A third of the way around the track, we’re seeing the wheat separate from the chaff. There’s a huge drop off after the top six schools.
- Alabama. Okay, they passed the “Don’t Panic” test. Now we’ll see how they do with the “Only Real Challenge” test.
- Florida. Rounding into shape nicely, but they’re definitely stepping up in class with this week’s game.
- Auburn. No question that the conference MVP at this point is Cam Newton. Otherwise, you wonder when the Tigers propensity for living dangerously comes back to bite ’em in the butt.
- LSU. The thing about winning ugly is that you’re still winning – in this case, against four straight BCS-conference opponents. But how long can they survive with Jordan Jefferson’s play?
- Arkansas. When that passing game is clicking, it sure is a thing of beauty. But if you can’t run the ball and you can’t stop the run, you won’t walk with the elites in the SEC.
- South Carolina. The Ole Ball Coach sure picked a strange time to send a message to Stephen Garcia.
- Mississippi State. They got a conference win, which is more than you can say for most of the teams below them. But they were outgained, out-first downed and out-time of possessioned in doing so, which means this shouldn’t be taken as a ringing endorsement.
- Vanderbilt. Looked good in their bye week.
- Kentucky. Same old same old.
- Ole Miss. Starting to get some traction with the running game coming around. On the other hand, that secondary looks horrible.
- Tennessee. Did you watch that exciting Conference USA battle in Knoxville last Saturday? Uh, wait a minute…
- Georgia. Am I 100% convinced that Georgia is the worst team in the SEC? Maybe not, but I lack the energy to prove otherwise. On the other hand, I’ve no doubt the Dawgs are the most poorly coached team in the conference.
Get The Picture 
Can someone explain to me why, when asked if the team has put in a “zero-tolerance policy” in regards to Baker’s dismissal, Coach Richt responds with some cryptic jibber-jabber about kid’s knowing they should not get into trouble?
Why not just come out and say, ‘Yes’ we have a zero tolerance policy? Hate to keep banging away at these things, but damn, just say SOMETHING. The timidity in every single aspect of the program is mind-numbing.
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He probably didn’t want to say anything cause the kid hasn’t been convicted yet….
That said….I agree….he needs to just be blunt.
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I noticed that, too. But it’s because he’s afraid that someone important will get arrested, and then he’ll have to go back on his word!! We don’t have a zero-tolerance policy in Athens. We need one, but we don’t have one. It’s easier to make an example of a redshirt who hasn’t played than it would be if, say, Kris Durham went out and got popped for something. He’s this team’s MVP, and we’d be sunk without him. He’s not getting kicked off the team. So, Richt gets to look tough for the administration and the fans, but the players know the score. Remember when we thought he’d be tougher than Bowden on discipline issues? Ha. The Georgia Bulldogs have a “Warsaw Rule”, for sure. It’s the reason Washaun Ealey was already back and playing in Game 2.
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He handled it right. Don’t paint yourself into a corner with a sweeping statement. These things need to be handled on a case by case basis anyway.
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I fully expected CMR to announce this week that he would take over the offensive play calling this week. Then I listened to his Sunday teleconference. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The good news is that the Dawgs get AJ back this week. If this team looks like an offensive monster (which I do not think it will given what we have seen to date) with AJ lined up out wide, I will be extremely upset. Why? Because we have talent (not a ton, but there is talent) and Bobo and Richt have not used said talent properly in AJ’s absence.
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When Goff was let go we hired Glenn Mason…..Glenn freakin Mason with his barely better than 50%win/loss record. I think CGM took a look at what it is to coach in the SEC and said to himself WTF was I thinking. At least Donnan’s record at Marshal was a good one and he had a few years under his belt. Still winning 67% of the time, even if you do win bowls and knock off both Tennesssee and Florida while an underdog wont get it done. Richt came from a winning program (FSU) with a few rings on his finger to show for it. You look at his body of work at Georgia and he has more than his share of double digit season wins. More than any of the replacements suggested. The Oregon coach??? Pluhlezzzz! His body of work in too short a time and I’m frankly not impressed. Boise State coach….. Gee how’s the hot seat for Hawkins at Colorado? The TCU guy has some cred. He’s no cherry and has a winning % as strong as Richts. The Pirate…. Nope …. No way …. No how. You think Donnan pissed some folks off? This guy could take it to a new level and make it an art form. Besides …. When you hire attorneys to run a job , you almost have to hire another attorney to watch him. (no offense…just sayin’). This whole thing wears on a coaching staff and team. Auburns staff didn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t function and they say you could cut the tension in the hallways with a knife, during the season before Tuby was given his walkin’ papers. Tennessee is in a shambles and have forgotten good hygiene. Young CDD will last as long there as Shula did at Bammer. Bobo wasn’t ready to be a O coordinator and Willie was promoted beyond his abilities. Both lazy hires imho. Please no more TA’s hired to coach. This is big boy football in the SEC . It’s not a safe place to cut your teeth and learn your way around. I don’t relish firing CMR. But have a credible,seasoned,coach in mind. With some cred…no overnight sensations or one hit wonders need apply. Tighten your chinstraps and break out a new jock strap cause it is going to be a bumpy ride.
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Sometimes you have to step back to step forward. Richt served us well for almost a decade. I do think the wheels are falling off but I’d hardly classify Richt’s tenure at Georgia as a failure. Sometimes parting ways is better for both parties and I think we’re at or at least near that point.
I think Gary Patterson would be an excellent hire, but I think his most recent opponent deserves just as much of a look. June Jones’ SMU squad actually lead the #4 team in the country last Friday. And even with his QB being a pick machine, SMU’s defense held up admirably against Texas Tech, especially in the first half when they were starting every drive on their own side of the field. They couldn’t keep up in either contest but I don’t think that was coaching as much as Jones working with Dallas/Ft Worth Metroplex rejects. Yeah, the offense is a gimmick but check out that defense and keep in mind those are guys teams like UTEP wouldn’t give a second look to. If our defense could play to that sort of potential, I’d let him do whatever he wants on offense.
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Richt is going to get at least one more year no matter what happens the rest of this year. Bank on it.
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Of course. He has built-in excuses for this season – new D and Rfr QB. He will be our coach in 2011.
However, he doesn’t have excuses for the wretched OLine and puzzling play calling. What are the excuses for repetitive false starts and careless, focusless mistakes? There are none – other than an inability to lead and focus your team.
Yes, he’ll get one more year and we’ll likely continue to see the same mistakes repeated on and off the field – over and over. And don’t get me wrong – I would love to see CMR win an SEC next year but the odds are enormously not in his favor.
I’m afraid that we’re doing exactly what I felt we would as a program – slipping and slipping and waiting too long to make a change when the inevitability of having to make that change is staring you right in the face.
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that slide since the last SEC championship season your talking about………..
9-4,10-3,11-2,8-5 with a number 2 in the nation finish and anther division first place finish in those seasons prior to 2010.
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I wouldn’t say “no matter what happens.” If the team completely falls apart and goes 3-9 or 2-10 he’ll be fired. However, I think he’s too good a coach to do any worse than 5-7, and 7-5 seems more likely.
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8-5 (bowl) and replace Bobo and the rb coach and let CTG finish rebuilding the D and he will stay thru the end of his contract.
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He certainly seemed pissed off enough during the game to make some kind of changes. I just don’t exactly what he was pissed off about. Play calling? Execution? Line play? All three? The lowlight of the game for me, and it was so bad I actually watched the replay in a sort of stupefied awe, was a running play somewhere during the third quarter where three defensive linemen went completely unblocked, both defensive tackles and the right end.
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I thought Richt called the plays on the scoring drive in the 4th quarter of the MSU game. I also think he secretly has taken that over for the rest of the season. I’ll bet you see Bobo in the pressbox next game. He’ll be telling CMR what he sees and CMR will be deciding the plays.
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We are all missing a key factor in our slide.
We have no official mascot.
Our mascot coaches have allowed us to get to a point where we can have only an “interim” Dawg.
Russ was effective at the end of last season, but it is clear he has lost interest. In fact, there is no video evidence Russ, who looks more like Bill Hartman every week, has even been awake during a game.
Greg McGarity has to step up to the plate and fire Sonny Seiler if he can not produce a real Dawg.
The lunatic fringe, which believes it had some impact on the demise of Poor Willie, has turned its attention, incorrectly of course, to Mike Bobo.
March on Savannah, Fringe, that’s where the problem lies.
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I’d sleep too.
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I don’t understand how anyone who has seen what has transpired this year could possibly think that 7-5 is within reach at all.
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Because we’ve seen Richt recover from bad parts of seasons before. In ’06, after a six-game stretch that saw UGA eke out wins over two horrible teams (Colorado, Mississippi State), lose badly to Tennessee, and drop close games to Vandy, Kentucky and Florida, they recovered to close with three straight over quality opponents. We all know what happened in ’07, and even last year they managed to close out the season 3-1 with wins over decent Auburn and Texas A&M teams and the huge upset of Tech. Given the rest of the schedule, a 6-2 finish to the season is certainly doable if they get their shit together.
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Don’t you read Mark Bradley? He’s got us winning out.
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Oh you’re right, my bad, I’m the one being unreasonable here.
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Carlton Thomas up the middle!
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