Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Countdown 2011: 30 Days to Go

#22

The preseason Coaches poll was released today and the Georgia Bulldogs check in at 22. I was not sure that the Dawgs would even be ranked this season after finishing the 2010 season with an ugly loss to Central Florida and suffering through an off season of losing starters from last year's team (through graduation, early draft entry, or just plain stupidity).

But being ranked 22 feels about right for the Dawgs headed into this season. There are 8 teams from the SEC ranked in the top 25 and only Florida (at 23) was ranked lower. Alabama and LSU are both national title contenders and who knows what will happen at South Carolina and Miss State. The beauty thing of being the SEC is that you can rise from a low preseason ranking to the top just by winning games. Look no further than last season for proof.

In 2010, Auburn began the season ranked #22 in the coaches' poll. They struggled early against Mississippi State, nearly lost to Kentucky, and were down three scores to Georgia and Alabama. but their ability to make it through the SEC unbeaten allowed them to ascend to the top of the polls.

While I seriously doubt Georgia will be playing in a BCS bowl this season, a trip to Atlanta is not out of the question. Wins over Boise State and South Carolina in the first two weeks of the season would most likely jump the Dawgs into the top 15 (if not the top 10). And considering Georgia avoids Bama, Arkansas, and LSU on the schedule this fall, they may find themselves ranked highly by the time the Florida game rolls around.

Here's to wishful thinking!

Monday, August 1, 2011

The Countdown 2011: 33 Days to Go

30 Years

Today is my 30th birthday. Wow, that is hard to say. I was born in the summer of '81, seven months to the day that Georgia won its last National Championship in football. And while the Dawgs have failed to make it back to the top in the last 30 years, they have had some pretty amazing moments. Here are just a few facts about the last 30 years of Georgia football.

- 4 SEC Championships: 1981, 1982, 2002, 2005
- 26 Bowl appearances with a record of 16-8-2
- 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Herschel Walker) and another Heisman Trophy Finalist (Garrison Hearst)
- Posted a 22-8 record against in-state rival Georgia Tech
-Had players win the Nagurski (Champ Bailey) and the Lombardi (David Pollcak) awards given to the best defensive players in college football.
- Produced 20 first round NFL draft picks, including #1 overall in the 2009 draft (Matthew Stafford)
- Turned an 18 year old kid from Snellville, Georgia with no family ties to any major school into a die hard Bulldogs fan.

Here's to hoping the next 30 years are filled with at least as many memories as the last 30 years were.

GO DAWGS!!!