Greetings. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. Man, time kind of got away from me this month. The posting has been light in December and basically non-existent for the past few weeks. For that, I apologize. I manage a package store and obviously the Holiday season is crazy for us. It's yet another reason why I have so much respect for so many of my fellow Dawg-bloggers for being so prolific and consistent with their posting. My hats off to those folks, for sure.
I'm just basically going to combine the Treatment and Dawgosphere sections with this one:
Definitely been some Dawg news going on the past few weeks. A few suspensions have got many of us wondering about our secondary in the Gator Bowl, but I think we'll be alright. Also in that story from Emerson is news that we'll be losing Christian Lemay after this season as he plans to transfer. Can't say that I blame the young man. With Bauta coming on strong and Ramsey having the skills he does, I think Lemay wouldn't crack the top-3 once again this year. He is reportedly planning on enrolling at Jacksonville St. where he might be looking at a starting job. Speaking of Faton Bauta, he is looking more and more like a player that can really contribute. I enjoyed watching him in the closing minutes of the Kentucky game.
The Hoop Dawgs had a nice little run going there for awhile, albeit it against inferior opponents (W. Carolina, Lipscomb, Gardner-Webb, UT-Chattanooga), but that streak ended last night at the hands of a very good Colorado team. I still think our Dawgs could end up as a pretty decent team this year. We've got some serious players and some pretty good depth. I still say we're going to surprise some folks.
This probably made the rounds a few days ago but I didn't see it until an Auburn friend of mine (of all people), posted it on my FB page yesterday. When you see stuff like this, it makes you proud to be a Bulldog and that Mark Richt is our coach. Such a wonderful thing. Thought and prayers are with that young man.
After New Year's I'll be back on a more regular basis. Hope everyone has a wonderful 2014!
GO DAWGS!
December 29, 2013
December 8, 2013
The Sunday Treatment & A Trip Around the Dawgosphere: Championship Weekend Edition
Great day of college football yesterday. I savored pretty much all of it all the way to the Mountain West CG that wrapped up in the early Sunday morning hours. This is always a bittersweet time of year. It's exciting to know that bowl games are coming up, but we all know that our college football is coming to a close and we won't don't have much more until we'll have to be without it for about 9 months. Let's break down the big ones:
SECCG: Auburn vs. MIZZOU
Well, it was an entertaining game. I'll sure say that. Seems like everyone is jumping on the lack of defense meme in the SEC. Myself included! Hell, it's like A&M and MIZZOU join and we turn into the Big 12 or something. But they say that sometimes it takes a year or two for defenses to catch up with offenses. I think we'll probably see lower point totals in the SEC next year. With that said, I personally think the biggest reason why we've seen such an explosion in points-per-game is because the SEC, for whatever reason, decided to basically quit calling holding this year. You'll see a penalty or two per game for very egregious violations, but by and large, they're just not calling it anymore. I mean, come on, Auburn is basically just running the old-school Wing T set. But, if you have a legitimate passing threat, it can be tough to defend. I'll give credit where it's due - Auburn was the better team last night. And at this point, I'm inclined to agree with some others that even though FSU will probably be the overall better team, you've got to figure that there is no way that Auburn won't win it!
One other thing. The targeting rule, nationwide, has been as huge as anything. That, coupled with the aforementioned lack of holding being called in the SEC, has probably been the biggest factor. But, there are some very interesting and hard-to-defend offenses in the SEC this year: A&M w/ Johnny Football; Gus and the Delaware Wing-T; MIZZOU, USCe, and Ole Miss running various variations of the Zone Read/ Jet Sweep type stuff. They're all factors. Also, to score another one in the category of unintended consequences, wonder why we've seen all of these blown knees? Maybe because defenders are going low? There you go...
In terms of how the defenses can catch up, I don't know the game enough, defensively, to give you a good answer. But I'm sure they will.
One more thing. I think you've got to hang this loss on the MIZZOU coaching staff. What was up w/ that 3 man front. It would get ripped every time and they kept going back to it. And what was the one thing they did well all night offensively? Passing the ball. But late in the game they kept trying to run it playing right into the AU defense. To me, it looked like Pinkel et al were not quite ready for prime time.
tOSU vs. Mich. State
Pretty much everybody called it. The Buckeyes were just not that good. In fact, Ohio St. would lose by 2-4 touchdowns or possibly more to the following teams: Alabama, Auburn, Stanford, Oregon, Clemson, Missouri, South Carolina, LSU, probably Georgia, and about 5 other teams. They were exposed for exactly what they were. A fairly decent team with a very easy regular season schedule. Also, the previous bit about the MIZZOU coaching staff not being ready for prime time - ditto with the OSU staff.
The Other Stuff
I wonder if Mack Brown is squarely back on the hot seat? I'm sure he is. I really like Stanford. They're a damn good team. Same with Baylor. And you got to tip your hat to Duke. They gave it all they had. It just wasn't anywhere close to being enough. And how 'bout them Rice Owls? Their first conference championship in over 50 years. That's a good story.
And let's check the pulse of the DawgNation and take...
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere
Alright. Guess we'll find out who's going where later on tonight. As for us, I'm still pulling for a match-up vs. Michigan in the Gator Bowl. We'll see. Go DAWGS!
SECCG: Auburn vs. MIZZOU
Well, it was an entertaining game. I'll sure say that. Seems like everyone is jumping on the lack of defense meme in the SEC. Myself included! Hell, it's like A&M and MIZZOU join and we turn into the Big 12 or something. But they say that sometimes it takes a year or two for defenses to catch up with offenses. I think we'll probably see lower point totals in the SEC next year. With that said, I personally think the biggest reason why we've seen such an explosion in points-per-game is because the SEC, for whatever reason, decided to basically quit calling holding this year. You'll see a penalty or two per game for very egregious violations, but by and large, they're just not calling it anymore. I mean, come on, Auburn is basically just running the old-school Wing T set. But, if you have a legitimate passing threat, it can be tough to defend. I'll give credit where it's due - Auburn was the better team last night. And at this point, I'm inclined to agree with some others that even though FSU will probably be the overall better team, you've got to figure that there is no way that Auburn won't win it!
One other thing. The targeting rule, nationwide, has been as huge as anything. That, coupled with the aforementioned lack of holding being called in the SEC, has probably been the biggest factor. But, there are some very interesting and hard-to-defend offenses in the SEC this year: A&M w/ Johnny Football; Gus and the Delaware Wing-T; MIZZOU, USCe, and Ole Miss running various variations of the Zone Read/ Jet Sweep type stuff. They're all factors. Also, to score another one in the category of unintended consequences, wonder why we've seen all of these blown knees? Maybe because defenders are going low? There you go...
In terms of how the defenses can catch up, I don't know the game enough, defensively, to give you a good answer. But I'm sure they will.
One more thing. I think you've got to hang this loss on the MIZZOU coaching staff. What was up w/ that 3 man front. It would get ripped every time and they kept going back to it. And what was the one thing they did well all night offensively? Passing the ball. But late in the game they kept trying to run it playing right into the AU defense. To me, it looked like Pinkel et al were not quite ready for prime time.
tOSU vs. Mich. State
Pretty much everybody called it. The Buckeyes were just not that good. In fact, Ohio St. would lose by 2-4 touchdowns or possibly more to the following teams: Alabama, Auburn, Stanford, Oregon, Clemson, Missouri, South Carolina, LSU, probably Georgia, and about 5 other teams. They were exposed for exactly what they were. A fairly decent team with a very easy regular season schedule. Also, the previous bit about the MIZZOU coaching staff not being ready for prime time - ditto with the OSU staff.
The Other Stuff
I wonder if Mack Brown is squarely back on the hot seat? I'm sure he is. I really like Stanford. They're a damn good team. Same with Baylor. And you got to tip your hat to Duke. They gave it all they had. It just wasn't anywhere close to being enough. And how 'bout them Rice Owls? Their first conference championship in over 50 years. That's a good story.
And let's check the pulse of the DawgNation and take...
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere
- I've felt this way for the last seven years. Bernie's right on the money
- Over at the Grit Tree I find myself agreeing a lot of the time with CorbinDawg. Not so much with this other guy.
- To my point about the chances that Auburn has in the big one. From the Senator. Yeah, football gods, FTW - Fo Sho! Either Gus & company have been living right or, more likely, they all sold their souls to Satan.
- Tyler's thoughts on the new lack of D in the SEC.
Alright. Guess we'll find out who's going where later on tonight. As for us, I'm still pulling for a match-up vs. Michigan in the Gator Bowl. We'll see. Go DAWGS!
December 1, 2013
The Sunday Treatment & A Trip Around the Dawgsophere: THWGT Edition
DAWGS 41 - NATS 34
For me personally, it's as if the 1999 game has finally been fully exorcised. No, 2002 didn't do it. 2004 Reggie Ball? Nope. 2006 and 2009 might have finally gotten 1998 paid back. No, it wasn't until last night that I truly felt like things, in a karmic perspective, were finally set right. We ripped their hearts out and broke their noses.
The techies are in a bad way right now. I mean really bad. After enduring perhaps our most heartbreaking loss ever just a few weeks ago, I could almost feel myself feeling a little sorry for that crowd. Almost. I mean, it's Tech. So...no - not really. It seems as if most of the tech crowd is turning against CPJ. That's a shame...
What a crazy game. And after the season we've had, would you have expected anything less? After being down 20-0 and then 20-7 at halftime, it seemed as if the Golden Tornado finally had our number this year, but that just wasn't gonna happen. Todd Gurley was going to make sure that wouldn't happen. The same with Hutson Mason, Chris Conley, our O-line, the D in the 2nd half. It was a true team win, and it was absolutely beautiful. And the final play of the 2nd OT? We batted the pass DOWN. Gotta love that.
So let's check the pulse of the DawgNation and take...
A Trip Around the Dawgsophere
Five in a row. 12 out of 13. Like I said yesterday, Richt owns Tech so bad that he pays Fulton Co. property taxes! All is right for another 365.
GO DAWGS!
For me personally, it's as if the 1999 game has finally been fully exorcised. No, 2002 didn't do it. 2004 Reggie Ball? Nope. 2006 and 2009 might have finally gotten 1998 paid back. No, it wasn't until last night that I truly felt like things, in a karmic perspective, were finally set right. We ripped their hearts out and broke their noses.
The techies are in a bad way right now. I mean really bad. After enduring perhaps our most heartbreaking loss ever just a few weeks ago, I could almost feel myself feeling a little sorry for that crowd. Almost. I mean, it's Tech. So...no - not really. It seems as if most of the tech crowd is turning against CPJ. That's a shame...
What a crazy game. And after the season we've had, would you have expected anything less? After being down 20-0 and then 20-7 at halftime, it seemed as if the Golden Tornado finally had our number this year, but that just wasn't gonna happen. Todd Gurley was going to make sure that wouldn't happen. The same with Hutson Mason, Chris Conley, our O-line, the D in the 2nd half. It was a true team win, and it was absolutely beautiful. And the final play of the 2nd OT? We batted the pass DOWN. Gotta love that.
So let's check the pulse of the DawgNation and take...
A Trip Around the Dawgsophere
- Probably my favorite recurring Dawgblog post: Dawgsports' Mark Richt Victory Watch
- Tyler's Sunday Morning Comes over at Georgia Sports Blog
- Good take over at the GOTTASUPPORTEM Blog
- Seth Emerson, from the Macon paper, gives his recap.
- The Senator hasn't posted his recap yet, so be sure to visit later today.[UPDATE: "Observations from the 20: UGA-GT Edition]
- Bernie thinks it's a great day for America. Agreed!
Five in a row. 12 out of 13. Like I said yesterday, Richt owns Tech so bad that he pays Fulton Co. property taxes! All is right for another 365.
GO DAWGS!
November 30, 2013
Some Quick Saturday Thoughts & To Hell With Tech
Greetings! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had a nice one.
I listened to a good bit of this one on the radio yesterday and I'm pleased to report that our Hoop Dawgs finally got another win under their belt. Yes, it was Appalachian St. and yes, they're from the SOCON (but hey - remember Davidson), but our Dawgs looked pretty darn good as we witnessed another great game out of Charles Mann. That kid's a baller. Final: Dawgs 71 - App. St. 53.
So now it's Clean, Old-fashioned Hate. Georgia Tech. The Golden Tornado. The NATS. The Nerds. "What's the Good Word?" "Piss on 'em," the Flagboy, and the rest of their weird, pathetic crap.
They suck, and I hate them...
We've won 11 out of 12 from that crowd. Richt owns Tech so bad that he pays Fulton Co. property taxes.
And don't let anyone tell you that Buzz and Co. are not our main rivals anymore. Yes we own them. Yes they're pathetic. But who do you hate losing to the most? That's how you tell who your biggest rival is. Still pissed about 2008? Hell, I'm still pissed about 1999!
Keys to the game? Line up and knock the everlivin' sh!t out of 'em! Seriously, I think if Gurley does his thing, Mason plays a smart, solid game with limited mistakes, and if our D can continue playing like they have the last two games, I don't see how we don't win...probably by a couple of touchdowns. Of course the wildcard would be special teams play, but they do seem pretty improved over past month.
Bunch of great games on today. Can't wait to get in front of the TV.
GO DAWGS! GATA! TO HELL WITH TECH!
I listened to a good bit of this one on the radio yesterday and I'm pleased to report that our Hoop Dawgs finally got another win under their belt. Yes, it was Appalachian St. and yes, they're from the SOCON (but hey - remember Davidson), but our Dawgs looked pretty darn good as we witnessed another great game out of Charles Mann. That kid's a baller. Final: Dawgs 71 - App. St. 53.
So now it's Clean, Old-fashioned Hate. Georgia Tech. The Golden Tornado. The NATS. The Nerds. "What's the Good Word?" "Piss on 'em," the Flagboy, and the rest of their weird, pathetic crap.
They suck, and I hate them...
We've won 11 out of 12 from that crowd. Richt owns Tech so bad that he pays Fulton Co. property taxes.
And don't let anyone tell you that Buzz and Co. are not our main rivals anymore. Yes we own them. Yes they're pathetic. But who do you hate losing to the most? That's how you tell who your biggest rival is. Still pissed about 2008? Hell, I'm still pissed about 1999!
Keys to the game? Line up and knock the everlivin' sh!t out of 'em! Seriously, I think if Gurley does his thing, Mason plays a smart, solid game with limited mistakes, and if our D can continue playing like they have the last two games, I don't see how we don't win...probably by a couple of touchdowns. Of course the wildcard would be special teams play, but they do seem pretty improved over past month.
Bunch of great games on today. Can't wait to get in front of the TV.
GO DAWGS! GATA! TO HELL WITH TECH!
November 26, 2013
Some Quick Tuesday Thoughts
Busy, busy week with work, so I'll be pretty brief and this will probably be it until after Turkey Day...
I was at the game Saturday night. Great win for the Dawgs. Perhaps our first truly complete game. Obviously all of that was overshadowed by the heartbreaking, gutwrenching sight of Aaron Murray's injury. He's having ACL surgery today - thoughts and prayers are with you, young man. It wasn't suppose to be like this, right? I guess when it ain't your year - it's just not your year. Man, we've had some bad luck this year. It just doesn't seem fair, but nobody said life was fair. I thought CorbinDawg over at The Grit Tree gave a very good write-up on this situation. Yep, Destiny sure is fickle.
We now find ourselves 7-4 with the state championship left to play for. As I've mentioned before, while a lot of people would like to think that the NATS aren't our biggest rival anymore, let me ask you this question: who do you hate losing to the most? Yeah, that's what I thought. And sure - it's only happened once in the last 12 years. All the more reason for us to take care of business and dispatch the nerd herd.
And naturally, Hate Week is in full gear, so you know that Bernie is all over that: EngiNerd, EngiNerdette (classy) and "You Can Do That!" LOLz! Good stuff.
So now we've got to deal with that triple-option crap that the techies run. I like this as a motivational tactic by Grantham (H/T the Senator). Hell yes! I also like how we're going with full pads all week. Very good.
Alright, I'll be doing my pre-game stuff either Friday or early Saturday, so look out for that. Happy Thanksgiving!
GO DAWGS!
I was at the game Saturday night. Great win for the Dawgs. Perhaps our first truly complete game. Obviously all of that was overshadowed by the heartbreaking, gutwrenching sight of Aaron Murray's injury. He's having ACL surgery today - thoughts and prayers are with you, young man. It wasn't suppose to be like this, right? I guess when it ain't your year - it's just not your year. Man, we've had some bad luck this year. It just doesn't seem fair, but nobody said life was fair. I thought CorbinDawg over at The Grit Tree gave a very good write-up on this situation. Yep, Destiny sure is fickle.
We now find ourselves 7-4 with the state championship left to play for. As I've mentioned before, while a lot of people would like to think that the NATS aren't our biggest rival anymore, let me ask you this question: who do you hate losing to the most? Yeah, that's what I thought. And sure - it's only happened once in the last 12 years. All the more reason for us to take care of business and dispatch the nerd herd.
And naturally, Hate Week is in full gear, so you know that Bernie is all over that: EngiNerd, EngiNerdette (classy) and "You Can Do That!" LOLz! Good stuff.
So now we've got to deal with that triple-option crap that the techies run. I like this as a motivational tactic by Grantham (H/T the Senator). Hell yes! I also like how we're going with full pads all week. Very good.
Alright, I'll be doing my pre-game stuff either Friday or early Saturday, so look out for that. Happy Thanksgiving!
GO DAWGS!
November 23, 2013
Hoop Dawgs Lose a Heartbreaker; Thoughts on UGA vs. UK
Hoop Dawgs Lose a Heartbreaker
After a less than impressive showing against Davidson Thursday night, the Hoop Dawgs brought it against Temple in the 2nd round of the Charleston Classic. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the Owls hit a 3 with seven seconds left to beat us 83-81. Gaines and Mann, our starting guards, had huge nights with 21 and 19 points, respectively. Big guys Thorton and Williams had good games as well and Djurisic had a big night off the bench with 10 points. The Dawgs outshot the Owls and were basically even in most other phases of the game. We limited turnovers and we got the ball around pretty good. It just wasn't quite enough. As I've mentioned earlier, I still feel good about this team and think we can surprise some folks and have a decent year.
UGA vs. UK
Well, here we are, the last home game of the season. This is always a mixed bag for me. I'm excited to get to see one more Between the Hedges but I'm always kind of sad because I know it will be a pretty long while before I'll see another one. Tonight is Senior night and we'll be saying farewell to many a Damn Good Dog including the most prolific QB in SEC and UGA History, Aaron Murray.
As for the game itself, I'm thinking our Dawgs will be ready. It would be easy to overlook Kentucky as they are the worst team in the SEC, but I think our boys are up for the challenge and will bring it pretty hard today. No emotional hangover from last week and no looking ahead to the NATS. I think the Dawgs are going take out some frustration tonight. I'm with Bernie, we need to be fast and aggressive on D and just do our thing on offense.
I sure hope we don't see a storm of events - 6-4 record, bad weather, bad opponent - keep folks away from Sanford tonight. I'd hate for there to be only about 70 - 80,000 folks in the stands during the Senior night festivities . Them boys deserve better than that. Let's pack it out tonight!
GO DAWGS!
After a less than impressive showing against Davidson Thursday night, the Hoop Dawgs brought it against Temple in the 2nd round of the Charleston Classic. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the Owls hit a 3 with seven seconds left to beat us 83-81. Gaines and Mann, our starting guards, had huge nights with 21 and 19 points, respectively. Big guys Thorton and Williams had good games as well and Djurisic had a big night off the bench with 10 points. The Dawgs outshot the Owls and were basically even in most other phases of the game. We limited turnovers and we got the ball around pretty good. It just wasn't quite enough. As I've mentioned earlier, I still feel good about this team and think we can surprise some folks and have a decent year.
UGA vs. UK
Well, here we are, the last home game of the season. This is always a mixed bag for me. I'm excited to get to see one more Between the Hedges but I'm always kind of sad because I know it will be a pretty long while before I'll see another one. Tonight is Senior night and we'll be saying farewell to many a Damn Good Dog including the most prolific QB in SEC and UGA History, Aaron Murray.
As for the game itself, I'm thinking our Dawgs will be ready. It would be easy to overlook Kentucky as they are the worst team in the SEC, but I think our boys are up for the challenge and will bring it pretty hard today. No emotional hangover from last week and no looking ahead to the NATS. I think the Dawgs are going take out some frustration tonight. I'm with Bernie, we need to be fast and aggressive on D and just do our thing on offense.
I sure hope we don't see a storm of events - 6-4 record, bad weather, bad opponent - keep folks away from Sanford tonight. I'd hate for there to be only about 70 - 80,000 folks in the stands during the Senior night festivities . Them boys deserve better than that. Let's pack it out tonight!
GO DAWGS!
November 21, 2013
Hoop Dawgs in Action Today
Our Hoop Dawgs take on Davidson today in the first round of the Charleston Classic in Charleston, SC. Tip-off is set for 5PM and the game will be carried by ESPNU.
The Dawgs come in 1-1 and Davidson is 0-3. This should be, and really needs to be, a win. The Southern Conference Wildcats, at first glance, might not seem like a very good ball team, but this crowd did play the 25th ranked team in the country, Virginia, pretty darn tough a few days ago.
We'll need for our starting five to play well in addition to our key bench guys. Look for Gaines and Mann to have big games and look for J.J. Frazier to impress off the bench as well. And we'll need for our big guys to continue their impressive rebounding numbers and add some quality points, too. Remember last year's early season tournament, the Progressive Legends Classic, in which we lost to Youngstown St. and Southern Miss before losing the games we were supposed to lose - that tournament really killed us, I think. It set the tone for a season that had moments of success but ultimately became a real disappointment. We really need to take care of business today.
Again, that's a 5PM tip on ESPNU. GO DAWGS!
The Dawgs come in 1-1 and Davidson is 0-3. This should be, and really needs to be, a win. The Southern Conference Wildcats, at first glance, might not seem like a very good ball team, but this crowd did play the 25th ranked team in the country, Virginia, pretty darn tough a few days ago.
We'll need for our starting five to play well in addition to our key bench guys. Look for Gaines and Mann to have big games and look for J.J. Frazier to impress off the bench as well. And we'll need for our big guys to continue their impressive rebounding numbers and add some quality points, too. Remember last year's early season tournament, the Progressive Legends Classic, in which we lost to Youngstown St. and Southern Miss before losing the games we were supposed to lose - that tournament really killed us, I think. It set the tone for a season that had moments of success but ultimately became a real disappointment. We really need to take care of business today.
Again, that's a 5PM tip on ESPNU. GO DAWGS!
November 19, 2013
Something Very Cool Happened in the Dawgosphere Yesterday
Many of you have probably already read this, if not, you really need to. It's entitled, "What it Means to be a DGD: An Open Letter to Aaron Murray." It's awesome. It started out as a fan post on Dawgsports with a fair amount of views and FB and Twitter shares. Then it got promoted to the main page. Then, well, I think they call it going "viral." As of this morning, it is at over 36,000 FB shares (I read that even for well-read posts that number is usually double-digits, maybe triple), and as of last night it had been viewed over 170,000 times. I knew it was picking up steam when I saw several of my FB friends who don't follow Dawgsports on Facebook sharing it. Pretty cool stuff.
I think T. Kyle King, the founder of Dawgsports, summed it best with his comment on this post:
Agreed! Thank you, Dawg Haus, for such a superb post. Excellent work.
I think T. Kyle King, the founder of Dawgsports, summed it best with his comment on this post:
Thank You, Dawg Haus. At this moment, having just completed reading this, I feel better than I have felt since that awful, terrible, gut-wrenching ending on Saturday night.
Agreed! Thank you, Dawg Haus, for such a superb post. Excellent work.
November 18, 2013
The Hoop Dawgs Have Hit the Hardwood
These Dawgs - our Dawgs - are hungry and ready to play. With the loss of KCP, it looks to be a lean year, but I just have this feeling that these hoop Dawgs might surprise a few folks. And honestly, if Mark Fox wants to keep his job, he might need for that to happen.
After winning their opener vs. Wofford, the Dawgs ended up losing to the NATS this past Friday. Not too worried about that - Tech looks to be pretty strong this year. It was good game that showed some promise for our team. For the 2013-14 edition of the Hoop Dawgs to be successful, we will need for our marquee players to really produce: guards Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann with some points and dishes along with our starting forwards Djurisic and Dante Williams putting up some points and grabbing some boards. Off the bench, we will need some key contributions from guys like Cameron Forte and especially J.J. Frazier who I think may well end up as our key sixth guy.
You know, the tickets are so cheap and the atmosphere is always so much fun - you should really try to attend a few games and support the program.
Here's the 2013-14 schedule.
The roster.
And to get info on tickets.
UGA Basketball Page at ESPN
GO HOOP DAWGS!
November 17, 2013
Staring into the Abyss & a Trip Around the Dawgosphere
Last night was the toughest loss I've ever dealt with in 30+ years of being a Georgia fan. It was soul-crushing. I think what made it so bad was the fact that we basically had gotten our doors blown off early and then it seemed as if we would hold our own in the 3rd quarter to at least keep it from getting out of hand. Then, all of the sudden we have this miracle comeback only to see a bigger miracle comeback at the very end. And then, and this is something that hardly anyone is talking about, we witness an egregious helmet-to-helmet hit against our QB in the final play that should have given us one more snap.
You know what else made this one tough? Those damn Auburn fans. Always pretty much nice and friendly until after a win and then they show their asses. Of course, the whole Nick Marshall thing was another dynamic. After their $scam Newton hijinks, the plainsmen pull a redux taking the player that stole from his teammates. Winning at all costs, I guess. Ends justify the means and all that. I honestly think a fair amount of people, Auburn fans included, didn't fully know that he committed Grand Larceny against his own teammates. I mean, who does that? But because Richt made it a point not to prosecute and get the police involved and simply cut the young, troubled man loose, there has been a bit of a whitewashing of the Nick Marshall story. So, it's just really an additional sting given that background and then to see the reaction of so many of the Tiger nation. But, that's just how they roll. Every staff they've had all the way back to Shug Jordan has been basically been found guilty of cheating. Well, you reap what you sow - we saw that with the 2012 edition of Abuurn.Call it sour grapes if you want, but I'm especially happy and proud to be a Bulldog on this dreary, rainy Sunday. And I'm so glad that Mark Richt is our coach.
One other thing: Penn Wagers. To hell with him. He's awful. At this point, it's just beyond ridiculous that he is still calling Georgia games. He's proven with his actions, and publicly with his words, that he cannot be impartial and neutral when it comes to UGA. And, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, the non-call on the blatant helmet-to-helmet hit on the game's last play was just icing on the cake as far as that is concerned.
As for the game: well, this one was all knotted up at 54-54-8 and it seemed fitting that the game, and so many of the stats, were basically even. They had 29 first downs and so did we. We finished with over 530 yards of total offense and they had a few more. It was basically anyone's game at the end. And Auburn, with the flukiest of fluke plays (he didn't even see the ball until it was coming down right into his hands), just broke our damn hearts. This basically becomes their "Belue-to-Scott" play. It's a tough, tough one. Like I said - the toughest ever for me.
Let's check the pulse of the Dawg Nation and take...
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere:
Well, we got to shake this one off and get ready for Kentucky. I know they've basically been awful this year but they got some talent, and some pretty good coaching. We've got to get ready for that crowd. Also, this will be our final home game so we really need to pack it out and show some love to our Seniors, especially Aaron Murray.
GO DAWGS!
You know what else made this one tough? Those damn Auburn fans. Always pretty much nice and friendly until after a win and then they show their asses. Of course, the whole Nick Marshall thing was another dynamic. After their $scam Newton hijinks, the plainsmen pull a redux taking the player that stole from his teammates. Winning at all costs, I guess. Ends justify the means and all that. I honestly think a fair amount of people, Auburn fans included, didn't fully know that he committed Grand Larceny against his own teammates. I mean, who does that? But because Richt made it a point not to prosecute and get the police involved and simply cut the young, troubled man loose, there has been a bit of a whitewashing of the Nick Marshall story. So, it's just really an additional sting given that background and then to see the reaction of so many of the Tiger nation. But, that's just how they roll. Every staff they've had all the way back to Shug Jordan has been basically been found guilty of cheating. Well, you reap what you sow - we saw that with the 2012 edition of Abuurn.Call it sour grapes if you want, but I'm especially happy and proud to be a Bulldog on this dreary, rainy Sunday. And I'm so glad that Mark Richt is our coach.
One other thing: Penn Wagers. To hell with him. He's awful. At this point, it's just beyond ridiculous that he is still calling Georgia games. He's proven with his actions, and publicly with his words, that he cannot be impartial and neutral when it comes to UGA. And, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, the non-call on the blatant helmet-to-helmet hit on the game's last play was just icing on the cake as far as that is concerned.
As for the game: well, this one was all knotted up at 54-54-8 and it seemed fitting that the game, and so many of the stats, were basically even. They had 29 first downs and so did we. We finished with over 530 yards of total offense and they had a few more. It was basically anyone's game at the end. And Auburn, with the flukiest of fluke plays (he didn't even see the ball until it was coming down right into his hands), just broke our damn hearts. This basically becomes their "Belue-to-Scott" play. It's a tough, tough one. Like I said - the toughest ever for me.
Let's check the pulse of the Dawg Nation and take...
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere:
- Always a Sunday must read: the Senator and his observations. Spot on, as always.
- Bernie's right: Aaron Murray is so damn clutch. He deserved to win this one. We really need to show some love this Saturday. Let's pack Sanford, y'all!
- And Tyler's right: Ramik is the man! DGD!
- The Macon paper's Seth Emerson, the best UGA beat writer out there, keeps on keepin' it real.
Well, we got to shake this one off and get ready for Kentucky. I know they've basically been awful this year but they got some talent, and some pretty good coaching. We've got to get ready for that crowd. Also, this will be our final home game so we really need to pack it out and show some love to our Seniors, especially Aaron Murray.
GO DAWGS!
November 16, 2013
Breaking it Down: UGA vs. the wareagletigerplainsmen
Here we go. The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. All-time series knotted up at 54-54-8. The Dawgs come in
winners of 6 of the last 7, but AU comes in as a top-ten favorite. We all know that. And we all know this as well:
Contrary to what many think, Auburn is not a "brotherly" or "gentleman's" rivalry. Those SOB's turned hoses on us including feeble old people and small children back in 1986. These were not people on the field (who also got sprayed) but rather folks just minding their own business in the stands. That's Auburn.
You know what else Auburn is? Cheaters! That's just how they roll. Shady banks and seedy dog-racing track owners, pay-for-play players, etc. etc. A 10-part series of 400 page books could be written about Auburn's propensity for wanting/having to always cheat in order to get the success that they so desire. I tell you what elseAbuurn Auburn is - conflicted, confused, and crazy - they don't even know what they are! Tigers, Plainsmen, War Eagles, Oh My! Of course, they make a big deal about how War Eagle is not their mascot but rather their rallying cry...alright, then. So, I guess that bird that flies around before every home game that everyone refers to as the Auburn mascot is...not their mascot? Okay...so the bird is a living, breathing, flying "rallying cry." Got it, Auburn! Got it.
To me, UGA has five legitimate rivals. And from my perspective, you've got to play a team every year for it to truly be a rivalry game. They are, in order of hatred and disdain and most importantly - who you want to lose to the least - as follows: Tech, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and South Carolina. So I've got Auburn in the middle of the pack so one might wonder, "why do you dislike them so much?" See above.
As for the game itself, I feel pretty darn good about it. Auburn runs the ball well and our defense handles the run well. The zone read stuff is a bit of a wildcard but we've had some exposure to that with Clemson, SCAR, and MIZZOU. So really, I feel that part of the game is pretty good. Naturally Auburn will put some points on the board but I truly feel that our offense can put up more. The one thing that can tip it, of course, is special teams. As we all know, we've had some major issues, and as anyone can tell you who saw Auburn play last week - they've got some real weapons and playmakers in that phase of the game. I think it's going to come down to that and turnovers.
winners of 6 of the last 7, but AU comes in as a top-ten favorite. We all know that. And we all know this as well:
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| G.A.T.A.! |
You know what else Auburn is? Cheaters! That's just how they roll. Shady banks and seedy dog-racing track owners, pay-for-play players, etc. etc. A 10-part series of 400 page books could be written about Auburn's propensity for wanting/having to always cheat in order to get the success that they so desire. I tell you what else
To me, UGA has five legitimate rivals. And from my perspective, you've got to play a team every year for it to truly be a rivalry game. They are, in order of hatred and disdain and most importantly - who you want to lose to the least - as follows: Tech, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and South Carolina. So I've got Auburn in the middle of the pack so one might wonder, "why do you dislike them so much?" See above.
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| "flipmode's the greatest." |
GO DAWGS! G.A.T.A!
November 14, 2013
The Thursday Treatment and A Trip Around the Dawgosphere
Well, usually I do these things on Sundays, but I didn't do it this past Sunday. In fact, I've only posted once in the last ten days. Sorry about that. What can I say? I've been busy. But hell - we're all busy. As a part of the Dawgosphere now, it makes me truly appreciate the guys like The Senator, Bernie, Tyler, the Lady, and others who are pretty darn prolific with their posting. I tip my hat...
I attended the Appalachian St. game with my wife and daughter. We had a really nice time.It was great to see Aaron Murray break the SEC record for passing TDs. With this, and after the SEC yardage record that was already broken, there's no denying he's the greatest to ever play in the SEC. Well done, AM. You're a Damn Good Dog! It was also nice to see so many backups get some quality playing time in the 2nd half. We're set up nicely next year with Hutson Mason at QB, aren't we? The first half was pretty frustrating though, right? Oh well. It was a big win. 45-6. We'll take it...
Lots of stuff going on this week...so why don't we take "a trip around the Dawgosphere."
I attended the Appalachian St. game with my wife and daughter. We had a really nice time.It was great to see Aaron Murray break the SEC record for passing TDs. With this, and after the SEC yardage record that was already broken, there's no denying he's the greatest to ever play in the SEC. Well done, AM. You're a Damn Good Dog! It was also nice to see so many backups get some quality playing time in the 2nd half. We're set up nicely next year with Hutson Mason at QB, aren't we? The first half was pretty frustrating though, right? Oh well. It was a big win. 45-6. We'll take it...
Lots of stuff going on this week...so why don't we take "a trip around the Dawgosphere."
- Looking at the different teams' strengths, Tyler thinks the Dawgs have an excellent shot at winning on the Plains in a couple of days. I'm inclined to agree.
- I vividly remember watching this one on TV as an eleven year old boy. What a game. And what a Damn Good Dog! And to hell with Auburn for pulling that crap. T. Kyle King is right - anyone who thinks that Auburn is a "gentleman's" or "brotherly" rivalry just doesn't get it!
- Lugnut over at the Grit Tree is also feeling good about Saturday.
- What's the best UGA beat writer saying about Saturday? It's the run defense, stupid!
- The Mumme Poll, Week 11. My ballot is very similar but I had OSU instead of tOSU.
- A very good write-up about the upcoming game over at the GottaSupport'em Blog. I like this guy's stuff - he does a good job.
November 9, 2013
A Personal Take on the Appalachian St. Game
About to take my ladies to the Classic City, so I'll be brief. Sorry for the light posting lately - it's been one of those weeks. Like the Senator, I really don't have anything for this one other than hoping to see the things he mentioned - Murray breaking the record, everyone staying healthy, and getting some of our backups some good playing time.
For me, the coolest storyline today is a personal one. One of my good friends is a UGA grad and he was looking for some tickets for Saturday's game to take his son to that I was able to help him get. Here's the back story: his parents met and became an item back in the day when they were both students at Appalachian State (and I had both of these fine folks as teachers in high school - they were two of my favorite teachers. Both just fine, fine people). My friend's son is named Boone in honor of the town where App. State is located. This will be the young man's first UGA game. Against the school where his grandparents met and fell in love. Pretty cool story, I think.
Let's have a great day between the hedges. GO DAWGS!
For me, the coolest storyline today is a personal one. One of my good friends is a UGA grad and he was looking for some tickets for Saturday's game to take his son to that I was able to help him get. Here's the back story: his parents met and became an item back in the day when they were both students at Appalachian State (and I had both of these fine folks as teachers in high school - they were two of my favorite teachers. Both just fine, fine people). My friend's son is named Boone in honor of the town where App. State is located. This will be the young man's first UGA game. Against the school where his grandparents met and fell in love. Pretty cool story, I think.
Let's have a great day between the hedges. GO DAWGS!
November 4, 2013
My Mumme Poll Ballot, Week 10
It's time for the Mumme Poll,
the best poll in college football. This poll utilizes approval voting
where voters vote for their top 10 teams without ranking with the
exception of the top team. Here's my top 10 for this week:
Alabama*
Alabama*
Florida
State
Oregon
Ohio
State
Stanford
Missouri
Clemson
Oklahoma
Fresno
State
Baylor
*tiebreaker
Explanation: I switched 'Bama back to #1 after having FSU there for the
last two weeks. I just feel like they're the best and would beat FSU in a
head-to-head. I’ve still got Fresno
St. in there – GO DAWGS! I decided to put LSU in
over Auburn.
Like a lots of folks, I’m just not sure how good the wareagletigerplainsmen
really are. The last spot was tough. Thought about Okie St. and Michigan St. but decided, begrudgingly,
to go with Baylor again. I don’t think they’re legit, but we will soon find out
about that.
November 3, 2013
The Sunday Treatment and a Trip Around the Dawgosphere: UGA vs. UF
UGA 23 - UF 20. What a win! That's three in a row vs. the Gators, 4 of the last 7, and puts us at a 5-5 tie over the last decade in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (WLOCP). You can say what you will about any number of things: no points in the 2nd half, some seriously frustrating offensive play-calling, and some other real head-scratchers (how you gonna have 12 men on the field coming out of a TO?!), but you know what - who gives a sh*t? We won the dang thing, and it was a big, big win.
Looking at the numbers, here were the biggest things that stuck out to me on offense:
I was very proud of our defense. They rose to the occasion. For starters, it was their best scoring performance all season - lowest amount given up all year, even a point better than North Texas. Just as impressive - it was their 2nd best yardage performance of the season as well (North Texas). Also of note, the last three games have been three of the D's best with each week getting better than the previous. Sure, Florida's offense is pretty anemic, but still, a really good defensive performance for the Dawgs. And how about Garrison Smith? It was nice to see him really break out and have the type of game he did.
Special teams? They didn't cost us any points so we'll give them good marks as well.
And now for our Sunday tradition:
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere
So far I think 2013 is still a pretty good year. Wins against South Carolina, UT, LSU, and Florida. That's awesome! Where might we be without all of those injuries? Hell, who knows. But it doesn't matter. There's still so much to play for. If we could add AU and GT to the list of teams we've defeated this year and 2013 will go down as a great year. Let's continue to get healthy and play a good game against Appalachian State.
GO DAWGS!
Looking at the numbers, here were the biggest things that stuck out to me on offense:
- UGA on 3rd downs: well north of 50% at 7 out of 12. That was simply huge, and obviously a heck of a lot better than last year's numbers (1 out of 11).
- Even though he came in with two wins against the reptiles, it was nice to see Aaron Murray finally have that killer performance that we've all been waiting to see:16 out of 25 (64%) for 258 yards with a TD and no INTs. Averaging 10 yards per throw with an impressive 163.89 QB rating.
- MVP of the game? Who was our leading rusher, receiver and scorer? No doubt about it: Todd Gurley. We most likely don't win without him. He's a DGD and one of the greatest players in college football right now.
It was nice having Bennett back, wasn't it? All five of his catches were very important.
I was very proud of our defense. They rose to the occasion. For starters, it was their best scoring performance all season - lowest amount given up all year, even a point better than North Texas. Just as impressive - it was their 2nd best yardage performance of the season as well (North Texas). Also of note, the last three games have been three of the D's best with each week getting better than the previous. Sure, Florida's offense is pretty anemic, but still, a really good defensive performance for the Dawgs. And how about Garrison Smith? It was nice to see him really break out and have the type of game he did.
Special teams? They didn't cost us any points so we'll give them good marks as well.
And now for our Sunday tradition:
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere
- Tyler over at GA Sports Blog: Sunday Morning Comes
- I'm thinking that the Senator was feeling pretty good last night: 3 in a row!
- Marc Weiszer over at the Athens paper does a good write-up about things especially the high emotions that were running.
- Seth Emerson, my favorite UGA beat writer, does his usual great job of summing things up. He mentions some hard truths, doesn't sugar coat, and keeps it real as always.
- The Mark Richt Victory Watch over at Dawgsports
- Alligator Army: "Gators die hard in wild Cocktail Party"
- Gator Country's takes
So far I think 2013 is still a pretty good year. Wins against South Carolina, UT, LSU, and Florida. That's awesome! Where might we be without all of those injuries? Hell, who knows. But it doesn't matter. There's still so much to play for. If we could add AU and GT to the list of teams we've defeated this year and 2013 will go down as a great year. Let's continue to get healthy and play a good game against Appalachian State.
GO DAWGS!
November 2, 2013
UGA vs. UF: Breakin' It Down
Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble with this one. Both Bernie and Tyler have apparently had the same issues. What is there to say? What can you say? It's Florida. Just win, baby! For the record, I disagree with Tyler - I don't think it's going to be an ugly suck-fest. I just gotta feeling...
A few thoughts:
GO DAWGS!
A few thoughts:
- Regarding D - I'm thinking they've got them boys up to speed or have greatly simplified the playbook. One or the other. I think our defense will do okay.
- Regarding the O: I think having Gurley back is going to make a big, big difference. That's how good of a player he is, and how dependent upon a good, dominant TB that a Bobo-coordinated, Richt-coached offense is. Nothing wrong with that, mind you, but that's just how it is.
- Following up on offense, are Rumph and Davis ready to be legit downfield threats? If they're not, then that's trouble. Also, is Woot ready to be the Woot of the UT game? Again, if not, and that's going to cause some problems.
- Can we get Quayvon back involved with this offense again. Please!
- Surely we've got the special teams fixed up. But then again, we've been saying that all season long, right? My Lord! Surely we've got it worked out. If not, then....well, changes will have to be made.
- The potential Scary Wildcard? Corbindawg over at The Grit Tree is all over that:
If there is one weakness that the Georgia defense has, it is containing a mobile quarterback (it was hard narrowing it down to one).I guess we'll see what we see. Honestly, I feel good about this one. I think we'll get it done.
GO DAWGS!
FWIW, Murray Might Very Well Make History Today Against the Gators
One storyline that's gotten lost over the last couple of losses is the fact that Aaron Murray is on the verge of becoming the greatest QB in SEC history in terms of passing touchdowns. He's two away from tying and three from overtaking the record for most TDs thrown by an SEC QB.
As I've mentioned a couple of times - that would be pretty poetic. Naturally, getting the W is the most important thing. In terms of the record, with our injury woes at the WR position it's probably less likely to happen, but man - it sure would be nice to see it happen.
GO DAWGS!
As I've mentioned a couple of times - that would be pretty poetic. Naturally, getting the W is the most important thing. In terms of the record, with our injury woes at the WR position it's probably less likely to happen, but man - it sure would be nice to see it happen.
GO DAWGS!
November 1, 2013
October 31, 2013
Recollections of 1985: My First Trip to Jacksonville
So in the Fall of 1985 I was a ten year old boy who loved nothing more than his Georgia Bulldogs. At that time, I had been to exactly two Georgia games on the road - Mississippi State in 1982 (we have a bunch of family in Magnolia State) and the 1984 South Carolina game (which I've written about at my other blog). My brother and I both had already been to probably dozens of home games by then, but not that many on the road.
So it was really exciting when our Dad announced that we'd be making a family trip to Jacksonville that year. As fate would have it, my brother and I did something really dumb the week of that game - involving flushing a marker down the toilet - and on the Wednesday evening after my Dad had pulled the toilet and discovered what the problem was (of course we never mentioned that we had anything to do with it until the evidence was found), he declared that we probably WOULDN'T BE GOING TO THE GAME because of our actions. He strung us along for a day or so until he finally told us that we were still going to Jacksonville even though he was seriously disappointed that we would do something that stupid...and then lie about it.
Leaving out from Covington towards Florida always meant you took the back way through Jackson and Flovilla to get to I-75, so we naturally stopped at Fresh Air BBQ. Always a treat! We drove for a few hours and stopped at a motel about an hour and half outside of Jax. We got up super early and got to the Gator Bowl in time to soak up the pregame atmosphere.
As people that have been can tell you, especially back then, you could literally smell the liquor and beer in the air. Even as a 10-year old boy, I knew that I loved that smell! I also knew that the Florida fan base was a lot different than ours. A mix of some serious rednecks and then...kind of these preppy, transplanted-yankee weirdo types. An odd mix, no doubt. Lots of trash was being talked back and forth. Again, I absolutely loved it.
Once we got to our seats, I marveled at the atmosphere. I had never seen anything like it at a college football game in my life. It was amazing. The 50/50 split for this game really is a beautiful thing. And as you may remember, there were many storylines going into this one. Florida, just that week, had become the #1 team in the country for the first time in its history. Also, they had this prolific, pass-happy offense led by their phenom QB, Kerwin Bell. Georgia, meanwhile, was ranked, and considered a pretty solid team, but most experts felt like Florida would win and probably win big.
Well, somebody forgot to tell our Dawgs that because they just played an incredible game. Long TD runs by Henderson and Worley led an offenisve performance that was good enough. Our defense would get sliced and diced between the 20s all day long, but they would always tighten up in the red zone and would never give up a touchdown. As I distinctly remembered a gentleman sitting behind us say - "the Junkyard Dawgs were back!" 24-3 was the final, but you wouldn't know it looking at the box score. Like I said, UF was pretty much moving it at will all day but they couldn't get in the end zone. It was beautiful. And a great first WLOCP game for a young, Bulldog fan...
My family and I would go to the next four Jacksonville games together. Later, I would attend many more either as a student or alumnus including several with my brother, but none have ever come close to matching the excitement and awe as that first one. It really was a special experience and one that I'll always cherish.
A win on Saturday would do so much to salvage this season, but really - we don't even need to look at it like that. This is Florida. A win would give us three in a row, four of the last seven, and a .500 mark for the last decade. That would be huge. Let's get it done. Go Dawgs!
October 30, 2013
Gators Eat Boogers!
Apparently they spelled boogers differently back in the day, but it's all good, because gators eat them. And they suck. And I. HATE. THEM.
GO DAWGS!!!
GO DAWGS!!!
October 24, 2013
Getting Over Fear and Loathing and Some Random Bye Week Thoughts
This was me at some point late Saturday night/early Sunday morning...
Sorry for the lay-off, been a bit busy this week. Plus, the whole bye week and all, not to mention the fact that we lost to Vandy. I did post some thoughts about that earlier this week that you can read here and here. Usually I'll do an additional analysis/recap after a game, but I've had enough Staring Into The Abyss for this week so I think I'll just skip it.
So, what's going on?
Sorry for the lay-off, been a bit busy this week. Plus, the whole bye week and all, not to mention the fact that we lost to Vandy. I did post some thoughts about that earlier this week that you can read here and here. Usually I'll do an additional analysis/recap after a game, but I've had enough Staring Into The Abyss for this week so I think I'll just skip it.
So, what's going on?
- It's looking like Gurley should be back for the Florida game. That's what you call great news. We just haven't been the same team without him. And according to Aaron Murray, Gurley is looking "beautiful as always." Sweet!
- Serious discussion from the SEC office about trying to do away with the 15-yd penalty if a targeting call is overturned. That would have to go through the national rules committee and wouldn't happen until next year, but still, at least there some conversation going on about how stupid and asinine this rule is. Personally, I tend to agree with the Senator that all of this targeting malarkey is about the NCAA pulling a CYA (cover your ass) to head off potential lawsuits like the NFL has had to deal with.
- For the "Fire Grantham" crowd, the stats show that the defense is continuing to improve. Just look at the box score of the Vandy game - 337 yards we gave up, and our total defense has improved to 58th in the country. They are improving, albeit somewhat slowly. And it looks like they are simplifying things a bit. That will help moving forward. Looking to spread some blame for the Vandy game? Well, it's pretty obvious, but how about our horrid special teams play and an offense that put up 221 yards of total offense and only 16 first downs. Pretty crappy, huh? That tends to happen when you go with a terrible game plan with terrible execution. The three turnovers obviously didn't help either.
- And I'm not trying to throw the offense under the bus, but man - we really stunk it up on Saturday. Yes, I know, the injuries. The big problem was that Bobo, who has really done really well the last 2 1/2 years with his play-calling, seemed to seriously regress on Saturday. And again, I get it, he was trying to be more conservative with so many of his weapons gone, but as I mentioned in Sunday's post, he just needs to go balls out no matter who he's got on the field. I'm pretty confident he's learned his lesson on that. I hope...
- Following up on that, if we can at least have either Conley or Bennett (or preferably both) to compliment Woot as our possession guys, and if we can get Davis and Rumph completely up to speed as our downfield guys, then, if we do in fact have Gurley, then I think our offense is going to be good to go.
October 21, 2013
Mumme Poll Ballot, Week 8
|
It's time for the Mumme Poll,
the best poll in college football. This poll utilizes approval voting
where voters vote for their top 10 teams without ranking with the
exception of the top team. Here's my top 10 for this week:
Florida
State (top team)
Alabama
Oregon
Missouri
Baylor
Auburn
Texas
Tech
Stanford
UCLA
Fresno
State
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October 20, 2013
The Sunday Treatment and a Trip Around the Dawgosphere
Well, dang - that sucked.
Other than what I posted yesterday and this photo that I posted earlier today, that's all I've really got right now:
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere
We'll have to let the pros handle the heavy lifting today:
Actually, I've got a little more than that - I still think if we can get some folks healthy, work out some shit, figure something out with special teams, and get back to calling offensive plays like we were, regardless of who's on the field, then I truly believe that we could win out. But like some have mentioned, at this point, 7-5 or even 6-6 is in play if we don't get a bunch of things figured out. Losing at least one more is likely. Also, one last thing - and call me crazy or stupid but the numbers support this - for the second week in a row, our defense has shown improvement in my opinion.
I've never remembered our Dawgs needing a bye week as badly as we need this one.
Other than what I posted yesterday and this photo that I posted earlier today, that's all I've really got right now:
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| Thoughts of targeting, our special teams and our playcalling in the fourth quarter... |
A Trip Around the Dawgosphere
We'll have to let the pros handle the heavy lifting today:
- The Senator's "Observations from the armchair"
- Tyler's "Sunday Morning Comes"
- Dave's 15 Thoughts over at Dawgsports
- Kind of a scary read over at Dude You Crazy
- Some classic hardcore negativity from the evil one - CC.
Actually, I've got a little more than that - I still think if we can get some folks healthy, work out some shit, figure something out with special teams, and get back to calling offensive plays like we were, regardless of who's on the field, then I truly believe that we could win out. But like some have mentioned, at this point, 7-5 or even 6-6 is in play if we don't get a bunch of things figured out. Losing at least one more is likely. Also, one last thing - and call me crazy or stupid but the numbers support this - for the second week in a row, our defense has shown improvement in my opinion.
I've never remembered our Dawgs needing a bye week as badly as we need this one.
A Photographic Encapsulation of the State of the Bulldog Nation
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| It's the proverbial "Thursday" for the Dawg Nation |
Tough, tough loss. And it's turning into a tough season. The injuries, the special teams, continuing issues on D, targeting and other officiating issues...man, it sucks.Keep your heads up, Dawg fans. It won't be long until...
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| A victory over Florida would help! |
October 19, 2013
October 18, 2013
A Big Thank You to the Readers of GYSB and a Few Housekeeping Notes
Howdy, hope all is well, and Go Dawgs!
A few things:
First off, I'd just like to once again thank everyone who is visiting this page for doing so. I'm right at 3,500 hits after about a month and a half. Now that might not sound like a lot to some people, but as a point of comparison, my other blog, The Piedmont Chronicles, which has been up and running for 3 years, has just under 11,000 hits. Now granted, that's more of a local, historical blog that wouldn't get as many hits, but still - the number of hits I've had on this particular page are good numbers in my opinion.
Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of the key factors in that process, and that would be The Dawgbone. A lot of traffic obviously comes through that site, and I'm very grateful to them for adding me. Also, several fellow Dawg Bloggers have been kind enough to add me to their blogrolls: The Senator, Bernie, Sic 'em Dawgs and CC over at Sports and Grits. Thank you, guys.
To monetize or not to monetize
Well...obviously I made the decision to do so. I knew I had some dues to pay so I decided to wait until I hit a certain number of pageviews before I did that. I hit that number awhile back and went ahead and added the Ads. I haven't really fine-tuned those yet, but eventually I think they will be good ones that will be apropos to the site. If you see something interesting and feel so inclined, go ahead and give it a click. I might make a dime or something. But hey - 10 dimes and you got a dollar, ammaright?
Comments
I've mentioned a few times that while I was grateful for all of the hits, I was hoping to see a few comments. I have actually gotten a handful here lately, but I'm all about reader participation. So drop a line when you get a chance. One thing that was playing a roll with that for at least a few folks I've talked to was this: I had the comments set up where you basically had to be on Blogger or Wordpress or something else to comment. It was hard to leave a comment, basically. Didn't realize that until just a few days ago. But I've gotten that fixed. So, comment away!
Again, thank you. I've really enjoyed the hell out of this and hope you've enjoyed reading it.
Until next time.
-Marshall
A few things:
First off, I'd just like to once again thank everyone who is visiting this page for doing so. I'm right at 3,500 hits after about a month and a half. Now that might not sound like a lot to some people, but as a point of comparison, my other blog, The Piedmont Chronicles, which has been up and running for 3 years, has just under 11,000 hits. Now granted, that's more of a local, historical blog that wouldn't get as many hits, but still - the number of hits I've had on this particular page are good numbers in my opinion.
Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of the key factors in that process, and that would be The Dawgbone. A lot of traffic obviously comes through that site, and I'm very grateful to them for adding me. Also, several fellow Dawg Bloggers have been kind enough to add me to their blogrolls: The Senator, Bernie, Sic 'em Dawgs and CC over at Sports and Grits. Thank you, guys.
To monetize or not to monetize
Well...obviously I made the decision to do so. I knew I had some dues to pay so I decided to wait until I hit a certain number of pageviews before I did that. I hit that number awhile back and went ahead and added the Ads. I haven't really fine-tuned those yet, but eventually I think they will be good ones that will be apropos to the site. If you see something interesting and feel so inclined, go ahead and give it a click. I might make a dime or something. But hey - 10 dimes and you got a dollar, ammaright?
Comments
I've mentioned a few times that while I was grateful for all of the hits, I was hoping to see a few comments. I have actually gotten a handful here lately, but I'm all about reader participation. So drop a line when you get a chance. One thing that was playing a roll with that for at least a few folks I've talked to was this: I had the comments set up where you basically had to be on Blogger or Wordpress or something else to comment. It was hard to leave a comment, basically. Didn't realize that until just a few days ago. But I've gotten that fixed. So, comment away!
Again, thank you. I've really enjoyed the hell out of this and hope you've enjoyed reading it.
Until next time.
-Marshall
Breakin' it Down: Vandy
So we've got Vandy tomorrow. With our depleted roster and continuing issues on the O-line, defense, and special teams, this game might be a real challenge. Let's look at some numbers:
One more stat that I think is pretty telling is this: Vandy is 75th in the country in terms of rush defense. I think we need to run the ball at least 50-60% of the time tomorrow. I think Green and Douglas are ready for it and can get it done.
Let's Go Dawgs!
- First off, it seems as if a lot of folks out there are thinking aVandy upset might occur as the line has shrunk some during the course of the week.
- Vandy is 43rd in the country is scoring offense while Georgia is 27th.
- Total offense, as in yards per game, is a much wider margin as UGA is 11th in the FBS while Vandy is 57th.
- Vandy definitely looks better in terms of scoring defense as they are 64th in the country while UGA is still languishing in the 100's, 105th to be exact.
- Vandy is still winless in the SEC (0-3), and their three wins to date are over Austin Peay, UMASS, and UAB.
- Vandy's top receiver, Jordan Matthews, may well be the best receiver in the SEC right now. He's averaging 15 yards a catch and has hit the end zone 5 times. And on Saturday Matthews might become the best receiver in SEC history in terms of career yardage.
- The Scary Stat of the Day: Vandy isn't all that good in terms of 3rd down conversion. But Georgia's way worse.
One more stat that I think is pretty telling is this: Vandy is 75th in the country in terms of rush defense. I think we need to run the ball at least 50-60% of the time tomorrow. I think Green and Douglas are ready for it and can get it done.
Let's Go Dawgs!
October 16, 2013
Some Final Thoughts On the MIZZOU Game
Going back to Saturday afternoon, about a half-hour after the clock hit zero, we got back to car to have some adult beverages, commiserate, and let the traffic clear out a bit. I remember saying something like, "well...at least the pressure's off, and knowing our luck, even if we would have won out we probably would have gotten shafted and been left out of the national championship game." Then I thought to myself - damn, you truly sound like a neurotic Dawg fan! Hey, that's how we roll. Dat how we play the game!
However, I think there's a little bit to that. You don't lose all of the talent we've lost and expect to just keep rolling along. Something had to give. And really, it just seemed like we were going to have to play a near-perfect game to make it happen. Well, obviously we didn't do that. Four turnovers and all. After the UT game, it should have become apparent that this team - after all of the injuries and the continued issues on the O-line, secondary, and special teams - just didn't have it in them to make the run to Pasadena. Things change, and injuries change stuff quicker than anything.
There's still so much to play for, though. As I said on Sunday, if we can't get a national crown, maybe we can keep someone else from getting one while picking up our first SEC title in 8 years. It's going to be real tough, but if we can get Gurley and Bennett back, avoid more injuries, and shore up our issues on the O-line, D, and special teams - I think we've got a good chance.
A few random, specific thoughts:
However, I think there's a little bit to that. You don't lose all of the talent we've lost and expect to just keep rolling along. Something had to give. And really, it just seemed like we were going to have to play a near-perfect game to make it happen. Well, obviously we didn't do that. Four turnovers and all. After the UT game, it should have become apparent that this team - after all of the injuries and the continued issues on the O-line, secondary, and special teams - just didn't have it in them to make the run to Pasadena. Things change, and injuries change stuff quicker than anything.
There's still so much to play for, though. As I said on Sunday, if we can't get a national crown, maybe we can keep someone else from getting one while picking up our first SEC title in 8 years. It's going to be real tough, but if we can get Gurley and Bennett back, avoid more injuries, and shore up our issues on the O-line, D, and special teams - I think we've got a good chance.
A few random, specific thoughts:
- To me, Saturday did seem to be more about the Jimmies and Joes instead of X's and O's. At least when it comes to offense and defense (see below).
- Somebody commented about this on one of my earlier MIZZOU posts, and while I disagreed with a lot of the other stuff he mentioned, he might have had something here: Should Georgia have tried to run the ball more. Maybe instead of 45 passes and 31 runs, perhaps if it was more like 35 passes and 40 runs, we might have seen a different result. Maybe?
- Special teams is truly a problem. After reading the Senator's expansion on what Garbin posted about, it's enough to make you realize and appreciate that at least we're 4-2 and not 2-4.
October 15, 2013
The Week 7 Mumme Poll
It's time for the Mumme Poll, the best poll in college football. This poll utilizes approval voting where voters vote for their top 10 teams without ranking with the exception of the top team.
Here's the top 10 for week 7:
And my ballot for week # 7:
A few things I'm wondering right now: Is Baylor that good? Is Ohio State a fraud? Could LSU beat either Clemson or FSU right now? And would Oregon have a good chance to defeat Alabama? And who will win this weekend - Clemson or FSU?
Here's the top 10 for week 7:
- Alabama
- Oregon
- Clemson
- FSU
- Ohio State
- LSU
- Baylor
- A&M
- UCLA
- S. Carolina
And my ballot for week # 7:
- Alabama
- Oregon
- LSU
- FSU
- Clemson
- Missouri
- Texas A&M
- S. Carolina
- Baylor
- Ohio State
A few things I'm wondering right now: Is Baylor that good? Is Ohio State a fraud? Could LSU beat either Clemson or FSU right now? And would Oregon have a good chance to defeat Alabama? And who will win this weekend - Clemson or FSU?
October 13, 2013
The Sunday Treatment and a Trip Around the Dawgosphere
The thoughts I posted earlier today still stand: while there is pretty of blame to go around in all phases of the game, really, more than anything, the game was lost by those four turnovers. You just can't do that against a quality opponent, which Missouri definitely is.
However, after some additional review, there is some specific, position-oriented blame that, although not as crucial as the turnovers (although this group could be said to be involved with that), can be blamed for our loss - the O-line. Not that they were just completely awful yesterday. They had their moments, especially with run blocking. But my God, what happened with our pass blocking? And at this point, we've got to figure something out with the left tackle position. It's not working.
Again, as I mentioned in my earlier post, I thought the defense played fairly well. I know a lot of folks reading this probably think I'm crazy or just think I don't know what I'm talking about, but I truly believe that. Take away fumble return (and I don't even count that last TD - it was trash), and you've got a pretty good defensive performance. And again, look at the box score - against a very good offense, and our D did pretty good. They were shaky in the first half, no doubt. But man, they were holdin' it down pretty damn good in the 2nd. That's how I feel about it...
And our usual Sunday Trip Around the Dawgosphere:
Tough game; tough loss. We've got to find a way to get past Vandy in six days. I see Missouri, best case, finishing 6-2 in the SEC, so if we can find a way to win out, we go back to Atlanta. While we won't be playing for a national crown, maybe we can keep somebody else from getting one and get an SEC crown in the process. Still a lot to play for. Today, as is the case everyday, is a damn fine day to be a Dawg!
However, after some additional review, there is some specific, position-oriented blame that, although not as crucial as the turnovers (although this group could be said to be involved with that), can be blamed for our loss - the O-line. Not that they were just completely awful yesterday. They had their moments, especially with run blocking. But my God, what happened with our pass blocking? And at this point, we've got to figure something out with the left tackle position. It's not working.
Again, as I mentioned in my earlier post, I thought the defense played fairly well. I know a lot of folks reading this probably think I'm crazy or just think I don't know what I'm talking about, but I truly believe that. Take away fumble return (and I don't even count that last TD - it was trash), and you've got a pretty good defensive performance. And again, look at the box score - against a very good offense, and our D did pretty good. They were shaky in the first half, no doubt. But man, they were holdin' it down pretty damn good in the 2nd. That's how I feel about it...
And our usual Sunday Trip Around the Dawgosphere:
- The Senator's thoughts: "Observations from the 35"
- Tyler's "Sunday Morning Comes"
- Dawgsports' "You're on Notice, Dawg!"
- Bernie's thoughts: Reality in our Face
- From the Macon paper - the incomparable Seth Emerson's take.
- Good write-up over at Dude You Crazy
Tough game; tough loss. We've got to find a way to get past Vandy in six days. I see Missouri, best case, finishing 6-2 in the SEC, so if we can find a way to win out, we go back to Atlanta. While we won't be playing for a national crown, maybe we can keep somebody else from getting one and get an SEC crown in the process. Still a lot to play for. Today, as is the case everyday, is a damn fine day to be a Dawg!
UGA vs MIZZOU: What Happened?
This is what I posted on my FB account last night once we got back from Athens:
Our offense did pretty good, I thought. Bobo had a very good game plan, and with the exception of a few drops and some O-line issues (and the turnovers, naturally), things went well. Our freshman tailbacks did great. Our receiving corps did okay. Obviously, Murray had a tough game, but by the end, he was trying to pull off a miracle and made a couple of bad decisions. I don't think it would have mattered anyway. This was Missouri's game.
And for all of the D haters out there, look at the stats - look at the box score. Look at how many points we gave up off of turnovers. I think our defense played one of their best games of the year, and no one is talking about it. Of course, doing slightly better after being pretty bad all year isn't saying a whole lot, though. And you do know our D ranks 105th in the FBS in scoring defense, right?
Tough, tough game...
I'm going to do my usual Sunday Treatment and A Trip Around the Dawgosphere later today.
GO DAWGS!
Gotta tip your hat to the Missouri Tigers. They came in with a great gameplan and executed. We, on the other hand, did not. Without our top two running backs, three of our top four receivers, and with a defense that can only be described as mediocre - we are, at best, an average, middle-of-the-pack SEC team right now. With that said, if we can get Gurley back and proceed to win out, we will win the East again (MIZZOU will lose at least two or more conference games).While I believe all of that is accurate, something else must be said, and it's pretty obvious: the offense didn't necessarily cost us the game, nor did the defense. Special teams were semi-solid as well (no breakdowns at least). It was the TURNOVERS! Simple as that. Which, I suppose, does mean you can pin it on the O.
Our offense did pretty good, I thought. Bobo had a very good game plan, and with the exception of a few drops and some O-line issues (and the turnovers, naturally), things went well. Our freshman tailbacks did great. Our receiving corps did okay. Obviously, Murray had a tough game, but by the end, he was trying to pull off a miracle and made a couple of bad decisions. I don't think it would have mattered anyway. This was Missouri's game.
And for all of the D haters out there, look at the stats - look at the box score. Look at how many points we gave up off of turnovers. I think our defense played one of their best games of the year, and no one is talking about it. Of course, doing slightly better after being pretty bad all year isn't saying a whole lot, though. And you do know our D ranks 105th in the FBS in scoring defense, right?
Tough, tough game...
I'm going to do my usual Sunday Treatment and A Trip Around the Dawgosphere later today.
GO DAWGS!
October 11, 2013
Turning Back and Looking Ahead: 11 October 2013
Busy, busy this week, so this will be a short one.
Turning Back
It pretty much took me all week, but I did get through a full re-watch of the UT game. That was a tough one to watch a second time. With the awful injuries, the moments of frustration, etc., it was hard. But, I got through it. I could mention many negatives, and obviously there were many positives (I posted about that a few days ago), but I'll just say this: we won the damn thing. With everything that transpired, in my opinion, that was as big a win as we've had this season, LSU and USCe included.
Looking Ahead
My word, have you seen MIZZOU's stats? Yeah, I get that Vandy is probably the best team they've faced this season, but man, they took care of 'em pretty good, didn't they? They're a good ball club. They're undefeated and cracked the top-25 this week. Averaging almost 47 points a game, they have a very balanced offense as they are averaging just over 250 yards per game on the ground and upwards of 300 a game in the air. Scary. Their D looks a little suspect, so I think we'll be able to move the ball on 'em a bit. Naturally, we've got to shore up those special teams. Seems like we've been saying that all season...
I usually do my prediction in my "Breaking It Down" post that I do Friday evening or Saturday morning, but I don't think I'll have time to get that up this week, so I'll just leave it right here:
UGA 42- MIZZOU 31
I think we'll score some points, give up a fair amount, but I think our D will actually rise to the occasion and we won't have any special teams gaffes. Sure hope so.
Well, I won't be able to leave C-town until about 10:30 tomorrow morning and I won't be able to use the parking pass that I sometimes get to use, so I'm sure I'll have a fun time trying to get parked. If we can get into 331 by midway through the 1st quarter, I'll consider it a minor miracle. Everyone have fun and pull 'em through.
GO DAWGS!
Turning Back
It pretty much took me all week, but I did get through a full re-watch of the UT game. That was a tough one to watch a second time. With the awful injuries, the moments of frustration, etc., it was hard. But, I got through it. I could mention many negatives, and obviously there were many positives (I posted about that a few days ago), but I'll just say this: we won the damn thing. With everything that transpired, in my opinion, that was as big a win as we've had this season, LSU and USCe included.
Looking Ahead
My word, have you seen MIZZOU's stats? Yeah, I get that Vandy is probably the best team they've faced this season, but man, they took care of 'em pretty good, didn't they? They're a good ball club. They're undefeated and cracked the top-25 this week. Averaging almost 47 points a game, they have a very balanced offense as they are averaging just over 250 yards per game on the ground and upwards of 300 a game in the air. Scary. Their D looks a little suspect, so I think we'll be able to move the ball on 'em a bit. Naturally, we've got to shore up those special teams. Seems like we've been saying that all season...
I usually do my prediction in my "Breaking It Down" post that I do Friday evening or Saturday morning, but I don't think I'll have time to get that up this week, so I'll just leave it right here:
UGA 42- MIZZOU 31
I think we'll score some points, give up a fair amount, but I think our D will actually rise to the occasion and we won't have any special teams gaffes. Sure hope so.
Well, I won't be able to leave C-town until about 10:30 tomorrow morning and I won't be able to use the parking pass that I sometimes get to use, so I'm sure I'll have a fun time trying to get parked. If we can get into 331 by midway through the 1st quarter, I'll consider it a minor miracle. Everyone have fun and pull 'em through.
GO DAWGS!
October 9, 2013
Thoughts on When Murray Might Break the SEC Passing TD Record
A few weeks back, I did a post where I mentioned that based on the numbers, Aaron Murray might well break Wuerffel's SEC record for passing touchdowns during the WLOCP in Jacksonville. As I had also mentioned, that would be pretty poetic considering Tebow broke Walker's rushing TD record against us in the 2009 edition of that game.
Now, however, it's looking like Murray, if he stays healthy (let's cross our fingers and throw up a few prayers), is probably producing at a clip where he will break the mark beforehand. At this point, Murray is at 109 career passing touchdowns. The record is 114. So far in 2013, Murray has tossed 14 TDs which puts him right at averaging 3 a game. If that trend holds, he'd be at 112 after MIZZOU and would tie and break the record the next week in Nashville against Vandy.
In the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters. We all know that getting a W is the most important thing, but wouldn't it be sweet if we win our next two and AM connects for 5 TDs. That would put him at 114 going into the Florida game. Then, the first one he hits in that game, and the record breaks. In Jacksonville. Against Florida! That would be pretty cool.
Go Dawgs!
Now, however, it's looking like Murray, if he stays healthy (let's cross our fingers and throw up a few prayers), is probably producing at a clip where he will break the mark beforehand. At this point, Murray is at 109 career passing touchdowns. The record is 114. So far in 2013, Murray has tossed 14 TDs which puts him right at averaging 3 a game. If that trend holds, he'd be at 112 after MIZZOU and would tie and break the record the next week in Nashville against Vandy.
In the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters. We all know that getting a W is the most important thing, but wouldn't it be sweet if we win our next two and AM connects for 5 TDs. That would put him at 114 going into the Florida game. Then, the first one he hits in that game, and the record breaks. In Jacksonville. Against Florida! That would be pretty cool.
Go Dawgs!
October 7, 2013
The Mumme Poll and My Ballot for Week 6
Howdy folks. In addition to the AP and USA Today polls, there is another poll out there that I feel is equally important - The Mumme Poll. Founded a few years ago by the Senator and the guy that does the Third Saturday in Blogtober site, it is a little different:
You can learn more by visiting here. Also, this is the most democratic poll out there. You don't have to be a coach, or a published sports writer - it is open to anyone who wishes to participate. To sign up, just go to the main page and register.
Just remember a couple of things: your ballots will be visible to the other voters, so don't try to game the system as your ballot can be flagged. Continued or egregious violations can lead to expulsion. Also, with more unconventional selections, it is encouraged to give an explanation for why you voted a certain way. You'll see that I included an explanation with mine because I put South Carolina in my top 10. It's a lot of fun, and as I've noticed every year that I've participated, it makes for a better ranking system than anything else out there. So if you feel so inclined, check it out.
My Week 6 Mumme Poll ballot:
Mumme Poll voters submit ballots which consist of their top ten teams in the country, without ranking (other than to designate a single best from those ten, for use as a tiebreaker). The poll rankings are then compiled by means of approval voting; that is, the teams are ranked in the order of the total number of times they appear on voters’ ballots.
You can learn more by visiting here. Also, this is the most democratic poll out there. You don't have to be a coach, or a published sports writer - it is open to anyone who wishes to participate. To sign up, just go to the main page and register.
Just remember a couple of things: your ballots will be visible to the other voters, so don't try to game the system as your ballot can be flagged. Continued or egregious violations can lead to expulsion. Also, with more unconventional selections, it is encouraged to give an explanation for why you voted a certain way. You'll see that I included an explanation with mine because I put South Carolina in my top 10. It's a lot of fun, and as I've noticed every year that I've participated, it makes for a better ranking system than anything else out there. So if you feel so inclined, check it out.
My Week 6 Mumme Poll ballot:
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Alabama*
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Georgia
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Clemson
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Florida
State
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Stanford
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Oregon
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LSU
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South Carolina
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Ohio
State
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Texas
A&M
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*top team
I'm sorry, but I just can't take Louisville seriously enough to put them top
10. If this was a top 15, or maybe even a top 12, I probably would. And at
this point, I believe USCe would beat Miami,
OK, or Lousiville. So I've USCe
as my last team in.
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