All things Georgia. All things Southern.
Sadly, this offseason has become the offseason of coaching staff (unfortunately) discovering photoshop programs.
Since winning can’t lure recruits in, the Techies have resorted to this very bizarre tactic
Look, convincing players up north to come down south to play is a great plan and all that, but that’s until these players realize that they’re part of the student body at the North Avenue Trade School.
You know, you just can’t fix stupid, and the head Hawg, Bret Bielema has a pretty bad case of it.
Look, I know when you come from the biggest joke of a BCS Conference you’re not used to how things work in the nation’s premiere football conference, but to insinuate that the SEC is only held in high regard due to one team is, just…not smart.
Teams in the SEC West have to certainly be licking their chops right about now.
Lugnut Dawg
Enjoy viewing Georgia Southern as ‘that little school with minor league championships’ while you can, they’re moving to the Sunbelt.
In all honesty, I’m not sure how much of a step up this is with all the Sunbelt-level teams moving up the conferences like Conference USA. But hey, at least the gang in Statesboro can shoot for the St. Petersburg Bowl or the New Orleans Bowl.
All of that said, having more schools in the state on the same playing level of division is a good thing.
Now if only Valdosta State would move up…
Lugnut Dawg
You’re welcome….
As we’ve documented a time or two here on TGT, having a weak in-state rival is a tremendous enabler of the college football program. It’s not a fluke that Urban Meyer elevated the Florida program at the same time that Florida State’s fortunes slumped.
Here in the Peach State, Georgia Tech, for various reasons, is sticking for our good ole fish frying pal, Paul Johnson and his bass-ackwards offense that works great if you are Georgia Southern but not so well when you face top-caliber athletes on defense each week and referees that have the gonads to call cut-block penalties.
The fact of it is that if you are a top-line offensive player, the last place you want to go is Georgia Tech. It does little, if anything to prepare you for the NFL. Remember Jonathan Dwyer and how great he made CPJ look? Playing in that offense was so impressive that he was drafted in the sixth round.
The current state of Tech football? It’s very good for Georgia.
Some UGA fans don’t care for Paul Johnson. I for one hope he stays there forever.
Keep on frying them fish, NATS!
Lugnut Dawg
The national and regional media in addition to the Jerry Springer rejects on Paul Finebaum would have us believe that nothing bad ever happens with Alabama’s program, that no players ever, ever run afoul of the law, because when you play for the great Nick Saban, you just don’t want to even think about doing anything close to breaking the rules.
These players, I guess have forgotten that they are not allowed to get arrested
I pity the lowly student assistant who had to break the news to Saban…I can imagine a scene from Star Wars of Darth Vader using the force to neck-choke someone.
As we know all too well in Athens, you can instill all of the good things in 18-22 year olds you want, but at the end of the day they are just that, 18-22 year olds.
I’m waiting on outlets like the AJC to plaster across the front of their home page that Alabama players have been arrested and for columnists decrying the like of control of the program under Nick Saban, and accusations that the program is nothing but thugs running wild out of the control.
It’s ok, we’ll wait. We have plenty of time.
Lugnut Dawg
Bobby Petrino’s headed to the hills on Western Kentucky. Hide your motorcycles and women’s volleyball players.
WKU’s first two games of 2013? Against Kentucky and Tennessee, two schools who should have in the least considered hiring Petrino.
Petrino shouldn’t hide from his past in his opening press conference. He needs to own it and embrace it. Something like this:
Lugnut Dawg
The more I think about it, we are in the golden age of Georgia football.
Not only is being a top five program not a goal, but the expectation, but some of our biggest rivals and so inept that it to a point becomes entertaining.
It’s kind of like Clark Griswold’s Christmas Bonus
“That it is Edward, that is is indeed…”
Auburn was beyond bad this year, and the NATS is the laughingstock of college football by having a losing record but still playing in a bowl game.
Those two, however, are well surpassed by the folks at Good Ole Rocky Slop.
Seriously, Tennessee AD Dave Hart ran a clinic the past two weeks on how NOT to conduct a coaching search,
It all started with the ridiculous Jon Gruden talk. Yea, Jon Gruden is going to leave a job where all he does is watch film and work one day a week. If you think a guy like Gruden, or as he would say, ‘this guy,’ would give that up to deal with coaching in the toughest conference in the land, then I have some oceanfront property in Colquitt County for you. The only people who believed Gruden would come to UT I think were inside the state of Tennessee itself.
Then there was the pursuit of Mike Gundy, who probably could have kept his same wardrobe color. Tennessee, though looked like a darn fool. Like Gruden, Gundy was never serious about coming to Knoxville. Gundy’s a man. He’s probably getting a contract extension.
Enter Charlie Strong. Honestly, this is the coach I feared Tennessee hiring the most. He’s done quite well as a coordinator against Georgia and probably should have gotten a ‘big boy’ SEC job a long time ago. What does it say about how far Tennessee has fallen that a coach chooses to stay at a basketball school instead of coaching in Knoxville.
So finally, Tennessee winds up with Butch Jones. He’s an average coach, maybe a tad above. Hey, you can’t spell Buttchugging without Butch. He’s an upgrade over Derek Dooley, although that does not say a lot. Jones, however, may be condemning his own fate before it begins.
His defensive hires have Mike Bobo salivating. Not only is Teflon Willie Martinez joining the staff, but John Jancek, Jones’ defensive coordinator at Cincy is coming with him. Seriously, how dad gum many incriminating photos can one assistant coach have?! Here’s a guy who should have been at least demoted from defensive coordinator after the 2006 season and somehow stuck around through 2009. Then he inexplicably winds up at Oklahoma and Auburn, two major, big-time programs.
Can’t touch this…
All I know is that if you are facing Tennessee and its third and 19, the odds are pretty good in your favor.
But back to Jancek…
Yes, the same John Jancek who was the worst coaching hire by Georgia since Kevin Ramsey. One only needs to look at how bad the linebacker play at Georgia was once Jancek arrived.
Indeed, God is a Bulldog.
Lugnut Dawg
Honestly, I think Saturday goes either way. My contention all week has been that if it’s a blowout, Georgia loses. But if its close, Georgia wins.
Why Georgia Might Win
1. Airing it out
If there’s a weakness in Alabama’s defense, it’s its defensive secondary. If Murray gets protection, he could exploit that.
2. This team smells destiny
Since January, the goal for this team is being in Miami for the title. When a team of destiny is that close to a goal, it’s tough to stop it.
3. Gamechangers
Georgia has a more talented defense, and it starts with playmakers, Bacarri Rambo, Alec Ogletree and Jarvis Jones. Alabama has a talented defense, but it doesn’t have the playmakers who can turn a game on a play and take it over all by themselves.
Why Georgia Might Not Win
1. Aaron Murray
It’s funny. Murray is why Georgia may or may not win. If Murray presses too much and makes early mistakes (see Florida last year), Georgia is fighting uphill right away and will be in a hole that’ll be tough to dig out of. Georgia’s hopes of winning hinge on what Aaron Murray shows up.
2. Getting Personal
If there’s been a blight on Georgia’s defense the past month, it’s been the amount of senseless personal fouls. Georgia CANNOT afford these against Alabama. If Georgia comes out wanting to carry its pre-game trash talk onto the field, it will lose, because it’ll result in either personal fouls or players trying to make too big of plays early with the result being busted players on defense.
3. The Line
Georgia’s offensive line has looked good recently. It helps a lot that it hasn’t faced a good offensive line in that stretch. It’s easy to break big plays against Ole Miss, Tech and Auburn. It’s harder against great defenses, and Bama has a darn good defensive line.
How much is the recent offensive success due to lack of competition? We’ll find out Saturday afternoon.
Go Dawgs!
Lugnut Dawg
