The preseason USA Today coaches poll is out. The Dawgs edged out USC for the top spot by 8 votes. Five of our 2008 opponents also made the top 20: Florida, #5, LSU #6, Auburn #11, Arizona State #16, and Tennessee #18.Far better to start at the top than elsewhere. I hate preseason polls, but if we're going to have them, let's start up top. The offseason speculation was right. What do you think?
See Also:
-- Dawgs Start #1 - ABH
-- Coaches rank UGA #1 - AJC
-- Assume the position - Top Dawg
-- Recruiting Commits Proud of #1 Ranking - DawgPost
-- High Expectations - Get the Picture
-- UGA is Pre-season #1 - ESPN
Quinton
31 comments:
I'm still lukewarm on the Dawgs being ranked number 1 in any poll going into the season, especially with the buzzsaw schedule we have in front of us.
That said, how in the holy hell is Tennessee ranked #18?
It is interesting that the SEC folks do not think UGA would win the conference, but national coaches think UGA is #1 at the start.
Of course the problem with polls is whether they reflect who will be on top at the end of the season or who is the best right now?
Regardless, the national coaches have just lit up UGA with one of those lasers used to guide bombs into buildings.
How many times in the BCS era has a team started #1 and finished #1 (even if they do not stay there all year)?
Thanks for nothing!
LSU last year started the season #1 and finished #1. Dawgs need to forget about preseason rankings and the schedule and take care of business one game at a time. Go DAWGS!!!!!!!!
I have a different take on the media SEC poll vs the national polls. I feel we are the best team in paper, however I do not think we'll win the conference simply because of our schedule. So if asked who I think will win the conference, it will be a different answer than who is the best team in my opinion. As many coaches (including CMR) have said in the past, you are fortunate to play 4 games each season in which your team plays to its potential. Most weeks you try and win without playing your best. Playing this kind of schedule will jump up and bite you. Which is one reason why I was very disgruntled when we signed Ariz St up. No reason to do it, none at all.
I disagree. If you're the best, you should be able to prove it, no matter the opponent or where you play them. If that means going 2,000 miles to play a Pac-10 team out in the desert, so be it.
Color me surprised. Pleasantly surprised, but still surprised. One good thing about it: if we can go undefeated this year, no one will need a playoff to who IS the National Champion. No questions asked. Now, let's go do it.
The number is actually extremely high on the number of times that the preseason 1 and 2 have played for the tittle. I think it's something like 5 of 9 since the BCS. WOOF WOOF
I just don't want to that Auburn team that started #1 and didn't do much afterwards.
Doug- I'd be all for our schedule if other top teams had a similar schedule to deal with. But they don't, so it is far more difficult for us from the get-go. If our main goal is to win the SEC, no problem. If our main goal is to win the MNC, we're already cimbing uphill. No other team in the country will play a schedule like ours and they will be rewarded for it. Going 11-2 and winning our conference is better than USC's, OK's, or OSU's undefeated season.
Can anyone give a history on the last several USA Today/Coaches preseason #1s?
I agree -- better to start off #1 than not. We have 7 opponents in top 27 (including Alabama and South Carolina, #s 26 and 27, respectively).
I think, if nothing else, UGA has the best team, but it may not be #1 at the end because of the schedule.
anyone think ESPN will still have us as an underdog in a majority of matchups?
I, for one, embrace it. I also almost gave my Dad a heart attack by joking that I'd copyrighted the phrase "14-0". Strength of schedule is a bit overrated anyway. My prediction is: two of our games will be easier than we think, two will be harder than we think, the rest will be exactly what we think. Since you can't know which game will be what, I'll just be optimistic and visualize winning all of them.
I agree Doug. I'm so sick of the provincialism and "the SEC is so tough already, we shouldn't need to play other good[sic] teams out of conference besides Tech".
That mentality is bad for the program. Playing games all over the country - particularly against quality opponents - is good for the program, good for the team, and fun from a following the team perspective.
Now it is time to play the games.
I really think that UGA is overranked. I guess only time will tell but those title hopes get derailed early on Sept 13th in Columbia.
This certainly ampus up the pressure. NC or bust this season. "Only" an SECC has to be seen as a major disappointment.
The ASU game is great. I love that we are scheduling good OOC matchups. And remember, LSU last year, and UF in 06' had KILLER schedules. I don't think a tough schedule is anything to shy away from. In fact texas in 05' played up in the Shoe to springboard them to a NC. Not everyone in the country is as bat sh_t crazy about football as SEC folk so a trip out west will do wonders for our exposure. We CAN DO this. one game at a time. A team that is up against this kind of schedule is going to do 1 of two things. They are either going to crack or come together, and if they come together and survive, I would hate to play them for all the marbles in Miami. GO DAWGS
Being pre-season no. 1 and having a schedule like ours gives us one important advantage in this bullsh-t system: more than any other team, we control our own destiny and ability to play for the MNC.
Teams like tOSU, USC and OK can eat their cake schedules like they do every year. I'd rather have a meaningful and exciting season (like most SEC teams have). And, I'm looking forward to tOSU getting spanked by an SEC team for the third year in a row.
Go Dawgs!
Personally I'd rather start off #2. Over the years we've had a tendency to both rise and sink to the occasion, as evidenced by our squeaking by Colorado and Vandy then pretty much demolishing Florida and Auburn.
Everytime we sneak up into that top 5 we find a way to lose for no apparent reason.
I'm officially ashamed to be a UGA fan reading these posts!! We have the worst fan base in the SEC. I just read someone say "I wish we started #2?!?!?!?!" Biggest bunch of puss E Z. STEP UP!!! WE ARE FREAKING #1 in the NATION!!! STEP UP!!! I wish I was a Vol fan so at least the other fans would want to win. So tired of lame UGA fans trying to dodge the pub. STEP UP!!! dmnkhfwejtiown
Worst fan base? Are you joking? Have you been to a Vandy game?
No way "ga fans are soft" is a real Georgia fan. No Georgia fan refers to other Georgia fans as "ga fans". It's either UGA or its Georgia. Go crawl back into the nerd factory at Tech and build some more structurally unsound roofs, please.
I love what SaxonDawg said on his "Top Dawg" blog:
"So if you don't like having that big target painted on your back, take off the red shirt. Go pull for Duke, and no one's going to give you a hard time about your Blue Devils not meeting expectations."
PWD. That really is the bottom line, I guess. Don't whine about not being #1 unless you're ready to handle being #1.
Speaking of Duke, it appears Spurrier withheld his vote for the Dukies @ #25 this year. I don't think it is coincidental that Duke just hired a long-time Tennessee Vol coach and Spurrier lost his affinity for the program. I love SEC politics.
Actually, what I think happened is that usually Spurrier does his top 25 and then knocks off the #25 team in favor of Duke, but this year he had South Carolina at 25. So he kept 'em.
Here is a look at the previous pre-season #1 teams (AP Poll).
10 of the 58 (17.2%) AP preseason #1s have finished the season at #1.
I don't believe being preseason No. 1 is the kiss of death all of you are making it out to be. Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, the team ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll has reached the title game six times ('99, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06). I don't know about ya'll, but I'll take those odds.
Winners come through in adverse situations.
It's a lot easier to win the national championship starting out at #1 than at #20.
You guys have got to be kidding me if you think this is a bad thing.
Can you imagine a NASCAR driver not wanting to start a race on the poll?
"Oh, I don't want to start on the poll! Everybody will be chasing me then!"
GO DAWGS!
I think the USA Today told Spurrier last year that they were a little sick of his tradition. I recall the AJC talking about it for a couple of slow news days.
I agree we should take it on! #2?! Did you see how many #2s we cycled through last year? I'm also of the camp that thinks we should go to these places around the country and prove our worth. No, we don't need to schedule USC, Texas and anOSU in one season, but no reason we can't go get even some mid major D1A schools. To be the best and a powerhouse we should prove that we'll travel anywhere to take on these teams!
And as somebody said on Dawgpost, can you imagine what it will be like that first game to hear "Its Saturday in Athens and its time to tee up Between the Hedges!! with the Georgia Southern Eagles in to take on YOUR NUMBER ONE RANKED GEROGIA BULLDOGS!!"
Gives me chills thinking about it and if that game isn't loud and rowdy and every game after that in which we are announced in our own stadium as the #1 team in the country, then yes, we need a new fan base!
As a 5'7 165 pound fan I say h3ll yeah were #1!! but then I don't have to throw on the pads and strap on my helmut and get hit in the mouth from other SEC teams aiming for the #1 bullseye. Thing is though, as a fan I know Coach Richt will have the team ready to take the hit, line back up and just grin before he comes back twice as hard. Take pride that our Dawgs are the #1 team in the country!!
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