Thoughts on Texas A&M and a Look Towards 2010

The 2009 football season for the Georgia Bulldogs officially ended Monday with a 44-20 beating of Texas A&M. And while the Dawgs scored nearly as many points as I predicted, this game was not the shootout I thought it would be. The game was tied 0-0 with under three minutes to go before the Bulldogs' special teams took control.

Brandon Boykin's third kickoff return for a touchdown on the season ignited a fire under the Georgia team that would turn this game into an easy victory for the Dawgs. After Asher Allen left early last year, I was not sure who would step up and take over the return duties, but Boykin has been a pleasant surprise this year and I look forward to see him work for the next few years.

After the Boykin return, Georgia forced another 3 and out and looked poised to get the ball back with just over a minute to go. Bacarri Rambo then proved once again while he is my new favorite player on Georgia's defense. Rambo, who also would have blocked a Texas A&M field goal earlier if Geno Atkins had not gotten to it first, blew past the line and blocked the kick. Georgia would punch it in to take a 14-7 lead at half.

Despite the 7 point lead at half, the Bulldogs were actually getting dominated on the field. The main cause was the complete lack of a rushing attack that had been so good late in the season. I think this finally made me realize how good of a player Josh Davis had become at right tackle. Vince Vance was really struggling in the first half, and the coaches made the adjustment (pulling Vance in favor of Justin Anderson) that seemed to fix the problem in the second half. It makes me really excited to know that we will have all five starters back on the line next season.

After the defense looked like it might be falling back into Willie mode by allowing the Aggies to quickly tie the score to start the second half, Georgia answered with another long field goal for Blair Walsh. The kid is money on long kicks and may end up with a better career than both Billy Bennett and Brandon Coutu. After another A&M special teams break down, Cox found Aron White for a 24 yard score and the rout was on. White had two touchdowns in the game and it will be a lot of fun to watch Murray have both White and Charles as safety valves when teams double cover AJ Green.

Speaking of AJ Green, it was great to see him back on the field but clearly he was not 100%. Both of the jump balls that Cox threw to Green would have been catches if he was healthy. We really missed him against Kentucky but I sure am glad he will be back for one more season.

The rest of the game was dominated by the Georgia running attack. The O line had finally worn down the Aggies' D and began opening huge holes for Caleb King and Washaun Ealey. In the fourth quarter, it was Georgia's fullbacks turn to pound the ball, ending with a Shaun Chapas TD. Despite only about 25 yards on the ground in the first half, Georgia once again finished with over 200 yards rushing. In the end it was 44-20 victory for Georgia securing the Dawgs' 13th consecutive season of at least 8.

This season was definitely a disappointment, but perhaps it was just what Georgia needed. We had become complacent, almost comfortable, with the success we had and it was time for some changes to be made. But without a 7-5 regular season and a trip to Shreveport, do you think Mark Richt actually pulls the trigger and gets rid of Willie? I don't think so. It is an exciting time to be a Georgia fan. We will soon know who the new DC will be, we return 10 of 11 starters on offense, and the schedule sets up nicely for a run at the SEC East championship. Year ten of the Mark Richt era will hopefully be the crowning achievement of one of the best decades in Georgia football history.

GO DAWGS!!!

Independence Bowl Preview: Prediction

I ran out of time to write a complete prediction, but I expect both teams to score a lot in this game. Georgia should have superior athletes, particularly on defense, and should help carry the Dawgs to the victory.

Georgia 45, Texas A&M 35

Independence Bowl Preview: Texas A&M By the Numbers

Continuing our look at Georgia's Independence Bowl opponent, here is a look at how the Aggies stack up statistically.

Head Coach

Mike Sherman is in his second year on the sidelines for Texas A&M. He took over for Dennis Franchione following the end of the 2007 season, replacing Franchione's spread-option offense with a pro-style offense. Sherman was previously head coach of the Green Bay Packers, where he compiled 57-39 record from 2000 - 2005. Sherman is 10-14 overall in two years at A&M.

Offense

Texas A&M has one of the most dynamic offenses in the country. Lead by quarterback Jerrod Johnson, the Aggies can score quick and often through the air and on the ground. Here's how they rank nationally:

Rushing: 190 yards per game (2nd in the Big XII, 25th overall in the country)
Passing: 275 yards per game (6th in the Big XII, 22nd overall in the country)
Total Offense: 465 yards per game (1st in the Big XII, 5th overall in the country)

The offense statistical leaders for the Aggies are:

Passing:
Jerrod Johnson - 267 of 439 for 3217 yards, 28 Touchdowns and 6 Interceptions

Rushing:
Christine Michael - 151 carries for 767 yards and 9 touchdowns
Cyrus Gary - 156 carries for 752 yards and 5 touchdowns
Jerrod Johnson - 131 carries for 455 yards and 8 touchdowns

Receiving:
Uzoma Nwachuka - 37 catches for 670 yards and 6 Touchdowns
Ryan Tannehill - 44 catches for 574 yards and 4 Touchdowns

Defense
On defense, the Aggies are led by Von Miller who led the NCAA in sacks with 17. Outside of Miller, the Texas A&M is very weak and should not be able to stop a consistent Georgia offense.

Rushing Defense: 169 yards per game (10th in the Big XII, 87th in the country)
Passing Efficiency: 135.56 (Last in the Big XII, 84th in the country)
Passing Defense: 263 yards per game (Last in Big XII, 111th in the Country)
Total Defense: 431 yards per game (Last in the Big XII, 107th in the Country)
Scoring Defense: 33 points per game (Last in the Big XII, 104th in the Country)

Statistical Leaders:

Sacks - Von Miller - 17 total (16 solo, 2 Assists)
Tackles - Trent Hunter, DB - 86 total (51 solo, 35 assisted)
Interceptions - Jordan Pugh - 3 for 64 return yards

Miscellaneous

A&M's special teams have been anything but special. They have used two different punters, neither with much success and their coverage teams are bad. While they throw very few interceptions, they do not rank very high in turnover margin.

Turnover Margin: 8th in the Big XII, 66th in the Country
Kick Off Returns: 23 yards a returns (6th in the Big XII, 45th in the Country)
Punt Returns: 6 yards a return (10th in the Big XII, 96th in the country)
Net Punting: 34 yards a punt (10th in the Big XII, 92nd in the Country - Georgia is 1st in the country at 43 yards per punt)

Independence Bowl Preview: Texas A&M's 2009 Season Part 2

This is part 2 of a look at the season thus far for Georgia's Independence Bowl opponent, the Texas A&M Aggies.

Game 7 – Texas A&M 52, Texas Tech 30
Coming off three straight losses and facing a team that had blown Kansas State (who then blew out the Aggies), things did not look good to start the second half of the season. But running back Cyrus Gray was not about to let the Texas A&M season go down in flames. Gray rushed for four scores an Jerrod Johnson added two more (one passing and one running) as the Aggies cruised to a 22 pint victory over the Red Raiders. The Aggies were aided by 5 Texas Tech turnovers, including two interceptions of quarterback Taylor Potts.

Game 8 – Texas A&M 35, Iowa State 10

The Aggies got their second straight victory with an easy win over Big XII North foe, Iowa State. Efficiency was the name of the game for Texas A&M, as they converted 10 of 13 third downs and did not punt the entire game. The Aggies defense was able to battle Cyclones QB Jerome Tiller, who was making his first career start, into throwing two costly interceptions that helped lead to the Texas A&M victory.

Game 9 – Colorado 35, Texas A&M 34

Despite a relentless Aggies pass rush that sacked Buffaloes QB Tyler Hansen eight times, Colorado was able to squeak out a one point victory at home. Texas A&M built a 21-10 halftime lead after Cyrus Gray returned a kick-off 99 yards for a touchdown. Leading 34-28 with 3:59 to go, the Aggies kicked the ball to Colorado. The Buffaloes were able to drive the field in a little under two minutes and scored to take a one point lead. The Aggies were unable to set up a chance for the game winning field goal and their record fell to 5-4.

Game 10 – Oklahoma 65, Texas A&M 10

Facing an Oklahoma team struggling through its worse season in years, A&M hoped to beat the Sooners to get bowl eligible. What happened was their third major blow out loss of the season (third time they lost by at least 4 touchdowns). Landry Jones and Demarco Murray had big days for Oklahoma as they racked up over 600 yards of offense. The Aggies’ only touchdown came on a Michael Hodges’ interception of Landry Jones late in the first half.

Game 11 – Texas A&M 38, Baylor 3

Paced by Christine Michael’s school record 97-yard touchdown run, the Aggies gained bowl eligibility with a 35 point thumping of in-state rival Baylor. The team rushed for a season high 375 yards on the Big XII’s worst rushing defense. QB Jerrod Johnson also became the school’s single season record holder for passing yards. This was Texas A&M’s ninth straight home victory over Baylor.

Game 12 – Texas 49, Texas A&M 39
Thanksgiving night was a showcase for two of the Big XII’s best passers, as Jerrod Johnson and Colt McCoy went head to head in an old fashioned shoot out. Johnson threw for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns and added 97 yards rushing. But McCoy was up to the task, as the Heisman finalist accounted for 5 total touchdowns (4 passing) and led the Longhorns to the win. While emotion fueled A&M against their biggest rival, the talent gap proved too much.

Final Assessment –

The Aggies finished the second half the same way they did in the first half with a record of 3-3. This included 3 blow out victories where they won by at least 25 points in each game, but they also suffered their fourth loss of the season by at least 28 points. Close games against Colorado and Texas could have changed the season dramatically, but in the end they ended up where they should be. They beat the bad teams on their schedule and lost to the good ones and more likely than not, the final score was not close. While they are a threat on offense, they have too many holes on defense to stop talented offenses.

Independence Bowl Preview: Texas A&M's 2009 Season Review Part 1

This is the first part in series of articles examining Georgia's Independence Bowl opponent, the Texas A&M Aggies. First I will examine the Aggies 2009 results beginning with their first six games of the season.

Game 1 – Texas A&M 41, New Mexico 6

The Aggies’ offense opened the season firing on all cylinders as they put up 606 yards on the Lobos of New Mexico in a 41-6 victory. Junior QB Jerrod Johnson completed 31 of 41 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson also ran in another score as did running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael. The defense was also stellar, sacking Lobos QB Donovan Porterie 5 times and allowing only 21 yards on the ground. It was the Aggies’ 24th victory in their last 26 home openers.

Game 2 – Texas A&M 38, Utah State 30

After building a 24-10 halftime lead, Texas A&M had to hold on to beat Utah State 38-30. Jerrod Johnson threw for four touchdowns in the game. Three of those touchdowns went to freshman wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu. He also added a rushing score in the game and was the star player on the field. The offense had to put up big numbers, because the defense failed to hold Utah State from marching up and down the field as well. Their quarterback threw for 334 yards and two scores and running back Robert Turbin rushed for 114 yards. After Utah State scored two touchdowns to get within 8 with just minutes remaining, the Aggies were finally able to run out the clock and seal the victory.

Game 3 – Texas A&M 56, UAB 19

The Aggies improved to 3-0 with a blowout victory over UAB. This game was never in doubt, as Texas A&M built a 28-6 halftime lead and continued to pour it on in the second half.

Game 4 – Arkansas 47, Texas A&M 19

The Aggie defense was no match for Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett on his Saturday. After taking an early 10-0 lead on the Hogs, Arkansas rallied off 30 straight points. Mallett threw for 4 touchdowns and Arkansas added 162 yards on the ground. Jerrod Johnson struggled against the SEC defense, attempting 58 passes but completing only 30.

Game 5 – Oklahoma State 36, Texas A&M 31

Despite missing stars Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter, Zac Robinson was able to lead Oklahoma State to victory at College Station. OSU lead 29-22 going into the fourth. Texas A&M got a Randy Bullock 50 yard field goal to cut the lead to 4 with 14:54 left on the clock. But the Aggies D could not stop the Cowboys from chewing up the clock and putting the game out of reach. A 7 minute, 41 second touchdown drive made the score 36 – 25, and despite a touchdown late, the Cowboys held on for the victory.

Game 6 – Kansas State 62, Texas A&M 14

Texas A&M suffered their third straight defeat, this time in a blowout fashion to conference rival Kansas State. The Aggies defense could not stop the Wildcats from scoring, resulting in a 38-0 half time deficit. To make matters worse, Kansas State returner Brandon Banks took the second half opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. All this came after Kansas State had suffered an embarrassing loss to Texas Tech the week before when they gave up 700 yards and 66 points. 6 turnovers and -13 yards rushing killed the Texas A&M offense.

Mid-season assessment: After starting off the year with 3 wins over opponents from non-BCS schools, the Aggies struggled against Arkansas from the SEC and two conference opponents. And while the close loss to a highly rated Oklahoma State team showed the team had fight, the embarrassing loss to a weak Kansas State team was equally as bad. At the mid way point, the Aggies record sat at 3-3. As you will see, the second half of the season went much the same as the first.

Tomorrow: Part 2 of the review of the 2009 season for the Texas A&M Aggies

Friday: I will break out the Aggies team statistically.

Saturday: What Georgia must do to win and my final prediction

We're playing a bowl game in less than a week: Does anyone really care?

!!!NEWS FLASH!!! - Hutson Mason commits to Georgia. AJC has the story here

This seems like forever ago, doesn't it?

There seems to be exactly no buzz heading into Georgia's Independence Bowl match up with Texas A&M. I know it was a rough season and we have bigger fish to fry (finding a new DC), but this is still the last game of the 2009 season! That means no more Georgia football for the next 8 months! We should at least be more excited for this game than we were for Tennessee Tech. Unfortunately work has held me up from writing much lately, but with the Christmas holidays coming up, I will finally get a chance to sit down an take a look at our bowl opponents.

Come back tomorrow where I will examine the season thus far for the Texas A&M Aggies. I will go through their schedule, game by game, and hopefully paint a little light on what the Dawgs can expect to see on December 28th.

Until then, GO DAWGS!!!

Top Ten Plays of 2009: Part 2

#5 - AJ Green Leaping Touchdown Catch against LSU

Georgia struggled all day to get the offense going against the top ten rated Tigers in Athens. Down 12-7, Georgia drove the field to the Tigers 16 yard line. Joe Cox lofted a pass towards the back corner of the endzone and AJ was there to haul it in:

Georgia took the 13-12 lead with only 1:09 left on the clock. A BS celebration penalty was called and we all know what happenned after that.

#4 - Rennie Curran Saves the Day Against South Carolina

Thanks a Deangelo Tyson blocked extra point, Georgia held a four point lead over the Gamecocks in the final seconds of the game. Stephen Garcia led his team inside the Georgia 10 and faced a fourth down with just seconds remaining. Garcia dropped back to pass, but seeing no one open, took off like he was going to run for the endzone (In my opinion, had he ran for it, he would have gotten the TD). At the last second, Garcia tried to throw a quick pass across the middle. But Mr Everywhere, Rennie Curran, was able to tip the pass away and save the game for Georgia:

#3 - AJ Green Blocks a Field Goal, Sets Up Game Winning Score

On a rainy night in Athens, Arizona State had taken advantage of Georgia turnovers to tie the game at 17 and had a chance to take the lead on a field goal with just minutes remaining. The Sun Devils lined up for the kick, but AJ Green was not about to let Georgia lose to a mid-level team from the Pac 10:

Following the block, Joe Cox found AJ on a deep ball the set up Blair Walsh to kick a field goal to win it for the Dawgs. Final score, Georgia 20, Arizona State 17.

#2 - Bacarri Rambo Separates the Ball from Mario Fannin

With Georgia holding a seven point lead against the Tigers, Auburn QB Chris Todd found an open Mario Fannin near the Georgia goal for what looked like the game winning touchdown. Redshirt freshman safety Bacarri Rambo had other ideas:

As the crowd chanted, "Rambo, Rambo, Rambo", the defense came up with a huge play, sacking Todd and forcing Auburn into a long 4th down play. The pass then fell incomplete and Georgia held on to win. Rambo suffered a concussion and would miss Georgia's final two games, but has endeared himself to all of those in the Bulldog Nation.

#1 - Caleb King's 75 Yard Touchdown Run against Georgia Tech

The Dawgs took a suprising 17-3 lead into the half against top ten ranked Georgia Tech. Tech took the ball to start the second half and on the third play Jackets receiver Demaryius Thomas took a quick out pass for a long Georgia Tech TD to make the score 17-10. Many Georgia fans feared the scond half was going to turn into a repeat of 2008, when a a Georgia lead evaporated in what became a 45-42 Tech victory. Georgia had been able to gash the Tech D-line the entire first half and needed to answer the Georgia Tech score. One their first play of the second half, Caleb King provided the answer Georgia was looking for:

Georgia held on for the hug upset victory, 30-24. Georgia's running back pair of Caleb King and Washaun Ealey combined for over yards and 3 scores on the ground. It was a great night for Georgia and was a reminder to everyone that "WE RUN THIS STATE!".

GO DAWS!!!

Top Ten Plays of 2009: Part 1

As we await the Dags showdown with Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the best plays of the 2009 season. While this season may have been a disappointment overall, it was not without its share of great moments. In part 1, we will look at plays 10-6:

#10 - Branden Smith 61 Yard Revers Touchdown against South Carolina

As a true freshman in 2009, Branden Smith saw ample time at the corner back position providing relief for Prince Miller and Brandon Boykin. However, Smith's most memorable moments came on offense when Smith was able to show off the amazing speed that made him the "Fastest Man in Georgia" during his senior year of high school. Smith's first amazing play came on a reverse against South Carolina:

Smith had another long touchdown run later in the season when he took a snap from the wildcat 52 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee Tech.

#9 - Joe Cox Throws 5 Touchdowns at Arkansas

When Georgia met Arkansas in late September, Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett put on an amazing passing display throwing for over 400 yards. And while many across the country expected Mallet to have the ability to put up these numbers, few though Joe Cox would be able to match him. But Cox was up to the challenge that night.

Cox would end up 18 of 26 for 375 yards and 5 touchdowns on the night. Cox found AJ Green (twice), Orson Charles, Tavarres King, and Aron White for scores in the 52-41 victory. Cox was named national player of the week for his effort.

#8 - Israel Troupe 50 Yard Touchdown Reception against Auburn

With Georgia already down 14-0 and AJ Green leaving the field with a shoulder injury, little used receiver Israel Troupe came in to the game. Mike Bobo, not realizing Green had left the game, called a long pass play. Caleb King threw a huge block which allowed Troupe to get separation down the sideline. Joe Cox hit troupe in stride for the 50 yard TD which sparked the Georgia comeback.

#7 - AJ Green 66 Yard Catch and Run against Vanderbilt

Without a two injuries that essentially cost him 4 games, AJ Green would have easily walked away with the Bilitnekoff award for the best receiver in the country. Early in the victory at Vanderbilt, Green took a quick out pass from Joe Cox. He then showed why he has become one of the best receivers in the nation:

#6 - A Pair of 100 Yard Touchdown Runs for Brandon Boykin

Sophomore corner Brandon Boykin made a name for himself as one of the most electrifying returners in all of college football with a pair of 100 yard kickoff return touchdowns. The first came against South Carolina:

Boykin then matched the feat a few weeks later, providing one of the few Georgia highlights in the loss at Tennessee:

Check back tomorrow for part 2 as we look at the Top 5 plays of 2009.

All Quiet on Home Front

With the Dawgs awaiting their bowl date with Texas A&M and Coach Richt keeping mum about who will be the next DC, things are pretty quiet for the Dawg nation right now. Some have speculated that the lack of an announcement regarding the defensive coordinator position means that Georgia may already have their man lined up.

Many Georgia fans hope the role ultimately goes to Kirby Smart. If he ends up being the man for the job, there will definitely not be an announcement prior to the BCS Championship. Kirby Smart is currently a hot name in the coaching world, not simply because of his on field success, but because of the number of teams currently looking for defensive coordinators. In addition to Georgia, Florida is also looking for the right man to replace Charlie Strong and Brian Kelly is looking to fill his staff at Notre Dame. The only downfall of bringing in Smart is that we may be back hunting for another defensive coordinator in a few years. While you would love to bring in a coach who could be with Georgia for years, you can’t pass up bringing in the best available candidate for the job.

Do I honestly think Smart will end up the man in Athens? No. I imagine a huge raise from Alabama will keep him in Tuscaloosa. Only time will tell who the new coach will, but whoever it is, I am sure Coach Richt will make the best choice for the program.

The recruiting season is in full swing, but the biggest news concerning the Dawgs right now revolves around the quarterback position. Lassiter QB Hutson Mason will announce his decision on Monday and I fully expect him to accept the scholarship from Georgia. I have read a number of places that he was waiting on the offer and I will be very happy to keep the record setting QB in the state. The other quarterback news involves Wilcox County junior Nick Marshall. I saw this kid play in the Class A state championship game on Saturday and I was impressed. Besides being a good QB, the kid is rated as one of the top junior basketball players in the country. My brother-in-law’s father is friends with the athletic director at Wilcox County and when Marshall was asked about potentially handing the ball off to Washaun Ealey, he said he would rather not hand the ball off to a guy who beat him in the State Playoffs last year. In the end, he will most likely end up playing basketball at a major program, but I am glad we are continuing to go after the best this state has to offer.

Bowl Pick 'Em Challenge

I can't believe it, but this week marks the beginning of the 2009-2010 college football bowl season. While still finishing up the post for our season winner of the Bubba 'N Earl Pick Em Challenge, we are announcing the Bubba N' Earl 2009-2010 College Bowl Challenge. Use the following link to access the Bubba N' Earl group:

http://games.espn.go.com/bowlmania/en/group?groupID=23589

This year, I am personally challenging all of our readers. For the reader who beats me and scores the most points, I will give them an opportunity to write a guest post here on the blog and brag about their victory.

Get those picks in and let the games begin!

In a Bad Season, Kickers Always Seem to Shine

Last night, Georgia punter Drew Butler won the Ray Guy Award given annually to the nation's best punter. His teammate, Blair Walsh, was also a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's best placekicker. Drew Butler certainly deserved this award, leading the nation with a 48.8 yards per punt average. Walsh made 19 of 21 field goals, including 10 of 11 from 40+ yards. While both had amazing seasons, this is the first time in recent memory that Georgia kickers have been recognized for their work. My question is, why does it seem to take a bad season to recognize the importance of these players to their team?

Georgia has a great tradition of kickers under coach Mark Richt. Our punters have traditionally ranked near the top of the SEC in yards per kick. Jonathan Kilgo, Gordon Ely-Kelso, and Brian Mimbs all enjoyed stellar careers for the Dawgs during times when the Dawgs were consistently ranked in the top ten in the country. The same goes for the kickers. Brandon Coutu consistently made long field goals look easy and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks. Before Coutu, Billy Bennett was setting SEC records on his way to becoming the second leading scorer in NCAA history.

But up until Butler's win last night, a Georgia kicker had never been recognized nationally with an award. The winner of the Groza last night, Kai Forbath of UCLA, also played for a team that struggled this year. It seems the media is quick to recognize offensive players for their individual efforts, but when it comes to kickers, they need their team to be bad to give them an extra push.

Congratulations Drew Butler on a fantastic season! You certainly have done the Butler family name proud.

Rumors Confirmed: Jabba The Hutt is the New DC at UGA

Wow. I'm just as shocked as you all are.

From the Associated Press:

Jabba The Hutt is surprise choice to be Georgia's next defensive coordinator

Athens, GA: After a down season for the Georgia Bulldogs, Coach Mark Richt let go much of his defensive staff, including the much maligned defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

After the dismissal of Willie Martinez, John Jancek, and Jon Fabris last week, there has been rampant and wild speculation among the Georgia fan base as to who would become their new defensive coordinator. This morning it was announced that Jabba the Hutt, (who has no known previous ties to the university), would be hired as Georgia's new defensive coordinator.

Don't judge. Giant space slugs can be good coaches, too.

Jabba The Hutt is most well known for being the intergalactic crime lord based on the desert planet of Tatooine. Known for his cunning nature, ruthlessness, and love of all things evil, he is seen by many as a powerful force in the space crime world (as well as taking great pleasure in out smarting his opponents and torturing them).

"I'm very excited about this opportunity." Jabba told members of the media on a conference call this morning (NOTE: the translation is loose as it is quite difficult to find someone that speaks Huttese). "I've wanted to venture into coaching for a long time, and I think my experience as a crime lord will enable me to bring unique leadership to the football field."

Mark Richt was unavailable for comment during the announcement due to recruiting obligations.

Jabba's selection as a defensive coordinator for a college football team may seem like an odd move to many. However, Jabba's background and personal characteristics might suit him well for the job.

Jabba the Hutt was actually a skilled defensive lineman at Oregon State University, starting during the 1962, '63, and '64 seasons. Jabba led the defense in helping the '62 beavers reach the Liberty Bowl, and the '64 team to the Rose Bowl. As a freshman, he play on both sides of the ball and being a key asset on the line that protected 1962 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Terry Baker.

While Jabba attempted a career in the NFL after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1965, a severe ACL tear in training camp left him immobile for months. This lead to Jabba's massive weight gain, thus preventing him from ever getting back into shape, and eventually he began a career in organized space crime.

All the while, Jabba stayed involved with his alma mater as one of its major boosters. According to insiders, Jabba has always held a great passion for college football and one day wished to become involved more personally.

When asked why he wanted to coach at Georgia, Jabba himself said, "I first met Mark Richt many years ago when he was recruiting one of my many illegitimate space children to come play fullback at Florida State. When my son was eventually killed by a rival bounty hunter before he could enroll in college, Mark Richt reached out immediately to my family. He has remained a friend ever since. I've talked with him many times about venturing into coaching, and as soon as the opportunity opened, I called him with my interest. Luckily, he allowed me to present myself to him and his staff, and evidently they saw something in me that clicked.

"I think I will be able to bring a lot to Georgia. Ask anyone that's been in business with me, they know my ability to get people to believe in me. Typically, their life has depended on it."

When asked how will he be able to keep his players out of trouble when he has built a career off of crime, Jabba responded, "No one knows more about trouble than me, so no one knows how to keep kids out of trouble more than I do. Whether it's kidnapping or placing bounty on people's heads, I've done it. This will be a new kind of scared straight...scared Jabba straight."

One reporter asked who Jabba might bring in as his new position coaches. "I'm considering many options, including bringing some unconventional choices, like some bounty hunters I've employed. However, I won't be employing any storm troopers. Too close to the traditional powers, " Jabba said.

When asked by another report if he wouldn't be a better fit Georgia Tech, given his sci-fi background, Jabba replied, "Gimme a break. Georgia is the type of place for me. I may have connections with Star Wars, but I am by no means a nerd. In fact, I hate nerds, that's why I eat them, and turn their women into slaves."

What about Jabba's death in Return of the Jedi? Is this even possible to be happening? Jabba's reply: "It's not really applicable, as that was an alternate galaxy, and I've often traveled back and forth between these different galaxies. I have a theory that most of my activity as a crime lord has taken place in a different dimension. While unproven, it could explain my existence here while I may suffer a death on Tatooine.

"End of the day, it doesn't matter. I'm ready to come to Georgia, and I'm ready to win. Even if it means kidnapping Urban Meyer's daughter and turning her into my personal slave."

The End of College Football Season and Bowl Season

While we still have weeks of bowl games to go, the college football regular season has come to an end. And while this season did not turn out the way many of us hoped for Georgia, it was another fun year of football across the country. Posting will be light for the next week or so as I am attempting to wrap up a big project at work. I'll be back next week to begin looking at Georgia's Independence Bowl opponents, the Texas A & M Aggies. We'll also announce the final winner of the Bubba 'N Earl Pick'em and announce our Bowl Challenge.

Following bowl season, we will begin take a look back at college football in the 2000's.

GO DAWGS!!!

Dear Tim Tebow

Tim,

I know you are an emotional guy and you are upset at losing, but let me let you in on a little secret.

YOU DID NOT LOSE THE GAME TONIGHT. The Florida Gators lost the game.

Over the last four years, you have shown your emotions and the media has just eaten it up. And when you made your famous speech last year, you seemed to take responsibility for a loss in a game that your team lost 31-30. When you lose a game where the other team scores 31 points, its not your fault.

And tonight, Florida was out manned by a better all-around football team. You played your best and that's all you could. You've won a Heisman trophy and a pair of national championships. No matter how much you cry, I will never feel sorry for you and no one else should either.

Sincerely,

College Football Fans Across the Country

A Few Predictions for Championship Weekend

Between the victory over Tech, the bowl drama, and the firings, this has been a pretty crazy week. For Georgia fans, this has overshadowed the fact that this week brings us one of the most exciting college football weekends ever. Not only do we have the normal crop of championship games, but the Pac 10 Championship (which Oregon won last night) and the Big East Championship (between Cincy and Pitt) will also be decided. Here are my quick predictions for the games this weekend.

ACC Championship - Georgia Tech vs. Clemson

Both teams are coming off loses to their in-state SEC rivals. Georgia Tech earned a narrow victory on a late field goal when he two teams met earlier this season. It was only after the Jackets had squandered a huge lead. I think Clemson follows the model used by Georgia and gives Tech a healthy dose of All-American CJ Spiller. Look for a high scoring game, with Clemson to get its revenge and take home the ACC crown.

Clemson 34, Georgia Tech 31

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh (Winner gets Big East Championship)

The Bear Cats look to lock up their second straight Big East Championship against the Wannstache. I thought Pittsburgh had a good chance to win this game until they lost to West Virginia last weekend. I expect Brian Kelly's club to score fast and often. Cincy wins this one fairly easily.

Cincinnati 42, Pittsburgh 21

Big XII Championship - Texas vs. Nebraska

Fans from TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State will be strongly behind Nebraska as they hope an upset means they may get a shot at the SEC Champion for the national championship. Nebraska has a great defense and has a 9-3 record in Bo Pelini's second year. The defense should be able to keep Colt McCoy from having the type of night he had on Thanksgiving, but the question is can Zach Lee and the Cornhuskers muster enough offense to win. I think this will be a close game, but Texas's offense will be too much in the fourth quarter.

Texas 27, Nebraska 17

SEC Chmpionship - Alabama vs. Florida

It doesn't get much bigger than this. Last year, the two teams met with a National Championship berth on the line and played a great game that ended in a 31-20 Florida victory. Once again this year, the teams are ranked 1 and 2, but this time they are both undefeated. Both teams sport amazing defenses and a Heisman candidate on offense. Many people think the difference in the game will be Tim Tebow, but I disagree. We know Tebow will play solid, he always does in big games. The difference will most likely be the running game of Alabama and Mark Ingram. Ingram struggled against Auburn and was injured late in the game, but Alabama was able to get by with a late touchdown. If Ingram and the Bama run game is shut down, I don't think Greg McElroy can be expected to carry the Tide to victory. No matter what the final outcome, this will be one hell of a battle.

In an upset, I'm taking Alabama.

Alabama 30, Florida 28

Defensive Coaching Candidate: Mark Snyder?

I saw on one of the AJC blogs a reader post that suggested Georgia take a look at Mark Snyder to replace Willie Martinez. This was a new name that I had not heard mentioned in the conversation. Turns out, Snyder is currently available and has coached a national championship defense. Here are the details on Mark Snyder:

Name: Mark Snyder

Age: 44

Coaching Experience:

1988 - Grad Assistant - Marshall University

1991-1993- Linebackers - Youngstown State

1994 - 1996 - Defensive Coordinator, Secondary Coach - Youngstown State

1997-2000 - Defensive Coordinator - Minnesota

2001 - 2004 - Defensive Coordinator - Ohio State

2005 - 2009 - Head Coach - Marshall University

Playing Experience:

1985-1988 - Safety - Marshall University

Career Highlights:

As a member of Jim Tressel's staff at Youngstown State, Snyder helped coach a defense that won 3 consecutive 1-AA national championships (1991-1993). Snyder was promoted to DC and eventually left Youngstown State to become defensive coordinator at Minnesota. During his time with Golden Gophers, the team twice broke the school record for sacks and average over 40 a year during that time. Tressel brought Snyder back onto his staff at Ohio State in 2001. Snyder's defenses helped Ohio State win back to back Fiesta Bowls and claim the 2002 National Championship. Snyder returned to his alma mater in 2005, taking over at Marshall. The team compiled a 16-31 record during Snyder's tenure. He resigned following the end of the 2009 season, despite Marshall reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since he took over.

Why he may be a good fit:

Snyder has experience leading defenses to national championships at multiple levels. After resigning at Marshall, he is currently available and after an unsuccessful stint as a head coach, may be ready to return to being a coordinator. As the picture above shows, he also has a reputation as a fiery guy, something former DC Brian Van Gorder was known for and something people often felt Martinez lacked.

Willie, Fabris, and Jancek Gone: Let the wild replacement rumors begin!

The rumors became fact today as Mark Richt announced that Willie Martinez, John Fabris, and Jon Jancek would not return for the 2010 season. Georgia fans (myself included) have wanted Willie replaced for a while now, but the question now becomes who will be the replacement. Let's forget the wild names being thrown out there (Tubberville, Strong, even Zook) because I don't see any way that any of these guys are coming to Georgia as assistants.

So, who would be on the top of your wish list? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Georgia Offers Hutson Mason: A Sign of Gray Moving to Receiver?

The AJC is reporting that Georgia has offered a scholarship to Lassiter quarterback Hutson Mason. Mason led Lassiter to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the state quarterfinals. He set the single season Georgia state record for passing yards and touchdowns this year, throwing for over 4500 yards and 54 touchdowns. Mason has scholarships to other programs including Iowa and Virginia, but it looks like he was waiting on the offer from Georgia.

It originally looked like Georgia would not offer scholarships to any quarterbacks this year, with 3 quarterbacks on the roster for the '10 season. The news of the offer to Mason today coincides with rumors that sophomore quarterback Logan Gray will be moving to wide receiver in the spring. If Gray moves to receiver, the quarterback job will most likely fall to Aaron Murray (who I expect would win the job out of spring from Gray anyway).

Riddle me this...

Auburn finished the season with a 7-5 record. They started the year 5-0, but went 2-5 down the stretch and lost 5 of their last 6 conference games. They lost their final two games to conference rivals (Georgia and Alabama) and somehow they are invited to play in a New Year's Day bowl.

How the hell does this happen? By Auburn getting an invite to the Outback Bowl, Tennessee will most likely fall down to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. That leaves the Dawgs, who beat Auburn, had an equal overall record (7-5), and a better conference record (4-4 to 3-5) to play in the Independence Bowl. (I won't even get into the BS that is South Carolina or Kentucky getting to go the Music City Bowl ahead of Georgia).

Instead of a rematch of the 2006 bowl game with a 9-3 Virginia Tech squad, we can now look forward to a game against a 6-6 Texas A&M team. The idea of spending New Year's Eve at the Georgia Dome with 40,000 of my closest friends appears to be gone. I guess the party at my house is on.

I have never had much hate for Auburn, but after this I may begin to share some of Kyle King's disdain for API.

PAUL JOHNSON WANTS ME TO BE PUNCHED IN THE FACE

I can't blame Johnson for saying nerds should punch us in the face because 1) I am an unapologetic jerk to NATS supporters and it is because that is exactly what they deserve from me, and 2) his fan base is completely lacking any sort of back bone.

I also can't say that any of us should be worried. As if any Techie is really going to have a success at attempting to beat up a Georgia fan. They'd be afraid of their pocket protector or calculator getting smashed.

It is also hilarious that the AJC writer in the story answers Johnson on exactly what we have done to define Tech. 2 SEC Championships, 3 BCS bowls, and 8-1 against the bumble bees during Mark Richt's tenure. Considering you are the other school in the state, you will be defined by how you measure up against us, and it's not pretty.

Johnson's attempts to down play any loss to Georgia is comical at best. He's the one who drew the line in the sand when he was hired by stating that beating Georgia was his main goal that first year. He put the emphasis on this rivalry and made it a defining element for Tech last season. He accomplished his goal last year, but that doesn't mean the significance of this game is lessened from that point on. Johnson's overreaction to getting bested this year only proves that, and I'm sure he would have had a much different tune had he won Saturday.

At the end of the day, this just proves that our victory gets under his skin. Thanks for the confirmation, asshole.

He's asking for it. Maybe I can take him on in the Publix parking lot in Vinings.

Another Amazing Fact About Saturday's Win

If I had said at the beginning of this season that there would be a game in which we would not only win but also not have to punt against Tech, you would have most likely thought I was talking about Tennessee Tech. Boy, were you wrong.

Ray Guy Award finalist Drew Butler did not have to punt a single ball on Saturday night. What was even more amazing is that Georgia Tech did not punt the entire game either. When was the last time you saw a game where one team did not punt, let alone a game where both teams did not use their punter?

In case you were wondering, Georgia punted twice in the 38-0 over Tennessee Tech.

Thoughts on Georgia Tech

While this season will still be marred as the year of multiple epic failures, Saturday night's victory over Georgia Tech makes this season hurt a little less. While I thought we had little chance to win going into the game (notice I did not even post a prediction last week), I did point out five things I thought we needed to do to win.

1. Run the ball - we sure as hell did that. Over three hundred yards on the ground, both our running backs over 100 (each averaging an amazing 9 yards a carry), and two touchdowns. Perfect game plan by Bobo and Richt. Caleb's answer to Tech's long touchdown was a thing of beauty:


2. Don't throw it deep - We threw exactly one ball that was over 20 yards and it was dropped by Wooten (it would have most likely been a score had he caught it). With the running game working, there was no need.

3. Make solid tackles - Vance Cuff's complete miss on Demaryius Thomas aside, the Dawgs tackled great. Reshad Jones made up for his performance last year with arguably his best game all year. Oh yeah, Rennie Curran was everywhere and made 15 tackles.

4. Kick it deep - At least we did in the first half when we built the lead. I'll take a game with 3 touchbacks, one out of bounds, and one decent return over what happened against Kentucky any day.

5. Play smart football - The running game was working and we did not change our game plan, even when Tech made a comeback in the second half. I'm glad Coach Richt sent Walsh out for the field goal in the fourth. It showed the defense that he had enough faith in them to let Walsh try a 55 yarder with the risk of giving GT a short field.

Overall, it was a great night for the The University of Georgia football team. We ended another regular season with a winning record and improved our chances of playing in a decent bowl (Attention Chick Fil A guys - a rematch between us and Virginia Tech would be a great match up. Make it happen). We have won 8 of 9 against Tech. Now I am starting to know how Florida feels when they play us.



GO DAWGS!!!

Where can I get one of these?

Georgia 30, Tech 24!

Sorry Nerds but Big Brother had to put you in your place.

***Picture courtesy of AJC.com

Things To Say To Nerds on Saturday

In case you need to brush up on your vocabulary for tomorrow, here are some things you can say to all the nerds you come across. By no means is this an all encompassing list. Add your own in the comments section.

Things to call the "fans"

-Nerds

-Techies

-Trade schoolers

-Virgins

-Losers

-Geek Squad

-Nerd Troopers (or Storm Troopers)

Things to call the school

-North Avenue Trade School

-Joke by Coke

-Auburn by the ghetto

-The Varsity's back lot

-United Nations gone wrong

Phrases to say

-"So, where can I find the Reggie Ball statue?"

-" Were you the engineers than put together that parking deck that collapsed over on 5th Street?"

-"I need to go to some parties. Can you point me towards Georgia State? Oh, you have parties here? I want to go to ones that will have women."

-"So, exactly what color is that you are wearing? Mustard?"

-"Wow! You guys went to the Emerald Nuts Bowl? Good thing you have these signs up in here letting everyone know your great accomplishments."

-"It's so great to be here at the Joke by Coke/North Avenue Trade School/any other derogatory name."

-"Beat the rush, HATE Tech early."

-"Excuse me, which way are all the women? Oh, I gotta go off campus."

-"45-42? Oh, you know what's so great about the number 45? In the last 45 years, you've only beaten UGA 12 times. Suck it."

-"NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRDS!!!!!!!!"

-"Fake, retroactive national championships don't count. You've only won two."

-"You left the SEC, you didn't deserve to come back. You're welcome."

-"No, I do not want to attend your robot club meeting. There's a football game about to start."

-"I'm a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech, and I'm a CRAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!"

-"It doesn't matter what you do or do not accomplish, we will always be better at life."

-"You spent your entire time at Tech wishing you had gone to Georgia."

What It Means To Be A Nerd

I meant to be bashing the North Avenue Trade School all week. However, since my laptop crashed on Tuesday, my access to the interwebs has been vastly limited.

Still, there needs to be some discussion (and reminding), of exactly why you need to Hate the Trade School, and why you are better for not being a part of their terrible existence.

To be a Trade School nerd is a hard thing to fathom for most people, but we figured we would try to give a shot at reminding everyone what they're all about.

The life of a old gold nerd is as follows:

1) Interactions with the female gender are few and far between

Ever since the Trade School took over the dorms that formerly belonged to Georgia State, the amount of females in the short radius around the Trade School campus decreased by 600%.

The upside is that reported peeping tom and rufie incidents decreased at almost the same percentage.

It is a sad existence as a male Trade School student, and a scary one as a female.

2) The robot club meetings are the most popular events on campus

Seriously, it is bigger than football, basketball, badminton, nerds watching Urban Meyer's daughter sit on the bench during volleyball games, and the World of Warcraft club meetings combined.

Religion means nothing at the Trade School when compared to the robot club. Nothing.

3) Dragon*Con is Christmas part deux

Think about the biggest event in Athens outside of football season. It is probably the Twilight Criterion, right? 40,000 people flock to Athens for a weekend of cycling races, music, sports, and imbibing massive amounts of alcohol while traffic in downtown is shut down. In other words, it's a dream come true for any human being that enjoys fun.

For the Trade School, you got a comic book, live action role playing, sci-fi fest. Wow.

The best thing about Dragon*Con is sneaking into the after parties (if you can call them that) and stealing the nerds' beer while simultaneously making fun of them.

At the biggest event for nerds, we still find a way to ruin it for them and have more fun at it.

4) Indecisiveness runs rampant

An annoyance for centuries. The official colors are old gold and white. The bumble bee mascot is yellow. Half the stuff that fans can buy is piss yellow, the other half is various shades of gold.

Last season, the football team couldn't decide if they were wearing mustard or gold.

The entire fan base is a walking color contradiction.

They had to do a white out, because attempting a "gold out" would end up being an"old gold/gold/mustard/yellow/sunburst/tangerine out."

5) Inferiority is the name of the game

Nerds have a built in inferiority complex in relation to UGA, it's fans, and well...life in general.

They hate their classes, their lack of women, and the lack of anything that resembles fun coming in contact with their school.

In order to make up for their lame existence, they have to steal band members and cheerleaders from other schools.

No matter their success, they will accept being talked down to by Georgia fans, even if they beat us. In the high likelihood we lose Saturday, just try it. They will be completely unable to back up their smack talk, and will quiver at your presence.

They have a bumble bee mascot, so it is difficult to have a live animal serving as a mascot. How do a bunch of engineers make up for this? By having a car as a mascot. A car. A motorized vehicle. You consider an automoble as your mascot and you want to talk shit to other schools? No wonder you have problems with women.

You can't sell out your football season ticket packages, and a self-described biggest conference game of the year (see here and here). Talk to me when your fan base decides to reach the big boy level.

Enough said.

As you walk through the Trade School campus on Saturday, just remember these points and you'll know why the life of a Trade School nerd is failure of humanity.

Unsubstantiated, Undocumented, and Unconfirmed Rumors On Willie Martinez

While driving out of Atlanta yesterday, I was listening to the Rude Awakening on 680 The Bland when they did a news alert saying they had unconfirmed reports that Willie Martinez was going to resign this coming Sunday. While they did not name Willie or UGA outright, any moron that's even passing through the State of Georgia knew what they were talking about.

My main problem is that if this was unconfirmed, as they admitted, and they don't even want to mention the person's name because it is unconfirmed, then why in the hell are they bringing it up!?! This is exactly why talk radio and journalism do not necessarily go hand in hand.

Personally, I'm with Rex Robinson on this topic. I don't think Willie is going anywhere and that it is better for us to accept that fact as soon as possible.

Profiles In Hate: Arizona State-Arizona

In honor of Hate Week, I figured I'd do what I can to highlight some other in-state rivalries.

Our buddies in the Moustache Nation sent me these pictures of what they do when the find Arizona paraphernalia in other towns.




Very impressive. Love the determination to never hold back the Hate.

Good luck to the Sun Devils against the Kitty Cats of Tucson.

Go Dawgs.

Happy Day Of The Turkey

Aubie, America's most versatile mascot, would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of Turkey day, here is a Lewis Grizzard classic about how he spent one particular Thanksgiving:

Thanks For The Memory by Lewis Grizzard

It was three years ago, or maybe it was two. Thanksgivings come and Thanksgivings go. I overslept and missed the family gathering at my uncle's house out in the country. Country folks like to eat early, and like I said, I overslept.

B.A. called about 1 in the afternoon. He was down in Savannah, alone.
"Had lunch yet?" I asked him.
"I was just going to pick up a hamburger," he answered.
"No Thanksgiving feast?"
"No. I had some work to catch up on and couldn't get to Montgomery to my mother's. What are you doing?"
"No plans," I said.
"Catch a plane," B.A. said. "The Hyatt bar is open even if nothing else is."

I was at the Savannah airport three hours later. We never made it to the Hyatt bar. We stopped instead at a little beer joint just outside the airport. Silent men playing pool. There were a couple of pool tables inside and young men wearing hats with the names of various heavy equipment companies sewn on them were playing. Cigarettes dangled from their mouths. They were silent and expressionless. One got the idea heavy stakes were involved.

A few old men sat around the bar drinking beer. A man and a woman worked behind the bar. There was a jukebox playing country music. "Keep your mouth shut," B.A. said, "and we'll probably be OK."

Probably. We had a few beers and played a few tunes of our own. Nobody had spoken to us until a graybeard sitting a few stools down looked up from his can of Budweiser and asked, "Y'all ain't from around here, are you?" We said we weren't.
"Y'all going to stay for supper?" the man went on.
"Stay for what?" I asked.
"Supper," he said. "We have it here every year on Thanksgiving. It's mostly for the regulars who don't have nowhere else to go, but I'm sure nobody would mi nd if y'all stayed." We didn't say yes. But we didn't say no, either. Lining up for the feast

A half hour later, the door to the joint opened and in walked five or six ladies bearing plates of food. Lots of food. They set up a table near the jukebox. Turkey and dressing. A ham. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Green beans. Butterbeans. Creamed corn. Homemade rolls. There were also cakes and pies. The customers put down their beers and cuesticks. They lined up, plates in hand, for the feast in front of them.

"Y'all more than welcome to eat," said the woman behind the bar. We got in line. The food was wonderful. We went back twice.
"You do this every year, huh?" I asked one of the ladies that brought the food.
"They's lots of people don't have nowhere to go on Thanksgiving," she said. "Some of 'em come in here to drink 'cause it ain't as lonely as staying home. We all live in the neighborhood, and we just try to share what we got with others."

We stayed until 9 or 10. We tried to pay extra for the food, but nobody would take our money. Thanksgivings come and Thanksgivings go and, occasionally, one comes along that is very special.

*** Check out this and other Lewis Grizzard stories at www.lewisgrizzard.com.

How Can Georgia Beat Tech?

Let's face Dawg fans, no one is really giving us much of a chance of defeating our in-state rivals this year. Georgia is 6-5 is coming off a loss to Kentucky while Tech is 10-1 and getting ready to play for its conference championship. After blowing a sizable lead at halftime last year, most people expect Tech to put Georgia away early this year. If the Bulldogs hope to win on Saturday, here are a couple of things I think they must do:

1. Run the football. - Tech's option attack is known to eat up the clock. The more time Georgia's defense is on the field, the more likely they are to get tired and give up the big play. The only way to counter is run the football as well. If Georgia can keep the time of possession battle close, they should be able to keep the score close as well.

2. Don't throw the ball deep so much - If there is one thing Joe Cox has done fairly well this year, it is throwing the deep pass. The biggest issue is that it has often been on first or second down, leaving Georgia in a third and long hole. They need to mix in some slants and crossing patterns early in the game. If the Tech safeties begin to bite, then they should open up the deep pass.

3. Make solid tackles - The biggest reason Georgia lost last season was missed tackles. Tech's offense is going to get yards, but keeping runs to 5 yard as opposed to 8 can be the difference in the game.

4. Try and kick the ball off deep - Directional kicks, squib kicks, and short kicks are not working. If a guy is going to get a kick off return for touchdown, at least make him earn it.

5. Play "smart" football - By this I mean don't panic and throw the game plan out the window if we get down early. If Tech takes a lead, we need to continue to try and run the ball to set up the pass. Getting away from the plan can only lead to the one thing that has killed Georgia all year long, turnovers.

It will be an uphill battle for the Dawgs to win at Grant Field this Saturday. I hope the coaching staff prepares better for this game than they did for Kentucky.

GO DAWGS!!!

BNE Pick 'Em Week 12

Well, I'm back after a week off to bring you the ups and downs for the BNE Pick 'Em. Was it me, or was there not a lot going on in football this weekend?

First up, the most exciting game of the weekend had to be LSU vs. Ole Miss. I mean seriously, what didn't this game have? Defense, offense, special teams, heroes, zeros, and surprises galore. I have to nominate Jordan Jefferson and the LSU coaching staff for the Boneheads of the Year award after the final 4 minutes of the game. After a recovered onside kick, going for it all on 4th and 26, completing a hail mary pass just 7 yards short of the goal line with 1 second left, what does LSU do? Rush on their kicking unit all ready to go on the sideline? Try a gutsy dump pass into the end zone? The ol' Statue of Liberty trickeration? No, no my friend, Les and Jefferson are much too crafty for anything so simple. They decide that spiking the ball will fool everyone and leave them with exactly one second to run a...oh, wait...yeah...1-1 leaves me with...OH CRAP!

D'oh!

Almost as surprising as the game was the fact that most everyone picked that game correctly! The only other truly exciting game was Oregon and Arizona going down to the wire in OT, with the Ducks setting up a defacto Pac-10 championship game this weekend in the Civil War with Oregon State. I keep telling you, the Ducks are for real.

Jeremiah Masoli ain't pretty, but he makes sure the Ducks win

Pretty much everything besides these two games was kind of a let down from the rest of the season. Bama and Florida bullied two weaker schools in Chattanooga and FIU respectively. Tennessee failed to cover the spread...again! Meechigan lost like everyone expected and Arkansas kept the fireworks going with a win over Mississippi State. But, the biggest let down was the Kentucky vs. UGA game...

Penalties + turnovers + bad coaching = 6-5

So with the unpleasantness over with, let's see where we stand going into rivalry weekend:

1. shelt320 & dawgsman81

3. Dutch

4. DawgDai

5. yedidawg

6. bulldog91

7. Gen. Stoopangle

8. BFR

9. OneHairyDawg

10. Donald Eason

From the BNE Staff:

1. BFR 

2. Earl

3. aumaverick

4. bubba

5. Streit

6. bulldawgjosh

And now for our Bottom Feeder of the Week, sponsored by www.test-cram.com

It looks as though someone only recently joined our Pick 'Em judging by his 0-10 record and 0 points. So ruling that out, it looks like our old pal mmike032 is still sitting fat, dumb and happy at the bottom of the feeding trough. 41-91 and 236 overall, but tied for #5 this week (along with 24 others).

mmike032, keep at it and you just might climb out in time for the end of the season. I suggest some of the studying techniques from our sponsor, www.test-cram.com for tips on how to bone up on this weekend's matchups. Tips like studying, having a plan, organizing, knowing who is actually playing and remembering to enter your picks. When all else fails though, there's always adderall.

So this is it for the regular season. Its rivalry weekend! Florida vs. FSU, UNC vs. NC State, Texas vs. Texas A&M, UGA vs. GaTech, and of course the Iron Bowl between Bama and Auburn. Hate your brother, hate your neighbor, heck you might even hate your wife this week! Whatever you do, whoever you hate, remember its only for one day...every other day is just plain disgust.

WAR EAGLE    HATE BAMA