All of the non-critical college football preseason polls are out. This site takes a look at them all and then gives us the average ranking. By non-critical I mean, this list doesn't include the AP or Coaches (or whatever it's called) polls.
Interestingly, UGA is ranked #14 which to me is about right if we're basing it on where we are *right now*. If we're basing it on where I think we'll end up, then 9-12 is more like it. Let's be realistic here. If UGA goes 9-2 or better we're going to play yet another slow Big 10 team and we're going to win. Just as we always do.
If we go 8-3, then we'll some how end up playing a deeply flawed Tier 2 ACC team again in the Peach and we'll win that. If get a BCS bowl bid, and we lose the game we'll still end up around 9-12.
3 Thoughts on Other teams:
1. UF is a tad high. I have them for 3 losses this year (including bowl).
2. Iowa seems a bit low. Interestingly, opinions vary most about them. Some polls having them as high as #2 and others as low as 15th
3. Pitt. I need to research these guys more b/c I am BAFFLED by the hype/praise I've seen lately. They were a horribly unimpressive team last year when I saw them. They had to go to double OT to beat Furman (who I'm not convinced didn't have chicks on their team). Utah beat them like they stole something. They also lost to a wretched Syracuse team and Uconn. And, they barely beat a Notre Dame.
Anyone on those consensus rankings look way off to you?
Posted by Paulwesterdawg for the Georgia Sports Blog.
July 30, 2005
College Football Preseason Concensus Top 25 Polls
July 29, 2005
Top 10 Things Overheard Said by Georgia Tech Freshmen
UGAs Home Presents....
TOP 10 OVERHEARD THINGS FRESHMEN AT Ga TECH SAY
10. "Where do they post the dress code?"
9. "I can't believe it. This is where Hochtuey Sheshmed went to school before he became northwest Nepal semi-regional chess champ. I-have-arrived!"
8. "We're college men now. Let's get tats of our SAT scores!"
7. "Finally, a place where other kids get beat up a lot too."
6. "What's a 'kegger'?"
5. "Hey man, excuse me but aren't there any girls at this school? Oh...ma'am, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't realize."
4. "THERE'S my dorm. No wait...that's another city office building"
3. "So we won't ever get dates and this is what we do!? I dunnnnoooo....my grandmother told me to never do this again."
2. "Really? We have sports teams? What are we called?"
1. "Hello? Mom? It's me. Well I've been here a week now........mom, I think I made a biiiiiiig mistake."
Written By Ugas Home for the Georgia Bulldog un official Sports Blog
UPDATE: The Techies are building a response to this. Check it out here. lol.
Blog Poll Roundtable 4: Dawgs Gone Wild
The latest installment of the Blog Poll Roundtable focuses on rivalries. Joey at Blue-Gray Sky explains how this one works . What is the Blog Poll you ask? Brian has the answers.
1. Who are your rival(s)?
How much time do you have? Almost everyone we play considers us a rival. For me the two biggest games of the year are Florida and Tech. I enjoy beating Florida more than any other team on the schedule each year, and I HATE losing to Tech more than other team.
Granted I have limited experience in beating the Gators. But I've done it just enough to know that I love it.
I've been on the road or neutral sites to play every team in the SEC except the Bizaroo Dogs. Everyone in the SEC East, I've seen at least 5 times. Most of them are about the same on the obnoxious-o-meter. Some good fans. Some a-holes. But the fan base that is typically full of more jackasses is South Carolina. And having Spurrier will do nothing to tame that. UGA fans don't consider the Gamecocks a rival, but we DO consider their coach a rival. So you can go ahead and add the Coots to our list going foward.
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The only rivalry game that I'm feeling very worried about is Tennessee. They've got a good ballclub coming back this year. And after 2 in a row in Neyland, they will be up for the game. I love having Georgia Tech at the end of the schedule. Their lack of depth along both lines will likely leave them as a shadow of the team they are in September. (BTW -- Tech is a Top 20 team in 2006). I like us at least 50-50 vs. Auburn and Florida.
[Photo Right: Tech's OL doesn't scare me]
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PENN STATE! I know they are down a bit right now, but who cares. We still owe them from Jan 1, 1983 when they beat us for the National Title. As a kid growing up in Alabama, I used to think it was cool that Alabama seemed to play PSU every year. I'd love to get something like that going. With so many PSU alums in Atlanta, it would be a great fit.
There's a large chunk of the Bulldog fanbase that wants to see us take advantage of the 12th game to put Clemson back on the schedule permanently. Not me. After 5 in a row, beating the Tigers is old hat.
[Photo Above: '83 Sugar Bowl. Ouch How many times does ESPN Classic really need to replay this game?]
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If we're talking about how they impact the rest of the college football universe then UF vs. UT, Miami vs. FSU, Michigan vs. Ohio State and Oklahoma vs. Texas do more to shape the college football landscape than the other rivalries. But for sheer bloodsport, I have to go with Alabama vs. Auburn. That game means more to them than any other game I've ever come across.
[Photo Above: Growing up a Bama fan, Van Tiffin's 50+ yarder to beat Auburn is my most vivid childhood football memory.]
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I'm honestly not a big fan of these things. It's such a Big 10 thing to do. Personally, I think if your rivalry trophy is less than 50 years old it's a joke. Realistically, I think it needs to be 75+ years old and it needs to have been stolen at least a dozen times or have some other great story.
Take UGA vs. Georgia Tech. We had played each other 90+ time and then out of the clear blue sky we started playing for the "Governor's Trophy." I'd wager than 90% of Tech fans don't even know about the trophy. Although, one could argue that's because they've never seen it. lol. Another meaningless trophy.
[Photo Above: Trophy Wives = Yes. Rivalry Trophies = No.]
What are your thoughts on UGA's rivals?
Posted by me for the Georgia Bulldog Sports Blog
July 28, 2005
Urban Liar? Bowling Green Fan Expands list of accomplishments
Yesterday, a link went around the net from We Are the Boys of Florida listing Urban Meyer's accomplishments.
Bowling Green blogger "Have You Met Tony" lists other accomplishments of Mrs. Meyer's Husband.
Outstanding. The not so subtle difference in how he's loved his former fans versus his current ones says volumes.
Posted by Paulwesterdawg for the University of Georgia un official Bulldog Sports Blog.
BlogPoll Roundtable 3: College Football Talk
Every few weeks, the members of the Blog Poll discuss a roundtable question on their respective blogs. I'm late as hell with mine. Given that they just put Blog Poll 4 up, I figure it's probably time that I get after it and finish Blog Poll 3. Here were the 4 questions:
- Which unheralded player on your team will be the hardest to replace?
- Which seemingly inconsequential player could make the biggest impact?
- Which regular-season game that won’t feature your team would you pay the most money to see this season? Why?
- And finally, because I want it, you want it, and the American people want it: If your team were a rapper, who would it be and why?
So my answers:
Best unheralded player that we lost. -- That's a tough one. We only lost 7 or 8 guys and all but one were drafted so how unheralded could any of them have been? In a pinch, I'd go with Arnold Harrison. Arnold was a solid leader last year for us when healthy. With Tony Taylor back (he sat our last year with an injury) linebacker leadership is sort of a wash.
Seemingly inconsequential player will have the biggest impact? -- No one is talking about our kicker this year. But they should. Since we lost Billy Bennett there hasn't been the level of consistency that we've needed. Coutu doesn't have a big leg, but I've got a good vibe on him in terms of clutch. The kick vs. GT last year was the first of his career and it was money in a tough spot. Given that some folks call UGA "Field Goal Kicker U" instead of Tailback U these days b/c of Richt's redzone issues, we need a strong kicker.
Regular Season Game not involving UGA would I like to see -- Has to be the Iron Bowl. I grew up in Alabama, and I consider not seeing the Iron Bowl in Birmingham split 50/50 to be a major whiff in life. I'd rather see it in Tuscaloosa than Auburn though. This year, I'll see Penn State vs. Minnesota in Happy Valley and GT vs. NCSU in Atlanta. But I doubt I'll get to the Iron Bowl anytime soon due to scheduling conflicts.
If my team were a rapper who would they be -- Honestly sometimes, I can't help but think we're the Sugar Hill Gang. We were hellified #1 in the early 80s. We had a brief comeback in 2002, and so did the Sugar Hill Gang with the movie The Wedding Singer. Briefly, I did consider going with NWA for this UGA team b/c with Shockley as our QB (sort of skitish) and all of those RBs I think we'll be "100 Miles and Running".
StraightBangin' was assigned to referee this Roundtable. His recap is very good. The best part of his recap is the comparison between Suge Knight and DeathRow records to Jim Tressel and "The" Ohio State University.
I'll get with the program for Blog Poll Roundtable 4 soon.
Phil Fulmer's Philabuster
I'm pretty sure this isn't password protected. If it isn' check the Columbus Ledger b/c I'd wager the article ran there too. Mikie Lough describes SEC Media Day 1 as Fulmer stalling with prepared statements and long winded responses, Meyer boring the audience into submission (I didn't see that one coming), and Spurrier just being glad to be back.
He describes Fulmer's statement...
"Before he was done reading some prepared statements, one half expected Charlton Heston, Lassie, Rudy Giuliani, and Lee Greenwood to be at his side humming "God Bless America."
Enjoy,
This link proudly brought to you buy Paulwesterdawg's Georgia Bulldog Sports Blog
July 27, 2005
Preseason Awards -- 2005 Football
These 4 are the first in what I hope will be a series of Pre-Season Awards (and later mid-season awards) this college football season.
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Winner: Boise State
This award recognizes those that want more out of life. The BSU Program may not have big hooters or an award winning singing voice like Dolly Parton in her legendary portrayal of Doralee Rhodes in the American Classic "Nine to Five". But we can see the resemblance. Doralee wants Mr. Franklin Hart to respect her as he would a male co-worker and to stop harassing her. Boise State wants pollsters to disregard their so-called BCS bias and take them seriously. Doralee has freakishly large breats and Boise has freakishly blue turf. Both are adorable, but neither is really qualified to move up much beyond their current station in life.
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Projected Winner: Tre Smith
For the player most in need of a Time Machine. Given that Kenny Irons wasn't good enough to start at South Carolina, runs slower than Nell Carter, and has the field vision of Stevie Wonder, Tre Smith will end up being relied upon heavily by the Auburn Tigers at RB this year. Unfortunately for Auburn, the last great white running back in the SEC didn't wear a face mask.
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Winner: Tommy Tuberville
Given to the person with Weasel like personality and self absorbed delusions of grandeur. Who else other than Tuberville? I will grant you that CTT has reason to feel full of himself after a 13-0 season. But Dabney Coleman eventually was in hits such as Tootsie and On Golden Pond. As Dabney proved, a hit or two doesn't make you into Al Pacino anymore than Tuberville's Eufaula News National Championship makes him the second coming of Bear Bryant or Knute Rockne.
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Winner: Athletic Director Penn State
When Travis shot Old Yeller, he said, "It was like having to shoot some of my own folks. That's how much I'd come to think of the big yeller dog." But he did it. He went ahead and shot him for the good of the family and for Old Yeller. Folks, Joe Pa has rabies. He’s sick. He’s got to be put out of his misery before he goes crazy and kills the Penn State program. Come on Tim Curley. It's your job. It's time to put Joe down.
Bulldog Wide Reciever Kenneth Harris Profiled
The Greensboro, NC newspaper had a good article on UGA WR Kenneth Harris in last week's paper. Apparently, he's added 10 pounds of muscle. He could be the game breaker, or he could be a Spring Game wonder. I've got high hopes.
Photo of Kenneth Harris (click to enlarge)
Posted by Paulwesterdawg for the Georgia Bulldog Sports Blog
Urban Meyer News from SEC Media Days
This is outstanding. Gator Blogger "We are the Boys" reports from SEC Media Days that Urban Meyer can eat a whole watermelon in 1 sitting. Additionally, Meyer is licensed to practice law in 11 states, and he can practice medicine in six.
No mention of pointing and staring, but still an impressive Bill Brasky-like list. Thanks to EDSBS.com for the heads up on the link.
July 26, 2005
Recruiting Analyst Tom Lemming is an Idiot
I've long held the opinion that Lemming is a tool. Brian at Mgoblog.blogspot.com has an interesting article up discussing Myron Rolle's, an elite NJ high school football recruit, comments about ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.
Basically, the article confirms what other recruiting analysts have said for years...Lemming pushes kids to his pet schools. You would think that guys like Lemming would learn from guys like Culpepper that meddling in the recruitment of kids doesn't pay.
Culpepper meddled in Bama's recruiting affairs and is now facing a jury verdict of $30 million against him from former Alabama recruiting coordinator Ronnie Cotrell.
My biggest beef with Lemming is that he alledgely tells kids if you commit to this school or that school too early, then I won't let you play in my All-Star game. Which is horse shit.
Anyway, it's a good read from Brian.
July 25, 2005
81Dog Presents the 2005 UGA Season at a Glance
The 2005 UGA Season at a Glance
By: 81dog
Your humble correspondent took stock of the schedule facing the UGA Bulldogs. Based on our opponents analysis, UGA clearly has the worst team in the SEC. Let's break it down:
9/3: Boise St in Athens. DJ Shockley? Couldn't start for Boise High School. The Bulldogs haven't seen anything like swarming Mountain Man offense and defense. Humidity in the south? Bah. UGA will be lucky to stay within 2 touchdowns. Just ask Blue Turf board. Certain UGA loss.
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[Photo Above: Zig Ziglar's Next Book "Being GameCOCKY: Logic Be Damned. Win in Your Mind's Eye. It's Almost as Good as the Real Thing"]
9/17: Lousiana-Monroe in Athens. Stunned by consecutive drubbings by superior teams, UGA reeling in week 3. DJ Shockley less popular than Danny Wuerffel in Athens. Not even Lousiana-Monroe fans expect it, but visiting underdogs pull off upset. UGA loss.
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10/8: UT at Knoxville. Gerald Riggs is the new Jabari Davis. DJ Shockley terrified by eerie sound of 90,000 hillbillies inviting him to go rafting in mountains. Fulmer pleased by dominating UT first half play, doubles usual cash bonuses on the spot. Certain UGA loss.
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[Photo Above: Sign seen the day after Richt loses to Vandy]
10/22: Arkansas in Athens. In an effort to pull UGA out of tailspin, Mark Richt goes to history book for a trick play that will shake his team up. Unfortunately, it's the shoestring. History repeats itself; disaster ensues for UGA. Crushing UGA loss.
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[Photo Right: Meyer between pointing and staring.]
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[Photo Right: Auburn Running Back Tre Smith]
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[Photo Right: Chuck Hayes is unstoppable despite the wrong face mask.]
11/26: Undefeated Ganja Toke U in West Athens: Billy Bob Gailey's innovative new strategy? Reggie Ball now punts on 3rd down.
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[Photo Right: Reggie Ball's off season trainer works with him on down and distance]
Yep. It's officially hopeless. I guess Coach Richt will go ahead and play the games anyway, but what's the point? We can't possibly beat anyone but GTU. Just ask the fans of anyone we play.
Written by 81Dog for the Georgia Bulldog Football and SEC Sports Blog
July 21, 2005
Mensa Results
Thought this was funny. I can't remember where I found it.
The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are the 2005
winners:
1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
And the overall winner:
18. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
July 20, 2005
Two Heart Warming Sports Stories
The first is a AP Story about Ryan Belflower's last second shot in a High School basketball game in California. It's a story about a special ed student's One Shining Moment for the boy's basketball team. It's the sort of story that has you crying afterwards.
The second story really tops the first. It's also involves a special ed student who takes a different type of shot...in a T-ball game. It is an inspiring look at the human spirit, and one man's drive to succeed in sport. Good times.
July 19, 2005
Is it Football Season Yet
Normally, I loathe Terry Bowden. That has been my official stance and rare have I strayed from it. I loathe him for his time at Auburn, and I thought he was likely the worst in studio host in college football history. Unseating Craig James' near strangle hold on the title.
However, last year I grew to have a measure of respect for Bowden in his color commentary role. He provided quality insight during the Nebraska vs. Colorado game last year. Pretty much mocking NU's coaching staff for their lack of imagination or common sense.
Anyway, I digress. Here's a decent interview with Tater Tot Bowden from Yahoo Sports. He spends the day golfing with his brothers and father. Here's one diary entry that made me laugh:
Sure, UGA isn't reference and it doesn't go on and on about Georgia Football. Which is in itself a travashamocker. But it's a decent offseason read.9:52 a.m.
Tommy gets a call from his daughter Lauren, who is taking her last final at Clemson before she drives down to the beach. It must have been a geography test because I overhear Tommy say, "All I know is that North America is a continent, Florida is a peninsula, and Texas and Alaska are the largest states." Tommy was not a great student.
Posted by Paulwesterdawg for the Georgia Dawg Sports Blog.
Steve Spurrier will fail because he will want to
Inside the Mind of Steve Spurrier
By Ugas Home
Steve Spurrier is a prideful man (duuuuh....tell us something we don't know). He's so prideful he's going to WANT to lose at South Carolina. The long and short of it..he now works at a place where the people cluck when they're happy or get excited.
They are indeed the 'Cock Cluckers. Score a TD, even only a short field goal, and a tortured rooster crow screams at the fans over the stadium loudspeakers. The first time that happens in a game Spurrier is going to turn bugeyed, soil himself, and want out.
::::ERRRT errrr errrt errrr ERRRrrrrrrrrt::::::
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"That was our celebration cheer coach."
"Whaaa......C'mon.....Seriously???"
"Yea, seriously."
"Y'all do this a lot?!?"
"Noooooo sir! Only when we score."
"Nobody told me this! This was not my contract!"
"It's Gamecock pride, coach. It's what we do."
"Pride?!? You're proud of that???? Heeeeyyyy look...I'm Steve freeeakin' Spurrier, man! I don't cluck or crow or peck at sod grubs or anything like that for anybody nor do I wanna be associated with those who do!
"I walked away from millions in the NFL just to get away from a loser team and THEN refused to agree to a simple interview to get my old job back at UF. I'm 'Da Man' and I won't put up with some pathetic Hee-Haw style 'tradition'! Good Lord! I've taken dumps on road trips in rural truck stop toilets that had more class than this place."
"Coach..you're not proud to be a Gamecock??? We're gonna win the SEC! We've been soooo close ever since we joined the SEC. All we've needed is a coach. Holtz was a God, but he got defrocked. We've needed a coach and a couple or 40 more good players and we're there dude!"
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"I'm inspired by your overwhelming sense of pride coach. I am sooo glad coach Holtz got me in school through the learning disabilities back door. One day I'll be able to tell my kids and grandkids I was a player when the Gamecocks rose to command the respect and championship titles we've always been entitled to. YOU are the one! YOU are gonna lead us to the promised land! I'm gonna make you proud of me coach!"
"Riiiiiiiiight.....Anything you say kid.....Knock yourself out...I bet you're teacher's fave in 'tard class aren't ya, huh?!?......Time ouuuuut...yo REF.....TIME OUT.........OK FELLAS huddle up around me...Yoouuuu SOBs listen up and listen good!...We're goin' with a new game plan and I mean RIGHT NOW....We're gonna run a new offense I just devised specially for all of you forever in the future champions....It's called the Chicken Bone Choke N' Punt...."
Written by Ugas Home for the Georgia Bulldog Football Blog
July 18, 2005
3 College Football Announcers that we'd like to see
Great article from Orson Swindle at EverydayShouldBeSaturday.com. He lists Paris Hilton, Ron Zook and Vladmir Putin.
My list would include:
Jessica Simpson - for the same reason he chose Hilton
Dave Chapelle - Pair him up with Bill Curry and Ron Franklin, and wait for their heads to explode as Chapelle drops the old "N- please" when discussing Mike Shula's play calling.
Mike Tyson - "The use of the sssspread opstion in this ssssituation is ludacrisss. All praise to Allah. I'm a proponent of running up the ssscore. Eat their children I alwayssss ssssay. All praise to Allah."
Herschel Walker - Bruce Dickinson is to Cowbell as UGA fans are to Herschel Walker. "I got a FE-ver, and the only prescription . . . is more Herschel!"
[Photo: Jessica or Bill Curry? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I'm going to have to opt for Jessica]
July 17, 2005
Urban Meyer Praised for Pointing and Staring
Source: AP Wire Reports
By JeromeFromDecatur
(Gainesville, Florida) - There’s something different in the Florida air this summer. A new Bull Gator rules The Swamp and Gator Nation has taken note. After a sweeping tour of Gator Clubs throughout The Sunshine State, Gator fans have found a unifying reason to praise their already legendary Coach.
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[Photo Above: Coach Urban Meyer. Points with Authority.]
Coach Meyer’s current record at Florida is 0-0.
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[Photo at Right: Doing What He Does Best]
“In a word, tent revival. I mean, the man walks into the room and we set down our plates and jaws drop. Then he stares. And stares. Then he points. I mean, whoa. Charlie Pell could point, but there were always fingers pointing back at him. Galen had that problem too. Gary Darnell couldn’t point or stare. That other guy mastered staring, but dang if he didn’t shrug and toss visors and clipboards. Zook? Ron Zook? With Coach Meyer…he stares…he points…and you know it. He has it. My scales stand up on end.”
When asked what “it” is—Collinsworthfell responded he wasn’t exactly sure but the pictures sure did look good.
What should the college football world make of all this? Are Florida fans desperate because of their lack of any substantive football tradition? Is the presence of Steve Spurrier at South Carolina causing Gators everywhere to schizophrenically cling to Meyer for dear life? Is this hyperbolic excitement a symptom of trying to forget Ron Zook? And does all this staring and pointing necessarily translate into victories for the Gators?
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[Photo at right: About to Point?]
Coach Meyer was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule to give this reporter some time. When asked via phone about his biggest coaching influence, Meyer gave credit where credit is due.
“Coach Bob Davie, definitely. He’s been the biggest influence. You just learn so much working for Coach Davie. You see, he learned a lot from Coach Holtz and both knew there’s a lot more to coaching than preparation, tough conference schedules, and X’s and O’s.
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[Photo at Right: Not Exactly Pointing or Staring]
When asked if demanding respect included his famous staring and pointing Coach Meyer declined to comment.
What will become of The Bright Shinning Light from the Sunshine State? Is it more light than heat? A lot of hype? A solid foundation for Gator hopes?
No matter. Gator Fans everywhere are receiving their coaching legend and lofty pre-season expectations with open arms. UF alum and long-time Gator and SEC fan Destiny Stahl from Pensacola commented after her encounter with Coach Meyer at the Northwest Florida Gator Club, “He’s meant so much to me. Personally. And so much to us. He’s a legend. His record at Florida speaks for itself.”
Indeed.
[Photo Above: Multi-tasking During the Glory Days in Utah: Pointing, Staring, Screaming.]
This important news bulletin was proudly brought to you by the Georgia Football Dawg Blog.
July 14, 2005
Clemson Man Makes the Cover of NCAA 2006
Making fun of Clemson fans is like shooting fish in a barrel. Click to Enlarge.
Posted by Paulwesterdawg for the UGA Dawg Fan Sports Blog.
July 13, 2005
Spurrier Test Drives NCAA 2006
Georgia Dawg Blog Contributing Writer SaxonDawg Sat Down with Stever Spurrier for a Game of NCAA 2006 on the Xbox....
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It's almost time, and the OBC is fiesty and restless, relentlessly swishing air tee-offs onto the links of his imagination.
We at the Dawg Blawg had little trouble talking Coach Superior into a round of digital pigskin, via EA Sports' new edition of NCAA Football for the X-Box. Saxondawg chose to play the part of Central Florida, Spurrier's first opponent. The OBC, of course, took . . .
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SD: I am being serious. After all, South Carolina, that's your new team, right?
OBC: South CAROLINA? That the one near Augusta? Okay, I think you're right. Just wrappin' my mind around the new job, ya know? Any idea if I actually signed the papers?
SD: Think so, Coach. Look, you kicked off and my Golden Knights are setting up a return.
OBC: Gimme my trigger thingy. The Ol' Ball Coach is gonna throw the ball around the yard, fun it-gun it, toss n' catch...
SD: Wow, I returned the kick for a touchdown! CF 7, Gamecocks 0.
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OBC: Wait a minute. The Ol' Ball Coach wasn't ready. And what kind of mascot is that fat ball of Crisco there? Needs his fanny kicked.
SD: That's not the mascot, that's our UCF head coach. O'Leary. That wiggling cellulite is rendered really well, graphically, eh? Do you think they did a good job on your stadium?
OBC: Well, they left out the big orange thing with Welcome to the Swamp across it.
SD: Focus, Coach. Columbia.
OBC: HA. ha. Smartass media scribe. Watch my razzle dazzle on your kickoff.
SD: OOO, what a hit! My guy scoops it! Dances into the endzone...
OBC: Hey, kid, I ever tell ya what FSU stands for? Free Shoe…
SD: Yeah, you told me that one. Here's your visor back, Coach. You know, about this Florida stuff, you really need to move on.
OBC: Truth is, I told ol' Foley the package I needed for comin' back. Take it or leave it, I say, if you want the ol' coach to come toss it around the yard at UF.
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SD: And then, I heard Foley told you, you can't spell UF without FU. Okay, we're at 14-0 on the X-Box. Now we should get to see some Evil Genius strategy here, right?
OBC: Evil Genius strategy is to stick in Wueffel, maybe Shane. Which button does that?
SD: None. You got to use the guys that X-Box gave you.
OBC: (pinches mouth inward, looks at ceiling) See, this is what happened in DC. Owner won't let the ol' coach play his own ball. Now, Bill Gates tellin' me who I can play. Needs his fanny kicked.
SD: Here's your visor again. You gonna call a play?
OBC: HA. Ha. No, gonna call a few Bull Gators, hit the fairway.
SD: Coach--think Columbia. Like they say, Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.
OBC: (clicking heels) There's no place like home, there's no place like home.
Written By SaxonDawg for the Georgia Football Dawg Blog. Link away.
Blog Poll Update: My early Top 25 Thoughts
So here's my first draft of my Blog Poll pre-season ballot.
Blog Pollsters are required to rank based on where a team is TODAY. Not where it will finish the season. This is a critical difference in this poll and other polls.
The measurement: how do you think the different teams in the poll would do if they played each other today on a neutral field. Then you rank from there.
Paulwesterdawg's Pre-Pre-season Ballot:
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Iowa
4. Michigan
5. Miami
6. Louisville
7. Oklahoma
8. LSU
9. UT
10. UGA
11. VT
12. Ohio State
13. Auburn
14. Purdue
15. FSU
16. UF
17. Boise State
18. UVA
19. Texas A&M
20. Boston College
21. Oregon
22. Arizona State
23. Texas Tech
24. Pittsburgh
25. Colorado
Big 12 - 5
SEC - 5
ACC - 5
Big 10 - 4
Pac 10 - 3 (which is probably 1 too many)
Big East - 2
WAC - 1
- Thoughts:
- My confidence in my rankings starts slipping after pick #20. Those last 5 could be pulled out of a hat in any order.
- I intentionally put the top of the SEC in a big bunch. I think UGA, LSU and UT are all exceptionally close right now.
- Rating a second Pac-10 team is very tough for me. I'm trying to learn more about those guys, but it's hard to take any of them seriously this year. And by seriously, I mean above #20 or so.
If you've got thoughts / comments on my preliminary ballot let me know via the comments button below. I may change it
once more before I submit it.
July 12, 2005
My back and forth with Heisman Pundit on the Top 25
I asked HeismanPundit for his take on my Blog Poll Top 25 from a west coast point of view. Specifically on the Pac-10.
Here had some interesting takes. Some I can defend better than others. Here are his comments and my retort(s)....
1. "Several teams strike me as being too high in his ranking" including Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Georgia, FSU, UVA and Colorado
A retort:
OU at #7- OU has outrecruited everyone in the Big 12 the past 4 years except for Mack Brown. And they arguably have the best coaching staff in the country now that USC has experienced so much turnover. Granted they lost a TON of players. But...but...well coached superior athletes are going to win a heap of ball games. #7 may be a tad high, but not by more than 1-2 spots.
LSU #8- I believe that you can throw UGA, LSU and UT into a hat and pull them out in almost any order. It's simply a question of which team's QB will settle into their job fastest. LSU is more talented than any teams in America other than Texas and USC. How long will the adjustment period be? I don't know. But right now, I like them at #8.
UT #9- I keep wavering on this one. They have a veteran OL, great RBs, Ainge looked awesome when healthy, but 3 of their DBs are godawful. On a neutral field, UGA takes 5-6 from them. Sadly, we get them in Neyland. Right now, I like Ainge under QB more than Shockley. And UT has more talent...and Fulmer almost always finds a way to win 10.
FSU #15- You say that FSU is too high. Who's better Boise? BC? TAMU? Oregon? I'm sorry, but the only team below that that you could even make an arguement is better would be UF. And Meyer's teams at BGSU and Utah struggled to pick up his systems in Year 1. I like UF for the SECC in 2006, but not this year.
UVA #18- Groh has a world of talent. He's a solid but wildly unspectacular coach. Many of the teams below them in my ranking are also unpreditable. I like them as good as anyone at #18.
UGA #10- Boise gave up 320+ yards rushing to Lville. UGA's offensive line is bigger and stronger with comparable speed. Our backs are *at least* as good if not better. Lville went through Boise like a hot knife through butter. Also, Boise struggled mightly to move the ball on Lville. They had 21 gift points off turnovers or it isn't even a game and this certainly wouldn't the trendy pick of the pre-season. So while the Georgia Bulldogs may lose 2-3 games this year one of them will not be Boise.
Colorado - I'll give you that one.
2. HeismanPundit said the following teams were underrated Auburn, Boise and Texas A&M
Auburn - Tuberville has had exactly one season in his history where he did not lose 4 or more games. He is not now - nor has he ever been - a genius. His one great season involved having 2 Top 5 RBs, a first round draft pick QB and 1st round CB. None of those are back. Hell, AU has replace the Caddy and the Hummer with a white guy as their running back. White Running backs are as useless as tits on a bull. (note: I am white)
TAMU - Here's an analogy for you. Alabama Governor George Wallace is to Open Mindedness and Racial Equality as Dennis Franchoine is to Offensive Imagination. This is a team that lost to Baylor last year. Baylor for gosh sake. In the Utah game they looked like one of the worst conditioned teams in big time football. If I under ranked someone it was Texas Tech. (who I'm wavering on as we speak)
Boise - The day that Boise beats a Top 20 BCS school, I'll take them seriously, and that day will not be Sept. 3. Boise's biggest win ever was over a #6 Fresno State (at the time) team that ended up in the Silicon Valley of the Dolls Bowl. The last time they played an SEC team they lost 41-14 to an Arkansas team that UGA beat by 30 points that year.
Now....all of that said....I'm very open minded as to why Boston College, VT, Ohio State, Iowa, Oregon, Purdue or Pitt might be over or underrated. The team I'm least confident in rating is BC. I'm also interested in learning more about Cal.
BTW -- The only door that anyone from UCLA is knocking on is the one at the unemployment office. "Hello, my name is Karl Dorrell and I'm looking for work."
Paulwesterdawg - Georgia Football and Other Dawg Sports Blog
President George Bush Honors 3 UGA Teams
UGA mens's Golf, Georgia Women's Swimming and Dawg Gymnastics team all won NCAA titles this year. Today, they went to the White House to be recognized by President George Bush.
It's customary to give The President a gift at these things. Not sure about all the gifts, but the swim team gave him a pair of monogrammed super tight swim pants.
From the Athens Paper:
"We call these things 'jammers,' " a smiling Bauerle said Monday while holding up the black, Nike tights with the silver embroidered "W" on the right hip. "I don't know what he's going to make of these things, but I'm curious to see how he reacts."
The legs are pool-cue thin and the rubber waistband has about the same circumference as a salad plate. "I don't think he'll try them on," Bauerle added. "It would take him about 10 to 15 minutes to get into them, and I don't think he has that kind of time."
July 11, 2005
Greatest Hits from this Blogs New Writers
As announced earlier, I'm adding Contributing Writers to this blog. I've recruited some of the funniest (or odd if you prefer) posters in the DawgNation such as 81Dog, AaronFullen, ApuNahasapeemipetilon, JeromeFromDecatur, SaxonDawg and UgasHome to add articles here.
Below, you will find links to some of their greatest hits.
- On Auburn: "Auburn is Columbia without the sophistication. And the indoor plumbing. The Jungle, my ass. I guess we should rue the fact that Guns N Roses never wrote a song 'Welcome to The Outhouse.'"
- On GT's 2005 Outlook: "Danny Ware and Thomas Brown could ring up 100 yards on GTU in a wheel chair."
- Larry King Posts on the Hive.
AaronFullen: - On incoming WR recruit Mike Moore: "When he was here for G-day, [the coaches] wanted to see what he could do on the squat rack. Instead, he told Gerald Anderson to take his shirt off. Mike put his index finger into Gerald's navel, then hoisted Gerald up over his head and began spinning him, basketball style, while whistling Sweet Georgia Brown. In lieu of S&C Mike will be playing an eleven match chess series against a two man alternating team of IBM's Big Blue and Gary Kasparov."
ApuNahasapeemipetilon - On Midnight Madness: "We had Midnight Madness once before Tubby Smith's first season. I think Ron Jirsa tried to have one once, but he got confused and took the team over at 12 noon instead of 12 midnight."
- On George Lombard's impact had he played football for us: "Goff could've had Herschel Walker, and it wouldn't have fixed anywhere near the number of fatal flaws he had as a coach. That is unless Lombard would've made Ray not as lazy, and not as stupid."
JeromeFromDecatur: - On GT's Rivalary with Uconn: "Don't laugh. Rentschler Stadium is no joke. The overcast skies. The passive-aggressive roar of 11,583 people. The bre and Merlot before the game. Don't sell [Tech's Schedule] short here."
- Scouting incoming freshman WR Mike Moore: "He's Lee Iacocca meets Horatio Alger meets Jerry Rice meets Snake Eyes."
SaxonDawg: - Four Notes on a Trumpet: The Tech Experience
- Saxon Scouts the 2002 Gamecocks
- The Chanwagon Catastrophe
- Greg Blue Knocks SC QB into Next Week
UGAsHome - On being BlackListed from the DawgVent.
- On Dating: "I'm waiting on a woman with either 3 hooters or webbed toes. It's not that I'm picky, just kinda quirky."
81 Dog:
More from several of these guys can be found here.
Later today, 81Dog kicks things off with his Boise State preview.
Paulwesterdawg
UGA Football Blog
Boise State Preview -- 81Dog
"It ain't braggin' if you can do it"
By: 81Dog
Whither Boise State, the opening course for the UGA Bulldogs this fall? It's in Idaho, which practically makes them Canadians. Why are BSU fans so sure their team is going to win? Tom Cruise has a better chance of riding the mothership back to Xenu, if you ask me.
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Boise is about 2,800 feet above sea level. This is about 1,800 feet higher than Athens, or about the same as the 600 level (aka The Tech Deck) at Sanford Stadium. Visiting Smurfs, don't mind the sweltering humidity, which you can easily recreate in Boise by locking yourself in a steam bath for a couple of weeks. It'll be worse at field level.
[Above: Boise's Mascot Gears Up for the Liberty Bowl. Click to Enlarge.]
BSU's student body is about half the size of UGA's. This is an ironic coincidence, since their team is probably about half the size, and possesses about half the speed, of UGA's team. BSU fans see no problem here, but in a high impact collision sport, optimism is likely to bow to physics in a pretty big hurry. It's one thing to be optimistic, but it's something altogether different to be contemplating the human eclipse that is Max Jean-Gilles headed your way on the toss sweep.
Our occasional Big Ten bowl opponents always talk big, too. Anyone remember the last time a Big Ten team beat the Bulldogs? Sure, BSU has a plan. So did Iowa. So did Ohio State. As that noted philosopher, Mike Tyson, once said (just before he faded into Bolivian), "Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth."
Finally, Fighting Potato Heads, speak not about how hard working or well coached you are. No doubt you are both, but hard work only beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. UGA is more talented, and the Dogs work as hard as anyone. BSU may be the Broncos, but UGA has the horses.
Forgive the lack of southern hospitality, BSU fans, but UGA wins going away.
Posted by 81Dog for the Georgia Dawg Blog
(PS: Our team is fully aware of your blue turf dream.)
