… can be found here. Some quick observations:
- Georgia has three representatives – Moreno (1st), Atkins (3rd) and Owens (4th). That’s third most in the SEC, behind LSU (6) and Florida (5).
- Ohio State has five players on Steele’s first team. Southern Cal has four. That might turn out to be a pretty good game to watch, hunh.
- I’m a little surprised that Eric Berry’s name is missing.
- One player from ‘Bama, none from Auburn. You can almost smell the Finebaum column coming.
- The biggest shocker on his lists? Zero players from Texas. What’s happening with all of those touted recruiting classes, anyway?
- The second biggest shocker? That any Notre Dame offensive lineman’s name appears.
- Parity watch: Total number of players listed – 112. Total number of players from non-BCS conferences listed – 6.
Get The Picture 
I feel certain Eric Berry will be there at the end of the season. That kid is a stud. DAMN IT!
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When the vols’ pass defense was Number 73, passing efficiency defense was Number 73, rushing defense was Number 73, total defense was Number 73, scoring defense was Number 73, tackles for loss was Number 73, sacks of opposing quarterbacks was Number 73 (to go along with rushing offense Number 73), it’s not surprising to me that there is one (1) Georgia Bulldog 1st Team Offensive All-America and none for the vols and none for Southern California either. And, that there is no vols’ 1st Team or even 2nd Team All-America Defensive player.
Southern California’s Passing Offense was Number 50, even with Southern California’s very ultra easy 1-team conference and Number 72 total strength of schedule. How many offensive All-America players do you expect from that unit ?
As for little Eric Berry who was a frosh last year, Phil Steele has him listed the highest of all 5 foot 11 inch strong safeties at Number 6. No other shorter strong safety is listed ahead of Eric Berry. CJ Byrd at 6 foot 2 is Number 21. (See page 10.)
Free Safety, no vol is listed at all and he takes it out 44 places while 6 foot 2 Reshad Jones is Number 13.
Top 65 Cornerbacks has no vols’ player listed at all either, while Asher Allen is Number 13.
There is no inside linebacker for the vols listed either and that goes out 55 places in the rankings, with Dannell Ellerbe at 6 foot 1 listed at Number 15.
Defensive Tackles, UGA has 2 of the Top 8 in the nation, Geno Atkins at 6 foot 1 the 6th best and Jeff Owens at 6 foot 3 listed 8th. The 1st vol is Number 13 Demonte Bolden, who is 6 foot 5.
Even at Defensive End, the vols’ sorry defense has zero listed again (UGA does not at this 1 position either.)
The only Defensive Position where Eric Berry has any help is at outside linebacker 6 foot 1 Rico McCoy ranked Number 5 at his position, while Rennie Curran only made Number 50.
One of the basics of All-America is that you make your teammates around you better. If they suck, you are not going to be All-America – especially not as a frosh.
The vols gave up 59 points, 50 points, 45 points, and 41 points last year with Eric Berry starting all 14 games. That is not good defense, and the vols were equally inadequate at stopping both the pass and the rush. The vols lost 4 games, you know – twice as many as UGA. Fulmer’s recruiting just hasn’t been consistent every year like Coach Richt’s has.
It’s a good thing that Eric Berry’s dad played for the vols, or that unit would not have been able to recruit him there.
They are saying that Eric Berry will play offense next year. His 4.35 speed in the 40-yard dash might find injury, and his 970 SAT score doesn’t exactly bode well for him staying and graduating anyway, but leaving early for the NFL. So, you play a player like that all you can, while you can.
Champ Bailey is a lot faster than Eric Berry, but almost no one else is. And, Fulmer, idiot he is, I don’t expect him to use Eric Berry the way Coach Richt would have last season on a far better defense than the vols have. We have the luxury of playing Eric Berry on the offensive side of the ball, and he would have gotten significant snaps on the offense at UGA last year.
I mean.
Just who in the hell is going to be Fulmer’s quarterback this year anyway with Eric Berry on the roster playing on a sorry defense because the defense sucks. Jeez Louise. The vols are clueless, and for good measure have had all these off-season off-field issues again. So, all in all, I’m not surprised by it at all.
Lindy’s has the vols Number 24. Dallas Star-Telegram has the vols Number 21. Rivals has Fulmer Number 20. Sporting News has the vols Number 20. CBS Sportsline has the vols Number 20. If the vols don’t get some play out of a non-existent quarterback this season, they easily could quickly drop right out of the Top 25 again this season. Georgia is either Number 1 or Number 2 in every single one of these preseason polls so far that have the vols ranked anywhere from Number 20 to Number 24.
6 years in a row and counting Coach Richt has been ranked better than Fulmer in the Final AP Polls. This year promises to be no different. That’s 7 consecutive years Coach Richt is better than Fulmer in the Final AP Poll. Phil Steele has UGA Number 8 and the vols Number 23, see page 27.
The vols are just treading water. And, now this year, they have no quarterback and Eric Berry on the roster playing only defense. You would think even Fulmer could have seen that he needed Eric Berry on Offense last year, and I have little confidence in Fulmer’s ability to showcase Eric Berry on his quarterbackless offense this year either. Eric Berry will be out of there as fast as his little feet can fly, and he won’t be on target to graduate when he does. That’s not this coming woeful season for the vols, but the 1 after this.
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Say what you will about Tennessee, but they have flat out embarrassed us the last two years. That will give them a lot of confidence coming into Athens this year. As far as games I want the Dawgs to win the most this year, that one is at the top.
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I am somewhat confused as to why Mike Pagnotta’s name was left off of the All MWC preseason selection list. This young man is ranked the #10 SS in the country ahead of “ALL” MWC SS and was ahead of the entire group through the “07 season. he is also ranked as the #235th player in the country overall. This is according to NFL Draft Scout.
Steele is just wrong on this kid. He can flat out play the game of football. Pagnotta has the intangibles……intelligence, heart, nose for the football and work ethic second to none. He is definitely one of the best tacklers in the country and will be drafted in ’09.
Time to reaccess Phil!!
GO RAMS!!!
J. G.
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