With Alabama's victory over the Texas Longhorns in the BCS Championship last night, the 2009-2010 bowl season has come to an end. Congratulations are in hand for the winner of our bowl pick'em contest. The winner is the entry named campdawg by S.Kiser! As promised, you will be given a chance to write a guest spot here. I have contacted you separately.
Thanks for everyone who participated and I can't wait to do it again next year.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Interesting Fact of the Day: Which SEC Coach was Drafted by the Atlanta Braves
In the thirteenth round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, the Atlanta Braves selected a 6'2'' high school shortstop from Ohio. That player is none other than Florida Head Coach (or Coach in Waiting or Former Head Coach or Whatever) Urban Meyer. Meyer spent two years in the Braves farm system, compiling a whopping .182 batting average in 44 games. After failing to get out of the Gulf Coast League (Rookie Level), Meyer gave up his baseball career.
Coach Richt: ".182, that's just pathetic."
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The SEC Goes for 4 in a Row
If Alabama can knock off Texas in the National Championship Game tomorrow night, it will mark the 4th consecutive BCS Championship for the Southeastern Conference. While the media likes to talk about the resurgence of the Big 10 this bowl season, the best football remains in the South. I personally think Bama is simply too complete of a team to lose this game. Much like Florida, the Texas offense relies too heavily on the quarterback to make plays. The absence of a running game and constant pressure from the Bama front will force McCoy to make a couple of bad decisions. The 'Horns will put up a good fight, but in the end, I think Bama will take home its seventh national championship.
Prediction: Alabama 24, Texas 17
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Bubba 'N Earl is now officially part of the Internet
A year and a half and over 170,000 hits later, I thought it was time to officially plant Bubba 'N Earl's place in the interwebs. Today, we officially own the rights to http://www.bubbanearl.com/! You can now reach the site from both our old and new URLs.
Just like the Dawgs own Georgia, we now own BubbaNEarl.com!
Reshad Jones will now throw punches in the NFL
As expected, redshirt junior safety Reshad Jones is leaving Athens early for the green pastures of the NFL. Since Jones almost left after the 2008 season, this comes as a surprise to exactly no one within the Bulldog Nation. After redshirting in 2006, the Dawg Nation was introduced to Jones during the season opener against Oklahoma State in 2007. Jones famously drew a fifteen yard personal foul penalty for punching an Oklahoma State player in the chest. The player (I can't remember who it was) went down like he had just been shot with a shotgun. The next three years were filled with ups (game securing interception in the victory over South Carolina in 2008) and downs (numerous missed tackles in the 2008 loss to Georgia Tech).
Jones coverage skills were decent and he tallied a fair share of interceptions, including this one handed pick in the victory over Georgia Tech this year:
Jones was known as a heavy hitter, a reputation that caused him to be a target of officials. This hit in the Oklahoma State game this season gave Jones the label of a head hunter (even though the hit was legal) and led to a number of bad calls against Georgia this year:
Jones leaves Athens after a successful career, though he never quite lived up to the 5 star talent he was evaluated as out of high school. We wish the best of luck to Reshad at the next level and hope to see him laying more hits like this one in the years to come:
GO DAWGS!!!
Jones coverage skills were decent and he tallied a fair share of interceptions, including this one handed pick in the victory over Georgia Tech this year:
Jones was known as a heavy hitter, a reputation that caused him to be a target of officials. This hit in the Oklahoma State game this season gave Jones the label of a head hunter (even though the hit was legal) and led to a number of bad calls against Georgia this year:
Jones leaves Athens after a successful career, though he never quite lived up to the 5 star talent he was evaluated as out of high school. We wish the best of luck to Reshad at the next level and hope to see him laying more hits like this one in the years to come:
GO DAWGS!!!
Monday, January 4, 2010
DANNELL ELLERBE MAKES A SPLASH FOR RAVENS
As we talked about back in August, former Georgia linebacker was impressing the Ravens staff and linebacker corp, especially since they signed him as a an undrafted free agent (he ended up being the only rookie free agent the Ravens signed).
On Sunday in his third start against the Raiders, Ellerbe got his first career interception just before halftime, and it resulted in a TD by Willis McGahee.
Ellerbe then recovered a fumble in Ravens territory.
Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh said Ellerbe's performance was amazing and the difference in the game.
In a lockeroom interview for Sportscenter on ESPN, Ray Lewis also gave high praise to Ellerbe for his efforts.
This is fantastic for Ellerbe. It's always great to see a Dawg succeed, but it is especially sweet since Ellerbe was overlooked in the draft. Despite his history injuries, I was definitely surprised that he didn't at least get taken in one of the late rounds.
Good luck to Ellerbe and I hope his hard work continues to raise his status in the NFL.
DAMN GOOD DAWG.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Top 10 Reasons to be Execited for 2010
Continuing to look ahead, here are ten reasons why the Bulldog Nation should be looking forward to the fall of 2010.
10. Bacarri Rambo starting at safety
As I have stated on many occasions, I did not enjoy having Bryan Evans as a starting safety for the Georgia defense. His complete lack of coverage and tackling skills made him a near waste of space on the field. When Rambo took the field in 2009, the defense seemed to improve. Can't wait for #18 to be in there a lot more next season.
9. Strength of Schedule = Weak
For the last few years, we have been set forth with gauntlet like schedules while Florida and other schools have danced through cakewalk games. Next year, Georgia finally has a schedule that should allow for the development of young players early in the season and allow us to enter big games like Florida not exhausted and beat up. Our out of conference schedule includes Louisiana-Lafayette, Colorado, Idaho State, and Georgia Tech with Arkansas and Mississippi as our west opponents. This is a lot easier than last year when we had Oklahoma State, Arizona State, and LSU included in the schedule.
8. A Healthy Offensive Line
Once again, this season began with a constant shuffle on the o-line after Trinton Sturdivant got hurt. Late in the season, the line really gelled with Boling, Glenn, Jones, and the Davis boys. Aaron Murray (or whoever is QB) should hopefully have more time to make his reads this fall.
7. The Best Kicking Duo in America
Drew Butler won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter and Blair Walsh was a finalist for the Groza. It doesn't get much better than that.
6. A New Man Under Center
Let's face it, Joe Cox did not perform like a fifth year senior this year. While he was fantastic at times, a fifth year senior quarterback should not throw 15 picks, particularly some of the ones he threw that directly led to scores for the other team (see the Kentucky game). Whether it is Murray, Mettenberger, Gray, or Mason, we will have a new leader at QB who we can get behind for the next few years. With a solid line, two great running backs, and a ton of receiving weapons, there should not be too much pressure placed on the new starter.
5. A New Philosophy on Kick Offs
With Fabris gone, hopefully we will abandon the directional kicking and let Walsh kick it deep. Despite still using directional kicks, Walsh lead the SEC in touchbacks this season. I expect him to do it again in 2010.
4. AJ Green's Final Season
While he will only be a junior, we all know next fall will be AJ Green's last in Athens. The kid has way too much talent to pass up the first chance he gets at the NFL. Despite missing 3 games this fall, he seemed to single handily carry Georgia to victories this year. He is the most talented wideout Georgia has ever had and I plan to enjoy every minute he is on the field next fall.
3. The Dynamic Duo: King and Ealey
Caleb King and Washaun Ealey proved down the stretch why they were both highly recruited players out of high school. Georgia's offense average over 200 yards a game running in the second half of the season and I expect the success to continue next year. Remember how great a duo Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno were in 2007? I think these guys can be even better.
2. Weapons on Offense
In addition to King and Ealey, Georgia will have an insane amount of offensive firepower at their disposal next fall. They have two of the best offensive tight ends in the SEC in Aron White and Orson Charles and a receiving corp that includes AJ Green, Tavarres King, Rontavious Wooten, Marlon Brown, a returning Kris Durham, and incoming freshman Da'Rick Rogers. Add in the fastest man on the team, Branden Smith, and the possibilities are endless. Georgia returns a total of 10 of 11 starters on offense.
1. The Return of the Defense
We all have wanted it and now Willie Martinez is finally gone. While Coach Richt is still searching for the right man for the job, we can be clear that the Georgia defense will have a new look in 2010. Soft zones and four man rushes are hopefully a thing of the past. I want the return of the junkyard dawg defense.
So that is my list. Let me know what makes you excited for the 2010 season.
10. Bacarri Rambo starting at safety
As I have stated on many occasions, I did not enjoy having Bryan Evans as a starting safety for the Georgia defense. His complete lack of coverage and tackling skills made him a near waste of space on the field. When Rambo took the field in 2009, the defense seemed to improve. Can't wait for #18 to be in there a lot more next season.
9. Strength of Schedule = Weak
For the last few years, we have been set forth with gauntlet like schedules while Florida and other schools have danced through cakewalk games. Next year, Georgia finally has a schedule that should allow for the development of young players early in the season and allow us to enter big games like Florida not exhausted and beat up. Our out of conference schedule includes Louisiana-Lafayette, Colorado, Idaho State, and Georgia Tech with Arkansas and Mississippi as our west opponents. This is a lot easier than last year when we had Oklahoma State, Arizona State, and LSU included in the schedule.
8. A Healthy Offensive Line
Once again, this season began with a constant shuffle on the o-line after Trinton Sturdivant got hurt. Late in the season, the line really gelled with Boling, Glenn, Jones, and the Davis boys. Aaron Murray (or whoever is QB) should hopefully have more time to make his reads this fall.
7. The Best Kicking Duo in America
Drew Butler won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter and Blair Walsh was a finalist for the Groza. It doesn't get much better than that.
6. A New Man Under Center
Let's face it, Joe Cox did not perform like a fifth year senior this year. While he was fantastic at times, a fifth year senior quarterback should not throw 15 picks, particularly some of the ones he threw that directly led to scores for the other team (see the Kentucky game). Whether it is Murray, Mettenberger, Gray, or Mason, we will have a new leader at QB who we can get behind for the next few years. With a solid line, two great running backs, and a ton of receiving weapons, there should not be too much pressure placed on the new starter.
5. A New Philosophy on Kick Offs
With Fabris gone, hopefully we will abandon the directional kicking and let Walsh kick it deep. Despite still using directional kicks, Walsh lead the SEC in touchbacks this season. I expect him to do it again in 2010.
4. AJ Green's Final Season
While he will only be a junior, we all know next fall will be AJ Green's last in Athens. The kid has way too much talent to pass up the first chance he gets at the NFL. Despite missing 3 games this fall, he seemed to single handily carry Georgia to victories this year. He is the most talented wideout Georgia has ever had and I plan to enjoy every minute he is on the field next fall.
3. The Dynamic Duo: King and Ealey
Caleb King and Washaun Ealey proved down the stretch why they were both highly recruited players out of high school. Georgia's offense average over 200 yards a game running in the second half of the season and I expect the success to continue next year. Remember how great a duo Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno were in 2007? I think these guys can be even better.
2. Weapons on Offense
In addition to King and Ealey, Georgia will have an insane amount of offensive firepower at their disposal next fall. They have two of the best offensive tight ends in the SEC in Aron White and Orson Charles and a receiving corp that includes AJ Green, Tavarres King, Rontavious Wooten, Marlon Brown, a returning Kris Durham, and incoming freshman Da'Rick Rogers. Add in the fastest man on the team, Branden Smith, and the possibilities are endless. Georgia returns a total of 10 of 11 starters on offense.
1. The Return of the Defense
We all have wanted it and now Willie Martinez is finally gone. While Coach Richt is still searching for the right man for the job, we can be clear that the Georgia defense will have a new look in 2010. Soft zones and four man rushes are hopefully a thing of the past. I want the return of the junkyard dawg defense.
So that is my list. Let me know what makes you excited for the 2010 season.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
NO BCS BOWL TODAY, REALLY?
I'm one of the most pro-bowl college football fans you will meet, but the scheduling this year has just become absolutely ridiculous.
It's January 2nd, and there are 4 bowls today that belong in December and one (the Cotton Bowl), that belongs on New Year's Day.
If they're going to continue to use some of these bowls as filler, I can accept it.
However, it is ridiculous that there isn't even a BCS bowl for me to watch tonight. Yet, I'm stuck with the 2nd pizza bowl this bowl season, and the Canada Bowl.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
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!!!
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!!!
Monday, December 28, 2009
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
Georgia 45, Texas A&M 35
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