Photos UGA vs. Ole Miss (Thomas Brown)

All photos by Jim Hipple. Click to enlarge for wallpaper sized versions.











Thanks to Jim Hipple for the pictures.

PWD

What if Munson had Called the Bama Game?

UGAMummaRa edited up a version of Munson calling the game winner at Alabama. It's a neat "what if".

Thoughts on Ole Miss a bit later.

PWD

Polls -- if I had a ballot

In the wake of so many upsets across the college football landscape, here is my 1 am stab at what my top 25 would look like.

1. LSU
2. USC
3. Cal
4. Ohio State
5. Boston College
6. Wisconsin
7. Oklahoma
8. USF
9. Florida
10 West Virginia
11 Georgia
12 Kentucky
13 Virginia Tech
14 Texas
15 Oregon
16 Rutgers
17 Clemson
18 Purdue
19 South Carolina
20 Arizona State
21 Missouri
22 Kansas State
23 Cincy
24 Hawaii
25 Nebraska

I can't believe how high I have UK and USF. I probably have KSU too low.

thoughts?

Hey Ladies!

We don't usually cover the soccer program much here at the Georgia Sports Blog, but the team had a big victory tonight. For the first time ever, Georgia soccer beat the Gators, two goals to one. Head coach Patrick Baker was, by his own admission, hired from Florida State to help remedy Georgia's 0-16-1 record against Florida, among other reasons. Baker has the soccer team off to their best start since 1999. Congrats to the team and keep up the good work.

They don't get to enjoy the win, though. No. 12 South Carolina comes to Athens Sunday.

(Image: Georgia Sports Information Dept.)

Quinton

SUCK IT GATORS! How does retroactive defeat taste!

I take back every negative thing I've ever said about Dennis Felton. I just totally forgot that we actually won the SEC Basketball Tournament back in April. And here I was thinking that we were savagely beaten by Florida in the second round.

HOORAY! WE WON! SUCK ON THAT GATORS!

Wait? What? We did lose? I'm so confused! Well....why is the Rivals.com online store selling Championship T-Shirts and hats if we didn't win? Did someone hire George O'Leary to run the merchandising programs for the Dawgs?

PWD

ht - dawgrun and rivals hoops board

Bryant Denny Wallpaper: Peace Offering for Bama Fans

IronChefTurducken took this shot from the cheap seats in Tuscaloosa. I'm mainly posting it here because it's such a quality shot. Click to enlarge and get the wallpaper sized version of Bryant-Denny Stadium at night.

PWD

Happy Birthday, Larry!

Happy birthday wishes go out to Larry Munson, who turns 85 today. We hope you go fishing today and hit a movie tonight with twenty co-eds. After all, tomorrow looks bad since we can't win against Ole Miss because our defensive backs are too small, our front seven can't tackle BenJarvis Green-Ellis, and we will always be driving into the wind. 85 is old, but we hope there are plenty of seconds left on the clock for Larry.

Quinton

Ole Miss: What to watch for?

More Bailey, please. (image: Hipple)

Basically, Tony Barnhart asks the question that is on everyone's mind. Will UGA be ready on Saturday? We're faster, deeper, stronger and more talented than Ole Miss. The Rebels are a team that has only four wins against BCS teams since Orgeron arrived:

2007 - zero (1 total win)
2006 - 2: Vandy and MSU (4 total wins)
2005 - 1: Kentucky (3 total wins)

Last year, we were a couple of calls in our favor away from being in an incredibly uncomfortable situation with the Rebels at the end of the game. We came out flat and the offense and special teams played incredibly poorly last year as we were still in transition between QBs.

This year, there is no ambiguity offensively as it relates to who our QB or star performers are. Georgia is playing with confidence overall, and we have momentum going into the game. We simply need to come out wide awake and obliterate the Rebels. But will we?

Things I'd like to see:

1. More Sean Bailey and Mo Mass. Both are having an exceptional year catching the ball and (in Massaquoi's case) blocking. I'd love to see less substitutions and more catches for our primary guys. Balance is great, but let's let our stars shine more brightly.

2. Defensive Stops that Matter. As Chip Towers asked in his blog, what do we make of the UGA defense? They have pretty good stats. However, for the second year in a row they are struggling to get teams off the field with the game on the line (See SC '07, Bama '07, UK '06 and Vandy '06 for shining examples).

3. This blog acknowledge the season Marcus Howard is having: I have b*tched about his size all season. I said (either here or privately) that I expected Bama to line up behind Andre Smith and drive his 225 lb rear end into the turf. But you know what? That didn't happen. He held up pretty well. He deserves more credit from all corners of the Dawg Nation. Including this one.

Basically, I want to see us come out and really set the tone for next week. We need momentum going into Knoxville because we're facing a wounded animal next week that has had an off week to get healthy and regroup.

As a friend of the blog stationed in Knoxville said, (paraphrase)"There are 10 coaches up here fighting to keep their jobs and put food on their table. If Georgia wins this game, UT's season may unravel and folks are going to get fired. We have to be ready to match their desperation fueled intensity."

What are you looking forward to seeing?

See Also:
-- Trap Game! - Get the Picture (great Dooley impression included)
-- Q&A with Bobo - Ching
-- The Ole Miss Running Game - DawgsSports
-- The Ole Miss Passing Game - DawgSports
-- Changing at the Guard - ABH

PWD

2nd Annual "Do It For Broph 5K Run/Walk"

(From John Bateman, UGA Athletic Department)

Sunday, October 14, 2007
8:00am - 11:00am
Check in @ Stegeman @ 8 am & the 5K starts @ 9 am @ the Rankin Smith Center

Thursday, July 20, 2006 was a very tragic day for the Brophy family, and for the Bulldawg nation. Kevin Brophy, then a rising Junior on the Georgia Men's basketball team, was killed in an automobile accident near Greensboro, Georgia. Broph was a beloved leader of the team. His optimism, friendship, and leadership will forever be missed; however, his legacy and story will continue to live on.

In the Fall of 2006, the University of Georgia founded the Kevin Brophy Memorial Basketball Scholarship in Kevin's honor. Thus, the "Do It For Broph 5K Run/Walk" was born. All proceeds benefit the Kevin Brophy Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Please join us for the 2nd Annual Do It For Brophy 5K Run/Walk on SUNDAY OCTOBER 14, 2007.

• Please contact John Bateman for entry forms. (jbateman@sports.uga.edu)
  
• Both entry form and race fee of $15, due by October 8 (fee includes a t-shirt).
  
• Check-in @ 8 a.m.—Stegeman Coliseum (Ticket booths 1 & 2)
  
• Start time @ 9 a.m.
  
• Rankin Smith Center

Mail entry forms and checks to:
Georgia Basketball Hoop Girls
John Bateman
P.O. Box 1472
Athens, GA 30603

Facebook Event Info

YouTube Ole Miss Week

The obvious: Col. Reb is Crying.

Old Miss band playing Dixie in the Grove last year. That's my drunk ass shooting the video, singing and laughing in hysterics. The Ole Miss fan next to me slapped me on the back after it was over and said, "You sure do like our fight song." I winked and replied, "Buddy, it used to be the fight song for all of us." For the longer version Ole Miss band pre-game highlights in the Grove (without my laugh track), try this.

Also check out Coach Orgeron's Blog => EverydayShouldbeLemsday

PWD

Bowl Projections: SEC and ACC

Will Moreno lead the Dawgs to the CapOne Bowl? (image: hipple)
Here are my projections...

National Title: USC vs. OU
LSU has to play the Gators twice, and the Big XII is really down this year. It looks like the Sooners have the easiest path and the Trojans have one of the better teams. If there are three undefeated teams, I think WVU is screwed.

Rose: Cal vs. Wisconsin
Orange: Boston College vs. Florida
Fiesta: West Virginia vs. Texas
Sugar: LSU vs. Ohio State

Citrus: UGA vs. Penn State
Outback: Kentucky vs. Michigan*
Cotton: Alabama vs. Nebraska

Peach: Arkansas vs. Clemson
Gator: USF vs. Virginia Tech**

Music City: Virginia vs. Tennessee
Liberty: South Carolina vs. Southern Miss
Independence: Auburn vs. Texas A*M

Champ Sports: Iowa vs. Miami
Meineke (Tire): Rutgers vs. FSU
Emerald: GT vs. UCLA
Boise: Maryland vs. Hawaii

See Also:
-- ESPN Bowl Projections
-- Sportsline Bowl Projections

*Note: Chris Sullivan is the founder and chairman of Outback Steaks. While no longer Outback's CEO, he's still a long time power broker in the Tampa area on both the business, economic development and sports scene. He's also a UK grad. If the Wildcats make it to 8-4, I expect them to make Outback Bowl. It would be their first trip to the game since the '98 season.

**The Gator has a deal with the Big 12 and Big East which allows them to select a Big 12 member instead of a Big East member twice every four years. The catch: If the Big 12 has one member in the BCS, the Gator can make the first non-BCS pick to play an ACC team. However, if two Big 12 teams are in the BCS, the Gator wouldn't get to pick a Big 12 member until after the Cotton *and* Holiday Bowls have selected a team.

PWD

Across Football: Rumors and Momentum

Looking around college football....(pardon the lack of external links. the internets are not cooperating with me today)

Texas A&M and Coach Fran
Watching the TAMU vs. Miami game last Thursday, I was struck by the complete lack of preparation the Aggies seemed to show. The first thing that jumped out at me was the Aggie DBs tapping their helmets in the first quarter for their subs to come into the game. Seriously? You're that poorly conditioned that you can't make it through the first drive without a blow? The next thing you noticed was the nonsensical decision making. Clock management, play calling and player utilization looked baffling. The Texas media has joined the Aggie fan base in asking incredibly difficult questions of Coach Fran. No way that he makes it to next year.

Gundy's Rant
By now, you've seen OSU Coach Mike Gundy's world class rant against the local reporter/columnist who dared criticize OSU QB Bobby Reid. First off, I've read the columnist's article. I thought it was the sort of bush league innuendo driven article that you would see on a petty, small minded blog or message board. It quoted almost no one and made numerous references to "rumblings" and "rumors." I hope that I wouldn't run an article that weak on this site, and I've got zero credibility to begin with. In other words, I think Gundy was justified in being pissed.

HOWEVER, there is a time and a place for everything. As a coach, you don't go into a post-game press conference following your team's biggest win in years to throw a tantrum like this. All the post-game discussion has been about the article and not the impressive win his team landed. Second, if you're going to attack a reporter, you've got to do it either (A) behind closed doors in front of her editor or (B) in an extremely well thought out fashion. Gundy did neither, and he came off as a half cocked loon. It's not the coaching equivalent of Howard Dean's scream, but it's just as confidence inspiring. Update with all relevant links.

Notre Dame
At what point does their epic implosion stop being a story? I record ESPN College Football Live everyday, and I enjoy it. Other than Mark May's condescending tone and the cross promotional Disney, Inc. stuff, it's pretty solid. I've also enjoyed the daily ND updates just b/c the attention their misery generates humors me. But at what point does the 0-fer streak stop becoming a story? My guess: Never. The story will simply shift to one of "When does ND grow impatient with Weis and his blustering?" I think the Irish's struggles make Washington/Willingham fans of us all.

USF
On Friday, the South Florida Bulls will take their shot at West Virginia in front of a sold out Raymond James Stadium (their first in history). Consider the bowl possibilities for College Football's newest player:

• Orange Bowl: If they win the game Friday night, they've got the inside track on the Big East title. An Orange Bowl bid isn't automatic, but just the thought of these guys rising up so quickly to play on their state's biggest stage is amazing.
  
• Gator Bowl: A second place finish in the Big East could land the Bulls in Jacksonville. Possible opponent? Miami. You think the state wide media wouldn't have a field day with that one.
  
• Meinke Car Care (Tire) Bowl: USF could end up here against someone like FSU. Again, it would be an incredibly entertaining draw.

Within the SEC, the most interesting team to watch this week is probably Alabama as they take on FSU in Jacksonville. It'll be interesting to see how the Tide handles the let down. I'm expecting a 60/40 pro-Bama crowd for this one.

Oh...and the New Orleans paper asks..."Who does LSU get if Les Miles goes to Michigan?"

Disagree?

pwd

Your Moment of Zen: The Law of the Forest

HT - DeadSpin (and it's worth reading their article on it simple for the commentary and comments). The Kansas City Wolf protects his turf.

PWD

Dear Wallace Gilberry

Before the game, Alabama defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry said the following:

Gilberry was asked about Stafford. He said he didn't know a thing about Stafford, but said to ask him after the game. "[Then] I can tell you anything you want to know. His birthday, his telephone number, his home address. I will know," Gilberry said. When asked why he would know so much at that point, Gilberry replied, "I've got to know where to send the flowers."

In light of that, The Dean (no really...a Dean from a well known University outside the SEC) sent me the following Thank You Note on behalf of Matt Stafford...

Dear Wallace,

Thank you for the lovely flowers you sent this afternoon. You didn't have to go to all of that trouble, since we didn't really get that acquainted last night.

Sorry I didn't stop to say bye at the end of the game. I just got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I apologize for my rudeness.

Have fun in Nashville at Christmas.

You friend,
Matthew

Comedy. On a completely unrelated note, you should check out the post-game article from Walter Geiger. Walt is the editor of the Barnesville Herald and Gazette. He wrote about his religious experience on Saturday Night in Tuscaloosa. Good read.

PWD

Empty Bleachers

First of all, if you haven't been to Tuscaloosa, you need to go. The Dawgs and Tide play classic games there. Their fans, despite their mixed reputation, are great. Every Bama fan that I talked to was very cordial, even when discussing what was going to happen that night. After I stopped cheering for a while because my wife said I was being "obnoxious," several Bama fans encouraged me to keep yelling for my team. Even after the game, they really didn't say anything other than we had played better and deserved to win. I doubt we would be as gracious after a swift kick to the guts like that.

The Bama fans were right. Despite the drops, despite the missed kicks, despite the spotty play at times, we should have won that game big. Bama played a bad first half and we couldn't seem to make them pay for it like we should have. I thought the Tide woke up a little bit in the second half, but we still had our opportunities. We're young, we're still inconsistent, but the trend line is headed up. The receivers didn't drop the ball, despite his shortcomings Chandler made a clutch catch when we needed it on the final drive in regulation, and I thought our young defensive backs played well. I know Bryan Evans got burned on that deep route on Bama's final drive, but Jones and Allen had their moments of brilliance.

There is nothing sweeter than a big SEC road win, especially one you gut out at the very end. When there are only a few sections still left in the stadium as "Glory, Glory" blares out and you're left alone with the rest of the Dawg people, it's a feeling that is transcendent and hard to match in the realm of sports. It is also a feeling that has now become common under Mark Richt, but it shouldn't devalue the experience. It never gets old.

Quinton

Scott Howard's Call with Video

UgaMummaRa has posted the video of Mikey Henderson's catch with Scott Howard's call.

Thanks to one of our readers who sent me the high quality audio of the call that I forwarded to UgaMummRa for the video. Check his other videos.

PWD

SEC Power Poll Ballot

Another week of games makes it much easier to vote my ballot. No one really wants to grab the third spot, but the pecking order is getting clearer.

1. LSU - Didn't dominate the Cocks, but still muddled through a win against a ranked team in adverse weather. Can cruise to the big showdown against the Gators.
2. Florida - An average to below average performance on the road against Ole Miss wasn't that unexpected after the big win over UT. Tebow!!!
3. Kentucky - The 'Cats now have two legit wins, one at home and one on the road. The Louisville win is tarnished, but a road win in the SEC is always tough.
4. South Carolina - No shame in losing in Baton Rouge, but they still need wins to stay in the top 5.
5. Georgia - Big win in Tuscaloosa almost got away. The Dawgs better not overlook Ole Miss before another road test in Knoxville.
6. Alabama - Played a bad first half and looked spotty in the second, but fought back only to lose it in overtime. So goes John Parker Wilson, so goes the Tide.
   
7. Tennessee - Ate a cupcake, but defensive issues linger. Get a week off to prepare for Georgia.
   
8. Arkansas - All the little things go wrong for the Hawgs. But, every game left on their schedule is winnable, except LSU.
   
9. Mississippi State - Sly's offense showed signs of life against a cupcake, but will need a big weekend in Columbia.
   
10. Auburn - Let New Mexico State hang around for a half before Fannin took over.
    
11. Vanderbilt - Off last weekend.
    
12. Ole Miss - Another moral victory for Coach O. You get the feeling Ole Miss is due for a big win, but they just can't seem to get it.
    

Thoughts?

Quinton

Still Man Enough: Georgia vs. Bama

Official Post-Game T-shirt (Click to Buy)
First off, God Bless Mikey Henderson. Now, some rambling thoughts from Saturday night.

The Good:

• Counter Punching: The hardest thing to do when punched in the mouth is to get back up and throw another punch. When Alabama tied the game 10-10, the Bulldogs immediately responded with a long TD drive. When the Tide tied the game 20-20, we again immediately drove down the field without flinching. To counter punch a physical team like Bama on the road is a very good sign for the program's future.
  
  
• Guts: Our defensive ends and linebackers were completely worn out in the fourth quarter. You couldn't completely see how tired they looked on TV, but from up close it was evident. When Andre Smith leans on you for 60 minutes, it takes its toll. Richt's timeout with around 3 minutes left wasn't just to let the defensive "regroup" as Todd Blackledge pointed out on television. They flat out needed a blow. Richt, Fabris and Martinez were constantly encouraging them to dig deep for just a few more plays. Great show of guts by those guys to keep digging. I didn't think we could get a three and out in Overtime with them so tired, but they did it. Like I said last week, tougher team wins it. Our guys were just flat out tougher.
  
  
• Offensive Line: Georgia started three freshmen offensive linemen on the road in front of 92,000 blood thirsty fans, and they didn't give up a sack. Incredible. Granted, the Bama defensive line isn't the greatest we'll play this year, but the work that Coach Searels has done with this group is amazing. By the way, I found out that his name rhymes with "girls" or "squirrels" not "quarrels." (Per his extended family)
  
  
• Linebackers: Washington and Ellerbe made a bunch of plays, and they showed much more aggression and violence than in weeks past.
  
  
• Sean Bailey: He is quietly having a great year. I see a lot of clamoring for Knowshon to get more touches (which I'm all for) over Thomas Brown, but Saturday their stats were almost the same. Where is the screaming for Bailey to get more catches? He's dropped two this season, but so what? He's making more plays than any UGA wideout since Reggie Brown's senior year. Get this guy the ball!
  
  
• WR blocking: Mo Mass absolutely crushed Bama's best CB early in the game. He's another guy having a quiet yet effective year.
  
  
• Kickoff Coverage: our best job of stopping the return that I can remember in years.
  
  
• Asher Allen: Allen made some real whiffs on the tackling front in recent weeks, but that wasn't an issue on Saturday. His tackling was so strong that Martinez used him on corner blitzes to offset Bama's stretch running plays behind big Andre Smith.

The Bad:

• Painful TE Drops: I don't want this thread to turn into a Tripp Chandler bashing fest because I don't think that's a fair response to a game that we won. But as Richt said in his Sunday press conference, Chandler has to improve. Or someone else needs to play.
  
  
• Killer Penalties: The penalties we earned on offense were brutal, and the ones we didn't earn (but still got flagged for) like the pass interference call on the uncatchable ball in the fourth quarter nearly cost us the game. We have to play smarter than that.

The Ugly:

Traffic Post-Game: the residents of Tuscaloosa, the Alabama fans, the City and County Governments of the Tuscaloosa area, Mal Moore, the Alabama Department of Transportation, the US Department of Homeland Security and Forrest Gump should all be kicked in the balls for letting the post-game traffic problems continue. They've been playing football in T-town for almost 120 years. Are you seriously telling me that they haven't figured out how to get people out of town yet? Do you honestly not have a disaster evacuation plan by now that can be applied to post-game traffic? At least partially if not fully. The crazy thing...that WAS their new and improved plan! I guess the money that should be spent on new traffic plans is all being spent on Nick Saban's salary. Hopefully, Cordy Glenn (OT recruit) found himself in the same post-game traffic that I did. That would've been enough to decide between UGA and Bama for me.

Overall:

I've been to Tuscaloosa three times ('94, '02, and '07). Each trip has been just that drama packed. Their fans were great, the environment was amazing and the rain mostly held off. Everything great about college football was on display for the world to watch. I'm loving our chances for a 10-2 season entering the bowl. Let's get Haverkamp healthy, destroy Ole Miss and head up to Knoxville for a a shot at a fourpeat.

See Also:

-- Scott Howard's Call - some fan uploaded this
-- Stafford's moment in T-town - Tony Barnhart
-- Dog Pile fun, but Hairy - AJC
-- Sunday Teleconference Transcript - David Ching
-- A defining Moment - ABH
-- A last look back - UGASports.com
-- 142z Takeoff - Get the Picture
-- An Open Letter - DawgSports.com

PWD

Bama thoughts a little later, but start with this...

Image; Rob Carr AP/AJC.com (for full photo library)

Kevin Scarbinsky is a columnist for the Birmingham News. He wrote a lengthy article in today's paper about last night's game which is mostly a love letter to the future of the Alabama program. However, the end of the article is a gem for Georgia fans. Excerpt:

We should've known the first reality check of the Saban era would happen in his house with Mark Richt as the special guest. If you're having a party at your house, do not invite Richt. Don't do it. Not under any circumstances.

He will spoil the party. He will step in your flower bed and wipe his Nikes on your carpet. He will clean out your fridge and leave you with a very empty feeling.

Of all the football coaches of all the teams in all the world, none walks into a hostile environment and owns the place like the Georgia coach.

Whether he closes practice from start to finish the week before or not.

Richt has taken Georgia into a true road game 26 times and returned home with a win 23 times. One of those road losses came to the 2004 Auburn team that went undefeated. Another came to the 2003 LSU team - coached by Saban - that won the BCS title.

So you have to be really, really good to beat Richt on the road.

Helluva game.

PWD

Tickets for Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vandy Games

As an FYI, there are plenty of tickets available for the Ole Miss vs. Georgia home game starting at slightly above face value. If you've got extras to sell for this one, Stubhub.com can help you.

There are seats available for the trip to Knoxville on Oct. 6th for the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Vols as well.

And Stubhub.com has seats starting at below face value for the Vanderbilt vs. Georgia Bulldogs game in Nashville on Oct. 13th.

I also want to thank all of you who have bought and sold tickets via our Stubhub affiliate already this season. I really appreciate it.

PWD

Fulmer and Tuberville Fark

Sent in by Boehm.

Mark Schlabach on Munson (a must read)

This is a keeper of an article.

Have fun in t-town.

Oh...and Wallace Gilberry can eat a turd.

Bama Bangs, The Hush, and Bourbon Throws

As an exiled member of Bulldog Nation, it is always a big deal when I get to travel to an away game. Because of my current location, the easiest games to get to are those where the Dawgs travel west to play an SEC West opponent. This means I've been to every SEC West venue and have picked up a few things along the way. I'm heading to Tuscaloosa this weekend and wanted to give those of you who maybe going there for the first time a heads up about a few things.

1) Bama Bangs - As detailed by Clay Travis, there is only one hairstyle for Alabama males under thirty. It's Bama Bangs, here demonstrated by John Parker Wilson:
When I was in high school, I admit that I wore the Bama Bangs. At some point though, the hair begins to either annoy the wearer's forehead or it causes insurmountable neck problems from the constant head swinging/flipping used by Bama Bangers to adjust their hair without touching it. UGA frat boys have a version of Bama Bangs they often wear, but UGA Bangs are usually cut before they completely cover the wearer's eyebrows. This weekend, when someone yells at you about your red pants, tell them their bangs are bangin'. It is highly probable that they are head flipping at that very moment.

2) If you have tickets in the Georgia section, be glad. It would seem that one of the traditions of the Alabama student section is throwing their bourbon drink when the Tide scores. A crucial touchdown elicits a shower of amber liquid and plastic cups. Is it that easy to get large quantities of alcohol in the stadium?

3) I've attended a number of Alabama games in Tuscaloosa and I'm constantly amazed at the lack of emotion when the crowd leaves a game. You really can't tell if they won or lost by looking at the fans walking down those long, circular ramps. An Alabama friend of mine called it "The Hush." To me it sounds like some sort of fan purgatory, constantly expecting victory so that when it arrives it is not a cause for joy, so that the only surprise is defeat. I suppose the expectation of eternal glory is every Bama fan's notional birthright, but from the outside it seems a bit sad that they can't really enjoy an unexpected win. Let's hope they don't get a chance to prove me wrong after Saturday's game.

There are a few serious things you need to see in Tuscaloosa:

1. The Bear Museum - A holy shrine to all things right and good about the Crimson Tide.
2. Denny Chimes - It's the trademark building of Alabama's campus. To give you an idea of where the priorities in Bama are, the sidewalks below the Chimes have the hand and cleat prints of all of Alabama's football captains.
3. The north entrance to Bryant-Denny Stadium - This is the new addition to the stadium and it is palatial. The area outside the addition is an homage to former coaches who brought glory on the Tide, including the Bear (he's a big deal there). Bama does their rendition of the Dawg Walk here called the "Walk of Champions" (That name isn't so special because Ole Miss has a Walk of Champions too).

For those of you headed to the game, have a safe trip and Go Dawgs!

Quinton

Q&A with a Bama Blogger

Terrence Edwards vs. Bama 2002 (Image: Dawgbone.net)
Yesterday, we swapped questions with the folks at RollBamaRoll.com. My take on the game is here and Doug from HeyJennySlater talks about the game here.

Below you'll find my questions and their answers:

PWD: Are you concerned about a psychological let down after the ARK win?
RollBamaRoll (RBR): Not really. That's something that would have happened the last four years, but this team seems like it's bought into the "24 Hour Rule" and have focused on nothing but Georgia since Monday. I'm really more concerned with a physical let down. The Arkansas game was a very physical one, and the defense's lack of depth was really exposed in the second half while the offense struggled to stay on the field, so it's kind of up in the air on how long it will take our guys to recover physically. Emotionally and psychologically, though, I think the circumstances of the win (getting that last stop and driving the field to win with :08 left) was probably a boon for this team.

After four years of second half collapses, this is exactly what this team needed to exorcise those demons, and what the staff really needed to show illustrate their point that, if you go out and put every ounce of effort into every down and play 60 minutes of solid football, you're going to come out on top.

PWD: What are you most worried about Georgia doing to Bama?
RollBamaRoll (RBR): The Dawgs are the first team we've face with a truly balanced offensive attack. Even though we gave up a lot of yardage in the second half last week, it's really likely that most of it came because our defense was on the field repeatedly because of two turnovers and a three and out that had them tired and unable to keep up physically with that massive o-line of Arkansas. So containing the run is something we'll be decent at, so long as the offense will give the D a little rest between drives.

We've seen some busted coverage in the secondary every week, though, and my biggest fear would be Stafford picking us apart in the passing game. Our best bet there is to really blitz the living daylights out of him and force him to make bad throws and hopefully get some turnovers.

PWD: What are the keys to a Bama win?
RollBamaRoll (RBR): Controlling the game like we did in the second half against Vandy will be big for us. The ground game never really got going against Arkansas, so if Grant, Coffee, and Johns can get going and shorten the game while keeping the defense fresh I think we have a better than average chance for the win. If they can't, though, the burden falls square on the shoulders of John Parker Wilson. He's shown improvement week to week, but he's still making some boneheaded mistakes (costly turnovers and taking sacks), and if he can't get hot then we might find ourselves in too deep of a hole this week.

See Also
-- My Comments on the Game for the Wizard of Odds - Wiz
-- Bama Smack Talk List - DawgBone.net

PWD

The Bama Bomb Revisited: A rose by any other name...

Matt Tovrog

As discussed here, The Cherrishinski is the Official Beverage/Food of Doom(TM) for the Dawgs. It has been the subject of numerous blog articles, a podcast from the Realist and JMac as well as a profile in the AJC. Backstory for any newbies to this site:

In his book Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, Warren St. John talks about traveling with some Alabama fans who invented a drink/popper called the "Bama Bomb." The Bama Bomb consists of cherries marinated in golden grain alcohol for a period of weeks or months.

After the 2005 UT game, Dawgnoxious took a large jar of cherries and marinated them in a Golden Grain/Makers Mark mix. The creation debuted Friday night before the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. We all made a pact that if Georgia (quarterbacked by Joe T) won the Gator game this hellish creation would forever be known as "The Cherrishinski."

We lost the game, but The Cherrishinski reappeared for the Auburn game that same year. Another loss. JMac and The Realist tempted fate and added it to their tailgate as profiled in the AJC in 2006, and it foreshadowed the debacle at home vs. the Vols. A loss they are unwilling to pin on their fruity friend.

A full jar of Cherrishinskis now sits in the basement of Butts-Mehre as described by Dawgs-N-Suds.

Why bring this up now?
Well, we've dabbled with some quasi similar creations at our tailgate including The Cherry Hoage which seems to vary from week to week in recipe, but somehow involves Makers Mark and Cherries (without the aging process).

And now, TheUnknownStuntman (a regular commenter on this site) has proposed the rebirth of the Cherrishinski as:

"The Knowshon Moreshino."
First, brilliant name. But I wonder if we're tempting fate here? Is the margin of error for the Bama game wide enough to support a venture so close to its ill fated predecessor? With a name that good, we need some kind of drink to go along with it.

Agree? Disagree? Suggested new recipe?

See Also: (most from 2006 post-UT loss)

-- Whither the Cherrishinski - MaconDawg's Blog
-- Long live the Cherrishinski - Pasqua and Stanicek
-- Pivotal Moments You Didn't See - HeyJennySlater
-- An Attack from All Fronts - Jmac
-- Don't blame tiny fruit. Blame the US Army - DawgsOnline

"And we invite all in the Dawgosphere to drop their disdain for the grain-alcohol-soaked delicacy and enter a new era of love, harmony and spiked, tiny fruit." - JMac

"We'd still be eating Cherrishinskis if Willie Martinez blitzed more." - IronChefTurducken

PWD

GT's Rambling Wreck and the Georgia Sports Blog

As regular readers of this site know, two Georgia Tech students crashed the rambling wreck back in June of this year. In the days immediately following the crash, the Techies attempted to hide the smashed vehicle and keep their treasured tradition away from the public eye.

The Georgia Sports Blog offered a $100 bounty for the pics. The pics were delivered within days by the Macon Telegraph. Anyway...CSTV profiled the rebuilding of the car in a segment last week, and the Georgia Sports Blog was featured.

NOTE: because of technical problems for Mac users, I've eliminated the embedded link to the video. To watch the video, go directly to the site here.

HT - Kerri W. of CSTV for the link.

PWD