Thoughts on Kentucky: Epic Fail Part Two

6-5. 5 losses. Since I started at the University of Georgia in 2000, that is something I have never heard in relation to the Georgia Bulldogs football team. Every thing that has been talked about as an issue this season reared its ugly little head on Saturday night. On a night where you out gain the opponent nearly two yards to one and you hold the ball for significantly more time, you should never expect to lose.

First a couple of birght spots:

- Orson Charles and Rontavious Wooten had their best games at Georgia. The play action was working great in the first half, where the hell did it go in the second?

- Running the ball with King and Ealey continues to be successful. A dash of Branden Smith is a nice change too.

- Rennie Curran's stop of Randall Cobb on second and goal from the 1. An amazing play, even if Kentcuky did score on the next snap.

Okay, that's for the good. Now onto the bad.

- Joe and Bryan. Hope you enjoyed your years at Georgia. You may have had some talent, but you cost us more than helped us. I wish you the best in the future, but I am glad I will nto have to see you play at Sanford again.

- The fumble by Washaun was bad, but who calls a freaking toss sweep on third and goal from the 1?!?!? I miss Brannen Southerland.

- Branden Smith is fast, but not ready to get killed on kick-offs. If Boykin can't go, at least put someone out there who we know can hold the ball.

- Which leads into the major problem with the game - Coaching. Worse coaching effort I have seen at Georgia. Let's count the mistakes:
1. What the hell was the deal with kickoffs? Squib kicks, pooch kicks, and bad coverage. We need a full time special teams coach now.
2. The blocked punt - Yes, we ended up getting to punt again, but the guy who blocked it was totally open. I said to my wife before the ball was snapped that the kick was going to get blocked.
3. Why did the running game disappear in the second half? We had nearly 150 yards rushing by half, but only 30 or so in the second. Caleb and Washaun were running well but Cox was pretty inaccurate. I just don't get it.
4. The play action worked great in the first half and it also suddenly disappeared in the second.
5. Two trips inside the opponents 2 = 3 points. The first time, on a second and 1 from the 2 (we could have got a first down!) they call play action when Ealey could have easily ran it in. And then there was the toss sweep at the end. Bobo, this is on you.

I could go on for a lot longer, but I won't. The coaching was pathetic and changes need to be made. We all know what is coming next week. At this point, I am just ready for the season to be over.

GO DAWGS!!!

Epic Fail

Did we come out in uniforms that made us look stupid? Check.

Did we make stupid penalites that cost us yards in key situations? Check

Could we not defend short passes to the tight end? Check.

Did we let Tebow (officially) break Herschel's TD record just when it looked like we
might actually be in the game? Check.

Did we basically give up in the 4th quarter and send in a bunch of back ups against Florida's #1 defense? Check.

Was this an indictment of how much the coaching staff has lost touch with the current state of college football? Check.

Epic fail, on all fronts. Last year, the score may have been worse but this hurts more. Fire Willie now. If Coach Richt can't see that this must be done, then maybe it is time for Damon Evans to step in and do it for him. I still love the Dawgs and have full faith in Coach Richt, but if you seriously thought black helmets were going to make a difference you were damn wrong.

BTW, if I ever see Urban Meyer on the street, I will punch that SOB in face and gladly serve the jail time. Sending Tebow out up 24 with 3 minutes on the clock inside your 10 was a much worse slap in the face than the timeouts last year. I hope you get gangrene and your feet fall off. Go to hell Florida!

Bound to Fail in 2009

With just 10 weeks to go until the start of the 2009 season, preview magazines and the internet have started laying out some early predictions. While I have not made my own top ten list or chosen a Heisman favorite, there are some things that I am pretty sure WILL NOT happen this fall. Here is my top ten list of things bound to fail in 2009(in no particular order).

1. Jimmy Clausen leading Notre Dame to a top 10 Finish

For the first time since the 1993 season, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame won its bowl game. The Irish went 6-6 in the regular season, but after beating Hawaii easily to close the campaign, once again the media has Notre Dame ranked in the preseason polls. Once considered the top prep prospect in the country, Jimmy Clausen enters his third year as starter with high expectations. The schedule is certainly manageable, with the only two games (USC and Boston College) against teams that should handle the Irish easily. No matter how easy the schedule, this Notre Dame team will not beat a BCS team and once again Charlie and Jimmy will be answering questions from the Irish faithful next off-season.

Some of Jimmy Clausen’s Finest Work

2. Tim Tebow in the I Formation

If Florida fails to put up at least 60 points in their cupcake games early in the season, I see no way that Meyer continues to experiment with this new offense when it comes time to play LSU and Georgia. Tebow is the perfect quarterback in Meyer's spread and I foresee them going back to that offense full time by the middle of the season.

3. Kiffin having a winning season at Tennessee

He has made a lot of noise and a lot of enemies in his first few months as coach of the Vols, but a horrible offense mixed with the number of players who left the program will ensure Tennessee a second straight losing season.

4. Texas defeating Oklahoma but missing out on the Big XII Championship

If Texas goes into the Red River shootout and beats Oklahoma, they will play for the Big XII title. Mack Brown and Colt McCoy will not let their shot a Championship slip away because of a late season. Plus, I just can't see the 'Horns not getting sympathy votes after last season that would rank them ahead of OU if they finish with the same record in the conference.

5. West Virginia's offense minus Pat White
I've got a feeling it is going to be a long season in Morgantown this fall.

6. Georgia Tech throwing the ball

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." After a successful first year at NATS, Paul Johnson has boasted that he had only installed part of his playbook last year. They keep talking about incorporating the pass more, but I just don't see Josh Nesbitt having that much success throwing the ball. Tech had a great season (by their standards) last year and with the backs they have, I see them continuing to run the ball most of the time this season.

7. Ole Miss winning the SEC West

They have a great quarterback in Jevan Snead and they are a preseason top 10 selection by a number of publications. While I think they will be a good team, I am not buying into the hype. A combination of losses on both lines and an improving LSU team will keep Ole Miss out of the SEC Championship game once again.

8. UCLA ending the "Football Monopoly" in Los Angeles

In year 2 of the Rick Neuheisel era, it will be more of the same. Pete Carroll and company will defeat UCLA this fall and continue to won the football spotlight in Southern California.

9. Rich Rodriguez leading Michigan to a Big 10 Championship

In year 2, Rodriguez will finally have some talent at his disposal after a 2008 season that saw walk-ons starting at key positions. He may also have found a quarterback in freshman Tate Forcier. The only issue in Ann Arbor this year will be experience and once again Michigan will find itself behind Ohio State in the final standings.

10. Georgia's use of directional kick-offs

The kick-off coverage was horrible in 2008 and Coach Richt has stated that they plan to continue to use the same strategy this season. However, they did not bring on a second kicker who is known for touchbacks just for show. I expect Brandon Bogatay to take over the kick-off duties and to be booming kicks out of the end zone on a regular basis. If you haven't seen any footage of Georgia's new kicker, check this out.