We know that final minus-16 was bad, but what you may not be aware of is the historical suckitude of that rate.
Since the 2000 season, 100 teams have finished a season with a per game turnover margin of minus-one or worse. Only nine of those finished with a winning record. And of those nine, only four were members of BCS conferences. And of those four, only Georgia finished with as many as eight wins.
But it’s even more staggering than that.
If you use a cutoff of Georgia’s minus-1.23 average from last season, then 49 teams have performed as badly or worse than last year’s Dawgs in that department in the last ten seasons. Besides Georgia, the number of teams on that list with winning records? Two: 2000 Miami (Oh.), 6-5 and 2003 Marshall, 8-4.
In other words, you’ve really got to work at pulling off that daily double, especially in a major conference.
Get The Picture 
Dubious Achievement Award at best.
LikeLike
I think you are missing his point.
LikeLike
I think the abysmal turnover margin is on the hot seat.
LikeLike
+1, brother.
LikeLike
That’s really staggering! And to think, we could’ve easily won the LSU and UK games, even with that terrible t/o figure…giving us 10 wins! Truly amazing that we didn’t have a worse year in ’09.
LikeLike
Good coaching? Nah, couldn’t be.
LikeLike
The pathetic TO margin is one of the reasons I am more optimistic than others about 2010. It would almost impossible to be that bad again. Our points allowed figure was inflated by the short fields our opponents enjoyed while our offense had so few to work with. Improvement in TO and penalties could ease the burden on both Murray and the new defense. Under 2 months and counting, I can’t wait.
LikeLike
The question is, how do we get set to cash in while the prognosticators and unenlightened think the Dawgs are going to be lousy. Once the season starts and the Dawgs slam a couple teams, the handicappers will make each subsequent game’s point spread outrageous. Does Vegas take bets on 10 wins?
LikeLike
True, the schedule doesn’t set up well to allow a couple of early season ambushes of the bookies. The opener is too much of a mismatch to play, and SC on the road might be too close to call with the heat and 1st hostile crowd for Murray. I will probably have to take a shot at this though since UGA is bound to be getting points with bettors’ love for SOS.
With UGA is flying so far below the radar there should still be some opportunities. For betting purposes, I wish we were playing Auburn and Florida early as they look to be the two teams that are most overrated in the SEC.
LikeLike
I swear to all that is holy whenever I think about Joe’s inability to throw it into the stands when the play wasn’t there.
LikeLike
This is what people on the outside do not get. We’ll simply be better through the law of averages. Plus, I think we’ll have a renewed emphasis on ball security and forcing turnovers, and it’s simply the most important statistic in football. Turnovers can undo a superior team. It is amazing we patched together 8 wins last year.
LikeLike
We also said penalties couldn’t get any worse after 2008.
I’m on the “regression to the mean” bandwagon, but we could still have a negative TO margin next year; there’s no law that states we must even make it to 0 overall. Even if we have a significantly better margin, we could still end up with the same record for a hundred other reasons (new defensive scheme? frosh QB?).
Personally, this helps me appreciate last year’s team more than it makes me confident about the upcoming season.
LikeLike
Well, to be technical about it, penalties didn’t get worse after 2008.
More importantly, unlike turnover margin, there’s very little correlation between penalties and won/loss record.
LikeLike
And at the end of the day, always remember what Prince says:
“All these computers and digital gadgets are no good.
“They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/7874307/Prince-the-internets-completely-over.html
“Now, who’s up for a game of basketball?”
LikeLike
When your Quarterbacks Average 14 Interceptions every year for the Last 4 Years in a Row and when We also Average 21 Fumbles every year for the Last 4 Years in a Row, it is easy to be a sorry Offense.
And, that is exactly what we have done.
Then, of course, the coaching staff pays lip service all Summer about how we are not going to fumble and throw interceptions, but they don’t talk about off the field how they should provide their middle name and their DOB off the field (or not beat up little girls, or start barroom brawls in downtown Athens, or take advantage of ladies, or be out at night with panties between your legs at midnight 2 hours from your spouse asking to go to a motel drunk), nor do they talk about on the field that we also demonstrate our lack of discipline and dedication by Averaging # 96 in Penalties against us every year over the Last 4 Years as well.
LikeLike