The Countdown 2011: 22 Days to Go

10 Things I Already Hate About This Season

The season is still 3 weeks away, but I am noticing some trends that are just annoying. Here are my top ten things I already hate about the 2011 season.

1. People (especially when it is Georgia fans) calling Richard Samuel the incorrect name of Richard Samuels. Come on people! This is your team, how hard is it to actually know their correct names.

2. The Longhorn Network. If Texas becomes independent in the next few years, they may very well become as annoying as Notre Dame.

3. Coverage of USC football like they are still a powerhouse. They are still ineligible for bowls and the new Pac-12 Championship game, they have a bad head coach who does not have any history of winning, suffered through major attrition, yet still, ESPN treats them like a top 10 team. Give some press to schools who have gotten better in recent years like Oklahoma State or a team that actually has a chance to win the Pac 12 like Arizona State. I'm not saying they won't be a great team again someday, but right now, they are paying for being cheaters.

4. Recruiters, recruiting services, and recruiting violations. Is it really necessary to put Georgia on the front page of ESPN.com for self reporting a violation when coach McClendon accidentally called a player who shared the last name with a friend? We all know recruiting is a shady business, it has been for years. But it is a lot cleaner now than it used to be. I especially hate the holier than though fans from other conference who like to rag on the SEC. Give it a rest.

5. Is Coach Richt on the hot set??? If you are a coach a program that is used to winning between 9 and 11 games every year and suddenly you have 3 consecutive years where you fail to reach that goal, then most likely you are going to get fired. It is the same in the business world. The question doesn't need to be asked anymore.

6. Aaron Murray's stats were inflated by having AJ Green to throw to. Yes, Green was an amazing receiver who helped Murray out, but AJ missed four games. Aaron Murray had one of the best statistical season by a Georgia quarterback ever, not just for a freshman. One player does not make that much of a difference. Matt Stafford had Massaquoi, Green, and Knowshon in the backfield, and barely had better numbers than Murray last year.

7. Poor Ohio State. Seriously, they brought it all on themselves. I certainly hope the NCAA drops the hammer on them like they did on USC.

8. Florida State suddenly being cocky again. One 10-4 season and a bowl win over an SEC school sure has made FSU fans think the 90's are back. They have to get past Oklahoma first. And then win an ACC Championship (shouldn't be too hard to do).

9. Auburn and the trees...well, really anything related to Alabama and Auburn fans being idiots. Driving to my wife's family reunion, I listened to the Paul Finebaum show for the first time in my life. Good God, the people who call into that show are idiots. This year, I feel like it will be a competition over who has the better sob story: Auburn and the Trees or Alabama and the tornado. Clearly, Alabama has suffered the far greater tragedy. But don't tell that to the Barners.

10. The college football playoff debate. It will never end until there is a playoff. You can argue forever, but the BCS is in place and it will determine the National Champion. Suck it up and quit complaining.

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!

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!!!

The Countdown 2011: 44 Days to Go

TEN THINGS I AM THINKING RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE 2011 SEASON

1. I would much rather see Richard Samuel carrying the ball up the middle in the season opener than Carlton Thomas. While it is never good to have suspensions and I still think Samuel would be better as a linebacker, this just feels better.

2. So we are going to wear Pro Combat jerseys. They better not be solid black and please God, no red face masks.

3. As the season gets closer, I can't help but feeling the South Carolina game is going to be much tougher than the Boise State game.

4. If the Dawgs can't beat a Tennessee team that only has 24 upper classmen on it in Knoxville, then something is seriously wrong.

5. I think Knile Davis will up being the best running back in the SEC this year. Lattimore, Richardson, and Dyer will be good too, but too many weapons at receiver for Arkansas will lead to a lot of long carries for Davis.

6. Brandon Boykin is going to turn some heads in the SEC this fall. Most people (outside of Georgia) only know him for his kick return ability. That will change.

7. The offensive line is thin, but not bad. In 2007, we had two returning starters and freshmen on the line. We all saw how that turned out. This year, we have three returning starters plus another senior. If the line can stay healthy, they may surprise a lot of people this fall.

8. Jarvis Jones' eligibility may play a key role in the Boise State game. I fully expect him to be one of the best linebackers in the SEC by the end of this season, but if he has to miss time early on, the linebacking corp will be left pretty thin on experience.

9. As bad as last season was, I am glad to see Georgia fans are still supporting the team. Despite there not being a true cutoff score for tickets, we still managed to sell out all of the tickets (for now). Tennessee is having to cross promote with NASCAR to try and sell tickets for its home opener. Just sad. A turn around season for the Dawgs will keep this thought out of mind.

10. This looks like it will be awesome. Set your DVRs.


GO DAWGS!!!

The Countdown 2011: 53 Days to Go

Custom NCAA Football 12 Covers

Today is the release of NCAA Football 12. I have not picked up the game yet (I am at work) but I found a couple of custom covers.

AARON MURRAY

AJ GREEN

The Countdown 2011: 54 Days to Go - Parking Passes on Sale Today

I back today with a quick reminder that 2011 season parking passes go on sale at 9:00 AM this morning. Parking passes can be bought at http://gameday.uga.edu/.

I am going to try and pick back up the countdown next week with my thoughts on the Caleb King situation.

This Year's Cutoff Score Doesn't Exist

There doesn't appear to be one. According the the athletic association, everyone who donated the minimum 250 per seat got season tickets this year. That is a radical change from 3 years ago when the cutoff was more than $10,000.

Check out the story on the official website:

http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062811aaa.html

I'm Behind

So, work has been crazy and I have been too busy to get caught up. The countdown is now a week behind, but I will try to get back next week.

sorry.

The Countdown 2011: 78 Days to Go

Reasons to Love Athens: Feta and Fries at the Grill

(Note: This is the first in a series of posts on this year's countdown about the home of our Georgia Bulldogs, Athens)

One of the reason Athens is known as a great college town is the abundance of great restaurants. From fine cuisine to a late night snack, the Classic City has a little something for everyone. For those of us that spent many a night at the bars downtown, the last choice of the night was often to pick between one of two places: Little Italy or the Grill. And while I loved getting a few slices of pizza, nothing beats the french fries with feta at The Grill.

The Grill has been open on College Avenue for over 20 years and is the perfect late night destination for the hungry college student. When you end up hungry after a night downtown this fall, head on over to The Grill and order the fries. You won't be disappointed!

The Countdown 2011: 79 Days to Go

Caleb King: One Last Chance

When Caleb King chose to come to Georgia, most fans in the Bulldog Nation rejoiced. The best running back from the state of Georgia (who was considered one of the best in the nation until a leg injury his senior year) was staying home. The expectations were high when Caleb arrived on campus in 2007. With the emergence of Knowshon Moreno that fall, King stayed on the bench and would not make his debut until the 2008 opener against Georgia Southern. King ran well that ( totaling just under 100 yards on the ground) and Georgia fans remained optimistic.

Now, almost 3 years later, many Georgia fans see King's career as a failure. From a series of injuries to academic and off field issues, King has never lived up to the hype. But there have been highlights to King's career. The 75 yard touchdown against Georgia Tech in 2009 may be the one most remember, but my favorite was a play which King never touched the ball. Against Auburn in 2009, King blocked an Auburn defender into the air as Joe Cox hooked up with Israel Troupe on a long touchdown.

Blocking is the one area where most people are satisfied with King. He has been the best blocking back for the last few seasons. Georgia's offense requires its running backs to block and with Crowell just arriving on campus, the Dawgs will need a solid blocker. My hope is that Caleb takes this final year to win back the Georgia fans. If he finally lives up to expectations, he will not only make himself a better draft prospect but he will help relieve some of the pressure off Isaiah Crowell.