Oh, boy.

It looks the Ginger Assassin may not be 100% for the game tomorrow.

UGASports.com provides more details here.

And here’s what Schlabach is reporting.

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UPDATE: “I will be playing tomorrow.”

“I’m curious to see what we got.”

Who knows what this translates into on the field tomorrow, but I like the attitude:

“I don’t think they overdid the schedule at all, man,” defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. “One of my mottos is that you have to beat the best to be the best. … It’s a strenuous schedule, I think one of the toughest in the nation, but I like pushing myself, and I think our team as a whole likes pushing ourselves.”

Said quarterback Joe Cox: “It would be a sweeter victory to play some of the teams we’re playing and come out with a win. We’re not, like, ‘Man, why did they schedule that many tough games?’ ”

The players say their offseason focus was sharpened by having a nationally televised opener looming against Oklahoma State, an offensive powerhouse, rather than facing a stereotypical opener at home against a lightweight opponent.

“Going all the way back to January, we have known we’re going to have this big game and big stage and big challenge,” fullback Shaun Chapas said. “It’s something we’ve been looking forward to all offseason.”

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Two (vaguely) SEC-related questions

Is it worth noting that Paul Rhodes won last night with Gene Chizik’s players?

Or that the Clawfense racked up 389 yards of offense and 24 points (one score came via interception return) against Troy?

Just wonderin’: is it a given that tomorrow’s game will be high scoring?

The only reason I’m asking that is because both teams seem to put some priority on ball control and winning time-of-possession.

It worked well for the Dawgs last time these two teams met.

When Georgia beat Oklahoma State in 2007, the Bulldogs prevailed with a ball-control offense.

In a 35-14 victory at Athens, Georgia had a time-of-possession advantage of more than 12 minutes.

But even with all that offensive firepower, OSU likes to do the same thing.

The emphasis on ball control goes both ways. Against nine of their 13 opponents last season, the Cowboys had a time-of-possession advantage. They had 19 scoring possessions of at least 10 plays.

Returning this season are four OSU ball-carriers (Kendall Hunter, Keith Toston, Zac Robinson and Beau Johnson) who last season combined for 3,160 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns…

The over/under on the game is 61.  Does that sound about right to you guys?

Friday morning buffet

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially after you’ve watched crappy football the night before.

• “Richt believes extra preparation particularly aids a defense.” Well, except for 45-42, he’s right.
• David Ching has Munson’s book signing schedule.
• Interesting comment from Ivan Maisel:  “There is a belief among SEC coaches that Georgia’s talent level has slipped.” If that’s true, is that the result of faulty evaluation in recruiting, or because of poor execution on the field?
• One more sign of discipline in the offseason – Georgia fails to appear in the final 2009 Fulmer Cup results.
• Of all the likely SEC starting quarterbacks this season, can you guess who sports the highest completion percentage from 2008?
• Good question.
• Sorry, but I don’t think this is the best way to show that your team “looks to restore the ACC’s credibility”.

On the other hand, maybe it's all they've got. (Courtesy Kyle Green for USA TODAY)

Somewhere, Woody McCorvey is smiling.

It’s been nine months or so.  I’m ready for some college football.  So last night I settle down in a comfy chair, cut the tube on, pour myself a Woodford Reserve on the rocks… and proceed to watch the functional equivalent of last year’s Auburn-MSU game.  Jeezus.

A few observations from last night’s game for the ages:

• If NC State is a mid-level ACC team this year, God help the ACC.
• Ditto that if Russell Wilson is an all-ACC caliber quarterback.  The dude played like he was coated in molasses.
• In some fairness to that, it’s hard to run a functioning offense when the left side of the o-line is non-existent.
• Anybody notice former Bulldog Michael Lemon’s interception of Garcia?
• It’s early, but I’m thinking that Cliff Matthews wins this year’s Calvin Johnson Memorial “Damn, I wish he’d have signed with Georgia” Award.
• South Carolina’s defensive backfield looks very athletic… and very green.
• The Gamecock receiving corps is huge.  They looked good at settling down in the holes in zone coverage, and not so good at anything else.
• I guess Spurdog was right about not needing a kicking game to win.
• If Stephen Garcia could play a game like that without getting pulled, I’d say he’s secure as the starter.   But Jesse Palmer’s right about one thing – if Garcia runs upright like that all season, sooner or later some badass SEC linebacker is going to flat out clean his clock.
• Spurrier and Ellis Johnson know what they’re doing from a play calling and game management standpoint.  Given the steady lapses in execution on the field, they’re going to need every drop of that to keep USC in some games.

As for what any of that foretells about the Georgia game, it’s impossible to say much about the ‘Cocks from last night’s performance, mainly because State looked so inept on offense.  And besides, regardless of whatever happens in Carolina’s opener, we know what’s in store a week from Saturday, don’t we?  Sure we do:  USC’s (can I say that?) defense plays its best game of the year, Garcia plays brilliantly for one quarter, Joe Cox looks very shaky for most of the game and Georgia wins by three or four without scoring more than seventeen points.  That’s just the way that game rolls.

That being said, as badly as NC State played all night, it’s got to be a little disconcerting to the OBC that his team was one focused wide receiver away from blowing the game on a late TD pass.  On the other hand, things could have been a lot worse.