Saturday, January 30, 2010

Friday, January 29, 2010

Herschel Walker Knocked Out

...almost every would be tackler that stood in his way when he was playing for the Bulldogs. Now, unless you have been under a rock, we are all ready to see if he can do the same in his first MMA fight tomorrow night.

We've all heard a thousand tales of things that Herschel could do that are almost in-human. 5,000 push ups every day, 5,000 sit-ups, 4% body fat while still weighing 230+. There is no doubt the guy is a FREAK. Now, at 47, can he hang with a trained MMA fighter half his age?

Here is one of the better articles I have read over the past few days about the fight. I, for one, will be in Athens tomorrow night to watch the greatest Dawg legend ever do his thing. What bar should I settle on to watch the beat down (either way it goes)?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Gym Dawgs Are Hawt!


My buddy at work brought me a stack of UGA team posters last week, and the one with the Gym Dawgs stood out above the rest. There are definitely some hotties on this year's team. While each of them are beautiful in their own way, I thought I would give tribute to the 4 that stood out to me most.

Kati Breazeal - Allen, Texas



Kathryn Ding - Sparks, Nev.



Courtney McCool - Lees Summit, Mo.


Gina Nuccio - Naperville, Ill.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

UGA Founders' Day Tidbits

225 years ago the University of Georgia was founded on this date (January 27, 1785). This founding makes UGA the oldest public state-chartered school in America.

Other notable events from 1785:

-July, The dollar is unanimously chosen as the money unit for the United States (the first time a nation has adopted a decimal coinage system).

-"An Account of the Foxglove" by Shropshire physician William Withering, 44, introduces medical use of the cardiac drug digitalis. Obtained from dried leaves of the foxglove plant Digitalis purpurea, it is frequently toxic but is nevertheless the first effective treatment for heart disease.

-Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in a gas balloon, becoming the first to cross the English Channel by air.

-The Treaty of Hopewell is signed between the United States of America and the Cherokee Nation.

-Continental Congress convenes in New York City

-Click HERE for a great article from Online Athens about UGA Founders Day.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Tim Tebow To The Falcons

Yesterday I was driving home from work, listening to the Buck and Kincade Show, when Buck Belue said that the Falcons should be keeping an eye on Tebow at this week's senior bowl. I chuckled at his apparant joke, but then thought it might not be a bad idea to go for him if he is still available in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Give me a minute before you start screaming at me Falcon & Dawg fans. I agree as much as anyone that the dude will not make it as a prototypical NFL type quarterback. My thoughts are that he may be able to play a slot/tight end hybrid position; occasionaly lining up in shot gun to do what he does best.

You can't really argue the fact that the guy has something special, and he will probably succeed at most anything he does. I think we should go after him and see if he can take over for good old Tony Gonzalez in a year or two when he is ready to put up the cleats.

Do you think Tebow would look good in Red & Black?

Mount Cody To New Heights (UPDATED)



This poor guy needs a serious intervention. I guess that when you are as good as he is you sometimes forget what exercise and nutrition are all about. No one can deny that the kid is a freakish athlete, but if someone doesn't call Nutrisystem real fast, he is going to have some serious health issues.

Click HERE for the full story:

Here is a quote from Sportsillustrated.com today: "Sliders
Terrence Cody/DT/Alabama: Cody looked poorly conditioned on Monday, tipping the scales at a sloppy 370 pounds. During practice he quickly tired and struggled to keep pace with the rest of the linemen. He was pushed to the ground and handled by lesser opponents on a number of occasions."

Monday, January 25, 2010

Tuberville ready to move … to UGA?

Yeah, when I read that title, I probably had a similar reaction to you. First of all, why would UGA hire him, and second of all, where is Mark Richt going? Here is the full article if you are interested in reading Mark Bradley's most of the time irrational opinion: HERE

Georgia Bulldogs: One Month Later

Almost one month ago, the Georgia Bulldogs finished what most called a disappointing season by easily handling the Texas A&M Aggies 44-20. While that victory was a good finish, many are still left with disappointment after an 8-5 season.

I look at it as though we were a quarterback & defensive coordinator away from a possible 11-2 record this past season. The season opener at OSU was very winnable, the heartbreaking loss to LSU, and the debacle versus Kentucky, all could have very easily ended up as W's on our schedule. That being said, I am not as disappointed as many Dawg fans are. I had no real expectations this season, though I would have expected to beat both Kentucky and Tennessee.

One month after seasons end, I now see this upcoming season in a much different light as opposed to 2009. 2010 should see a Bulldog team that has improved as much from one season to the next as any we have seen in a long time. The unproven QB situation has me worried, but strangley less than last year. Most of us knew Joe Cox wasn't an SEC caliber QB; we just didn't know he would hurt us like he did at times. The guys we have in the chamber for this up coming season do have top notch SEC talent running through their blood.

One month later also finds the Dawgnation with kid-like excitement when it comes to Richt's new defensive coordinator hire. Let's put the "we got denied by the top candidates" talk away. Todd Grantham is going to surprise all UGA fans next season. I will put my blogging reputation (as if I even really have one) on the fact that next year's defense will be much more like a Junkyard defense is supposed to look. No one knows exactly what Grantham is going to implement within this program, but we do know he is brining an exciting new 3-4 that promises to be aggressive!

Sure there are more than just new QBs and a new defense to look forward to for next season, but those two things, combined with our abundance of existing talent, are going to bring the Dawgs back to the forefront of the SEC and the top 10 of all of college football!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sunday Just Ain't The Same

Today's NFL Conference Championship games are good and all, but college football Saturday is the greatest thing to watch of all time. OK, so that is like 3 month old news, but it still cracks me up every time I think of Kanye making a complete ass of himself. Us college football fans already knew he was an ass, but on that night, he confirmed it for the whole world.

I have been excited all week about today's games, and the possible Superbowl match-up of Favre/Manning, but something is still missing. I have confirmed with myself that I have an addiction to college football, and those amazing Saturday afternoons that I love so much.

Less than eight months are between me and my beloved Georgia Bulldogs officially beginning the Decade of the Dawg baby!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Da'Rick Rogers Jumps...


...as we have all seen thanks to the AJC article last month.

Now, if he "jumps" over to those ugly orange guys, I will be so sad that I don't get to see him doing this (pictured at left) during pre-game warm ups for UGA.

Reports say that Rogers is visiting UT

All Star Bulldogs From 2000 Squad

I have often wondered how the 2000 Dawgs weren't National Championship contenders that season. 11 defensive guys are or did start in the NFL. Heck, it would make a damn good NFL all-star team to have those eleven guys in their prime. I may have overlooked a few, but here are some facts I pulled up about these Dawgs:

DE Charles Grant – 1st round draft pick that has been a career sack machine for the Saints. Has started since day one.

DT Richard Seymour – Has been described as the best #6 draft pick of all time. Has started since day one for the powerful Patriots teams and now the Raiders. Has made multiple Pro Bowls!

DT Marcus Stroud – 13th overall pick in the draft that has also started since day one! Also has been elected to multiple Pro Bowls.

LB Boss Bailey - 2nd round pick by the Lions, made the all-rookie team in 2003.

LB Kendrell Bell - 2nd round pick of the Steelers that won Rookie of the Year award!

LB Will Witherspoon - 3rd round pick by the Panthers and has been a defensive starter and leader for 3 different teams in the NFL.

LB Tony Gilbert - 6th round draft pick by the Cardinals, and he currently plays for our own Atlanta Falcons!

CB Tim Wansley - 7th round pick that was a big part of the dominating Tampa defense that won the Superbowl.

SS Jermaine Phillips - 5th round pick for Tampa that took over for the legendary John Lynch.

S Terreal Bierria - Started several games for Seattle until legal troubles took over.

CB Jamie Henderson - 4th round pick by the Jets.

On a side note, there are at least 3-4 reserves from that team that made it to the NFL also. These guys just weren't NFL impact players like the ones above. Feel free to correct my mistakes or add to this post!


It's pretty hard to believe that 11 defensive players from the 2000 teams went on to become high draft picks in the NFL, win a ton of combined Pro Bowl selections, multiple superbowls, rookie of the year awards; and most of them are still starting in the NFL today. No wonder Donnan got canned!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Blast From The Past

I was doing some research on a blog I am writing about the Jim Donnan era. Hopefully, I will post the details early tomorrow, but until then, I just wanted to share a link with all of you that I found this morning. Nationalchamps.net gives a preview of the 2000 UGA team that ended up majorly underachieving. Take a look at that roster on defense! That will be the focus of tomorrow's blog here at UGABlog.com.

10 Reasons UGA IS A Top 10 Team

I have seen several 2010 pre-season rankings go out on the wire already this off season. I am not quite ready to bust out the Coleman's Top 25 just yet, but I will give the top 10 reasons I think UGA should be in the mix.

10. 3 of our 5 losses in 2009 could have gone either way, which would have led to an 11-2 season (on the flip side, we very well could have been 6-6)
9. The only starter that is not returning on offense is the one that needed to be replaced anyways.
8. It will be the 30 year anniversary of the 1980 National Championship, and I am turning 30...coincidence, I think not!
7. We finally freed Willie.
6. We've got a legitimate NFL DC who is ready to bring back the Junkyard Dawgs of old!
5. With the Ealey/King duo, 0ur running game should be top notch in 2010.
4. Maybe I said this already....Joe Cox is not the QB anymore!
3. The young guns that showed so much potential last year will have a year under their belt.
2. One of the MMMs are going to lead us to the promised land!

And the #1 reason that UGA should be in the TOP 10 next season...
1. It is the Decade of the Dawg baby!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Hardest Hits of 2009

Watch this awesome Youtube video of some of the hardest hits this season. Georgia's own, Reshad Jones, makes the list for his legal (wrongly called illegal) hit in the OSU game. Check out that hit at the 50 second mark of the video.

4 Dawgs Still Left Playing

Some quick research this morning led to the discovery that four former Georgia Bulldogs are still left playing in the NFL playoffs coming up this weekend. If you catch the conference championship games this Sunday, you should get to see some Dawgs on the field making a difference in the outcomes of each game.

Asher Allen (Vikings)- Allen as 27 tackles on the year with 1 int. and 1 forced fumble.
Jonathan Stinchcomb (Saints)- Stinchcomb has started 16 games this year and anchors a strong O-line.
Charles Grant (Saints)- Grant was recently placed on IR, but has 5.5 sacks on the year.
Tim Jennings (Colts)- Jennings has 57 tackles on the year with 2 picks.

My home team, the Atlanta Falcons, is sitting at home trying to regroup for next season, but I still love to watch football no matter who is playing. When former Bulldogs are on the field, it makes watching the NFL even that much more intriguing.

GO DAWGS!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Lane Kiffin You Dog...

Thank God he is a DOG, and not a DAWG! I have been hearing some major rumors since Friday night about things that are going to come out about Kiffin and his short tenure at UT. Now, Bleacher Report is even saying that TMZ is going to bust out a story with some major scandals that involve Kiffin The Weasel.

I'm not one to just put rumors on my blog to try and be funny. This story is all over the internet with more than just a few reliable sources. I'll save the details for those reporters that have more reliable sources than me, but go search around for yourself.

UPDATE: This story says Kiffin is innocent HERE...lol...the saga continues...

Todd Grantham's Style

Now that I am somewhat recovered from the long weekend, I am going to do a small piece on the style that we can expect to see from the new defense that Coach Grantham is going to bring to UGA. The most exciting part of this new style of defense is the fact that we are going to attack the teams we play, and not just sit back on our heals waiting for the offense to make mistakes.

Todd Grantham's philoposphy is to create mistakes. Over the past few years, UGAs defenses have lacked that attacking attitude that produces big plays and turnovers. Rather, Martinez seemed to have that "bend, but don't break" mentality that scared Dawg fans to death, and raised my blood pressure more than a few times! I was thrilled to find out that Grantham will be involved with the linebackers, since that is maybe the heart and soul of what makes his 3-4 work.

With the athletes we have at UGA, there is no reason our defense shouldn't be dominate against most teams. Ending the season at or near the bottom of the nation in turnover margin is unacceptable. I fully expect to see a defense next season that teams fear. Grantham will have opposing quarterbacks nervous about the multiple blitzing schemes that we will throw at them.

That Junkyard Dawg defense of decades past will be back in Athens this fall, and I for one am eager to see what Todd Grantham will bring to the field. Existing and new players should thrive in this scheme, and the Decade of the Dawg is going to start off on the right foot; with a dominating defense and a playmaking offense!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Richt Shoulda Coulda Woulda: Grantham

What a day for the Dawgnation! I truly think that we have just been blessed with an excellent defensive coordinator. I was luke warm on Todd Grantham when I first heard the name. Then, I began to do a LOT of research on the fellow, and started to fall in love with his resume, hardnosed style, aggressiveness, and 3-4 scheme he will bring to our talent filled defense next season.

DawgsBUI brings us a quote from Grantham that I love HERE.

When I coached high school football, I grew into a 3-4 hater as a defensive scheme. This was in large part to the fact that the talent level is a whole different level at most high schools. Now that I know a lot about 3-4 defenses, I am excited to see how we do in this system with all of the talent we are loaded with.

Stay tuned for a write up on 3-4 defenses. I love to talk X's and O's, and I actually know what I am talking about (some of you may be laughing) when it comes to that stuff!

Would You Rather...

...have Lane Kiffin or Steve Spurrier as your coach?
I am chastised by my close Dawgfan friends quite often when the name Spurrier comes up. I happen to like the guy (as a coach) because he is/was such an offensive genius. Sure, he can be a jackass, but the guy knows how to put up points. When he was in his prime at Florida, some of his schemes were virtually unstoppable. This is a no-brainer for me, I choose the Evil Visored Genius.

...beat Georgia Tech or Florida?
This question seems to be one that comes with varying answers, and it seems to be a generational thing. People around my age, 29, are almost 100% going to go with Florida when asked this. If you go back a generation or two, the hate towards those trade school nerds is much more deep rooted. This is most likely due to the fact that we have owned Tech over the past few decades and been owned by Florida during that same span. Either way, we all know that UGA is better!

...have Willie Martinez or Willie Wonka as your defensive coordinator?
Due to the fact that our defense played pretty well without a coordinator the last time out, I'm actually going to have to go with the Chocolate Factory Wiz Kid on this one.

...hang out with the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders or those TCU girls?
Man, this might be the toughest "Would you rather" of the day. Just because the images of this year's Fiesta Bowl are still fresh in my head, I am going to go with those beautiful Horned Frog Hunnies!

...win 10 games every year, or a National Championship every 30?
Another tough one, so I'll ride the fence on this issue. I mean, it's actually a mute point from here on since it is the Decade of the Dawg. Dawg fans are going to be able to have their cake and eat it too because both are going to be happening several times over the next decade!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

What Will This Guy Do?

If we don't hire a defensive coordinator very soon, I am afraid of what this guy might do...


I'm pretty sure I know what this guy would do if he were a Tennessee fan right now (WARNING, this video is crude, NSFW or kids under 18, and his language is aweful!)...

THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO VIOLATIONS OF MY BLOG
(Perform a Youtube search of 'Ricky's Rant' if you would like to view it)

Mark Richt Going To Tennessee...A Nightmare!

So much is going on in college football right now, and most notably the SEC coaching saga. I feel like they could make a reality show out of these ordeals, or better yet, maybe even a soap opera. I've had so much of this on my brain as of late, I woke up in the middle of the night this past evening because of the horrible nightmare I was having.

Many of you know that UGA's very own Herschel Walker will enter the ring this month to compete in his firts MMA fight. This story, combined with the Dawgs' 7 week search for a defensive coordinator and the Lane Kiffin-Weasel drama, all came together in my mind for one hell of a nightmare last night!

The dream, I mean NIGHTMARE, went a little something like this:

"I was having dinner with my fiance for her birthday when my phone started ringing over and over again with calls from my dad. He doesn't normally call more than once in a row, so I knew it must be important. When I finally answered, he sounded distrought about the breaking news that had just come on over ESPN; Mark Richt is leaving the University of Georgia to take over at Tennessee! I immediately lost my appetite for the delicious chicken parmesan that was sitting there. I tried to hold back the tears and keep from spoiling Sarah's birthday dinner, but I couldn't help it. We rushed home so that I could watch the press conference on ESPN. There stood Coach Richt giving his thanks to the Dawgnation, when all of a sudden Herschel Walker ran up onto the podium without his shirt on. He looked at the camera, flexed, and began to pummel Coach Richt with his newly learned MMA moves."

At this point, I awakened in a cold sweat! Then I realized, it was all a nightmare, and that we are not nearly as bad off in Bulldawg land as some may think! I can't wait to find out who my beloved coach will hire as the new defensive coordinator, but I am still glad Mark Richt is MY coach, as long as we will have him!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Kiffin The Weasel

Here's a good take on the Lane Kiffin situation. Peter Schrager from Fox Sports tells us all about "Kiffin the Weasel". There's even an excellent photo of him his last time in Tennessee gear. Man, even weasels are ugly in orange!



Weasel Kiffin, courtesy of Fox Sports

Kirby Smart To Tennessee?

I heard the news about Kiffin as I was celebrating my fiance's birthday last night at about 10pm. Ofcourse I was shocked like the rest of you, but I immediately began to wonder about the soap opera that is the SEC coaching ranks right now. I asked myself, who will take over at Tennessee?

My initial thoughts were that if I was the AD at Tennessee, I would probably have Bobby Petrino on my short list, but man would I have to think about that one before I offered another coach likely to jump ship. Then, Muschamp came to mind. Not surprisingly, when I googled 'Will Muschamp' early this AM, his name was at the top of everyone's list as to who the Vols are going after.

Finally, it came to me. Duh? I know who the next coach at Tennessee is going to be; none other than Georgia's own Kirby Smart. I'm not trying to be a smarty pants here, but it would throw some more salt onto the wound if Kirby boy landed the gig. OK, I know, I need to move on. That being said, I will try to be nice to Kirby from now on.

I finish with this thought: Man up Nick Saban, and get your boy the job! You don't won't him making any lateral moves, so pull some strings, do what you've got to do, and push for your loyal servant. I would be happy for Kirby, and it would make the situation we went through this weekend a little easier to swallow if Kirby took the reigns at a program like Tennessee.

What's next in the SEC? Is Jerry Glanville really going to be the next UGA defensive coordinator? :)

I love this quote from Behind The Colums blog: "Lane, you might as well be General Sherman burning Atlanta, because I guarantee you that every soul south of the Mason-Dixon line feels this way right now. I hope the NCAA screws you over out West.
"

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Puppet Master Spoke...

...and Kirby Smart listened. I'm going to be short and sweet today and just do a little hypothetical analysis of yesterday's events.

KIRBY: Coach Saban, I really appreciate everything you have done for me, but I am going back to coach at my alma mater.

SABAN: I don't allow lateral moves son. Stay here and get 10% credit for my defense. I'll give you more money, and we'll both look good.

KIRBY: But, Coach Saban, at UGA I can make a name for myself.

SABAN: Listen to me Kirby, if you go there and suck you're done.

KIRBY: But, I know I will be a good defensive coordinator coach Saban.

SABAN: Kirby, you are a defensive coordinator.

KIRBY: What, really? I thought that was just a title for me, I don't make any decisions about the Alabama defense.

SABAN: Yes you do Kirby! Remember that time I let you pick the color socks our team would wear against LSU so that you could motivate the defense?

KIRBY: I guess you're right Coach, I'll stay at Alabama.

SABAN: I know you will Kirby, and I will tell the country about it because I don't want them thinking you have any more control over Alabama and it's affairs. I'll let you know when it's time Kirby.

KIRBY: Thanks dad, I mean Coach.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Kirby Almost Made Me Cry

I promised myself during this whole ordeal that I wouldn't get caught up in the rumors and search for the newest UGA defensive coordinator. I let myself down, and now Kirby has almost made me cry. I guess he has his reasons, but I think he could have been a legend over here if he built a new Junkyard Dawg defense.

After my initial shock was over some 30 minutes ago, I began to wonder...is this Saban playing some kind of game? Why in the world would Kirby Smart not tell the world that he is staying at Alabama before Nick Saban? So far something is not adding up in this whole situation. Pollack says "Wow so Smart signs a term sheet to join Georgia as their new DC and the. Backs out. Wow wow wow".

David Hale's take on the situation HERE.

I'll post more later, but here is one of the main feed that everyone is reading this info from: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2010/01/11/saban-uga-wont-get-smart/

Kirby Says...

…we don’t know exactly what Mr. Smart says yet.

How many of us spent yesterday scavenging the online media outlets trying to get just one more piece of factual evidence as to which way Kirby Smart is leaning? I know I got looked at sideways a few times by my better half for “spending way too much time on the computer”. Here we are more than two weeks past Christmas, and I found myself tossing and turning all night long like a kid on Christmas Eve in anticipation of what most of us think will come sometime today… Kirby Smart is coming home!

No, I don’t have any magical piece of evidence that the rest of you don’t. I do know a few people in the “know”, but they all say about the same thing that David Pollack excited the whole Dawgnation about last night with his Tweeting. Surely Pollack isn’t just talking to get hits on his Twitter account, is he?

The most exciting things that I have come across are that some fairly credible people are reporting that Kirby is going to bring Travis Jones and some other excellent coaches along with him. Thank you Damon Evans for putting your money where your mouth is and bringing the tools to this program that are going to allow us to win a much anticipated Richt Era National Championship. After all, I was less than one year old the last time the Dawgs could lay claim to the best team in all of the land. 1980, the year of my birth was special, but let’s make 2010 the beginning of the Decade of the Dawg baby!

Check back throughout the day for updates. I will post the news as soon as it is made available, or one of my sources leaks it to me.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Rennie Has No Class...

...as in academic classes. Rennie Curran is leaving the world of hard work and football for more hard work and football. The main difference is that now he is gonna get PAID! I don't blame him one bit, and we at UGABlog.com wish him all the success in the world. He has shown a TON OF CLASS as a Dawg.

We love you Rennie!

Coaching College or NFL?

"Dear Mark Richt, after UGA goes on a run and wins 3 out of the next 4 National Championships, please don't leave for the NFL!"

I spent a few years of my life coaching high school football. I loved it, but it took up an unbelievable amount of my time; to the point of sometimes feeling like I had no private life at all that didn’t somehow relate to football. None of this coaching experience can even come close to comparing to the time that is dedicated by coaches at the higher levels of the sport. More specifically I am speaking of Division I college coaches and those that are able to make football’s highest level of coaching, the National Football League.

This whole topic seems fitting today after one of college’s all time greats has decided to step down from the throne at USC. Pete Carroll will take a reported 5 year 35 million dollar deal from Seattle to serve as their next head coach. Wasn’t he already making close to 5 million per year at USC? Surely and extra 2 million dollars a year isn’t going to change Pete Carroll’s life in any sort of significant way. That leaves ego as the only answer in my book as to why a guy would leave such a cake job as the one he has now.

Reasons to stick with the college ranks:
• The players aren’t making as much or more money than you
• College coaches are almost making as much as NFL these days
• Coaches making the switch haven’t been very successful lately
• You don’t have to deal with those pesky owners
• You can “out-athlete” much of your competition in the NFL
• In Pete Carroll’s situation, you are worshiped by your fans

Reasons to leave college and coach in the NFL:
• You have nothing left to prove at the college level
• It will pay over 2 million more per year in Carroll’s case
• You have an ego to deal with
• Just need a change of scenery

Either way you feel, this video from Matt Sanchez after his playoff win last night. Funny stuff! Pete Carroll has made his decision, and for his sake, maybe the grass will be greener on the other side. Seattle's colors are green, right? I guess that's what you call that color.

"We true fans of the Dawgnation want to keep you, Mr. Richt, as long as you will have us. We know that you have your heart and soul in Athens, and though we may be going through a few marital problems at the moment, this is a match made in heaven!"

GO DAWGS!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Pollack says it's Kirby Smart

Pollack is reporting this on his Twitter account: "Remember guys I'm not saying this is 100%, but it looks to be the case."

TUSCALOOSA | University of Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart has been formally offered the same position at Georgia since returning from Pasadena, Calif., multiple sources have told The Tuscaloosa News.

Leather Helmet Blog has some good information on this "almost confirmed" rumor. Go check it out.

UGA Should Be Ranked Ranked, Right?

Getting accused of a “homer” isn’t such a bad thing in my mind. After all, it happens to me all the time when it comes to talking about UGA football. Even so, I know that I take a pretty darned objective look at everything I debate when it comes to sports.

After looking objectively at the final top 25 rankings for the college football season, I argue that my Dawgs should be in that poll. Most of you have probably heard by now that Georgia ends the season unranked for the first time since the Donna days back in 1996.

Here are the main reasons I feel we should have ended the season in the top 25:
• We ended the season with two straight convincing wins. One over #13 ranked GaTech
• There are other 5 loss teams in the final poll
• There are at least 5 teams that I know we would beat in a head-to-head match up
• We have the most awesome mascot in all the land
• Red & Black are the BEST colors

All kidding aside, I’m not so surprised we finish the year unranked. The 14 year run was great, but all good things must come to an end. Now, the Decade of the Dawg begins, and let’s start a run with a few National Championships in the mix!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Lady Dawgs Make History

Football will always rule in my house, but I still follow all of the Dawgs' sports! This monumental occasion deserves a lot of attention since it is the best start to a UGA Women's basketball season in history (15-0, 2-0). The Lady Dawgs had to take Kentucky into overtime to seal this one, and go down in the history books.

Points to Ponder the Morning After

More than anything about last night’s National Championship game, I can’t stop thinking about how many times I heard “this Nick Saban defense”. That statement must have been made at least ten times during the broadcast, at least. For all you “why would Kirby ever make this lateral move” people, there’s your answer. We all know that Saban is a defensive guru, but if it’s still “His” defense, Kirby might as well move on.

Done with that point; it’s been made a hundred times on the web already. On to my points to ponder from the playing field last night:
- The game ended up being a lot closer than it should have been, or did it? Wish Colt hadn’t been hurt!
- Why did it take Alabama a full quarter to remember they have the Heisman winner at tailback? They did get him going though, and that Richardson kid is going to be really good!
- McElroy came back down to earth after that amazing SEC Championship performance.
- Once Colt McCoy was done, the camera showed Vince Young, and he looked like he was aching to suit up. That would have been fun!
- Really Nick Saban, you’re gonna call a fake punt on the first possession of the NC with the ball deep in your own territory? Really?
- I loved it when Mack Brown tried to defend the shuttle pass debacle when he got interviewed running off the field at halftime.
- Kicking the ball at one of those front line guys on kickoff is a dangerous weapon. I bet we see that happen a few more times next season. After all, what else do kickers have to practice all off season?

Is it next season yet?

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Defensive Coordinator Information

I was one of the top complainers over the past few years when it came to Willie.
I have tried to remain quiet about the search for the new UGA Defensive Coordinator. This article however gives some really good insight to the top candidates.
Leather Helmet Blog

MMMove over Joe Cox!

Thank you Mr. Cox for your dutiful service to the University of Georgia football program. Your time and commitment to the Dawgnation is greatly appreciated by "most" of the faithful UGA fans. However, faithful as we may be, we cannot wait to see what one of the MMM crew has to offer after Cox's not so pretty senior campaign (I hope you're a better coach than field general).

Mason, Mettenberger, or Murray will most likely line up under center next fall when the "Decade of the Dawg" begins in 2010. I'm not going to completely rule out Logan Gray as the starter for next year, but preliminary indications are that it ain't gonna happen.

I want to take a short time today to introduce these guys because I will most likely be writing a lot about one or more of them in the future. Due diligence is the goal for this write up here today. Those of you that know me probably already know my pick for the next QB at Georgia. If I step back and take a realistic approach to who should be our next QB, I don't have much to go on seeing as how I am not at practice every day watching the production of any of these guys. Come to think of it, I am never at a UGA practice anymore (man do I miss being in Athens).

Click the links above to get a short overview of each of the players (this will act as my introduction for each player), and do a little more research if you like. The internet is packed full of information on all three of them. Or, you could just check back to read the UGAblog.com every day because I'm sure I will be blowing the screen up with info on these players soon enough!

Hutson Mason: 6-3, 190lbs - Loves to sling it
Zach Mettenberger: 6-5, 230lbs - Pocket passer
Aaron Murray: 6-1, 206lbs - All the intangibles
Logan Gray: 6-2, 192lbs - Athlete

AARON MURRAY HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

College Football's Champion...the Coleman way!

A wise man once told me that "opinions are sort of like rear ends; everybody has one, and most of them really stink!" With that in mind, I'm going to try and explain to y'all the way major college football SHOULD decide it's National Champion at season's end.

I'm no expert on the current BCS formulas for ranking the top 25 teams, but I have found that it is becoming more and more accurate as the system has been tweaked over the years. I will use that top 25 ranking to aid in a 16 team playoff system that seems like a no-brainer solution to me.

There is no doubt in my mind that some of the 11 conferences are stronger than others. Even so, the winner of each of those conferences is going to receive an automatic seeding in my playoff bracket. That leaves 5 remaining spots to finalize the 16 team bracket. I would take the 5 highest ranked teams left in the BCS rankings (after the conference winners are taken out) to fill those remaining spots.

Here is the end of regular season BCS top 25 rankings: (Conference Champs are marked)
1) Alabama (SEC Champ)
2) Texas (Big 12 Champ)
3) Cincinnati (Big East Champ)
4) TCU (MWC Champ)
5) Florida
6) Boise State (WAC Champ)
7) Oregon (Pac 10 Champ)
8) Ohio State (Big 10 Champ)
9) Georgia Tech (ACC Champ)
10) Iowa
11) Virginia Tech
12) LSU
13) Penn State
14) Brigham Young
15) Miami (FL)
16) West Virginia
17) Pittsburgh
18) Oregon State
19) Oklahoma State
20) Arizona
21) Stanford
22) Nebraska
23) Utah
24) USC
25) Wisconsin
Unranked Conference Champions: Central Michigan (MAC), Troy University (Sun Belt), East Carolina (CUSA)...these teams are listed by win/loss records.

The remaining 5 teams that are going to receive a bid are in green in the BCS top 25 above.

Now that you have digested all of that, here is what the first round match-ups would look like in the Coleman Playoff System (CPS) (Seedings are beside each team):

(1) Alabama vs (16) ECU
(2) Texas vs (15) Troy University
(3) Cincinnati vs (14) Central Michigan
(4) TCU vs (13) Penn State
(5) Boise State vs (12) LSU
(6) Oregon vs (11) Virginia Tech
(7) Ohio State vs (10) Iowa
(8) Georgia Tech vs (9) Florida

This playoff is very straightforward and leaves little room for questions. It has a few intriguing match-ups as well! The only real question that remains, is how we will work this system into a blend of using the current bowl venues. I could give my opinion on that, but I have talked enough for now. I am saddened that my beloved Dawgs didn't make the playoffs this year (in my system), but next year...LOOK OUT!

Let me know what you guys think about this system!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Roundball Props For Dawgs

Just want to say a big HELL YEAH on the upset the Dawgs had tonight on the hardwood. UGA 73 - Nerds 66!

Boise State vs Georgia

Four short seasons ago, I sat in Sanford Stadium and watched the Dawgs absolutely walk all over the Boise State Broncos by a margin of 48 - 13. Since that time, Boise has only been beaten seven other times in 66 games, and the average margin of those losses was only a touchdown.

Why am I talking about this? I just can't figure out why the media blows this team up to be so great. There was that 43-42 victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta bowl (highlights...WOW), I'll give them that. To this day though, I firmly believe that if that game was played ten times over, OU would whip BSU the next nine games. I liken that game to the Sugar Bowl when Georgia forgot to show up in the first half against West Virginia. Everyone knows who the better "overall" team was in that game. I remember almost throwing my friend Paul's remote control through his brand new big screen tv when WVU faked that damn punt in the 4th quarter! How could our coaches not see that coming?!?

I guess I am done with my rant for the day, and I will have to give BSU some props for pulling out a tough win last night. On a final note; how about those TCU unis? Those things were awesome! My high school alma matter insisted on adding purple to our black and silver color scheme my senior year, and I hated it. If they would have had some awesome football uniforms like TCU wore last night, we might have won more games!

GO DAWGS!

Monday, January 4, 2010

First UGA Blog post!

Hello and welcome to UGAblog.com. Over the past several years, I have found myself reading ridiculous amounts of news and such that relate to my beloved Georgia Bulldogs. So much that most of my friends and family think I am overly obsessed. So, what is my response? I should blog about the Dawgs.

Am I the smartest Dawg fan around? Hell no! Am I some kind of fantastic journalist that needs to have my work published? Not that I know of. All that aside, who cares, and who will listen? Maybe you will! And, if I am lucky, they will be making a movie about my blog sometime in the future; you know, Julie & Julia style!

If you're like me, you can't wait for the 2010 college football season to kickoff, and you're dying to find out who will head up that pool of talent on our defensive side of the ball. I bleed Red & Black in all things associated with the Dawgs, but most of my blogging will be centered around football. I know many of you got down in the dumps this season, but I can almost guarantee (hope and pray at least) that we are about to begin a run like no other in recent memory. The Dawgnation is ready to see what this Murray kid really has to offer; heck, with the receiving corp he has to work with, he might light it up as a redshirt freshman next season.

I'll finish this up with my wishes for the new year!

-AJ Green for Heisman
-Washaun Ealey and Caleb King over 1,000 yards
-Defense that is in the top 50 in the nation
-Aaron Murray shows that he's no high school fluke
-...to be continued

Hit me up with comments (good or bad), and I will try to respond to them all!

Happy New Year!
 

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