Game day thoughts: Grantham vs. Johnson

I’m on my way up for what I expect will be a long, chilly day (and night) in Athens, so for a game day thread, I leave you with what Phil Steele expects to see:

Georgia vs Georgia Tech-The Bulldogs new 3-4 defense has had mixed results this season and the last 6 games have proven that as they have held 4 opponents to under 75 rush yds while in the other two games they allowed 231 and 318 rush yds. This week they take on the nation’s #1 run offense in Georgia Tech but Georgia has several things in their favor. First, they have had an extra week to prepare for the option and last year they held GT to 205 rush yds (more than 100 yds below their ssn avg). They also need a win to clinch a bowl bid and possibly save HC Richt’s job. GT is playing with a backup QB and I think the Bulldogs hold the Yellow Jackets well below their season averages.

After you read that, go back and check out DrB’s post at Shakin the Southland about the Tech-Clemson game.  Todd Grantham’s job tonight begins with defending the dive play and likely ends with finding a way to involve Justin Houston in shutting Tech’s offense down.  I expect Paul Johnson to run away from Georgia’s best defender as much as possible; it’ll be up to Grantham to figure out how to move Houston around to thwart Johnson’s game planning.  It should make for a great chess match.

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I know nothink! Nothink!

 

This is not a picture of Auburn’s assistant athletic director for media relations. Really.

 

The biggest win in Auburn’s recent history, an incredible comeback led by its likely Heisman Trophy candidate – who doesn’t speak to the media about the victory after the game.  How come?

Nobody really seems to know, actually.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on,” Auburn wide receiver Emory Blake said.

Give credit to Blake for at least being honest about Newton, who also completed 13 of 20 passes for 216 yards and ran for 39 yards against Alabama’s physical defense. His teammates are apparently in denial about Newton and why he’s not talking to the media.

“I don’t know what’s going on with that,” Auburn tailback Michael Dyer said.

“I have no idea about any of that stuff,” Auburn defensive lineman Zach Clayton said. “That’s between him and the coaches.”

So, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, what’s the reason for Newton’s silence?

“I don’t know,” Malzahn said. “You’d have to ask somebody else that. Don’t ask me.”

How about Kirk Sampson, Auburn’s assistant athletic director for media relations? He initially claimed to be the sacrificial lamb for Newton’s media absence and said it was his decision that Newton not talk.

He then backtracked and declared that he is only “part of the decision-making process.”

“I don’t know what the official explanation would be,” Sampson said.

I’m surprised nobody tossed out the “Cam does his talking on the field” cliché.  Maybe they’re holding that in reserve for the SECCG.

Looking at the Iron Bowl through red and black colored glasses

It was a fantastic game to watch, even if I didn’t care which team won.  I did have two Dawg-related thoughts, though, as the game progressed:

• Give Todd Grantham Kirby Smart’s defensive line and I bet he looks a lot smarter this season.
• Why isn’t the three-step drop slant pass which ‘Bama used successfully in the first half in Bobo’s playbook?  Between Murray’s quick release and Green’s ability on the move, that would be a devastating play to call against the blitz.

Kiffin watch: biting the hand

Sounds like Junior and his old boss aren’t exactly letting bygones be bygones:

… Kiffin was asked Thursday about Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd, who is the Irish’s leading receiver with 62 catches and only three touchdown passes away from breaking the school’s career record.

“The last time I was here (as an assistant coach), he said USC was his dream school,” Kiffin said. “He’s a classic big, dominant receiver.”

So why didn’t Floyd come to USC?

“I wasn’t here,” Kiffin said.

The fact Kiffin even mentioned Floyd wanted to come to USC made up for an incident earlier in the year, when Carroll was recorded having a conversation with Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester during warm-ups. Hester asked Carroll why USC failed to recruit him?

“Ask Lane Kiffin,” Carroll replied.

Carroll also told Hester that Kiffin recruited the area (Florida) where Hester went to high school…

Ol’ Pete must be mistaken.  Nothing is ever truly the Laner’s fault… unless there’s a benefit to it.

Close call

Bill Connelly goes back and tries to figure out what made the Georgia-Kentucky game such a blow-out, or, as he puts it, “(h)ow does a 13-point victory over an average team rank as one of the season’s best performances (and help to vault Georgia into last week’s Weighted S&P+ Top 10)?”

Basically, the answer is that Kentucky did virtually all its damage in garbage time.