Getting the heck outta Dodge

To say things are bad in the Bulldog Nation right now is an understatement. Some are mad, others are sad, and no one really seems to know what comes next. What better of a time to get about as far away from the South as we can get!

The Bubba 'N Earl crew is heading west tomorrow morning. We'll be taking in the Rockies-Dodgers game at Coors field tomorrow afternoon, planning to go to the Alumni meet up at Mellow Mushroom on Thursday, and will be at the big tailgate on Saturday. While the team may be struggling, I fully expect the same level of excitement that the Bulldog nation showed in Tempe a few years ago.

The Dawgs will get back on track in Boulder on Saturday...I hope.



GO DAWGS!!!

Letting go and getting back to enjoying football

Think back, just five weeks ago. After a long, hot summer, the countdown to the college football season was finally coming to an end. Georgia was facing an easier schedule than the 2009 slate with an experienced offensive line and one of the best offensive players in the country. There was optimism about turning things around with our new defense and a fun trip to Colorado in October.

Wow. Things sure have changed.

As we prepare to enter October, the view has totally changed. The offensive line has struggled, AJ Green has yet to play a down, and Georgia sits at 1-3, currently the worst team in the SEC. But with 8 games remaining in the season, it is time to let go of the bright dreams this team had heading into the season. Beginning this week in Colorado, we need to get back to enjoying Georgia football. Or else, things will only get worse.

Maybe we need to take a page out of the Chicago Cubs fans book. This team may be down, but that doesn't mean we give up on them. The team needs the support of the fans, not just to get through the remainder of this schedule, but to put on a good face for the recruits who join the team in the future. Things are bad, but they certainly have not hit what I would consider rock bottom. Look at Michigan, where after two straight losing seasons under Rich Rodriguez, they finally have the players to run his system. They sit at 4-0 and have a Heisman candidate at quarterback. Georgia definitely still has a talented roster. We have a great young quarterback who will be around for the next three years. We need to build up this team, not continue to tear it down.

After nearing the edge on Saturday night, I think I have taken a step back towards sanity. For now, I'm going to enjoy the rest of the season and see how things shake out.

Hope to see ya'll dressed in red in Boulder on Saturday.

GO DAWGS!!!

Victories of the Moral Variety

Most of us Dawg fans are beginning to grasp at something, anything to restore meaning to the rest of the 2010 football season. I'm a little down after these first couple of games, but remember, all of us have been looking forward to football for 9 months. Let's try to embrace it and our Bulldogs as much as we can.

Or is it?

It's hard to say that we're playing for pride when we came out flat and lost to an inferior (talent-wise) Mississippi State football club, especially when our Dawgs appear to have all but forgotten how to "Finish The Drill".

In an attempt to somehow overlook our 0-3 SEC start and our 1-3 record, here are 4 moral victories so far to takeaway for the season; while they obviously don't show up in the polls, maybe you can take a little bit of solace in them for our near future.

1) Aaron Murray - The preseason buzz was whether this newcomer to the returning 10 offensive starters would somehow slow down our attack; so far, Aaron is more than carrying his fair share of the offense. Aaron currently ranks 4th in the SEC in passing yards/game as well as in total offense; his passing efficiency is a solid 6th in the SEC, especially accounting for him being the only underclassmen on the list.

The excess play-action calls notwithstanding, Aaron could develop into an even deadlier quarterback over the rest of the season if the playbook is thrown open and more shotgun snaps are taken, giving Aaron a longer time to assess the coverage and routes. Then there's also that All-American wide receiver coming back from suspension...


2) Kris Durham/Blair Walsh - I think we could all agree that there have been several small positive surprises from our roster this year, among them Durham and Walsh.

Kris Durham is one of several remaining 2006 signees left on our roster; after battling through a shoulder injury and a resulting redshirt season last year, Kris currently ranks 3rd in the SEC in reception yards/game and 8th in receptions/game. All this while Durham is known as the go-to receiver for Georgia during AJ's suspension, with opponents focusing on him more; Durham has 17 out of the team's to-date 66 receptions for the season, having almost twice as the 2nd leading receiver on the team (Tavarres, with 9). With AJ returning, Durham and our passing attack could flourish further, with Kris fighting less double teams from our opponents' secondary.

Blair, a 2009 Lou Groza award finalist, has proven to be the only true consistency so far this year. Blair currently ranks 8th in overall scoring in the SEC with 31 points, and is a perfect 7-7 on FGs this year, with a long of 52 yards. While we have given up some bad kickoff returns so far this season, the statistics prove otherwise, with UGA ranking 12th in the nation in fewest yards per return given up (@17.47 yards/return), helped in part by 25% of our kickoffs (5/20) being downed for touchbacks. I hope that we can convert more of these FGs into touchdowns in the near-future, but it's always good to have almost guaranteed points at the end of a scoring drive.


3) Potential NFL lockout?- Beyond the above two, it becomes tough without listing obvious future moral victories (AJ returning!) or minuscule ones from this season. This is part 1 of my forward look to possible impacts on next year.

Out of the 29 listed juniors and 17 redshirt sophomores on our roster, the big names to circle for the spring's draft would be AJ, Justin Houston, and Ben Jones, with possibly Cornelius Washington and Brandon Boykin also in the mix. There always might be another surprise name popping up at some point due to the swirling uncertainty with the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.

As long as there's no CBA, any players who are taken in the 2011 Draft cannot sign with their drafting teams (especially since one of the major points in any CBA agreement will be instituting a rookie wage scale).

So, if you are a stud draft pick with remaining eligibility, do you:

1) Leave college for the draft in the hopes that the CBA might get signed, leaving your career at risk should some sort of fluke accident happen? Also, if there's no NFL season in 2011 (which is a real possibility, since the owners are reportedly collecting partial TV revenue for the season, whether it gets played or not; this of course is a lawsuit in the making), you would have to shake off some rust to fight 2011 and 2012 picks for a roster spot.

2) Stay in school, play football, get the regular NCAA injury insurance and maintain their draft stock for 2012. Or,

3) Avoid the 2011 draft, keep an eye on the CBA negotiations, and if an agreement is reached, screw up your eligibility to make yourself available for the summer NFL supplemental draft.

This option, which Paul Oliver took in 2007 after he was declared academically ineligible, is only realistic for the more elite, AJ/Justin Houston type prospects, especially since teams would be surrendering future draft picks. And this of course assumes that the players wanting to go in the supplemental draft could figure out a way to kill their fall eligibility (really tough not throwing in a joke here...).

While it would be a small miracle if AJ did return for a senior year, the possibility is definitely out there with the NFL CBA uncertainty.


4) New scheduling approach - While Damon Evans did wonders for the men's basketball program with the hiring of Mark Fox, his football scheduling approach was somewhat questioned, especially last year when we opened on the road against Oklahoma State during the inauguration/setup game of the newly refurbished Boone Pickens Stadium.

While I agree with BulldawgJosh that McGarity's proposed approach is a bit of a buzzkill and will hurt UGA's coast-to-coast public exposure, there is something to be said for Florida's results (3 MNCs) in the 18 years that they have not held an OOC game outside the state of Florida.

The alumni buzz for next weekend's Colorado has been more than palpable (I can only imagine a sold-out, 3,000 ticket UGA tailgate in Boulder with a waiting list), and I'm sure the buzz will be even more overwhelming for the 2013 Clemson game and especially the 2015 Oregon game in Eugene.

Although there is definitely merit in Nick Saban's approach to scheduling marquee games in recruiting hotbeds, I think that approach is more appropriate for outsiders-looking-in (ala Boise State, and the early years of Bowden/Florida State) and for state schools with recruiting areas less rich than Georgia.

For the OOC games UGA does pursue in the future, hopefully it will target recruiting-rich areas for games, approaching schools in California and Texas, as well as large media markets that will further expose UGA nationally (ie Rutgers).


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It's tough trying to put lipstick on a pig. But I do think there are some things to continue to look forward to this year, especially the treat of seeing Murray blossom as a QB and the continued evolution of Todd Grantham's defense, which actually ranks 5th in the SEC in total defense.

For the rest of the season, I want to see the Dawgs playing with more fire and passion, living up to those words on the back of their off-season workout shirts. I want to see Grantham's energy on the sideline, which I suspect has been bottled up by some of the higher-ups. And as a suggestion to Mike Bobo, I think he needs to move back up to the box for play-calling, since he's definitely not seeing what everyone else is.

Thoughts on the Pathetic Effort against Mississippi State

I have always tried to be an optimist. But there are absolutely no excuses for the play that we saw today. Georgia only had the ball 7 times (well technically 8, but the last drive meant nothing, including the touchdown pass). We were in the red zone 3 times and got only 6 points. We couldn't stop Mississippi State from simply running it straight up the middle with the QUARTERBACK!

And now, I am officially ready to join the fire Mike Bobo bandwagon. Mississippi State sent a blitz nearly every single play, yet Bob continued to call runs straight up the middle. Every pass play seems to have exactly two options: either their is only one person going out or the pass is towards the sideline. We threw no passes (with the exception of the one to Ealey that he fumbled) to the middle of the field. Considering the amount of blitzing they were doing up the gut, there should have been open receivers near the middle.

We are paying Todd Grantham $750,000 to do what? The 3-4 was supposed to be a blitzing offense that created turnovers. All I see is wide open receivers over the middle every time some one runs a pass play.

The effort was piss poor and there seems to be no excitement. The penalties returned and killed us. I am not sure what is going on it that locker room, but someone needs to take some responsibility.

I have not been on the crazy fringe up until now, but I feel myself getting a lot closer to edge right now.

We all better enjoy Colorado, because right now I don't see us playing in a bowl game.

80's Music Video of the Week - New Edition

If I had a Top 10 80's music video list, this would definitely be a part of it. Hell, maybe even Top 5!

It's got love on the court, love on the lake (where's there a lake in NYC?), and drama on the stoop.

I love dated things that make videos awesome, like acid washed jeans. Here, it is jheri curls and Ralph Tresvant's shag (or sometimes referred to as a jheri/black mullet, but I think it's more similar to rat tails that were popular in the 80's).

Here's New Edition's 1984 hit, "Cool It Now."

Check out hard ass 15 year old Bobby Brown keepin' it real with his giant forehead and gold chains.

Why You Should Be Concerned About McGarity's Scheduling Philosophy

Procrastination will certainly be my downfall. I've had the intention of making this post since McGarity's hire and since T Kyle King's argument for playing Clemson more often under the new regime at Butts-Mehre.

Now that McGarity is saying he wants to schedule 7 homes games per season, you should be concerned if you enjoy watching Georgia travel out of the southeast, and even if you like seeing them leave the state.

While this likely doesn't come as a shock to most given that McGarity is considered a protege of Vince Dooley and Florida AD Jeremy Foley (neither known for their strength of scheduling), you might not be aware of the extent to which Florida has avoided rigorous out of conference games.

Many have criticized Florida and Foley for their weak scheduling philosophy. In fact, McGarity's intent on scheduling is identical to Foley's known scheduling standards.

However, there's some facts that everyone should be aware of regarding Foley's tenure as AD that might cause concern, even if you want to see some lighter scheduling:

- Florida has not played an out of conference game outside of the State of Florida during Foley's 18 years (their last out of conference game outside of the sunshine state was against Syracuse 1991, when Foley was second in command).

- Only ONCE has Florida played an out of conference game away from Gainesville under Foley (this was 2003 at Miami and this of course excludes FSU since they are a permanent fixture on the schedule).

We're not talking a 4, 5, or 6 year period. We're talking almost two decades of Florida avoiding leaving their home field, let alone the flat peninsula they call home.

Most of the opponents Florida has brought to Gainesville range from Southern Miss to the Citadel to the always challenging, Charleston Southern. If you look back, they aren't brining quality opponents, they are feasting on trays of cupcakes. One could argue that Florida's 2010 schedule of Miami (OH), South Florida, FSU, and Appalachian State is their most difficult slew of out of conference games in two decades.

Florida also refuses to commit to scheduling anymore games with Miami since Miami insists on a home & home deal, and the gators aren't even interested in traveling to Tampa to play USF. Florida has also turned down an opportunity to play Utah, because at most they wanted a neutral site game in the State of Florida (once again, a home and home series is a non-starter).

As a fan that loves road game almost more than home games, I find this absolutely troubling. The trend goes beyond just scheduling some directional southern schools more often; it's leading towards us never leaving Sanford unless we are playing at Georgia Tech.

I'm not excited about another noon kickoff cupcake game with empty seats at Sanford. I can understand Richt not wanting constant cross country travels and even I'll agree that the 2009 schedule was excessive. However, if McGarity is importing the Florida model, we won't be venturing across state lines after our current commitments are fulfilled (or it will be minimal at best).

McGarity could be lighter on scheduling standards than his former boss and be willing take a 6 game home schedule every once in a while. Possible, but given how McGarity was heavily involved in Florida's scheduling (as was discussed during the interview process for Georgia's AD position), I'm not so sure we'll be seeing any exciting matchups being scheduled.

3rd Annual BNE Pick 'Em: Week 3

Don't forget to get your picks in this afternoon! Go Dawgs - WAR EAGLE!

BNE Pick 'Em Top 5

1. Fresh Catch Shuffle: 283 points & 19-5
2. woof woo: 278 points & 20-4
3. OneHairyDawg: 277 points & 20-4
4. Dawgfan17: 273 points & 20-4
5. dawg1976: 272 points & 20-4

Overall Leaders

1. woof woof: 844 points & 57-16
2. G.D.: 828 points & 55-16
3. srm2006: 823 points & 56-17
4. Dawgfan17: 821 & 61-12
5. Dutch: 821 & 55-18

And now for our Bottom Feeder of the Week, sponsored by Blue from American Express. I'm sad to say, but my former co-worker and mentor, calgee, is our new BFotW with a dismal 178 points and 16-8 record. Picking UGA over Arkysaw, ok, I can see that. Tubs over Brown, sure, it was plausible. And no one would have thought Arizona over Iowa. But Duke over Bama? With 7 confidence points?! I think you need to apply for a line of credit with our sponsor, Blue from American Express, to help cover the checks your dumbass picks are making but teams aren't cashing. Blue helps you earn points on purchases you make, much like you earn points for the CORRECT picks you make. Maybe swipe our little Blue friend to buy a few Athlon Sports magazines to help you research your picks for this week. While you're at it, maybe use Blue to buy a ticket to the blue turf capital in Boise for the Oregon State vs. Boise State game. And if you're feeling blue again on Monday, go visit our other friends at http://www.smurfhappens.com/ to catch a sneak peek at the all new, true-blue Smurf movie coming to a theater near you in 2011. I'm blue-daba-dee-dabba-da-dabba dee-da-ba-dee...

Oh lord the terrible Euro-trash that will be heard in Boise.

South Carolina Learns to Count, Places UGA at #6

Every year, someone ranks college football stadiums in terms of the size, the loudness, the atmosphere, or the impact on the game. Newspapers and blogs love to rank The Swamp and Tiger Stadium at the top for the volume, and Vaught-Hemingway and The Rose Bowl for the atmosphere, and the Horseshoe and Big House for sheer size.

In preparation for the SUC vs. Auburn game this weekend, Ron Morris, from http://www.thestate.com/, has compiled his top 12 most intimidating SEC stadiums based on his experience and opinion from attending games at each stadium. While he freely admits his ranking are subjective, I'm not sure I agree with his placement of Sanford Stadium at number 6 on the list, but I do think that UGA has slipped in its intensity for home games.

#1 stadium in the SEC for intimidation

From the post (click here) Mr. Morris writes of Sanford Stadium, "Georgia football has become too much of a social event in Athens. The world’s loudest and most obnoxious video board system also works against Georgia. It is a sure sign that Georgia has resorted to having to create noise instead of getting spontaneous crowd reaction."

So Dawg fans, what do you think? Has the expectation of winning reduced the intensity of the crowds? Have the short comings this year turned passion and volume from the fans on 4th and 1 situations into anger and dejected silence? Do people care too much about tailgating and not enough about their impact on the game-time atmosphere? Has UGA gone from being known for having the most obnoxious fans to the most obnoxious scoreboard?

Has Sanford lost its mojo?

A Must Win in Stark Vegas

Honestly, I hate the term must win. It is overused, especially in the world of college football because there is no playoff system. In other words, every game is a must win if you want to win a championship.

At this point in the 2010 season, we know that the Georgia Bulldogs will not be winning any type of championship this fall. With an 0-2 SEC record, Georgia would need to win all of its remaining conference games and hope that Florida loses at least one other conference game and South Carolina loses three conference games just to get a chance to play for the SEC Championship. It's not going to happen. But, what could happen is Georgia salvaging an ugly start with a series of big victories. This all begins Saturday in Starkville, where the hope of a respectible season for the Dawgs hangs in the balance.

Georgia should win this game, no doubt. The talent level of the Bizarro Bulldogs is nowhere near that found in Athens. State dropped a close game to Auburn two weeks ago but it was more about Auburn's inability to put points on the board as opposed to State playing well. Their quarterback play is unstable and with Anthony Dixon gone to the pros, they lack a true superstar in the backfield.

Bizarro Superman is an official supporter of the Bizarro Bulldogs.

While the losses the last two weeks have been bad, Georgia managed to hang close in both games against two opponents who are now ranked in the top 15 in the country. If the team can carry any momentum from the fourth quarter against Arkansas, this game could be over quickly.

Bring on the Cowbells! The resurrection of our season begins on Saturday.

It's time to retire "Finish the Drill"

"Finish the Drill."

Coach Richt's personal mantra. It arrived in Athens with Coach Richt in 2001 and became a battle cry for the Georgia Bulldogs during their march to the SEC Championship in 2002. But now, almost ten years later, coaches still like the mention the phrase. I am just not quite sure if it has the same affect anymore.

Today, the reality is that Georgia is a talented but struggling football team who has continued to find it difficult to overcome challenges. In 2007, the Dawgs found their own "swagger", symbolized perfectly during the Blackout victory over Auburn. That team started the season with two early SEC losses, but reeled off victory after victory to close the season. If this Georgia team is going to recover, they need to find their own identity to rally around.

So, Dawg fans, any ideas for a new slogan?