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Here are some interesting articles that appeared beyond the normal ABH, AJC, Macon Telegraph, etc sources. I figure you already read those this morning. Anyway...here are some articles a little off the beaten path:
- UGA's Relevancy - The Dothan Eagle talks about the expectations for the program and the schedule. I think they make some legit points, but they lost me in this section
"[Georgia's] schedule is arguably the most daunting in the conference, as it opens the season at top-10 Oklahoma State and faces seven more losable games before Homecoming."
I'm sorry...did you say 7 losable games before homecoming? By the most strict definition of losable, I guess Florida "could" lose to Charleston Southern. But let's be realistic...that's not what the writer meant. We have a 4 game schedule next year (OKSU, LSU, UF and GT). The rest of the teams we're playing will struggle to win 7 games. - Addition by Decimation - Team Speed Kills live blogged media days for SB Nation, and his recap of the UGA session makes fair points. You do NOT get better offensively by losing Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. However, you can get better defensively by having Jeff Owens, Kade Weston, Rod Battle and a half dozen linebackers healthy . You can also get better defensively with Reshad Jones in a salary drive year and with upgraded depth at safety and cornerback so that you can bench first team guys who are struggling . From a personnel standpoing, the team improvement is going to come from the defense, and the offensive line will soften the blow of the skill losses. The rest of the improvement will come from attitude and cutting the penalties. Theoretically, improvement would also come from special teams, but I'll believe it when I see it.
- 5 Things - Opelika-Auburn Now suggests that if Cox struggles Richt could be on his way out. Talk about hyperbole. Mark Richt has averaged over 10 wins a season for nine straight years. That has never happened in the history of the University. Contributions and revenues outpace most of the country by a wide margin, and he avoids meaningful controversy like the plague. The administration adores the guy. It would take catastrophic failure (back-to-back losing seasons) or a move into the ministry to get Richt out of Athens. Just because Auburn was stupid enough to run off the best coach they've ever had doesn't mean that UGA would be that stupid.
- Keeping an Eye on Petrino - The Louisville-Courier says Richt has his eyes on the Arkansas coach because of the SEC's history of year two improvement. If he can recruit, he'll eventually turn ARK around. But he's working with a defense that averaged 31 points allowed per game...and without injuries being their excuse. Arkansas was about 5 plays away from being 0-12 last year. All positive momentum for their '09 season is built on LSU having a bumbling idiot for defensive coordinator last year which lead to a 31-30 win for the Hawgs. Climbing out of their hole this year will more likely come at the expense of the Gamecocks and Aggies than UGA.
- Quick Hitters - The Clarion-Ledger mentions UGA bucking the national trend and booking three non-conference BCS games. Richt said in another interview that he doesn't expect that to happen again. That's an under statement. A friend in the Athletic Department said there's virtually no chance of UGA booking 3 tough OCC games again any time soon. However, I will say the fans b*tching about this season's OCC slate are overstating things. Arizona State is nothing more than Central Michigan with hotter co-eds.
- As Good as He Wants - The Charleston Post-Courier has a quick hitter on A.J. Green. Another article says that he's up to 207 pounds, and he's faster than last year. I don't buy the 4.28 40 yard dash time that was leaked last week any more than I believe in unicorns. But he's going to be faster than last year if his groin is finally healthy, and that's plenty fast enough.
- Media Days Round-Up - Mobile Press Register touches on a variety of topics including Auburn going after Searels and Garner last off season.
See Also:
-- 2009 Georgia Bulldogs Football Tickets (UGA)
PWD
30 comments:
Andrew Gribble
Auburn University Beat Reporter =
Some kind of a idiot! Both articles you reference as stupid were written by this nutcase.
Nuff said..
GATA Dawgs.......
It's laughable how these people pick CMR to "be on his way out". Yeah, Auburn, Tech, Tennessee and FL wish!
What I think it is, people got used to our perpetual suckage in the 90's, and they can't accept that those days are long gone.
So they cling to the delusion that Richt will leave, and we'll drop into another dark period.
All these idiots are doing is stirring the ****ing pot, plain and simple. CMR isn't going anywhere whether it be by his own will or someone else's. This garbage is dreampt up by bored sports writers who have too much damn time on their hands.
Go Dawgs!
"Just because Aubrun was stupid enough to run off the best coach they've ever had doesn't mean UGA would be that stupid."
Haha.
I enjoyed the "Reshad Jones in a salary drive year" line the most.
On the note about comparing Arizona State to Central Michigan (while I certainly agree with the co-eds statement)... That is certainly not the type of matchup Georgia envisioned the home and home series was set up... that being said, I'm certainly not upset that ASU are very mediocre.
The Gribble "reporting" is a great example of the state of Alabama's alternate football reality. They are blinded by their paradigms (remember that word from the 90's?).
If anything, people speculating about Richt leaving has just made Bulldawg fans that much more endeared to him. No one wants him out. I even believe some of the ire regarding his assistants has subsided.
I am a Dawg fan - but I feel like we have at least six "losable" games. Going to Arkansas after two tough games is tough enough. Add to the equation that Arkansas is basically playing their season opener against us and the odds do not tilt in our favor. I won't even mention the long travel to Fayetteville...
Winning in Neyland Satdium will be tough. We only need to look to two seasons ago for proof that a less talented UT team can beat UGA in Neyland.
And let's not forget that just three years ago - we lost to both Vanderbilt and Kentucky. So losing to South Carolina, Arizona State (see Colorado three years ago) and Auburn are all three very losable games.
Of course, my opitimism sides with your analysis. However, my pessimism sides with my reality.
We have a very real chance at losing 6 games this season.
But we won't.
Anon 4:23,
Do you believe we have 6 losable games BEFORE we play Auburn, UK and Tech? That's what the writer was saying.
The only fault that I have with Richt is that he has been slow to make changes to help the program. Apparently he knew there was a problem with the defense after the 2nd scrimmage but didn't change anything until just before the bowl game. Little was done last year to get the team to improve. The team that beat Georgia Southern was no better than the team that beat Michigan State. I think last year was his worst year while 2003 & 2007 were his best in terms of coaching. Hopefully he will improve and if the defense doesn't improve we'll have a new defensive coordinator for 2010.
Anon 5:43 -- Richt didn't say he knew there was a problem with the defense after the second scrimmage. He said that's when they let off the gas in practice due to the injuries piling up. That's when the problem started, not when the problem became apparent. I'm sure it was even after that that they figured out the cause. In any case, he is very aware now that there was a problem. Hopefully they'll get it fixed this season.
PWD, I think anon@ 4:23 is right; he gives examples and you don't give an answer. At UT and at Arky are loseable games(the road is hell in the SEC, regardless of CMRs record); South Carolina MOST ALWAYS plays us tough. Colorado was horrible when they were a miracle from Cox of beating us. Until I see this marked improvement from our defense(which I do believe will take place)and Cox as our starter, I refuse to get too excited.
Special teams is enough of a reason to hold back my excitement.
Anon @ 5:43-
One of the main characteristics of the Richt era has been his willingness to concede his weaknesses publicly and then work on them. After his first season, he worked on clock management. After 2004, he went to NFL clinics dedicated to getting the TE more involved in the offense. Etc.
Re: last year. What would have had him do differently? He barely had enough warm bodies to field a defense or OL by the time November rolled around.
"It would take catastrophic failure (back-to-back losing seasons) or a move into the ministry to get Richt out of Athens."
It would take more than back-to-back losing seasons for Richt to get fired. See Ray Goff, Hugh Durham, whoever coached baseball for the last 35 years, Ron Jirsa, and Dennis Felton as examples of dudes that got a whole lot more rope than I personally would have given them. And that's not even counting "the love" all DAWGS have for Richt. None of those other coaches had the level of respect Richt has in Athens.
As for the ministry, I'd say we're in no greater danger of losing him to the Baptists than Florida is of losing Tebow to something non-denominational.
BenG- Here is the quote and the link to it. From scrimmage #2 until the bowl game they didn't tackle. Richt knew and he knew early and it didn't adjust until it was too late.
“We backed off the way we’ve practiced every year since we’ve been at Georgia,” he said. “In scrimmage No. 2, we decided not to tackle. When the practice was over, I almost got sick. I almost threw up. I knew that wasn’t going to get us ready to play.”
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2009/07/23/richt-experiencing-the-upside-of-low-expectations/
Until the defense shows its worth, the only games I think are sure wins are ASU and Tenn. Tech. We are capable of losing any of our other games. We are also capable of winning any of our games. I agree with the others above about Ark. and UT. We seem to give another team a "program defining" game almost every year. It's just our nature, and I can see either Petrino or Kiffin getting one against us. But then I'm usually a pessimist before the season starts.
Also, I don't think 2 losing seasons in a row would get Richt fired at this point.
It's college football. Every game is losable. Ask Michigan.
I wish Richt would have not voted for Tebow.
I think all the coaches saying they did vote for Tebow just signifies what we all know. They are afraid of UF and Tebow.
I would not have voted for him. I would have said that I did not vote for him because I am going to beat him. Let him take that for motivation. I would have sent my team a message by saying that everybody else may be afraid of his work ethic and intensity but I am not. Yeah he is awesome; he is a leader; he is the face of UF. But I want to beat him. Until we have that seething desire to eradicate Tebow and UF we will not be successful at beating them. It has to permeate every aspect of our being. If you can beat UF then no one can beat you.
It is not hype; Tebow is good. But I am going to be better.
That is the message I think Richt should have sent.
Anon 1129,
While I agree w/the point you're making, the Bham conference would not have been the right forum for those statements. This week is about walking the line, ie, making some harmless statements and giving the press (and other teams) zero controversial material.
With that said - SEC week is over. To hell with every opponent, especially Tebow and Florida. From here on out it's on and I hope our coach takes the exact approach you mentioned. Polite to a point, but straight-forward enough to say that we're bringing the mf'ing beasts and we are going to beat your brains out Tebow and Co.
This would not be a "gimmick" as some said the celebration was. It would be (God forgive me) Paul Johnson-esque. (I hate tech but admire johnson's moxy).
While I agree that replacing Stafford and Moreno is difficult, you can't say for certain that we won't be better. Look at the '05 Auburn team. They lost THREE first round picks (Campbell, Williams, and Brown) from the year before and were statistically better in '05 with Brandon Cox and Kenny Irons, neither of which were very high draft picks (although I think Irons may have gone in the second or third round). It can be done.
IF anyone wants to place a bet that we will lose 6 games, count me in. I could use the money. I say NO WAY we lose 6.
I'm also one who doesn't see the first game as a season breaker either.
I hated the witch hunt to find out who did not vote for Tebow.
I hope I am wrong but anyone who watched this team last year can not be optimistic about this year mainly because of the coaches. Lets say we average 14 to 17 points a game this year, our special teams suck and we average giving up 21 points or more, then this could be the year from hell for GA.
What has changed on our defense other than Jeff is back (thank god). DO we have a proven DE, no. What will you do if we treat kickoffs the same as we did last year in the first game, scream at the TV just like me. Then we run for no significant yards on first down, do a screen on second down, and then a long bomb? Oh my god. Wow, these salaries do not buy you what they used to buy. I can not wait for the season to begin so we can find out who is right. If we have a winning year, I will count it as a positive. Other than hope and change what facts can you offer to show we will win 10 games? How has that hope and change worked for you in other areas of your life?
Arkansas will be much better than some people are willing to admit. And with all due respect to UGA and Richt, whom I love, if he is able to wine 8 games this year it will be his best coaching job to date. I just don't see it with that schedule. They could easily lose 4 of their first five games.
UGA is currently only a -2.5 favorite at Arkansas.
I think that qualifies as at least a possibly losable game as well, fwiw.
4 of their first 5...name your price...Wow, some of you are giving up quick....
There isn't one human being alive in Athens, GA that would believe that Mark Richt is on the "hot seat" if he had a bad year this year, or even a losing one. And then the other one is talking about Richt "defending UGA's relevency?" Where do they get these guys from?
The writer is most likely about 25 and on his first job as a reporter. Because only immature people with no real historical perspective of college football would put Richt into that category.
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www.cajuninjector.com/tailgating
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