more focus on him. He had an excellent bowl game and really appeared to be ready to fulfill the promise he had coming in as an Army All-American. He’s always had the speed and has now added the strength after becoming one of the strongest DBs on the team.

3 – Dannell Ellerbe – Ellerbe has always had the physical ability but his playing time has always been blocked by Tony Taylor or Jarvis Jackson. With their graduation, Ellerbe finally has a clear path to playing time. He certainly looks the part, now it’s time to just step up and get it done. He’s an aggressive, fierce LB that (especially given his move inside) will remind you of Odell. He’s even had a few off-field issues in his past to cement the comparison. In all seriousness, most everyone has just been waiting for this guy to bust out and this is his shot.

4 – Trinton Sturdivant – Last year I went with a “hope so” pick (Weston) that was a guy who I hoped would succeed more than I honestly felt he would. If ever a guy was put in a position to either fly or crash, it’s a freshman LT in the SEC. Considering he pretty much walked onto campus and immediately too over the LT spot, he’s living up (at least moderately) to his considerable advance billing. I say modestly only because it’s not like he unseated a gaggle of upperclassmen, seasoned vets. He was already comfortable with Searles techniques and has the athleticism and length you look for in the position. He’s done nothing to get passed at LT, so I feel confident saying he’s going to be a good, maybe great one for us, the only question is when.

5 – CJ Byrd – He came in with all the accolades you could hope for and has patiently sat behind others, learning what Martinez calls the toughest position to get down in our system. With the departure of Tra Battle and the subsequent opening at safety, Byrd gets first crack at becoming the next great UGA safety. Fans (myself included) can’t wait to see redshirts Reshad Jones and Quintin Banks back there, but we can’t forget that Byrd has great ball skills and pretty much everything you’re looking for in a safety in addition to more time in the system, which hopefully will translate to fewer blown assignments. I really don’t like pegging a buy for a breakout by saying I hope he’s going to have fewer blown assignments.

Random thoughts

• It occurred to me when I sat down to do this that this makes 5 years worth of Random Thoughts. I’m pretty sure that means I’ve cycled through everything, so if you’ve read it before, humor me. Oh, as always, ignore the typos, they’re like my calling card.
• Not sure if you caught it or not, but my constant beef (no pun intended) with stadium concessions at Sanford is in the process of being addressed. Apparently they are adding a Zaxby’s for next season (2008). I can only imagine the lines at that place. Zaxby’s is already slow…now add 90,000+ folks tired of eating the same gas station nachos and hotdogs for a decade and I think we’re going to have to come up with some kind of call ahead system. It seems they are also adding a Starbucks,
• I told myself I wouldn’t touch this topic, but I had to. The whole Nick Saban thing is reaching a level of absurdity that can only be reached by football in the state of Alabama. Saban, just by being his smug self (look at the guy…every single picture of him you just know he’s thinking he’s Caesar) has achieved multiple things without even coaching a game yet. 1) Auburn fans, despite having a 5-game win streak, are completely beside themselves trying to fight back their inadequacy issues 2) he’s made Bama interesting, in a bad way, as in I’m interested to watch Bama lose only to see this pompous jerk fall on his face 3) he’s made the SEC west even more of an incestuous, hate-filled division which I didn’t think was possible…think of it, Tubberville left Ole Miss for AU, Saban left LSU for his dream job (which he abandoned after 2 years) to end up in Bama…you already have the whole AU-Bama thing anyway…it’s like professional wrestling, only less believable and with the exception of Orgeron, steroid free.
• So I was talking to my old college roommate who is now an ECON professor (I have smart friends) and he was explaining to me that UGA is inadvertently responsible for the monster that is Notre Dame football. Walk with me here. In the early 80’s (I think), UGA (along with Oklahoma…maybe) challenged the existing standards that prohibited colleges being televised more than a few times each season, with TV revenues being shared. At the time, college football was becoming a more viable TV option and UGA saw the considerable potential advantages (there’s probably an econ term he used here, but I didn’t take his class). Anyway, they challenged and had the rule overturned. The end result was no restriction to the number of appearances, leagues could get their own TV deals and so could, as it turn out, teams. ND eventually was able to make a deal with Satan…I mean NBC, which allowed them to not only appear on national TV weekly, but also to earn enough money in doing so that they could avoid advances from conferences seeking to have them join (that would be the Big 10/11). Not exactly sure how they were able to negotiate the fraud of a BCS deal they have, but I’m sure it was tied in somehow and I just forgot. We had this conversation at the Taco Stand in Athens a few Fridays ago, so I’m piecing it back together as best I can. Anyway, there you have it (mostly), impress your friends.
• I have to say I’m really looking forward to the OSU game for a lot of reasons. 1) it’s the start of the football season (seriously) and 2) I love having new, out of region opponents come to Athens. I say that because these out of region games don’t have that built-in hate that conference games or other regional matchups do (see Clemson and GT). Colorado was a great example. Great folks. Judging from this picture I saw online, OSU fans seem to be a little different. I have to say I always pictured cowboys wearing the non-foam variety of hat.
• Given that temps have hit 100 or higher what seems like 25 out of the last 20 days, imagine my surprise when I checked the extended forecast for the weather in Athens and saw that the projected high is only in the upper 80s. That’s going to feel like 60s given what we’ve been through. Especially if it’s overcast (which it’s supposed to be) with an evening kickoff.

Well, I’ve rambled enough for now. Forgive my preseason sloppiness; I’ve got another week to get in shape…

Jody

Here is a damn good shtick if there ever was one... Rodney Carrington, thank you sir for your service to our country.

"Show Them to Me" WARNING, you may see boobies (.)(.)

Here is another, better, version (ie. more boobs)...

Still trying to figure out what this has to do with football.

The waiting is almost over, Sanford Stadium will soon look like THIS again!



For me, waiting for college football season to arrive equates to my children's anticipation of Christmas beginning around Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, I always try to keep the building excitement in check when we are still two or three weeks away or I cannot do anything productive at work. However, I have now officially hit the point of no return and I cannot go three minutes without thinking about or wanting to talk to somebody about the coming season. In particular, the opener against Oklahoma State bears significant interest for me since my business partner and good friend, Ed Hall, is an OSU graduate. Fortunately, his wife Allyson and her family are all devout Bulldawgs.

Ed is a Cowboys fan but he will not need counseling and a gross of Xanax if the Dawgs beat them in the opener. I, on the other hand, still cannot stop myself from caring too much about seeing our team do well. That is putting it mildly, anyway. Because of the variance in our respective levels of fandom, there is no hard-core trash talking taking place. His take is that this is a game that Georgia should win, but OSU will come into it with nothing to lose. He believes it will go one of two ways... (1) Georgia jumps out early and the Pokes never close to within a one possession game but linger about 10 points back until the end; or (2) the Pokes jump out early, possible by a couple of touchdowns and try like hell to hold off the late surge by the Dawgs. He does not expect a see-saw game. Again, he does not live and die OSU football, so his assessment is based on their performances the past 2 or 3 years. He does expect them to become increasingly more competitive with all that Boone Pickens money pouring in like a big ole gravy train with fluffy biscuit wheels. He also says to ignore the loudmouths on the message boards because they do not reflect the typical OSU fan. We know the feeling. The bottom line for Ed is that he is looking forward to a fun trip to Athens and he hopes to keep Allyson from getting into a fistfight. (Not really.)

I am still considering how I feel the game will progress. I keep vacillating between a repeat of Boise State or West Virginia (except we win in the end.) Most likely, it will fall somewhere in between. The timing of those two contests had a lot to do with our teams mental preparation. I think our team was acutely focused for the Boise game, having had an entire off-season to look forward to that game as an opener and being told by all of the media that this game was the upset special of the week (similar to our imminent contest.) Conversely, we were totally overconfident going into the WVU game in the Sugar Bowl and got stung by the blazing speed of Slaton and White. I cannot see how we could be overconfident going into the OSU game with so many players getting their first start and/or first playing time in a UGA uniform. I will let my thoughts about this game ruminate for another day and then try to synthesize my opinion about what I expect to see Saturday evening, in addition to tens of thousands of the most gorgeous ladies on the planet.

Such as...



and

Such as...



and one more...

VIDEO LINKAGE DAY

Ok, this is not football related but I have had too many laughs looking at the following sequence of videos not to share them with both of my loyal readers.

The first video is funny and sad. I feel very bad for this young lady, but I am sure she will recover from this total synaptic meltdown and build up her future for...

TOTAL SYNAPTIC MELTDOWN

But, as fortune would have, she gets a second chance...

MAPS ARE BAD FOR U.S. AMERICANS

Is there good news? Yes, as it turns out, this affliction of public brain cramping is also a problem in such as the France. As you will see here...

C'est la lune mon ami!

At least Sophie was pretty hot and she knew the correct answer. Hot and smart. Nice. I like the fact that 58% of the audience missed this question. Are you kidding me?

Last video of the day is a public service announcement that could benefit everyone needing some basic life rules. Very very basic.

It's called speed stick, it's not expensive.

On that note, I gotta go drink some water. My body needs it.

On Wednesday, I will get around to talking some football. I have to pace myself!

It is one week until kickoff and I am back. Please, hold your applause...

My last post was about a human being attacked by a gator. It is only fitting that my first post back demonstrates the indomitable human spirit as the humans take revenge on the Gators.

This puts the Gay in Gator

(I am trying to figure out how to embed the video. I had the knowledge before and have since lost it.)

I really don't need to make fun of this video, as they say in Latin (wherever that is) res ipsa loquitur. Perhaps any publicity is good publicity. This video definitely stretches that axiom to the limit.

Man Smokes Crack, Walks Naked into Swamp, Meets 12 Foot Alligator...only in Florida!

The story is here. There is a lesson here somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

The man, pictured below, was reportedly not Rip Taylor despite the mustache to the contrary.











The alligator, pictured below, paid the ultimate price. But, seriously, what is an alligator supposed to do when a crackhead nakedly enters a swamp at 4:00 am? Can I get some shoes and a belt at least?

REDEMPTION IS THINE


Evidently, all it takes to get these Georgia Bulldogs fired up and playing up to their potential is for me to issue a statement like this, "So much for finishing strong. It won't happen. This team does not have the character to right the ship. It makes me sad, but, admitting that you have a problem is the first step to getting help." I posted this after the loss to Kentucky when I mailed in the season. Fortunately, the kids in the jerseys had other plans. They have fought their hearts out the past two games and have earned total redemption, in my view, for the Vandy and UK losses. These guys have one more win before they finish the drill.

There was so much to love about winning the 6th straight against Tech. For me, the following are the foremost enjoyable specifics from the game.

1. Mohamed Massaquoi was perfect and had four catches, several in traffic, on the final drive to get us 2 first downs, a touchdwon and a two-point conversion. I hope the asses who booed him the last time he was on the field in Sanford had the decency to eat shit after he delivered us to victory Saturday night.

2. Coach Willie Martinez. Two straight gems registered by our defense against two good offenses. I believe that when looking at this season as a whole, CWM did a better job than most of us realize. Until the Tennessee game, our defense was impenetrable. The UT game smarted, but many of the points came from short fields due to turnovers. Still did not like the soft zone, but, based on our gameplan and execution against Auburn and Tech, I think it is clear to see that CWM got more comfortable attacking and leaving his DBs to fend for themselves and make plays. Which they did quite well. The defensive players really gave great effort the past two games and played with great intensity and determination. I hope that CWM will follow up these two wins with more attacking and press coverage. With the talent he has in the defensive backfield that will return next year, he should be able rely on their coverage skills and playmaking ability. In the end, CWM called very good games against 4 of our 5 most important rivals: South Carolina (0), Florida (14), Auburn (15) and Tech(9). So, let's all get of his back now. Umkay?


3. Martrez Milner. I am so glad that he has finished the season strong after his earlier problems catching the ball. In addition to making several key first downs in the last two games, I saw him make some spectacular blocks. He is so packed with potential and I hope he gets a chance in the NFL.

4. Mario Raley. Huge props to Mario for going out and playing fearlessly two weeks after getting his head removed and reattached at Kentucky. He had at least two catches on the sideline when he could have stepped on out of bounds but instead he put his head down and fought for extra yardage. I also saw him make one great block downfield and though I can't remember which play it was, his tenacious block helped us pick up an additional 10 yards on the play.

5. Matt Stafford. Since I stopped calling him Matthew and shortened it to just Matt, he is 2-0 with zero interceptions. He is such a talent and I think everyone now knows just how bright the future is for him. It has been an interesting season watching him learn on he job. His decision making and recognition of defenses improved steadily before our eyes and the past two games have been pure visions of beauty. I thought Tech was doing a great job of disguising their blitzes and coverages, but Stafford did not let them force him into any big mistakes. He is a true gamer.

6. Offensive Line. The walking wounded gutted it out yet again and had enough fortitude to pave the way for the final drive and give Stafford ample protection when we absolutely had to have it. Nick Jones and Ken Shackleford deserve some sort of medals of valor for their service above and beyond the call of duty. I am especially proud of how Nick Jones held this gimpy crew together for such a long stretch of games and led them to the two great performances against Auburn and Tech. He is a soldier!

This win over Tech is definitely sweeter than the previous wins in the current streak. In the past 5 wins, I had full confidence that we would win as we were the higher rated team and were expected to win. This one, despite the fact that Vegas had us as a slight favorite, definitely had the feel of an upset since Tech was higher ranked and was leading their conference while we were unranked and were in the middle of our conference. By the way, the SEC swept the ACC in Saturday's three inter-conference matchups, so we should not have to listen to any BS about the ACC being better than the SEC, at least not for a few weeks anyway.

Way to go Dawgs. You made us proud.

GATA one more time!

WEEK 11 HDD TOP 20

I did not get a TOP 20 list out last week because I was traveling and had limited access to the internet. So '80s. ANyway, here is where I see the TOP 20 after 11 weeks of football.

1. Ohio State. Duh.
2. Michigan. Also duh.
3. Rutgers. See Kyle King for explanation upon explanation and pics of Kristin Davis. For me, the ultimate justification is that they remain unbeaten in a BCS conference and that is enough reason to elevate them above the one-loss crowd. They have West Virginia in a few weeks and if they finish out undefeated, they will be either number 2 or number 3 in many polls. It all solves itself in the end.
4. Florida. Yes the struggled against the Evil Visored One. Yes their offense looks sluggish. But defense wins championships and unless they lose to FSU (not likely) or Arkansas in Atlanta (completely possible), they will remain at this lofty perch.
5. Southern Cal. Redeeming win against Oregon. Hard to rank this team below Arkansas even though I understand that Arkansas now is nothing like the team that played USC on week one and committed 5 turnovers. Still, these are the breaks in a virtual single-elimination season.
6. Arkansas. If the Hawgs win out and win the SECCG, then they will have a legitimate claim to go to the MNCG. However, if USC and Rutgers also win out, their argument will fall short.
7. Notre Dame. If they win out, we will hear more than anyone can stand about their right to play in the MNCG. USC will be at the Colisseum. Good.
8. Wisconsin. The most unheralded team in the Top 10 just keeps winning. Very sound team but overshadowed in the Big Ten by the Game of the Century hype.
9. Wake Forest. Nice showing Seminoles!
10. LSU. Such a dangerous team. The best of the two-loss bunch.
11. Boise State. Undefeated against lesser competition.
12. Oklahoma. The next best two-loss team.
13. Louisville.
14. West Virginia.
15. Georgia Tech.
16. Auburn.
17. Texas.
18. Boston college.
19. Nebraska.
20. Tennessee. This is where I see them without Ainge.

Also ran: California, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Maryland.

GREAT GREAT FOOTBALL PERFORMANCE

Too much travel and work have kept me from blogging lately. I apologize to both of my loyal readers!

In my last post I stated that this bunch of Bulldogs did not have the character to get things on track. I wish I had made that statement after the Ole Miss game. I feel a little like Pat Dye. Clearly the players took my challenge to heart and proved me wrong in every way. BRAVO, gentlemen, BRAVO.

Kyle King has already usurped me on one topic that I intended to discuss, so I will be brief since the Mayor has already treated the subjected deftly. Every year, a Mark Richt team will open a can of whoop ass and pour it all over somebody who is supposed to give us trouble. This year, Auburn was that somebody. Previous recipients have been LSU, LSU, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech in reverse chronological order. When these days of beauty will strike is always hard to predict, but just know that they will come at least once per season. If you are a Georgia opponent who gets caught in this annual eviscerating buzzsaw game, wear raingear because the bloodletting and detrital body parts will stain your clothes and possibly your soul. Oh, that one season soon we will have many of these days of football nirvana.

Until then, we have Georgia Tech in front of us and one more chance to redeem this season in memorable fashion by unleashing the rabid hounds that played so impressively on the Plains.

Speaking of impressive play, here is a "we are not worthy" repeated bow to the hobbled trenchmen Nick Jones, Chester Adams, Ken Shackleford, Daniel Inman and Bubba Velasco who played hurt and/or without relief for 11 consecutive weeks and on this day, put it all together for a dominating, road-paving performance against a solid defense. They just got better and better as the afternoon wore on and on. Huge kudos to Shack for gutting it out after getting banged up in the first series but refusing to be kept out of this redemption game.

Matt Stafford was awesome. The out route to Michael Moore was a laser that could not have been made by many NCAA QBs. It came on a critical third down in the third quarter when Auburn was trying to wrest the momentum away from the Dawgs. Moore had about one step of separation from the defender. Stafford rifled a bullet across the field perfectly on the outside shoulder of Moore and out of harms way for a first down catch. A flutterball in that situation could have easily been picked for six. That is why CMR is so impressed with this arm. His two beautiful deep throws were also welcome sights for sore eyes. Because of his early effectiveness and some well coordinated runs by Kregg Lumpkin, the Auburn defense was left scrambling for an answer and ended up leaving the middle wide open for the numerous first down runs made by Stafford. What a great day at the office for the true freshman. He really deserved this one!

We should also praise the perfect game played be the receivers and tight ends. NO DROPS. Circus grabs. Downfield blocking. Keep it up gang.

Lastly, the entire defense deserves tremendous kudos from CWM to Tra Battle to Ray Gant. Everyone. They attacked Auburn from the initial snap and showed great desire and effort. Gang tackling. Running to the ball. Showing some swagger.

All in all, it was obvious that this team was having fun Saturday and I am extremely happy for them that they were able to put it all together in such dominating fashion. I hope they will go into the Tech game focused on attacking and having fun. If they do, it will be a good day to be a DAWG.

GATA.

BAD BAD FOOTBALL TEAM

First, I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with Mario Raley and I hope that he will be fine. I do not know the extent of his injury, but I just hope that it is not serious.

Regarding the game... well, I am one that always tries to stay positive, but this was the final straw for me for the 2006 abortion of a season. After removing the rose-colored glasses, the thing that is now painfully obvious is not that we played poorly for the 7th time in 10 tries. What is now obvious to me is that our team - players, coaches, schemes, effort and motivation are all on par with the lower half of our conference. We have not lost to two inferior teams in Vanderbilt and Kentucky, we have been beaten by better teams. Better players who are better coached. I don't care how many stars our players had from recruiting gurus/nerds, the players from Vanderbilt and Kentucky proved that they are better. That is just it in a tidy nutshell.

Either we have restocked our cupboard with guys who only look good on paper, or they just have not been well-developed. Either way, this team has been beat in all phases of the game by everyone we have played except Western Kentucky, UAB and South Carolina. I can no longer accept that we are just young and haven't gelled or have just had crucial mistakes at the worst possible times. You know what you call teams that always, always make crucial mistakes at the worst possible times? You call them a bad football team. That is all there is to it.

I believe in the cyclical nature of most things and I hope that this is a short down cycle, but the evidence no longer leaves any reasonable doubt that this is just an incapable group and the coaches are not able to solve the puzzle.

I won't single out any individual players because outside of my three readers, nobody really gives a shit about what I have to say anyway. But, the underclassmen on this team have got to improve dramatically if they ever wish to compete for the SEC Championship. None are excepted.

I really don't want to hear ESPN and others exclaiming that Kentucky pulled a big upset today. The team with better players who were better-coached won this game and it wasn't Georgia.

Where to go from here? Well, I am now reasonably certain that we will get hammered by Auburn. We will give Tech fits, but then will lose in the final minute. Probably will be a fade route to Calvin that beats us. Then we will end up in an embarrassing Tech-like bowl game that we may or may not win. But, look at the bright side, women's gymnastics starts up soon.

So much for finishing strong. It won't happen. This team does not have the character to right the ship. It makes me sad, but, admitting that you have a problem is the first step to getting help.

WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS AND PREDELICTIONS

GEORGIA at KENTUCKY: The Dawgs are in dire need of an offensive outburst. Kentucky’s defense provides the ideal opportunity. However, the Cats are fighting for bowl eligibility and want this game badly. Even if Georgia can get the offense cranked up, the Cats are quite capable of scoring points themselves. Andre Woodson is a tough and scrappy QB with a live arm and some quick receivers. He is not as big as the Hefty Lefty was, but at 6-5 and 230, he is a load like Jamarcus Russell but with better feet. The Dawgs will need to pressure him because he has the experience and skill to move the team consistently if given time to throw. Hopefully for Georgia, the porous UK secondary will allow Stafford to post some nice numbers for a change and the passing game can open up the running game for Kregg Lumpkin. This is a great opportunity to see the four receivers set and let Stafford take snaps in the gun, something we were promised last week but never given. After spreading it out, the run game will begin to grind out some decent numbers. My guess is that Lumpkin will go over 100 yards, most of them coming in the second half. Georgia’s receivers will still drop passes and a few turnovers will ultimately keep the game closer than Dawgs fans would like. At the end of the day, Georgia will leave Commonwealth as victors. GEORGIA 33 – Kentucky 24.

LSU at TENNESSEE: The match up last year between these two teams was totally wacked out and Les Miles pulled one of the boneheadedest moves I have ever witnessed. He tried to call time out after his team intercepted a pass, even though: (a) the clock would stop automatically for change of possession (maybe he was thinking it was already 2006 with the new rules) and (b) he was out of time outs. I shit you not; a student manager (or what appeared to be such) grabbed him from behind to keep him from going onto the field asking for a time out. Anyway, as you know, Tennessee came back from a deep deficit to win the game and then proceeded to fall apart throughout the rest of the season. Now, the Vols will host the Tigers in Neyland and Ainge is gimpy. You know LSU will have their ears pinned back and will bring heavy heat early and often to pressure and punish Ainge. If his wheel doesn’t hold up deep into the game, the Vols will be sunk. However, if Cutcliffe can scheme enough blitz beating calls early on to neutralize the LSU charge, then this one will be a slugfest. The fate of this stellar season for Tennessee rides ultimately on their ability to run the ball effectively tomorrow. Ainge will not be 100% no matter how long he lasts, so the Vol running attack must get them first down and favorable yardage on first down. If they can run it, they will win. Unfortunately, I don’t think they will be able to run it well enough and Ainge will be swarmed from the jump. LSU 24 – TENNESSEE 17.

ARKANSAS at SOUTH CAROLINA: The Evil Genius needs this win to remain in the hunt for an attractive bowl date. Arkansas needs the win to retain their inside track to Atlanta for the SECCG. Nobody can stop the Arkansas running attack. Darren McFadden is a joy to watch unless you are the defense charged with trying to stop him. South Carolina has an athletic and physical defense and they will make a decent showing. On the other side, The Cock-n-Fire offense has shown some flashes of brilliance with Syvelle Newton at quarterback. It seems to me that USC will score their share of points in this game, but can they stop the Arkansas ground attack often enough to send the Hogs home with an L? I think they will, in overtime. SOUTH CAROLINA 28 – ARKANSAS 21.

FLORIDA at VANDERBILT: The Gators have run a gauntlet this season and this is not the weekend to hit cruise control. Vanderbilt is a disciplined team that has just enough talent to make you pay for making the mistake of thinking that they are Duke-esque just because they are smart. Trust a Dawg, we know. The Gators will not take the ‘Dores lightly because they were one bogus celebration call from losing to Vandy in the Swamp last year. The Gators have their eye on a date in the desert and they very well could get there, but they will have to work for 60 minutes without a rest tomorrow to vanquish Vandy. Sorry Gator-haters, Vandy is all out of major upsets for 2006. The Gator D shoulders the load again. FLORIDA 24 – VANDERBILT 19.

OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS: Kyle drew lots of flames when he declared this as his National Game of Disinterest. Careful to not make the same mistake, I have made this my first selection outside of the SEC. This game comes down to this: Are you a Cowboy fan? If so, watch the first half. Are you a Texas fan? If so, watch the second half. At least that has been the pattern for three straight years. OSU takes a nice lead into the locker room. Then the Longhorn scabs change uniforms with the scholarship athletes who go out in the second half and post basketball numbers as they win going away. However, this year, Texas may have mistaken Texas Tech as OSU last weekend as they allowed the Red Raiders to run up 31 first half points before rolling unencumbered for the final 30 minutes to victory. State is not as good this year as they were the past three years. Texas, they ain’t bad. I think this is the year that Texas wins both halves (although the first half will be pretty close.) TEXAS 37 – OSU 21.

OKLAHOMA at TEXAS A&M: While I am in the Big 12, let’s do this game. Oklahoma is without Adrian Peterson and going into College Station where the Aggies have the whole 12^th man gig and what not. This game perplexes me because Army, whom I love, but is not so good, took the Aggies to the wire in College Station. Yet, A&M is 8-1 and ranked in the top 25. There biggest win was against Missouri. I really don’t like Coach Frankandbeans. But I have a feeling that they will somehow beat Oklahoma tomorrow. You know what this means? This means that you should load up on Oklahoma with your bookmaker, pronto. TEXAS A&M 32 – OKLAHOMA 30.

BOSTON COLLEGE at WAKE FOREST: BC is coached by a Navy grad, so I have to like them whenever possible. Wake is everybody’s other Cinderella this year (you know, besides Rutgers). Wake’s only loss was a close one against Clemson who benefited from a huge game changing defensive touchdown of 66 yards of rumbling by a defensive lineman. BC lost to NC State on a last second touchdown. So both teams are so close and both are still in the hunt for a trip to the River City (birthplace of the Mullet) for the ACCCG. I think that BC is the better team though neither has a dominant body of work. Let’s just say BC 30 – WAKE FOREST 24.

NAVY at DUKE: I am going to go out on a limb and say that this game features the highest cumulative IQ of all college football matchups in Division 1-A this year. That doesn’t necessarily translate into great football however. Navy has been on a skid since starting QB Brian Hampton went down on the first series against Rutgers. Duke has been on a skid since Darth Visor left for Florida back in 1990. If Navy had Hampton, I would be convinced that Navy would win this game. But, with Hampton out, I am a little concerned that the Blue Devils may have just enough desire left to post their first win and drop Navy to 5-4. On the other hand, Navy does have a quarterback with what has to be the most unpronounceable name in all of college football, Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. That is two hyphens in one name. Maybe that will be enough to keep the Duke defense off balance. NAVY 35 – DUKE 24.

Ok ladies, that is all for this week. Have a great weekend.

BASKETBALL STRATEGY

You cannot stop this man, you can only hope to contain him.

QUICK PICK FOR THE BEAST MATCH UP TONIGHT

I am impressed with both West Virginia and Louisville this season. Both have won in blow-outs and both have shown resilience in games that tried to get close. The winner of this game will be in position to either play in the national championship game or to blow up the BCS system if they get snubbed. Obviously, this assumes that tonight's winner runs the table - which is likely, Rutgers, whom I like in a Cinderella kind of way, notwithstanding. In my opinion, the MNC Game will feature the winner tonight against the Ohio State-Michigan winner. The SEC Champ, Texas and perhaps Cal will complain in vain. But this is how it will go down in the desert.

Now, on to the game tonight...
Louisville gets a little help for being at home tonight, but I happen to believe that West Virginia will outrun Louisville in this horserace. Louisville will definitely score a lot of points against the 'Eers, but Slaton, White and Co. will score just a few more.

WEST VIRGINIA 39 - LOUISVILLE 35.

>>>>>UPDATE<<<<<<<
Oops. Missed another Thursday Night Game. It is automatic. Louisville looked great. Next week they get undefeated Rutgers in the Garden State. Again, on Thursday night.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SOLDIER-MORONS
STUCK IN IRAQ

If only they could have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths and learned to serial-marry millionairesses. Poor bastards. Until this week, they did not know that they were so stupid. Now, the genie is out of the bottle.

Week 9 HDD TOP 20

1. Ohio State. Rolling right along.
2. Michigan. And now the stage is set.
3. West Virginia. Like the TV Game Show: Real or No Real? Tune in Thursday at 7:45.
4. Louisville. And now the stage is set. Sound familiar?
5. Florida. So the Gators leap over Auburn and the UTs? Yes. Their defense will keep them in any game they have remaining and they should not lose again in 2006.
6. UT. Either one.
7. UT. The other one.
8. Arkansas. They belong above Auburn now, but staying there will prove difficult if not impossible with South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU on their slate.
9. Auburn. The Tigers had trouble with Ole Miss and have a few more difficult games ahead. At this point, they will need some help to get to Atlanta.
10. Southern Cal. Like Sisyphus, they now must roll the rock back up the hill.
11. Notre Dame. Should they be ahead of USC? Settle it on the field boys.
12. California. Sorry dude. What have you done for me lately?
13. Rutgers. Undefeated. Unbelievable.
14. Wisconsin. Now this is my kind of rebuilding year. Dawgs, take notice.
15. Boise State. The last of the unbeatens.
16. LSU. Am I the only one who thinks that on any given Saturday, this team couold beat any team above them?
17. Boston College. Are these guys still have only one loss?
18. Wake Forest. See Boston College.
19. Oklahoma. Hanging tough despite all of their bad luck.
20. Clempson. WTF happened to you?

Also ran: Texas A&M, Tulsa, Oregon, Georgia Tech

EFFORT

I have played and watched a whole lot of football in my 40 years. I have cared way too much about the outcomes at times. I have let losses anger me or depress me. I have let wins make me irrationally exuberant. I have spent a small fortune to support my favorite team. I have, in recent times, become a little more balanced in my approach to the whole thing. I haven't thrown any objects, such as toasters, in years. I have learned to enjoy all of it much more as a result. Don't get me wrong, I love the DAWGS and I expect them to compete for the SECC every year. But, I also know that there will be years like this one. And in a year like this one, the number one thing I expect from the players and coaches is that they give the best effort they can. There have been several games this year in which they clearly did not give a maximum effort. However, yesterday, they fulfilled and possibly exceeded my expectations for the level of effort shown.

I hate losing to Florida. I hate that the post 1989 years have been for Dawg fans what the preceding two decades were for Gator fans. Indeed, a Georgia victory in 2007 will make the 1990-2007 series record a mirror image of the 1971-1989 era: 15-3. I reckon that since I got to enjoy those 18 years, the yang to that ying is what has happened the past 17 years. But through it all, I love the Dawgs and always will. The only thing I really ask of the team is that they give a maximum effort. I saw maximum effort yesterday and I am proud that this bunch rose to the occasion and showed some heart and fight. Sure they came up short, but I am a big boy and I can handle that.

This was another of those games where too many mistakes and bad breaks conspired to keep victory out of our reach, despite the effort and resilience of our team. Without recounting all of the contributing factors, I will simply point to two plays that most embodied the ill-fated outcome in this game.

1. The punt that bounced off of Kelin Johnson's leg is one. I know that this has happened to Georgia before, I just cannot remember when. Which makes me think it has been years since it last happened. So naturally, if it was going to happen, it was going to happen in the Florida game at a most inopportune time. The ball careened into a sea of red jerseys but was recovered by the lone Gator player. Sadly, Johnson was giving a Gator hell as he was locked up in a block showing great effort and desire. The kind of block that may have sprung Mikey Henderson for a nice return had the ball not been knocked down short by the stiff wind. The second part of this point is that we were not fortunate enough to recover the loose ball. And so it goes...

2. The second play was when the Georgia defense needed to make a play to give our offense the ball and a chance to tie the game. Tra Battle sacrificed his body as he came screaming into the line of scrimmage and flung his 175 pound body at warp speed into the ball carrier causing a fumble deep in Florida territory. The ball bounded into a part of the field covered with red jerseys, yet a lone Florida lineman recovered the ball, averting disaster for the Gators.
And so it goes...


As someone once said, unless I coined the phrase myself, "That's the way it goes when that's the way it is going."

So what now? Are we supposed to be happy that we fought hard and showed great effort? Well, it actually helps me to accept this loss knowing that our guys never quit and showed signs of maturing as a group. This gives me hope that we will have a few more good outcomes before this season is over. It leads me to believe that this young group will be a force to be reckoned with in 2007-2009. As long as this bunch gives what equates to maximum effort for their particular level of talent and experience, I believe, like Kyle King, that we could close the campaign with a WWW. It would be unlikely, but not impossible.

So, for now, I will be looking forward to the next 4 games and hoping to see the same level of effort. If they show that, I will not whine about the outcomes.

Go Dawgs.

GATA

THE WORLD'S LARGEST OUTDOOR COCKTAIL PARTY

Even though UGA's largest COCK has issued forth an illegitimate name change for this grand tradition of southern football, HDD doesn't check in with the good doctor prior to hanging a moniker on a football game surrounded by a throng of serious revellers. So, tomorrow we will be attending the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and it looks like it will be one of those days in which the weather dog ain't coming back.

It is going to be windy. The only way it could be windier is if it was a weekday that I had taken the day off to go offshore fishing. The wind will be blowing around 20 mph. That could be the story of the day. While our kicking game has suffered plenty since Coutu got hurt, this type of wind, could neutralize the disadvantage. Of course the wind could hurt us more than it hurts Florida, but still, in extreme weather situations, it always seems that the games are closer than expected. Just look at the game between Nebraska and Texas last week in the miserable cold conditions that nearly felled the Longhorns. Well, anyway, I don't know how this stiff breeze will impact the game, but it will somehow. I just hope it helps the Dawgs and hurts the Gators.

I do know that the last 4 years in a row, I have gone to Alltel believing that Georgia had the better team. We prevailed only once. This year I will go to the stadium certain that Florida has the better team. Indeed, I am not sure how we are supposed to even keep this game close. The 14 point line seems about right to me. Florida should have no trouble dinking and dunking the ball for 5 and 10 yards up and down the field on our passive, soft zone that bends until it breaks. Once the Gators figure out how to handle our 4 man pressure on the passer, it will be deja vu all over again. Remember when Goff and Donnan teams decided that blitzing the Gators was too risky because you might give up a big play? So instead, we dropped 8 men back to cover 5 and the results looked something like this: 38, 45, 26, 33, 52, 52, 47, 17, 38, 30, and 34. Good thing we didn't blitz or we could have been scorched. Well, ladies, if we don't pressure Leak tomorrow, the result will be like the Goff/Donnan years. The Cutcliffe/Ainge clinic on how to score 50 on the Dawgs has been published and widely disseminated to our opponents. Don't think that the Gators don't own a copy. The good news is, that I bet we don't have to see the old triple stack formation that Zook used 400 times and we stopped it zero times.


Now, if CWM wants to put me in the box with a headset, here is what I would do... I would run my defense like a Chinese fire drill. There would be blitzes coming from every angle on every play. Sometimes, we may only rush 4, but there would be twisting stunts and other calls designed to keep Leak and the Gator offensive line off balance. I would do everything possible to try to beat the Gator offense with my best defensive players (the front 7) instead of hoping that the inexperienced secondary can cover a talented group of receivers for 5 or 6 seconds. I would challenge Leak to beat the blitz or pay the price. I would use as much disguise of the blitz packages as possible, but somebody would be coming on every play. You know, kind of like Auburn did. Sure we could give up a long play or two, but that is worth the risk. Because, without constant, relentless pressure on Leak, we will surrender more than 30 points tomorrow. However, if we get in his face enough, we just might be able to force him to throw his first ever pass into the hands of a Georgia defender. That would be progress.

On offense, I expect nothing less that a conservative game plan in which we try to keep Stafford from making mistakes. Lord, I hope that isn't the plan. But come on, do you really think CMR will open it up and let Slingin' Matty Stafford throw it all over the place? You know, if we can establish the run, I would be happy to see use run and run and run. But, this Florida defense has yet to let any team run on it. We will not have any success running the ball until we have success passing the ball. So, we better get busy playing pitch and catch in the first quarter so we can get some first downs and keep the Gator offense off the field as much as possible. We do need to take some shots downfield, but the key to success will be hitting the 5-8 yard timing routes and for the receivers to hang on to the ball because they are going to get popped. That is something that scares me... Our guys have been fumbling when not getting drilled, I dread to think what could happen when they get their teeth rattled a few times by the Florida secondary.

This brings me to another point... Reggie Nelson is a star on the Florida defense. He has the Raggedy Ann dreads that are so popular these days. Why do so many kids go with this look these days? I am glad that CMR does not permit that hair style on his team, however, is it possible that this is limiting some of our playmaking ability? Is there any reason that having all that yarn coming out of the back of your helmet helps you make plays? Can we tackle a player by yanking on the yarn? Or is the yarn greased up with jury curl and therefore impossible to grasp? Rhetorical questions, all. But still, it seems like the rastafari always make a big play in every game. This worries me. But, I saw our guys doing the "Fall away, Bob Cousy Jump Shot Dance" during the Miss State game, so maybe these skills will overcome our lack of dreadlocks.

Special teams. Several key points here. The biggest is this: if we win the toss, get the ball. Do not defer to the second half. That strategy has been bad news for this bunch this year. If we take the ball in the first half, then we get to select which end to defend in the second half (unless Florida elects to kick to us - which wouldn't be a bad idea.) With the windy conditions, it would be a good idea to get the wind at your back for the fourth quarter. However, the forecast indicates that the wind will be subsiding in the later afternoon. Still, we don't need to take the second half kick-off if we have a choice. The next point is this: don't get a punt blocked!!! Is Joe TIII back on the punt team yet? If not, why not? We never got a punt block when he was back there. Coincidence? Next point: never run a kickoff out of the end zone. We have a habit of getting all the way back to the ten yard line when we do that. Then, when we get the obligatory block in the back flag, we start on our own 5. Just let the damn ball sail into the end zone and let's start at the 20. Next point: Don't let Florida return kickoffs back to the 35 and 40 all day. That will be brutal. Last point: get Mikey Henderson some space and let's see him dazzle the Cocktail Crowd!

Coaching: This is the first time CMR has entered this game with absolutely no pressure on him or the team. Can we play loose from the opening kickoff for a change? Let's go out there just to have fun. Maybe play that song by Lee Ann Womack called, "I Hope You Dance?" That seemed to work for SOS a few years ago in this game.

Objectively, I would have to say that Florida will win in a lopsided affair. We have not looked good since the first half of the Tennessee game. We have not played 4 good quarters since the SECCG last year. Florida is one play away from being the number 2 team in the land. Granted, many of us always think of them as number 2. This is their year to win the SEC. This is our year to rebuild, succumb to adversity and generally flail in every direction. Oh, and that streak, the 14-2 streak. Never forget that streak. Nevermind that one could say that the current streak is a one-game winning streak. Nossir, let's constantly be reminded about 14-2. Our announcer is old and decrepit and probably has no more instant classics remaining in his career. They have the "Oh My" guy who is so exciting to hear. We have a shitty basketball team with one scholarship player. They are the reigning national champs and look to repeat. (Not sure if that is relevant.) They have Tim Tebow of already mythical proportion. We have Joe TIII. They have Percy Harvin. We have Demiko Goodman. They have Dallas Baker. We have Mario Raley. They have a pothead who will be in our backfield all day. We have a pothead who will false start all day. They have a safety who leads the conference in INTs. We have a safety who leads the conference in personal fouls drawn more than three yards out of bounds. They have a 4 year starting QB who has yet to throw an interception against Georgia. We have a 4 game starter who has more INTs than TDs. Worst of all, again, is that 14-2 streak.

Yes, objectively, you have to admit we should be doomed tomorrow. In fact, any Dawg with a ticket should have sold it to a Gator so they can all bask in the glory of extending the streak to 15-2. No self-respecting Dawg fan would be gullible enough to think that we have a chance tomorrow. That would be very Gamecockish. You definitely should burn your ticket if you still have it instead of going to this bloodletting. That is, unless you have any reason to think that old lady luck could smile on the Dawgs during this installment of the Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. In that case, I will see you tomorrow. Section 103, Row P, Seat 3. I'll be the guy wearing red.

GO DAWGS.

GATA!

WEEK 8 HDD TOP 20

1. Ohio State. This team has yet to be challenged.
2. Southern Cal. Until somebody beats them, if ever.
3. Michigan. This team is going to the MNC Game or, at worst, the Rose Bowl. Not bad.
4. West Virginia. The real challenges are at the door-step.
5. Louisville. See West Virginia.
6. Tennessee.
7. Texas. Close one against Nebraska, but they made their own miracle happen.
8. Clempson. Wow. Did you see CJ Spiller? Me neither, but I did catch his vapor trail.
9. Auburn.
10. Florida.
11. Cal. Slight demotion.
12. Notre Dame. Go NAVY!
13. Arkansas.
14. Wisconsin.
15. Rutgers.
16. LSU.
17. Boise State.
18. Boston College.
19. Missouri.
20. Wake Forest.

Also ran: Oklahoma, A&M, Tulsa.

FURTHER REVIEW

Today I finally had the chance to watch the MSU game on CSS replay. I have a few observations that I wish to air...

No more booing our players, shitheads! If you canÂ’t refrain, move to the Bronx or South Street. That was a lowlight.

The two completed passes on the MSU final drive were not entirely the result of weakass coverage. The first was a poorly considered throw that just so happened to hang very high to a tall receiver who leaped high to catch it with a smurf defender, Bryan Evans, right underneath him but in an impossible position to break up the pass. Not sure Champ Bailey could have done much with this pass. The second was an out route after 5 or 6 seconds with no rush. The ball was thrown to the sideline and low and was put in a place where no defender could possibly knock it down. When the sliding receiver caught the ball, the ball was at least two feet out of bounds with the receiver still in bounds. Maybe the ball could have been completed even if thrown a little less perfectly because Kelin Johnson was laying off about 5 yards when the ball got to the sideline. Still, based on where this ball was thrown, there was no defensive stop even possible, ever. Then, the third pass was perfectly thrown to Kelin Johnson who Milnered it.

What is the deal with the annoying new celebration dance that assumes the form of a shitty fall away jumpshot? Were all of the cool celebration dances already taken, so now this is the best that these clowns can come up with? Why not just recycle the cabbage patch? I am not an advocate of anti-fun, but I am opposed to anti-cool. The jumpshot/freethrow/Bob Cousy dance is just not cool. Someone please shoot it in the head and do it yesterday!

We will need Mo Mass to beat Florida. I hope he brings his hands and the fans support him.

Never, ever take Southerland off of the field. Put him on defense and all special teams.

Slingin' Matthew Stafford was only off by inches on a few of his throws or he would have had an amazing game. We will need those throws against Florida. Oh please.

Lumpkin needs 20+ carries for us to beat Florida.

More on the Florida game later. And the HDD Top 20 coming tomorrow. G'night.

Saturday Night Thoughts

OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS

GEORGIA. Hooray for surviving the threat from the worst team in the SEC. I was not at the game and so was relegated to listening to Larry on the radio. I have not seen any of this on video, so it is hard for me to critique with great specificity. However, a few issues are clear. Something is wrong with MoMass. Three drops is what I heard on the radio. Why? Elsewhere, two fumbles and three interceptions and most of them in our own territory. WTF? I know that Stafford is learning on the job and I have confidence that he will continue to grow and improve. But, I surely hops that he doesn’t have three picks next week. By the way, I think he should throw it away from Pegues. Next week, please know where Reggie Nelson is at all times!

I think we should applaud our handful of offensive linemen for having to take all of the reps everyday in practice and the game and still giving Stafford time to throw the ball and opening some holes for the runners. This has been 8 straight weeks of football with no breaks and no reserves to spell them in the games. That ain’t easy.

I will be in my seat at Alltel next Saturday and I will be hoping against hope that we play our first flawless game and catch the Gators with a bad case of butter fingers. Otherwise, I have little hope that we can keep it within three touchdowns. It hurts to say that, but I can’t imagine how our defense will stop them consistently or hold them under 31 points. More on this later.

CLEMSON. I was impressed with Clemson the first week of the season. Then they started losing starters and more starters and then lost to BC in an overtime game they should have won. Watching them tonight, I am still convinced that they are an outstanding team with some tremendous playmakers. Their defense has Reggie running scared and has rendered him impotent. He is throwing while back-pedaling on every throw.

CJ Spiller reminds me of Reggie Bush. Lightning in a bottle. James Davis is a stud as well. They have torched a fast and talented Tech defense. If Clemson can get Chansi Stuckey healthy for the stretch run, they should run the table. I am not sure where that will land them for a Bowl Game. They need BC to lose a conference game so they will make it to Jacksonville. I think this will happen. Clemson has certainly made a case that they should be considered alongside Texas, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Cal as the best on-loss team. I will certainly have them in my Top 10. Oh yeah, the Clemson cheerleaders are smokin’.

TEXAS. I saw most of the second half of this game. The weather was miserable and that surely impacted the ability to hold on to the ball. Texas was going to lose after a third down conversion by Nebraska with 2:14 remaining and only one timeout left. But… not so fast. After the receiver caught the ball beyond the first down marker, he was drilled by the Texas defender who made a great play to knock the ball out. Then, another Texas player recovered, giving Texas a short field to work with to maneuver into field goal range. A few plays later, as Texas was driving, their ball carrier fumbled and this would have lost the game for Texas, but… Texas recovered. Later, on third and goal with 30 seconds left, Texas trailing by 1, tried a fade into the corner that was primed to be picked off. But… the Texas receiver played defender and knocked the ball to the ground. Finally, Texas kicks the field goal to win by 2.

So, what is my point? Simply this… good-to-great teams make plays in the clutch. They cause the fumble and recover it. Or, they recover their own fumbles. Or they refuse to let the defender intercept the ball in the end zone. All of this with the game on the line. Notre Dame did it too. So did Cal. Auburn did it last week. Sometimes, a team needs some luck to win. However, many times, you make your own luck by giving the sufficient effort and refusing to fail. We have had teams with this quality lately, but this year’s group may not have it. Sure, we refused to lose to Colorado, Ole Miss and Miss St. But, come on… they are horrible teams. We need to have some of this mojo next week against Florida. Oh, and a shitload of luck.

WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS AND PREDILECTIONS

Miss St at Georgia. Bulldogs win. Seriously, Georgia wins, U-G-L-Y. But wins nevertheless.

WEEK 7 HDD TOP 20

1. Ohio State. This is building to what may be the biggest Ohio State-Michigan showdown ever. That will be epic if it comes down to both being undefeated and ranked 1,2.

2. Southern Cal. I will stubbornly keep them at #2 unless and until the lose a game. I love their cheerleaders in those sweaters. Case closed!

3. Michigan. Must avoid a stumble against Iowa (the Georgia of the Big 10) coming off an embarassing loss.

4. West Virginia. Still unbeaten and untested.

5. Texas. The best of the once-beatens.

6 . Louisville. See West Virginia.

7. Tennessee. Many obstacles remain, but if Ainge is hot, they will be tough to stop.

8. California. The Golden Bears have begun to look unbeatable. USC stands in the way.

9. Auburn. Yep.

10. Clemson. The best of the ACC - don't say BC please.

11. Florida. What coulda woulda shoulda been.

12. Notre Dame. This seems like the right spot until they play somebody again.

13. Arkansas. They keep improving. But they have some big tests ahead.

14. Georgia Tech. Yuck!

15. LSU. They can't lose again, can they?

16. Wisconsin. Quiet and efficient.

17. Rutgers. Go Scarlett.
















18. Boise State.

19. Nebraska.

20. Oregon.

Also ran:

Wake, A&M, Pitt, Mizzou, Oklahoma

THOUGHTS ON OUR TEAM AFTER VANDY

Sorry y'all, I have been in Kansas City since Monday and have not had time to blog. I have, however, had time to reflect on our squad. I could reiterate much of what has been said, but by now, that is tired old hat. So, instead, I will speak to the most important issue that I find to be causing us to lose games...

NOT POPPING LEATHER

Our defense has not hit anyone hard in about 4 games. In the first few games, I saw Kelin Johnson lay some wood to a few players. However, in the past four games, I cannot think of a single memorable bone-jarring hit by any of our defensive players. We do not inspire the emotion of fear in the opposing offense. Nobody fears the missile-like thuds of yesteryear from Greg Blue and Thomas Davis. Opposing receivers do not have to worry about being decleated or earholed. Instead, we will hug them to the ground greco-roman style. Unless we swing and miss.

I remember in 1994 after we lost to Arkansas at home (was Terrell Davis's best game) which took us to like 0-4 in SEC play. On the call-in show, ole Ray Goof said, "We're gonna do some Oklahoma and find out who wants to play some football." Well, I think it is about time for some Oklahoma again.

Come on Dawgs, turn this thing around and get something going!

GATA

The Great Jonah Lomu

Now for a brief glimpse at the Herschel Walker of Rugby...

Dorsett, Herschel, Emmitt

Watch this sweet video collection of some great runs by these great tailbacks. I especially like the music selected for these highlights. Notice how Dorsett had an extra gear whenever he needed it and outran many who had an angle on him. He may be the fastest player ever to play between the hedges. I was there, in 1975 as Dorsett led Pitt past Georgia 19-9. He could fly. Enjoy...

WEEK 7 PICKS

WEEK SEVEN PREDICTIONS AND PREDILECTIONS

Last week was not full of surprises here.  A record of 9-1 with the sole errant pick being the Oklahoma mistake.  However, I did not pick the Auburn-Arkansas game, but would have gotten it wrong.  That may be the zenith edition of the HDD picks.  Nevertheless, in fearless fashion, here are this weeks picks.

Vanderbilt at Georgia.   The Dawgs must regroup after the collapse against UT.  Vandy has played tough in all of their games and they will come to Athens looking for a win.  Joe T III and Matthew Stafford will share the QB duties and they both need to elevate their game.  If the Georgia O-line blocks like they did against UT, the running backs should have a good day.  The Bulldog defense has to have a short memory and bring some intensity from the opening bell to seize the momentum.  The longer Vandy keeps it close, the greater the likelihood of a devastating upset.  I am concerned that our defense will struggle again.  But, the resurging offense will bail them out.  
Georgia 31 – Vandy 24.

Rutgers at Navy.   Rutgers is undefeated and ranked as they head into Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.  Navy leads the world in rushing at 350 yards per game.  However, Rutgers can run the ball as well and Ray Rice is the 4th leading rusher in the nation with 805 yards thus far.  This game has “Old School” written all over it.  I gotta pick this one with my heart.  Navy 26 – Rutgers 24.

Florida at Auburn.   The team in orange and blue will win this slugfest.  Auburn has shown that something is missing in their close shave at South Carolina and the whipping the took from Arkansas at home.  All Florida has done is beat Tennessee on the road, beat Alabama and LSU soundly at home and develop into one of the most impressive defensive units in the land.  The Gator offense has been up and down, but mostly up.  The Leak-Tebow rotation has been interesting and will be even more compelling in this serious road-test.  Auburn needs Kenny Irons to be healthy, but he is gimpy and will get hit hard by the Gators.  For Auburn to win, Brandon Cox must have a special night (a la Erik Ainge.)  This is another Meteor game, but I suppose I will pick one of these hated rivals.  Florida 24 – Auburn 19.

Michigan at Penn State.  The Wolverines will be without Super Mario and that gives the Nittany a shot.  But, Michigan has more than enough weaponry to hold off Joe Pas troops.  Michigan 30 – PSU 20.

Ohio State at Michigan State.   Some will want you to believe that this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes.  Caca de toro.  OSU wins easily.  Ohio State 45 – MSU 17.

California at Washington State.  The Golden Bears are coming off an impressive win over the Oregon Ducks.  Washington State is 4-2, with the losses against Auburn and USC.  They are a pretty good team and this is a spot where Cal cannot come out flat or they will be waving goodbye to their well-earned Top 10 ranking.  Cal is on a roll and will narrowly escape the clutch of the Cougars.  Cal 35 – WSU 33.
Arizona State at Southern Cal.  ASU has been a let down this year, so I can’t give them any respect going into this game at the Coliseum.  USC is a beat or two off from where they have been the past 4 seasons.  But they will smoke ASU anyway.  USC 44 – ASU 20.

Missouri at Texas A&M.  Mizzou is for real.  At least as far as the Big 12 North is concerned.  They have not been threatened yet in their 6 straight wins.  The Aggies have not impressed me at all and they have Coach Frankandbeans.  It is easy for me to want the Tigers to win this one.  But, it will be a struggle because it is just going to be one of those days for Mizzou.  Missouri 20 – A&M 17.

UCLA at Oregon.  This is the battle of the 4-1 clubs to determine who can claim to be the third best team in the Pac 10.  Oregon is probably feeling a lot like Georgia right now.  They will be at home looking for a good rebound against the Bruins who may or may not be any good.  Their 10 point loss to Washington is their only blemish, but their wins have been against softies.  Oregon has been tested more, but they basically failed two of those tests.  Oregon wins because they are at home.  I think.  Maybe.  Oregon 28 – UCLA 24.

Wake Forest at NC State.   Wake coulda woulda shoulda entered this game at 6-0.  NC State once looked like a team that would enter this game at 1-4.  However, Wake collapsed against Clemson in the 4th quarter (I feel your pain) and NC State ripped BC and FSU in consecutive wins.  Don’t look now, but the Wolfpack are atop the ACC Atlantic division.  I want Wake to win because they are Wake and it is like wanting Rutgers to win, except I don’t want Rutgers to win this week.  (See above and “About Me”).  The ACC is wacky.  Here is what will happen… NC State will beat Wake but then will lose at Maryland next week.  Or Wake will beat the Wolfpack but then go and lose at UNC.  The horror, the horror.  NC State 30 – Wake Forest 27.

There you have it.  Have fun.

GATA.

Week 6 Rankings

WEEK 6 HDD TOP 21

1. Ohio State. Showing no chinks at all.
2. Southern Cal. Showing a few chinks, but still winning. In my view, after the past four seasons, these guys are entitled to win without style points if they must. If they win their remaining games a combined 7 points, they will be in the title game unless the current number 3 runs the table.
3. Florida. The Gators continue to play 60 minutes of solid football against good teams. That reflects good coaching, good leadership and good discipline. The convincing win over LSU propels them past Michigan, but only by a razor-thin margin. They have several tests remaining and perhaps none bigger than the trip to Auburn this coming Saturday.
4. Michigan. The Wolverines continue to play 60 minutes of solid football against good teams. That reflects good coaching, good leadership and good discipline. They have a decent road challenge this week at Happy Valley.
5. West Virginia. Cruising against an easy schedule that won’t change before the next moon.
6. Louisville. See West Virginia. Have you seen this receiver called Mario Urrutia? 6’-6”, 220 lbs sophomore running something like a 4.4. Where can we get one or five?
7. Texas. One of the UT’s is the best one-loss team in the country. Good luck proving either case.
8. Tennessee. See Texas. Ainge was near-perfect against a soft zone Georgia defense. He would have torched man coverage as well that night because he was in a zone and only a severe helmet to helmet sledgehammer Thomas Davis-like collision could have slowed this comet last Saturday.
9. California. Played their way back up to this spot by scoring 42, 42, 49, 41, and 45.
10. Notre Dame. Not the best one-loss team in the country, but playing consistently now after a few screwy early weekends.
11. Clemson. Ugly purple pants almost cost them a win. But pure determination by the players overcame the horrible haberdashery. Nice contest with Georgia Tech lined up on October 21 at night in Death Valley.
12. Missouri. Hey, they are 6-0, winning easily in every game. How about some love?
13. Boise State. Props to another 6-0 club with no close calls to date.
14. Georgia Tech. I know, I know. But it is only for two more weeks, and then we can cast them down into the lower quartile or beyond.
15. Arkansas. Because they beat Auburn and now have a chance to contend for the West. Why not?
16. Auburn. Ass burn is more like it after the Nutt job Arkansas pulled on them.
17. Iowa/Wisconsin in a tie, ummkay.
18. Oregon. Got smoked by a very good Cal team. Chance for redemption against UCLA this week.
19. Georgia. Ran into a buzz saw after a fast start against the Vols. Rally time.
20. Navy. Hell yeah. Four in a row over the Zoomies. Don’t look now, but Navy has Rutgers at home this coming Saturday with a chance to solidify a spot in the HDD Top 20.
21. Rutgers. Oh Scarlett...

Others receiving consideration… LSU, Wake Forest, Oklahoma, Nebraska.

FURTHER REVIEW

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW

Having just watched the replay on CSS, I have the following observations…

1. In the first half, everything went right for us.  Uncanny.


2. Cutcliffe called a great game and Ainge delivered over and over and over.  Ainge made quick throws when he had to.  He took his time when he could.  He stepped up in the pocket when necessary.  He delivered the ball where it needed to be.  His timing was outstanding.  So, while our zone coverage was soft, he also would have torched man coverage if that would have been our adjustment.  You know it, I know it and yellow dog knows it.  They had our number.  Period.


3. Tennessee’s big 3 receivers and tight ends hung on to every ball after the first quarter (when they dropped 2).  They held on to a few balls after getting popped pretty good.  They are big and strong and we need some receivers like them.


4. Our run blocking was really impressive and the running backs made some nice reads and ran with authority.  Let’s see more of this, please.


5. Our receivers caught the ball as well as possible, but were rarely out in space.  If they keep catching the ball like this, hopefully we can start getting them open with some space to run.


6. After Tony Taylor, we didn’t have any linebacker play.  And none of them could cover.  Brandon Miller is just a tweener.  He is a freakish athlete, but is not a linebacker and is not a defensive end.  Can we make him a BIG receiver?


7. Tra Battle needs to be firmly admonished that hitting guys three steps out of bounds or chicken fighting at the end of every play is stupid and amateurish.  If he keeps it up, he will get us a personal foul that could cost us a game.


8. What happened to the Asher Allen that played in our spring game?  He looked like he could be a shutdown type corner one day.  He still might, but he looked extremely tentative all night.


9. Martinez got schooled by Cutcliffe and a near perfect Erik Ainge and his big targets.  But, the combination of their defense/our offense made Martinez’s job impossible.  Tennessee came out of the gate in the second half with all guns blazing and we got put on skates and could not recover on either side of the ball.  I wonder what their halftime talk was like?


10. We have a disastrous QB issue on our hands.  But, I trust CMR to sort it out as well as any other living coach would.

Ladies, things are never as bad as they seem nor or they ever as good as they seem.  The saying, “May you live in interesting times” is apropos here.  I think we will finish 10-2 or 9-3 in the regular season.  Either way, with our youth, inexperience and QB carousel, it will certainly be interesting.  What will not happen is a total collapse and a 6-6 or 7-5 season like we have seen several other SEC teams (UT, Auburn) experience within the last few years.  So quit bitching, strap on your balls, and support these DAWGS!

BIZZARRO GAME 2006

A FEW COMMENTS REGARDING THE BIZZARRO GAME OF THE YEAR

Please see Doug Gillett’s take for a sane analysis of this night. I agree with a lot of what he said. I also agree with much of what Kyle had to say. Here is a comment I made over at Dawgsports in response to Kyle’s take…

Thank you
Kyle,
I see this game the same as you. The Vols are better than us. We could have done a few things better, but, if we played UT ten times in a row, they would win 7 - I think. Our team has holes that are not filled and may not get filled this year. However, this team is good enough (or talented enough) to win 9 or 10 regular season games. That has not changed since August.
I would really like to see Will Muschamp as our DC someday soon. However, you know that we will lose Rodney Garner if/when we replace Willie with anyone other than Garner.
The most frustrating thing to me in the past two games is that CMR does not seem content to let our ground attack take over a ball game. We had two backs averaging over 6 yards per carry. But we had to press out luck with our mediocre QB and it cost us twice in situations where running the ball made more sense. From my seat, it looked like we were gaining 5,6,7 yards per carry even when UT had 9 men in the box. If it is working, go with it. ARRRRGGGGHHHH!
UT is a great team again and I think Cutcliffe deserves most of that credit. Of course, last night, they were running two receivers into simple, short routes that Ainge was delivering rapidly before our rush could be a factor. Simple, simple gameplan. Executed to perfection with no adjustment by our DC. Painful to watch, but I finally assumed the posture proposed by Bobby Knight when he said "you might as well enjoy it."
Oh well. Let's go Dawgs, get ready for Vandy.
And also this comment…
Don't Mail It In Yet
I don't think we must concede 3 or 4 losses this year. We had a real chance to win the game Sat night and we failed to make a few key plays that could have made the difference. In short, with the way UT played, we could afford no mistakes and we made plenty in the second half. Worse yet, we could not force them into any mistakes except the two long returns.
Auburn proved that they are not invincible the past two weeks. Florida, while damn good, is not invincible. And we know Tech is not invincible. So, I don't concede any of these games outright even though I don't expect to win all three. By the way, I DO expect to beat Vandy, MSU and Kentucky.
It is a long season and circumstances change all the time. Last year we had a circumstance hit us the week of the Florida game and it cost us. However, the Sunday after we throttled Tennessee, many in Gatorland figured us to beat them until Shockley went down.
Believe it or not, it is likely that the SEC East representative will have 1 loss and possibly 2. UT still has LSU and Alabama. What happens to them if Ainge misses one of those games - ala Shockley? Or even if he doesn't? Florida still has Auburn (who can't afford to lose this game) and us. I am convinced that Florida has a better team than we do this year, but I have watched enough football to know that this does not always guarantee a win. Right now, this is clearly the most difficult game for us to figure out how to win.
Auburn can be beat. If you think we have no chance of beating Auburn, please explain.
Tech is Tech and they have Reggie Ball. So that one is clearly winnable.
Will win all 3? No. Will we lose all 3? No.
It is time to do some serious coaching, which our staff is capable of or we wouldn't have won 10+ games each year on talent alone.
Preseason, I figured us to go 10-2 at best and 9-3 at worst. Still looks reasonable to me.
Our defense needs to get their GTBB (get the ball back) mantra from last year and leave the KTIFOY (keep them in front of you) mantra in the carnage that was the last 35 minutes of the UT game.
Our offense will improve between now and Florida. The run blocking is much improved and our running backs can win ball games for us if CMR will let them. We should start Joe T because the freshmen don't want to start. Until they demonstrate that they want it more than Joe T, he should be the starter.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, I trust CMR to get as much out of these players and this situation as any other living coach would. So we won't be undefeated this year. OK. We, you and I that is, didn't expect to be anyway. Let's just worry about beating Vandy and then let the rest of it take care of itself.
GATA.
So those were my initial observations before watching the replay of the game tonight. My thoughts, upon further review, appear in the next post.

WEEK 6 PICKS

WEEK 6 OPAQUE CRYSTAL BALL
PREDICTIONS AND PREDILECTIONS

Last week I correctly picked 4 out of 6.  The Yellow Jackets and Golden Bears proved me wrong in convincing fashion.  Georgia had a win that felt like a loss.  I would settle for that again this week from the Dawgs.  There are many great games tomorrow, so let’s get right on it…

TENNESSEE at GEORGIA
Georgia can’t find the right combination to unlock its offense.  Tennessee is firing on all cylinders.  The Dawgs defense has held it together, but will face its toughest test of the year.  The loss of kicker Brandon Coutu swings the edge in the kicking game completely over to the Vols.  I am happy that Joe T III is back and will hopefully provide the leadership and knowledge of all of the offensive packages to give Georgia a renewal on offense.  But, I can’t conceive of any way that the Dawgs can mend all of the problems shown the past two weeks with the Vols in the opposing uniforms.  Thus, sadly, I suspect it will be UT 17 – UGA 10.

NAVY at USAFA
Navy has won three straight against the Zoomies.  All three have been by 3 point margins.  The last two were last-second field goals.  Air Force showed how capable they are by coming with one two-point conversion from shocking Tennessee at Neyland.  Navy rushes for a Div 1 leading 357 yards per game.  Air Force stands third with 290 rushing yards per game.  The clock will fly in this game.  Air Force has home field advantage.  Navy has Paul Johnson.  Please Navy, make it 4 in a row!  NAVY 31 – USAFA (can you guess?) 28.

TEXAS and OKLAHOMA
I will call this the Red River SHOOTOUT because I like tradition and I don’t think that football games called shootouts kill people, people kill people.  Texas is at least a little better than the Sooners across the board.  Last year Texas finally beat Oklahoma, just as they beat every other team they played.  However, Adrian Peterson was hobbled and gained only 10 yards on 3 carries.  This year, the horse is back and will carry the Sooners to a victory in a classic.  OKLAHOMA 33 – TEXAS 31.

LSU at FLORIDA
LSU brings their bonafide defense into the swamp to try and stop the Gators efficient run of victories.  Chris Leak has guided an improved Gator offense and the Gator defense has been stellar.  The Tigers offense has rolled up scores as follows: 45, 45, 3, 49, 48.  Remember, “Which one of these does not belong with the others” from Sesame Street?  Well, Auburn stopped Jamarcus and the gang from Red Stick.  The Gator defense is probably better than the Auburn defense.  So, will LSU score less than 3?  On the other hand, the Gators have scored 21 and 28 against UT and Bama respectively and lots more points against their lesser 3 opponents.  One of these teams will score a defensive TD and that team will win.  The Gators I know are guardedly optimistic.  Where is the swagger?  I think FLORIDA 17 – LSU 14.
CLEMSON at WAKE FOREST
Wake enters unbeaten.  Clemson is on a roll.  Wakes exits with a loss.  CLEMSON 38 – WAKE 21.

OREGON at CALIFORNIA
Oregon is undefeated (unless you ask Bob Stoops) and Cal is now living up to their pre-Neyland hype.  This is the battle for the second best team in the Pac 10.  Each team beat up on ASU.  I am sure to get this one wrong, no matter how I analyze it.  So I will just pick the home team.  CAL 30 – DUCKS 28.

MISSOURI at TEXAS TECH
Mizzou gets to Lubbock unbeaten.  The Red Raiders are coming off of an emotional close win over Texas A&M.  Tech will be pass happy.  Missouri’s defense has fared well against the run and pass thus far.  Indeed, the Tigers held Ole Miss and Colorado to fewer points than the Dawgs did – while posting 34 more points.  Kind of hard for me to pick against Mizzou even though they are a long way from home in this game.  MIZZOU 33 – TECH 21.

Freebie
STANFORD at NOTRE DAME
The only chance the Cardinal have in this one is if Notre Dame gets caught looking ahead to NAVY.  Yeah, right.  DOMERS 44 – STANFORD 21

MICHIGAN STATE at MICHIGAN
This game is interesting merely to see if Sparty can show any fortitude after getting away from East Lansing after the two baths they took at home the past two weeks.  The Wolverines are solid, explosive and look unstoppable.  Is there any chance of something extremely goofy happening in the Big House under a full moon?  I have a feeling, but it is not strong enough to sway me.  MICHIGAN 34 – SPARTY 28.

MARYLAND at GEORGIA TECH
This is another homecoming for the Fridge.  The field cants towards his sideline when he takes the field.  Not sure if this is an advantage or more of a benign observation.  Are the Techies thinking about the NC State game from last year when they lost a heartbreaker at home?  Maryland is slow.  Tech is fast.  Calvin is unstoppable if he gets the ball.  Tech may lay an egg this season, but this won’t be it.  TECH 31 – TERPS 20.


That is all folks.  Have a safe and enjoyable day.

Go DAWGS. GATA!

WEEK 5 RANKINGS

HDD TOP 20

Not too many shocking developments in Week 5. So here is my ranking of the Top 20 teams…

1. Ohio State. Rolling.


2. Auburn. No penalty from me. They beat the Evil One by 7. Good enough.


3. Southern Cal. Again, no penalty. There is a chink in their armor, but they still may not lose a game all year.


4. Michigan. Pushing both #3 and #2.


5. Florida. Nice 60 minute ball game against Bama. Now, LSU.


6. West Virginia. Who will beat them if Louisville doesn’t?


7. Louisville. Who will beat them if WVU doesn’t?
8. Texas. I am concerned that they will get beat by the Sooners this week.


9. LSU. In the swamp for another colossal test. Can’t wait to watch.


10. Oregon. Annihilated ASU. At Cal Saturday to prove where they belong.


11. Clemson. Will rain on Wake’s parade Saturday.


12. Oklahoma. Chance at the Top 10 if they can beat Texas.


13. Tennessee. The Vols are firing on all cylinders. But, I hope they sling a rod or two in Athens and have a total breakdown.


14. Notre Dame. Not much of a schedule remaining until Thanksgiving.


15. Georgia. Will anyone please catch a forward pass? 3-spot demotion for second week in a row. Must beat Tennessee to regain credibility.


16. California. Wracking up the points lately. Big home game with the Ducks will determine the second best team out West.


17. Georgia Tech. If they throw it to Calvin, they win.


18. Boise State.


19. Wake Forest. Undefeated and upset-minded.


20. Rutgers.

We hope that the Scarlet Knights remain in the TOP 20 so we can keep posting pics of Scarlett Johannson who has no connection to Rutgers other than her name.






Others under consideration: Iowa, Nebraska, FSU, VPI, Missouri, BC.