Thought I’d give you a late one this time around:
- Jeff Schultz plays Chicken Little; finds the sky is falling in on Athens.
- Time of possession doesn’t matter so much any more? That’s sure not how I felt during the first quarter of the South Carolina game.
- Let’s play thirteen!
- Ed Gunther’s got more damning stuff about the Coaches Poll.
- Monte Kiffin learns about the spread of the spread.
- Over at Football Outsiders, Bill Connolly takes a detailed look at the LSU-MSU box score to see what it might hold for the Tigers in their upcoming games with Georgia and Florida.
- Playoff PAC. Because disgruntled Utahns the playoffs need their own Congressional lobbyist.
Get The Picture 
“…Georgia is no better than the fourth best program in the conference.”
I disagree with this sentiment. They may be the fourth best TEAM in the conference this year, but fourth best program? Based on what exactly?
Georgia was the 2nd best team (according to tie-breakers) in the conference in 2007, although I’d bet a dozen Krispy Kremes that Georgia would have beaten the eventual national champions in the SEC championship game if they had the chance.
Georgia was the 3rd best team in the conference in 2008 after having a promising season derailed by injuries and inconsistent play.
In 2009, they’ve gone 3-1 against four consecutive BCS conference opponents, including two road games, while replacing its statistical leaders in all three offensive categories… despite being -9 in turnover margin.
During this same span, Alabama – who is presumably ranked above Georgia by Schultz – lost to UL-Monroe at home and got blown the F out by Utah in the finale to the best season they have had in several years. LSU – again presumably ranked ahead of Georgia – finished 3-5 in the conference in 2008 in a follow up of their national title win including losing to Georgia by two touchdowns at home.
So, while Georgia has not quite ascended the highest mountain peaks, they have more in common with those at the top than those at the bottom… even if they lose this weekend.
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That Schultz column is a piece of work. What’s great about it is that he essentially wrote the same thing juuuuust before the Florida game in 2007. Hehindeedy!
Whether or not LSU wins tomorrow, it’s ridiculous to pretend that LSU’s program has far surpassed Georgia’s. The Tigeaux went 8-5 last year, were 3-5 in the SEC, had three fairly atrocious losses, should have lost to Troy, and yes, lost pretty badly to Georgia (just as they did in ’05 and ’04). Voters fell in love with their bowl victory* and overranked them. Since then, LSU has four middling wins against demonstratively inferior competition, including a narrow escape at a fairly horrible Miss. State team.
And this is the program that’s far surpassed Georgia? Why, by virtue of being gifted a MNC appearance in 2007? Whatever, Schultz.
And yeah. This isn’t a great Georgia team, but to say the *program* is in dire straits is ridiculous. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year. And it is. Let’s recall again how bad LSU was in 2008, how bad Florida was in 2007, etc.
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* Is there any reason why Georgia virtually never gets the whole ooh-look-what-they-did-in-their-BOWL!!! hype? And no, I don’t count 2007, as that team was pumped up by the end-of-season wins more than the bowl itself. Remember what voters took out of the ’06 Chick-fil-A Bowl? That apparently Virginia Tech was a MNC contender and we were an also ran. Huhwha?
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schultzie has a wit. and a willingness to bait for ratings.
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I think Schultz does what almost all writers do. They look at championships and little else. Sure, Richt has an insanely high career winning percentage, but he hasn’t won a championship. So the coaches that have are automatically considered better.
Once you look at championships in context and consider the lucky breaks that you have to get (even undefeated Auburn was left out) to play for the championship, Richt looks better and better.
Richt’s 2002 team would have played for the championship in most years, except 2002. Richt’s 2007 team was the victim of writers manipulating the BCS formula to allow LSU to jump UGA and play for the championship. Both times were just bad breaks.
I won’t argue that Richt is a better coach than Meyer or Saban, but I don’t think you can automatically dismiss him from the upper echelon of coaches due to some bad breaks costing him a shot at a championship.
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I get that Shultz is not the brightest bulb burning at the AJC, but how can so many UGA fans agree with this? Have we become the “new” delusional Gamecock crowd, but with a better record? I think you can make a case that UGA may now have the worst fans in the SEC. Many feel we are somehow entitled to 4 TD wins over every team outside the SEC, and need a 2 TD margin over SEC foes. Like no other team makes mistakes, or ever has to survive close finishes. Honestly, the defense gave up 3 points last week where ASU started outside the UGA 40, and came from behind twice after being behind double digits. Instead of our fans being excited about the heart of the team, or how well the defense they seem to hate played, our fans are absolutely miserable and want everyone from the AD on down to be fired. Does anyone else realize how stupid we look to others? I have friends in other parts of the country and they never fail to mention how unrealitic our fans have become.
UGA under Richt has as many SEC titles as UF, one less than LSU, and infinitely more than Bama (who has NONE.) You have three less wins than Pete Carroll who plays a much weaker schedule, are among the top 10 in wins nationally, finished in the Top 10 5 of the last 6 years, 6-2 in bowls, and finished at the top of the SEC East four times. This isn’t enough to keep the natives from jumping off the ledge? Medication is needed.
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+2
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My blood pressure used to rise dramatically when I would ingest the bitter greens of the AJC Sports Department, Furman Bisher excluded—usually.
So, do yourselves a big hairy favor.
Ignore them.
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I wouldn’t throw all UGA fans under the bus regarding expectations. Kyle did a great piece last year on what the rational fan expects from the team on an annual basis. What you are hearing from now is the “vocal minority” of fans who probably have only been UGA fans for the last few years. I have been a Dawg fan ever since I can remember (attended my first game in 1978) and vividly remember the early 80’s, the Goff/Donnan years and the resurrection of a great program with the arrival of CMR. The ONLY reason we don’t have at least one Crystal Ball (and honestly we could realistically have 2) is pure dumb luck. In 2002 the Schmuckeyes won two games against awful Big Ten teams at the last minute (I believe they beat Purdue 14-7 on a last minute TD) and Miami was still playing in the Big East. I believe the Dawgs would have beaten either team given the chance. In 2007 we did it to ourselves by not taking care of business against SCar and UT. If UK or Vandy had a placekicker worth a crap we would have beaten LSU in the SECCG and played Ohio State in the BCS. As well as that team was playing I don’t see how we wouldn’t have won. Now we all know the old saying “If my Aunt had b@lls she would be my Uncle” but IF both of those instances had come true CMR would be lauded as one of the best coaches in the country and UGA would be a “National Power” (maybe Stewie Mandel’s mythical Montanans would have heard of us then).
As far as the AJC goes….it isn’t worth using for toilet paper. It’s embarassing that a city the size of Atlanta has such a pathetic excuse for a newspaper.
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Amen, brother.
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I didn’t read the Schultz article and it seems that was a good decision, but regarding some other links…
Yeah, now we can finally get Gardner-Webb and Carson-Newman on the schedule! I really hope the NCAA allows a 64-team playoff system, so once they increase the regular season to 15 games, we will have college football all year-round. Plus, we will be able to widen our knowledge and scope of Div II and Div III teams. It will be teh awesome!
After reading Richt’s comments about trying to do his ballot, I am more convinced that the coaches poll should be put to rest. I give Richt a lot of credit for trying to do the right thing and then being honest about doing it the easy way. But the reality is, that the coaches don’t see enough games and don’t have enough time to really accurately rank the top 25. I mean, Saban certainly doesn’t have time for this Sh….!
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The BCS is a self-fulfilling prophesy. They have their favorites and they make sure their favorites are in the BIG GAME every year. UGA is not one of their favorites. In the SEC its FLA and LSU (FLA-lite). In the Big 12 its OK with TX as a backup. Let’s not forget Ohio State, which the BCS types will bend over backwards to put in, with Michigan as it’s backup.(Remember when they tried to sell the American public that these 2 turkeys were so good the had to play again in the BIG GAME after OSU beat Mich. in the last game of the regular season? They didn’t and BOTH got waxed in bowls.)And the there are FSU and Miami. I am absolutely convinced that the BCS will go to any lengths to keep out who they don’t want from playing in the BIG GAME. They manipulate the system to prevent teams they don’t want from playing in it. Utah last year–UGA the year before. There is at least 1 team each year that gets screwed (ask Auburn). The system is crooked and literally MILLIONS of $ are at stake. This could not stand up under any kind of serious investigation. I guess if UGA was a BCS favorite and had been “allowed” to play in 2007 and in 2002 Schultz wouldn’t think the program was so bad.
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Oh,I forgot to mention Southern Cal.
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I agree that it is definately self fulfilling. Why there are teams that are good year in and year out it is often not fair to other teams that have a s much of claim. I hope that we are able to get a chance one of these years, and even more hopeful that all the doom and gloom that Schultz and those that believe this type of crap disappear tomorrow around 8 p.m. Sic em!
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Mac:
You can’t extrapolate what UGA fans think from the limited number who will respond on AJC.com. They don’t know any better, bless their hearts.
Personally, I think Schultz has a fine wit, and as a life-long malcontent, I have no problem with his unorthodox styling or his playing the rile-’em-up card in most columns. It’s all in fun.
He’s not a UGA fan, or a Tech fan. Lord knows who he favors. He’s from southern California, but you won’t detect any leanings in that direction.
He’s having a good time, while clinging to a spot in an evaporating field. Don’t read it if it upsets you.
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NRBQ, don’t worry I haven’t read an AJC for over 20 years, just see links on the internet occasionally. You are right, I don’t group all UGA fans by those who write to the newspapers, or post on the internet (I think we have the worst internet fans, by far) but they are the noisiest portion and get the most attention. I got the feeling Shultz wrote that article directly from the minds of those on DawgVent and Dawg Post, he had it all in front of him.
I see a strong correlation to Braves fans among the UGA group. Great enthusiasm and support when the Bravos turned it around in 19991, then falling support and increased bitchiness afterwards. It didn’t take long before “just” playoff games didn’t sellout, it had to be World Series games to justify their time. After 2002, UGA fans began to expect not just wins, but blowouts. There are more threads on mesage boards these days about who needs to be fired/benched, recruiting, and Florida than there are about the chance to knock off the#4 team in America. If we lose, there will be full meltdowns, if we win, we will decide who didn’t measure up. Only a shellacking will cause a smile on our spoiled fans’ faces. (‘Cepting for us old timers of course!)
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