Friday, December 16, 2011

Round 2 of the CPS

Last week, I posted the beginning of my second annual Coleman Playoff System for NCAA Division IA football. Here are the results after the first round, and the bracket for round II.

Their were only two upsets in this hypothetical simulation (if I had time, I thought about using NCAA on the PS3) of round 1.

TCU, with a strong defensive showing, limited the Arkansas Razorbacks to only 13 points in a 21-13 shocker. It must have been a hangover from that blowout Arkansas took at the hands of the nation's #1 team, LSU.

The other upset may have been no shock at all as the #9 Wisconsin Badgers took out the #8 Kansas State Wildcats easily with a 38-3 victory.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Coleman Playoff System 2011

My original posts on the Coleman Playoff System (CPS) started a few years ago, and here is the way it is set up (Skip to the bracket if you already know the format for the CPS):
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. The CPS 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 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. The CPS then takes the 5 highest ranked non-conference winners left in the BCS rankings to fill those remaining spots.
Here is the end of regular season 2011 BCS top 25 rankings: (Conference Champs are marked with a *)
1 *LSU 1.0000 (SEC)
2 Alabama .9419
3 *Oklahoma State .9333 (Big 12)
4 Stanford .8476
5 *Oregon .7901 (Pac 12)
6 Arkansas .7687
7 Boise State .7408
8 Kansas State .6827
9 South Carolina .6553
10 *Wisconsin .6374 (Big Ten)
11 Virginia Tech .5190
12 Baylor .4977
13 Michigan .4794
14 Oklahoma .4603
15 *Clemson .4218 (ACC)
16 Georgia .4119
17 Michigan State .3883
18 *TCU .3869 (Mountain West)
19 Houston .3504
20 Nebraska .2606
21 *Southern Miss .1918 (Conference USA)
22 Penn State .1305
23 *West Virginia .1233 (Big East)
24 Texas .0876
25 Auburn .0584

Unranked Conference Champions that would be listed in the CPS: Arkansas State (Sunbelt), Northern Illinois (Mid American), & Louisiana Tech (WAC). 
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, and they are calculated based on rankings, and the bracket is pictured below):

1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma State
4) Stanford
5) Oregon
6) Arkansas
7) Boise State
8) Kansas State
9) Wisconsin
10) Clemson
11) TCU
12) Southern Mississippi
13) West Virginia
14) Arkansas State
15) Northern Illinois
16) Lousianna Tech


Click Image For Larger Version

This playoff is very straightforward and leaves little room for questions. The CPS has some intriguing match-ups as well! The only real question that remains, is how to work this system into a blend of using the current bowl venues/sponsors. I could give my opinion on that, but I have talked enough for now. It's a damn shame that the Dawgs didn't make the playoffs this year, but next year...LOOK OUT CPS!

Let me know what you guys think about this system! I will post hypothetical match-ups and outcomes in the coming days, so come back if you are curious as to who prevails in the 2011 version of the CPS!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Curious Case Of Bobo

This week, I stumbled across some old VHS tapes from my speech class at The University of Georgia dating back to 2001. In those archives, I had written a speech about the firing of former coach Jim Donnan. Aside from the "off the field problems", I highlighted Donnan's abismal record agaisnt rivals Florida, Tennessee, GaTech, and Auburn, along with the poor performance of the offense. As I listened to my own speech, I began to think "dang, am I ever satisfied with the offensive of my team?".

The short answer to that question is this: No, I am the type of personality that is always looking for a way to make things I love better (just ask my wife and kids). Some may say it's a major flaw of mine, but others say it is why they love me. On second thought, I'm an Atlanta Falcons fan, and I tend to like the offensive coordinating of Mike Mularkey; so, there I can be satisfied! :)
I write this blog post today mostly as an answer to a question posed by The Senator over at Get The Picture . This is in response to some comments that went on in one of his post game threads after last Saturday's loss to the LSU Tigers. Linked Here is the article I commented on, and a small portion of the comment thread went a little something like this:

Andy Coleman

Senator, you’re right on about that series being the pivotal point in the game. That series was followed by 3 more just like it, even into the 3rd quarter. Bobo stalled, and the crap hit the fan.

Senator Blutarsky
If you think I’m pinning the loss on Bobo, you’re overstating my point.

Andy Coleman

I know you’re not on the new OC train like I have been for the past four years, I’m just amazed that you admit how crucial it was when we nutted up on that series. Do you recognize that there may be a direct correlation between play calling changing all of the sudden during a game, and Murray going all bankers mid game?

Senator Blutarsky
Both Bobo and Murray were dealing with an offensive line physically challenged all night, running backs who had trouble hitting the holes faster than LSU’s linebackers closed them and receivers who couldn’t hold on to passes to save their lives. I really doubt Murray was thinking to himself on that third down play, “I gotta do something here… Bobo’s playcalling is killing us.” He was just a kid in a pressure situation trying to make a play to help his team. It blew up. Hopefully he’ll learn from his mistake. That’s all I recognize.

Andy Coleman
I bet Murray wondered why he was handing it off up the gut on 1st and 2nd down for the 4th possession in a row, only to have Crowell/Thomas run into a wall. There are ways to neutralize D-lines, and off tackle dives and draws on 1st and 2nd down are not them.

Senator Blutarsky
“There are ways to neutralize D-lines”? How closely were you watching the game? It wasn’t just LSU’s d-line that was an issue. Those linebackers were obscenely fast closing down the gaps. It was clear that Georgia’s running backs weren’t prepared for that. Although to be fair, until you play against them, I’m not sure how you could be prepared.

Andy Coleman
Ok, let me change my post to “neutralize fronts”. Either way, same point. Please understand that I think LSU was a better team than the Dawgs. But, I don’t want that to be the case in a few years. I want what is best for this team, and in my (I’m a virtual nobody, but a loyal alum/fan none-the-less) opinion, Bobo ain’t it! Bobo makes top dollar, and we have proven (Grantham) that top dollar can get you a whole lot more if you pick wisely.
From that point on, there were literally almost 100's of other comments from me, people that think I'm a moron who know's nothing about football, people that agree with me (this fellow "Adam" had some GREAT insight), and even a few more comments here and there from The Senator. If your interested, the comment thread is up to 194 at this time, and there is some fairly great conversation if you pick through the trolls.

It's not posted above, but soon thereafter in the conversation, The Senator called me out and asked "Who’s a “balls out” OC in your mind?", and then several of his blog readers back him up in that notion and dared me to name a possible replacement for Mike Bobo if I am such a genius.

Before I tell you my answer to that challenge, let me take a second to give my true stance on Mike Bobo as the offensive coordinator at The University of Georgia. I sit here today and proclaim that Mike Bobo is not the worst possible choice of OC that we could be graced with at this time, and admittedly so, the man can seemingly call plays with exceptional success from time to time, even for the course of entire games! Take the 2011 Auburn game for example; need I say more? That was a thing of beauty from where I was sitting in the end zone of Sanford Stadium. It's documented in probably 5-10 forums on various blogs that I was stunned at how on fire our offense was coming out of the gate against LSU last Saturday, minus the dropped touchdown passes.

To sum up my thoughts from the SECCG, I'll just post a comment from my ever so popular post after the game:
I did a poor job of fully explaining my qualms with Bobo's play calling on this particular blog because I forget that all readers haven't read all of my posts on UGABlog, where, many times I've given specific analysis of why I think this team deserves a better coordinator. I know that people who get on here and anonymously call me names have not (nor are they going to) read everything I have ever written about Bobo. Those who know me have heard my criticism of Bobo's Gameday coaching for 4 years. Those people also know that Mike Bobo is my 3rd favorite UGA quarterback of all time.

As far as "fault" is concerned, where have I ever said that it was Bobo's fault that we lost. I know why we lost to LSU. They were a much more well-rounded football team that didn't make mistakes or drop touchdown passes.


What I do believe about the SECCG is this: the offensive game plan took a drastic turn late in the first half. At one point, there were 4 straight possessions where we ran it between the tackles on 1st & 2nd down, only to get stuffed and then put Murray's head on a platter on 3rd and long against a pissed off defense full of future NFLers. We had them on the ropes the whole first half, then the script ran out, Bobo got nervous and saw that our defense was playing lights out....then, The Shit Hit The Fan. The only chance in hell the Dawgs had at winning that game was to play balls out on offense until our defense had the game in hand. After our offense and special teams wet the bed, the defense said WTF!
After writing that post, the boys over at DawgSports.com put up an article that explained things better than I could ever dream of, and here is that link in case you're interested; "Improving the Georgia Offense for 2012: a Tough Call".


WHO WOULD BE A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT FOR OUR NEW OC?

I can honestly say that I have toiled over this question more in the past 3 days than I am proud to admit. It's been to the point that my wife politely requested I stop researching and spend some quality time with the family. It was at that point that I realized I would be wasting my time trying to spit out actual names of who I think would be viable candidates for the OC job at UGA.

The actual conclusion I came to is simple. If I were Mark Richt & Greg McGarity, I would conduct a search for my new OC in the following way. First, I would put the word out on the street that I was looking for a young (sub 50), energetic candidate that has a coaching philosophy similar to that of Steve Spurrier and/or Sean Payton. I'm not saying that my new OC has to run the same offensive scheme as those guys because I tend to love the pro-set (with spread undertones) that we currently run at Georgia. What I'm saying is that I want a guy who is cut in that mold. The kind of guy that lives and breathes offensive adaptation. Adapting to your personell; adapting to your opponent; adapting to the flow of the game; mostly, not set on doing something one way just because that's the way I do it by God.

Now I know for a fact, that after some of my deerest fans read this post, they are going to call me out on some sort of contradiction they feel that is embedded within this post. To that I say, bring it on! Let's just hope that we can get some honest debate instead of all the "douchebag, moron, a$$hole, idiot, etc...". It's not that I can't handle those comments (I am actually genuinely amused by most of them), it's just that I love a good debate better than anything in the world. Especially when it is something I am so passionate about, The Georgia Bulldawgs! So, to all of you that have it in your heads that I am not a "real UGA fan", I wish you could peer in my heart brother because there ain't much I love more in the land than the Dawgs, Bobo or no Bobo!

GATA

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Grantham Leaves Because of Bobo

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that this is Todd Grantham's last year in Athens unless we get a real offensive coordinator and special teams coach to cover his back.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Deshaun Watson, Best of 2014

Listen up recruting powers at UGA! It's never too early to offer a future superstar like Deshaun Watson from Gainesville High School. The sophomore pheonom is proving that he is a big time player while ending Sandy Creek's 40+ game winning streak in the final 8 of the AAA state playoffs last Friday night. Here's an article with highlight film from the game last week: Gainesville Stuns Sandy Creek

Here's a quick look at his sophomore stats so far this season as well. Passing: 190/320 for 2,833 yards, 38TDs & 6ints. Rushing: 139 carries for 860 yards & 14 TDs. Did I mention that he's also averaging 41 yards per punt the few times he has had to kick it away this season.

Those stats are amazing and all, but they really don't even tell half of the story on this superstar! The recruting forums are calling him "the next Cam Newton". I say (because I know him personally) that's crazy! He's got WAY more intangibles than Cam Newton (I coached against him) ever thought about having. Namely, he's a scholar in the classroom!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Has Blair Walsh Made Mike Bobo A More Aggressive Play Caller?

There's no question that the Dawgs have become a much more aggressive bunch on the offensive side of the ball over the past three games, and most Dawgfans couldn't be happier about that. Don't give me that "Auburn has no defense" crap; they're the defending National Champs, period.

For the first time in a long time, it seems like Murray and the boys are on a mission to score TDs, a lot of them, and not just settle for points of the kind that come in 3s. Kevin Butler actually brought the Walsh topic up on the call in show last night while I was riding home from Athens. Has Mike Bobo become more aggressive on offense because of our woes in the kicking game? I would say that something obviously changed, and please keep it up because their ain't much better than whipping Auburn's a$$ the way we did yesterday!. Beating Tech and LSU will be!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Just When I think Bobo Can't Get Any Dumber...

We go out and put on a showing like we did Saturday against, albeit crappy competion, New Mexico State.

That being said, I feel that it is only right that I praise the man at the helm of playcalling for the Dawgs when we fair well. Since, Lord knows, I give him all kinds of hell usually!

Go Dawgs! Payback is a BIAT$H AUBARN!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Georgia, Offer Deshaun Watson Now

I really hope that the powers that be in Athens are paying attention to this kid that plays just a short 40 minute drive from Athens. UGABlog is going to do a spotlight on this sophomore recruit in a few weeks, for now, just take a look. The kid can play! He will be one of the top rated players in the nation in 2014!

Here's a snapshot of Gainesville High School's Deshaun Watson so far this season.

Through 9 games, here are his stats:
Passing: 118/197, 1900 yards, 25 TDs
Rushing: 65 carries, 451 yards, 7 TDs
(Keep in mind that he usually only plays the first half each week because they have 9 blowout wins.)

Not to mention the kid is at least 6'2", 190lbs already...in the 10th grade!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

How Many 7th String Running Backs Have Started Before

King---Ealey---Samuel---Crowell---Thomas---Malcome---Harton

Does this mean that Brandon Harton gets the start???

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Favoritism By The SEC Officials

I feel like my limited blogging this season has all been directed towards the bashing of good ol' Coach Bobo. I'll give him a break this week and point out the fact that whoever makes the decisions on suspensions in the SEC offices are a bunch of IDIOTS.

Should Kwame Geathers have been suspended for punching someone last week after they tried to end his career? I think not, but even if you say yes, was what he did anywhere near as bad as Nick "The Thug" Fairley last year against the Dawgs?

Fairely gets and atta boy for trying to injure a player, and Geathers gets punished for defending himself.

The official statement from the SEC was that "any issues would be handled between the conference office and the institution."

The translation: Auburn has been put on alert that Fairley will be suspended if he engages in any more late hits.

The SEC reviewed tape of the Georgia game and several of Fairley’s hits on Murray. Fairley was penalized in the third quarter when he led with his helmet and hit Murray in the back after Murray had already released the pass.

The fact that Fairley was penalized on the play probably contributed to his not being suspended.


Double standard anyone?

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Quote of the Year About "Conservative Coaching"

I was reading my blog roll this morning when I came across this perfect quote from a comment thread in Leather Helmet Blog's post.
I'm sure everyone is upset. Just be glad you aren't a Bama or LSU fan. Did you see all those risky touchdowns they scored in the second half? Their fans must be livid.
It's hard to argue with that unless you just concede that their programs are light years ahead of ours.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

What More Proof Do We Need Dawg Fans?

I have been consistantly vocal about my disdain for Mike Bobo's coaching abilities for the past 3 years. I wondered about the appointment to OC when it took place, and now I hate it more and more each day. I don't give a rat's behind how many 500 yard performances he "coaches" us to, the man is not a good coach.

My two biggest arguments as to this notion are 1) Aaron Murray has gotten progressively worse this year; and 2) Coach Bobo cannot adapt AT ALL when other defenses do during a game (yesterday against MSU, was the offense lost in the second half).

OK naysayers, let's hear why Bobo is the man for the job?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Beating Ole Miss Is Like Dating A Tech Cheerleader

A win is a win is a win. First and foremost, let's get that out of the way. I am glad we put up a W in the SEC win column, and got our record back to .500.

Now, even though it was an SEC win, I am not all that satisfied with what took place Saturday. I can't really put my finger on what exactly I think dissatisfied me, but I sort of equate it to the feeling of hooking up with a cheerleader from Georgia Tech.

I mean, on one hand, you are the man for scoring with a college cheerleader. But, then again, it is a TECH cheerleader, and aren't they all ugly?

We were supposed to beat Ole Miss, and we could have beaten the tar out of them, we just didn't. Winning by 4 touchdowns would have been a little closer to my goal back in college of dating a real cheerleader. A UGA cheerleader!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Herschel Makes Me Smile

In a time of Bulldawg crisis, what more can I ask for than a Damn Good Dawg to brighten my day!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

That's All I Have To Say About That

For once this past Saturday I went above and beyond my nerdiest of football obsessions, and I charted the offense plays ran by the Dawgs in the game versus Boise State. I have promised myself that I will try and hold my blogging for at least the night before I write my post-game thoughts. I have toiled over this for three days now, and I have come to the coclusion that my disdain for Mike Bobo/Mark Richt and the sputtering offense can be summed up in one simple set of questions:

Why did Brandon Boykin not touch the ball a single time after his 80 yard touchdown early in game? Let's say it was because he was cramping. Why did we not run that "power sweep" to another player (Branden Smith/Crowell/Mitchell) for the entire remainder of the game?

Coaches, if a play works, RUN IT AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN, until they stop it. I could go OFF on the ineptness of our playcalling, but I will just leave it at that.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Front 7 Will Shine In 2011

  I will never deny the fact that I am a homer when it comes to the Dawgs, and I have expressed that over and over on my blog. There has been pretty long leave of absence lately because my wife gave birth to our second little girl last spring. But now, it is time to start talking UGABlog in full force once again!
  Most Dawg fans can't help but smile when we think about how greatly improved our front seven will be to start the 2011 season. Yes, we lost Justin Houston, but it appears that Jarvis Jones will be a dang good fit to fill that role. The likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and others have  talked repeatedly about our front 7, so why not get PUMPED up Dawg fans?! Chris Low reported a few of my favorite articles; here's some quotes:
LB Christian Robinson, LB Jarvis Jones, LB Alec Ogletree -- Alabama might have the most intimidating group of linebackers, but Georgia could have the fastest, most athletic. Robinson is the leader in the middle and Ogletree will be a tackling machine alongside him. Jones should help lessen the blow of losing Justin Houston outside and could be a more complete player than Houston. 
John Jenkins has been a name bandied about by Georgia fans since the end of last football season.By the end of this week, he'll be more than just a name. He'll be a member of the Georgia football team and one of the more important recruits Mark Richt has brought in since coming to Athens as head coach in 2001.
Jenkins, considered one of the top junior college defensive tackles in the country, is on his way to campus and scheduled to begin summer school classes on Friday. The Bulldogs plan to plug the 340-pound Jenkins in at nose guard. He's from the same junior college, Gulf Coast Community College, that produced Terrence Cody, and Georgia is banking on Jenkins having a similar impact as Cody.
While Cody might have been a tad bigger, the book on Jenkins is that he might be a little more athletic.
He also brings the kind of sheer size and power the Bulldogs were missing up front last season. In fact, Kwame Geathers, who's also beefed up to the 350-pound range, improved enough this spring that the Georgia defensive coaches think there's a chance they might be able to play Jenkins and Geathers together.
DeAngelo Tyson, who was undersized at nose guard a year ago, is moving to end in Georgia's 3-4 scheme, and Abry Jones will also play end.
That's four guys right around 300 pounds or bigger up front for the Bulldogs, who should be greatly improved across the board in their front seven on defense.
Of course, if Jenkins is the game-changer the Bulldogs think he is, he's going to make everybody around him look at lot better.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Falcons Go After Kris Durham

So, much of the Bulldawg nation is aware that our beloved AJ Green was drafted 4th last night in the NFL draft. I was all giddy yesterday at the prospect of him possibly going to the Atlanta Falcons if Thomas Dimitroff could pull off the unthinkable. Understandably, Falcons fans are having to settle for the all so often comparable Julio Jones. Any Dawg fan will tell you that Jones is no AJ Green, but I still like the pick by the Falcons.

This brings me to the tricky little title of this blog. I am now in great hopes that one of our Dawgs can still become a Falcon before this draft is over. Kris Durham is a guy that may end up going in the late rounds, and I firmly believe he will be a steal in this year's draft. The guy has skills. And, with Roddy White and Julio Jones to worry about, he could absolutely dominate a third tier corner from time to time, with his height and tricky speed!

Are you listening Thomas Dimitroff?

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Them Dawgs Are Gettin' Big

Is it just me, or have UGA football players been making weight gains this off-season at a much higher rate than in the past? We all know that the test of this new strength and conditioning program will really come on the field next season, but it seems like every other day I am hearing about a player that has already gained 10, 15, and even 20+ pounds since this past December!

Chris Low says here that Aaron Murray has put on 15lbs, and check out those guns in that white dri-fit!

Of note, Robinson is up 15 pounds to 230 after playing at 215 last season. He’s moving over to Akeem Dent’s middle linebacker spot. Tight end Orson Charles is now pushing 250, and quarterback Aaron Murray was adamant that it was a chiseled 250. Murray has also gained 15 pounds and weighs 215 going into the spring. Alec Ogletree, who’s moving from safety to inside linebacker, is pushing 240 pounds.

Alec Ogletree is up to 240lbs already! I stood 2 feet away from him at the Vandy game last year and gauked at the size of the kid, so 15+ more pounds on that frame could be lethal.

We all knew that some things were lacking, and here's hoping that Joe T. really does have it going on in the weight room and the dining hall!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Alec Ogletree To Linebacker?

Last year, I predicted this. Man, I love when I am right. ILB or OLB, that is the question. Looks like Grantham is trying ILB first.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

March Madness Tourney Pool

I was in my "office" this morning reading the latest edition of Men's Health magazine when I came across a recommendation to those who like March Madness Tournament Pools.

Best March Madness pool website --> ESPN.com is good. TournamentPools.com is better. The site lets you micromanage everything from deadlines to round values to upset bonuses. Then talk trash on your pool's private message board.

Men's Health Magazine, March 2011

If you are interested, just go take a look at http://www.tournamentpools.com .

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Head of the 2014 Recruiting Class

If you read UGABlog.com, you have most likely heard me mention the freshman phenom from Gainesville High School named Deshaun Watson. I am in the process of obtaining some high quality highlights of this athlete, but in the meantime, here is a video that gives a few tastes of what he brings to the table.

Keep in mind, he was a 14 year old starter for the state powerhouse Red Elephants this year. Watson only has a few highlights on this video, and even throws one pick. BUT, look at how smooth he is at such a young age.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Dawgs Need A "Clay Matthews"

Any knowledgeable football fan knows the awesomeness they are seeing when they watch Clay Matthews. I hate cheering for a kid from Southern Cal as much as the next SEC fan, but the kid can play. Sunday's Super Bowl proved to me that he is one of the top linebackers in the league.

I have wondered about this before, but now it's in the front of my head, so I blog. Why does UGA never have any good white linebackers? WOOOOAAHHH! No, I am not prejudice, I just wonder if there aren't any good linebackers that come out of this state? Maybe some of you readers can fill me in, or give me a little bit of insight, but sans David Pollack (who played defensive end at UGA), who were any other white linebackers the Dawgs have had in the last 20 years?

Once I am informed of some, I will update as needed.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Coleman's Coins - Super Bowl Pick

If you dared to follow my gambling advice this season, you made an absolute killing. That is...if you bet the complete opposite of what I suggested. With that in mind, I'm going all in today with the Steelers as a 2.5 point underdog. Why not, right? It's your last chance to bet on football for a while.

STEELERS - Money line pick to win outright. Forget the points.

Friday, February 4, 2011

What Happens If There Is No NFL In 2011

I just had a conversation with a co-worker about the ongoing possibility of an NFL lockout next season. The more I read and hear about the situation, the more it seems like a real possibility that the NFL may not go as planned for the 2011-2012 season.

The main question I pose is this: what happens to the guys that left the NCAA a year or so early to try their hand at the NFL? Are they just SOL, or will the NCAA give them a way back in? Boy, that UGA recruiting class would look awesome with two more guys added to it (Green and Houston).

As I always say, a boy can dream can't he?

The question to DeMaurice Smith was simple, coming from Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco, asking how serious he viewed the possibility of football not being played in 2011.

Smith did not hesitate.

"On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said Thursday, "it's a 14."


http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4887844

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Why Do We Care About 18-22 Year Old Kids

For all of you that are as "obsessed" with college football as I am, do you ever get asked the following questions?

  • Why do you let the decisions of 18 year old boys affect your mood so much?
  • Why do you put so much time and money into a game that is decided by a bunch of 18-22 year old kids?
  • Or some other related question.
Surely you guys that are "obsessed" know what I am talking about. I got this question posed to me today by a co-worker that knew how into national signing day I was yesterday. I'm not sure I have a very educated answer to this question other than "because I love it" and "it makes me happy". I'm curious to hear what some of your thoughts are on this, and if you have any good comebacks to the questions.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Question For Bobo About Isaiah Crowell

In all seriousness Mr. Coach Bobo; I have given you an extremely hard time on my blog this year because of some inadequate play calling. That being said, you have done a great job recruiting this dream team, and I say YOU DA MAN Bobo!

Now, does having Isaiah Crowell on the depth chart next season mean that Carlton Thomas is still going to get his fair share of off tackle running plays?

Nick Marshall Will Be An All American

When I read this quote from secondary coach, Scott Lakatos, I got all giddy!
"Nick Marshall is one of the most amazing athletes that I think we have in this class. ... He’s a guy looking at defensive-back wise, I don’t usually get to coach guys like this. … He’s very athletic. He’s physical. He’s got good size to him. We’re looking forward to lining up at corner and there might be some things we try to utilize him on the other side of the ball."
I remember watching video of Marshall when he was a sophomore in high school, and the wow factor was already there. Then, I had the pleasure of watching him in the GA Dome last year when he caught the attention of the national media in a big way. Knowing that Marshall is going to play defensive back for the Dawgs is a pleasant surprise because I think he is a legitimate D-1 quarterback as well.

Having coached both quarterbacks and DB's at the high school level, I know first hand that some of the best corners and safeties are the ones who played quarterback growing up. There's nothing like knowing what a quarterback is thinking as you are waiting to pick off his pass!

Mark my word, Nick Marshall will make some noise before his time is done in Athens! Will he be an All-American? We all no that a lot of things can happen during a college career, but it wouldn't surprise me if he does! Maybe he's the next Champ Bailey!

GO DAWGS!

Punxsutawney Phil Says It's UGA In 2011



Yesterday, Phil made a prediction that I loved! The crystal ball is coming to Athens next season! A boy can dream, can't he?

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Signing Day In Gainesville

Here is an updated list for an FCA Signing Day Event at Longstreet Café in Gainesville tomorrow afternoon. Invite your friends and come out and join us for a great celebration. If you aren’t able to be on location, this year’s event will be carried LIVE with video over the internet at www.hallcountysportstv.com as well as on the radio on 1240 AM and Glory 1330.

Here is a list of all those signing letters of intent:

Nick Drury, Lakeview Academy, Football, Davidson, 2:10
Taylor Simpson, Lakeview Academy, Baseball, Furman, 2:14
Nicholas Andrade, East Hall, Soccer, Pfeifer University, 2:18
Chaz Cheeks, East Hall, Football, Georgia Tech, 2:22
Sterling Bailey, East Hall, Football, University of Georgia, 2:26
Peyton Robertson, Chestatee, Basketball, Young Harris, 2:30
Rachel Kelly, Chestatee, Basketball, Young Harris, 2:34
Ashely Lowery, White County, Football, Kentucky, 2:38
Luke Crumley, White County, Baseball, University of Georgia, 2:42
David Sosebee, White County, Baseball, University of Georgia, 2:46
Kaitlyn Hooper, White County, Soccer, Asbury College, KY, 2:50
Stephanie Saterfield, White County, Softball, Georgia Perimeter, 2:54
Samantha Ballinger, White County, Soccer, Piedmont, 2:58
Hong Tran, Gainesville High, Soccer, Valdosta State, 3:02
Will Maddox, Gainesville High, Baseball, Tennessee, 3:06
A.J. Johnson Gainesville High Football Tennessee 3:10
Kendrick Milsap Gainesville High Football Tennessee 3:14
Thomas Niles Gainesville High Football Central Florida 3:18
Tim Rucker Gainesville High Football Miles College 3:22
Mantavius Rucker Gainesville High Football Valdosta State 3:26
Kevin Hall Gainesville High Football Faulkner University 3:30
Rashad Lawrence Gainesville High Football Chattahoochee Tech 3:34
Markece Robertson Gainesville High Football 3:38
Mike Norman Gainesville High Football Lindsey Wilson University 3:42
Austin Brown Flowery Branch Football UAB 3:46
Chris Rhodes Flowery Branch Football Valdosta State 3:50
Brandon Keller Flowery Branch Football College of Mt Saint Joseph 3:54
Kyle Famiano Flowery Branch Football 3:58
Matt Tiller Flowery Branch Football 4:02
Deron Lear Flowery Branch Football College of Mount Saint Joseph 4:06
Michael Smith Flowery Branch Soccer Pfeifer University 4:10
Shunquez Stephens West Hall Football Alabama State 4:14
Chandler Ligas West Hall Soccer Pfeifer University 4:18
Tess Patton North Hall Soccer Auburn 4:22
Whit Bowen North Hall Baseball Brevard College 4:26
Hamilton Harper North Hall Baseball Belhaven University 4:30
D.J. Miolen North Hall Football Air Force Academy 4:34
Mac Van Gorder North Hall Football 4:38
Randy Olson North HallFootball 4:42
Josh Foster Johnson High Golf Truett-McConnell 4:46
Logan Pethel Johnson High Baseball Darton College 4:50
Will Monday, Flowery Branch, Football, Duke University

Friday, January 28, 2011

What Can Drew Do For U..........GA?

I haven't been this excited about a commitment since AJ Green. Why you might ask? Well, Ray Drew is the type of guy that has a presence which will be known by all those around the UGA program. Ray Drew is a stud defensive end, yes, but more important than that are the intangibles that he will bring to the table. Just look at how he captivated the entire nation with his whole recruiting process.

When Ray Drew speaks, people listen. I firmly believe that Ray Drew is the glue that has and will bring this entire class and football program back to the forefront of NCAA football!

It's a great day to be a Georgia Bulldawg!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

BCS Trophy On Display In Georgia


Breaking news this morning: The BCS National Championship Trophy will be on display in Cecil Newton's church this Sunday morning. The crystal football will be available as a "piggy bank" of sorts so that appreciative fans can fill it full of money for Cecil and his church.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

SOTU Address, Dawgy Style

Ever since I was a young boy, I always love to watch the president of the United States give the annual state of the union address. Call me strange, but I just love all the debate surrounding American politics. Today, I sit and wonder when Mark Richt is going to really address the state of the Bulldawg nation. Lord knows there's plenty to address. Here are a few points I'd like some real information about:
1) What, specifically, will be done to STOP the player arrests?
2) What, specifically, will be done to make our boys win the 4th quarters?
3) What, specifically, are we doing differently to keep talent in Georgia with regards to recruits?
4) Is anything less than an SEC East title acceptable in 2011?

I'm curious to hear the readers of this blog's opinions as well.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

If Its Rumors You Want...

...then you've come to the right place. Two rumors that I have heard from a few reliable sources are not being talked about all that much, so I felt it my duty to help grow the rumor mill all the more at UGABlog.

First, word is that McGarity and Richt haven't mentioned much about a replacement for Stacy Searels because some restructuring is going to be done to the current staff. It goes a little like this: Rodney Garner may be moved from coaching D-line to coaching the O-line, which is where he once coached at the SEC level. Then, that would open up the D-line coaching for Todd Grantham, where he has been known for being simply a great coach. Then, Warren Belin would have total reign over all four linebacker positions. Now, you're thinking, that leaves us with an open coaching spot, right? Yes, then McGarity can go out and hire a coach that is completely dedicated to recruiting. All things recruiting, and in this new media age, that can be huge!

Rumor #2 is that Caleb King is not even enrolled at UGA this semester. Does anyone have any information to back up or confirm this rumor? Isaiah Crowell, are you listening?

Saturday, January 22, 2011

UGA on Sports Illustrated

We've all seen this...


And this is near and dear to all of the Dawgnation's hearts...


Remember this?


And this?


Those memories of the past will always be part of the lore that makes UGA so special in my heart. My future dreams are that we get to see these five guys on the cover of SI one day. I can see the title now: "The Fab Five: They helped bring the Georgia Bulldogs out of the cellar, and back into the title hunt". A guy can dream can't he?
Jay Rome, Malcolm Mitchell, Isaiah Crowell, Ray Drew, John Jenkins

Friday, January 21, 2011

UGA Recruits versus Auburn Recruits

First let's take a look at Quan Bray as he interviews for his commitment to the Auburn Tigers.


Next, let's take a look at the newest addition to the UGA recruiting class, Jay Rome.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE JAY ROME VIDEO
Rome starts interviewing at about the 1:00 mark.

I don't know about you, but I am glad that UGA appears to be recruiting guys that can at least speak in complete sentences we are able to understand.

This is nothing more than additional evidence that Auburn has become Thug U.

I couldn't find the Malcolm Mitchell commitment video from last night, but he is also a well spoken young man that seems to have his head on his shoulders. (Thanks to Jack in the comment section, here is the link to Mitchell's commitment)

Auburn, good luck with your newest "WAH IGUH BAYBEE, WAH IGUH".

Thursday, January 20, 2011

UGA, GHS, AJ Johnson: The Real Story

I started hearing all these rumors yesterday that UGA is possibly in the game when it comes to recruiting AJ Johnson out of Gainesville High School. Being a former coach of AJ, I was glad to hear this because the kid is such a great athlete, and more importantly great kid. For months now, AJ has been a very solid commit to the University of Tennessee, and it pains me to see so many people that don't have a real clue about what the Dawgs are missing out on.

Since AJ was a little kid, he was always a pretty big Dawg fan. When I met him in the 6th grade, it was obvious even then that the kid was a special football player. Watching him progress through the years at GMS and GHS has been at the least exciting! He excels not only on the field, but just ask any teacher he has had at Gainesville what they think about the kid, and you will hear nothing but praise. When AJ started getting heavily recruited his junior year, I was eagerly awaiting the offer from UGA. Yet, nothing happened. Surely the Dawgs were just waiting until the end of his junior season I thought. Nope, the offer never came, not even during his senior year. When I investigated, I heard pretty much that AJ was ticked off at the Dawgs and wouldn't even give them a thought after Grantham was hired. You see, good old Willie Martinez just "knew that AJ would never be able to play linebacker" in the SEC. Willie may have been right about that, but I guarantee he will make one hell of a defensive end at the next level. And, oh how I would love to see the kid play in the silver britches at OLB in that 3-4 scheme.

Enough of that rambling, and now I will get to my point. After further investigation, and talking to the staff over at GHS, I found out the real reason we have been hearing these rumors about UGA offering AJ Johnson a scholarship this late in the game. It turns out, the UGA recruiting strategies may be getting a little sharper than some are led to believe. You see, there is a little know freshman at Gainesville High School that college scouts are already beginning to salivate over! Have you ever heard the name Deshaun Watson? I have mentioned him here before, and if you don't know him yet, you will. I promise.

Deshaun Watson started all twelve games as a 14 year old freshman this year at GHS, and is going to be one of, if not THE, best things that has ever come out of that high school before all is said and done. The coaches at UGA are no dummies. I'm sure they accidentally "bumped" into Watson while making a visit to good old Gainesville, GA. So, do I think the Dawgs are really trying to get AJ a few days before signing day? Maybe. What I do think is that they were trying to get to know a future #1 quarterback recruit in the nation.

Stay tuned in the coming months for a feature on this recruit for the class of 2014.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Kid N Play Vols & Refs Stink

I watched the Dawgs play some round ball last night with as much anticipation for a UGA Basketball game as I have had in a few years. What I saw was a team get beat on a heart-breaking last second shot, and some pitiful officiating. We should have played better, yes, but two plays in that game were total crap! 1) The shot that was counted even though it went off after the clock expired (not the last one, but the one before, and 2) That raping that the big guy gave over our back as he made the game winner.

What did I bring away from this game the most? That Scotty Hopson looked just as stupid with his flat top as Kid N Play did back in the day. You be the judge:

Monday, January 17, 2011

Load Up The Wagon For Fox's Hounds!

All-in-all, the 2010 sports season around this household just took a big dump on my dreams of championships. The Braves got all of our hopes up, only to run into the brick wall that was the San Francisco pitching staff; and a few errors from some guy that no one has ever heard of. Then, there was the Dawgs, and my hopes of marking this decade as The Decade of the Dawg! I obviously started that a year too early, so 2011 is the start of TDOTD! Most recently, the Falcons kicked butt all season, and then get the turnover bug at the worst possible time. That and Aaron Rogers is WHITE HOT right now.

Needless to say, I've have better seasons to cheer for my teams. But wait, there's hope! The hardwood Dawgs are sitting pretty at 13-3 right now, coming off a dominant performance against Ole Miss. My thoughts are that all you bandwagon Falcon, Dawg, and Braves fans, jump on this wagon and get behind Mark Fox! This man is obviously the perfect fit to bring the basketball program back into relevance. Now, I'm not all "we're going to win the tourney in March", but I still think this team will make for an exciting next few months over in Athens!

Let's go Dawgs! Only two more weeks until national signing day!

Friday, January 14, 2011

What's All This Talk About Nutrition?

The more crap I keep hearing about all of this new emphasis on nutrition within the UGA football program, the more I say.....IT'S ABOUT DANG TIME!

I took a nutrition class or two back in my days at UGA, and to this day, I pay a good bit of attention to what goes into my diet. The more I read, learn, and practice good nutrition, the more I become totally convinced that it is one of the major keys to looking good, feeling good, and performing at the highest level your body is capable of.

Kudos to McGarity, Coach T, and all those who are an instrumental part of bringing the Georgia Bulldogs into the new age of fitness.

GO DAWGS!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Is Point Shaving Alive and Well In The NCAA

As I sat down to watch the National Championship game last night between the Auburn Tigers and the Oregon Ducks, I felt very confident that the strength, power, and speed of the SEC caliber player would prevail once again. I guess I was mostly right, but I was left with one major thought after the game had ended. Was Cam Newton really giving it his all in that game?

Maybe he was playing hurt, maybe he was in awe of the big scene. I find the latter hard to believe since he has been in the spotlight in a major way for most of the college football season. What was evident is that last night's game was without a doubt one of his worst performances of the year. I dare say that can be attributed to the defense he was facing. He was simply making errant throws all over the place, diving when he could have gotten plenty more yards, and playing sometimes at half his normal speed. Even when he fumbled in the fourth quarter he looked nothing like the dominating rusher he has been all year while carrying that ball.

I am convinced that something fishy may have been going on. Call me a conspiracy theorist. Call me whatever you want, I think sCam Newton was shaving points last night!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Richt, Hire Leach and Both of You Can Find the Promised Land!

Half of you are going to read what I am about to say, and immediately blow it off as "that would never happen". Hear me out, and then give me some reasonable answers as to why?

Mike Leach wants to coach football again. He is, however, on a bit of a "black list" due to the fact that he is suing his former school and ESPN. Most people would agree that he is going to win his lawsuit because he didn't really do anything legally wrong, and the defendants did. Mike Leach is an offensive genius with a very proven record in a high level BCS conference. Flat out, the dude can score some points!

We heard from Mark Richt at his presser this week that some "cutting edge" changes were coming to the UGA football program, right? Well, Mike Leach is just your man to come in and install those changes.

Leach is known for engineering some extremely potent offenses and leading very prolific pass oriented teams. Everywhere he's been, the teams have broken numerous school and NCAA records. At Valdosta State and Kentucky, where he was offensive coordinator under Hal Mumme, developing their famous "Air Raid Offense", at Oklahoma under head coach Bob Stoops, and Texas Tech, where he became head coach in 2000. At Kentucky he tutored prospect Tim Couch into a No. 1 NFL draft pick. At Oklahoma, Josh Heupel became an NFL draft pick following a year under Leach's tutelage. We all know how Graham Harrell prospered at Texas Tech.

I've heard first hand that most people from the program knew these guys wouldn't pan out at the NFL level. They were just products of the nearly unstoppable system, and didn't even make a splash in the NFL. That tells me that Leach obviously got way more out of these guys than most coaches would have.

That being said, Aaron Murray would absolutely thrive under Leach's system, and we have quite a few receivers that could make plays all over the field. How would you like to see Brandon Smith in a Leach scheme? I bet the coach would salivate at the thought of having a weapon like Smith!

I am not out in la la land. I am a realist. I know that Leach would only be a temporary answer, but if Mike Bobo is such the "great coach" that Richt says he is, surely he could learn from Leach and continue the system once Leach leaves for a head coaching job.

Everyone could win from this marriage. Mike Leach could learn a thing or two about Jesus. Mark Richt could revive a struggling program. Todd Grantham could be the first coach to match a good defense while Leach's offense was scoring a million points a game. Mike Bobo could learn what it's like to be a REAL coordinator. UGA could be the talk of the NCAA, counteracting any loss of TV time that ESPN gives the Dawgs for hiring Leach.

What's not to love about signing Leach to a one year $2 million dollar contract? Let me have it anons!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Belue Backs Buddy Bobo

Man, that sure is a lot of words that begin that B. It's a lot of damn BS as well. I went on a tirade earlier in the season about Buck Belue always defending Mike Bobo, and HERE he goes again. The only reason that good ol Buck is defending Bobo is because they are golfing buddies.

Hey Buck, it's not that big of a deal to score 30+ on teams that were .500 or worse! Oh wait, we put up over 30 on the soon to be Nat'l Champs too, right? Auburn's defense sucked though, so surely he's not counting that! How in the HELL do you use Bobo's coaching of Joe Cox as proof of him being a good coach? Damn, why can't I get off Belue's case?
 

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