Rise and shine, campers.
- Interesting stat of the day: Missouri was 5-1 last year when allowing fewer than 300 passing yards. Of course, that was accomplished as a member of a conference not exactly synonymous with power running offenses.
- Speaking of Missouri, James Franklin is confident he’ll be ready in time for August practice.
- New Auburn defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder’s full head of hair and distinctive mustache has folks talking on the plains. There have been Twitter parodies, and Photoshop interpretations, as well as comparisons to Magnum P.I. and Napoleon Dynamite’s Uncle Rico. Van Gorder doesn’t know what all the fuss is about;” All my years at Georgia and nobody ever said anything about it.”
- Although some of this piece is over the top, I can’t say I disagree with this sentiment: “You say the public has wanted a playoff. I say the news media have wanted it most, and if a (playoff) drum gets beat on long enough, the public can end up thinking it’s Mozart.” Not that it matters at this point.
- Joe at Coaches Hot Seat Blog talks to a long-time Gator fan about his assessment of the 2012 season and gets this response: “I’m worried boys…..very Damn worried.”
- Meet Zeke Pike, Ted Roof’s lovely parting gift for Auburn University.
- Larry Scott knows why he wants a playoff selection committee: “Listening to some of my colleagues that have served on the men’s basketball committee and realized we have a better chance as a Pac 12 conference to get a fair shake for the fact that we play a nine game conference schedule, the fact that USC and Stanford play Notre Dame, the fact that we play tough out of conference competition, tougher than the SEC or what the Big 12 is doing, and there’s a chance that humans can give us credit for the strength of schedule and credit for what it takes to be the champion of the Pac 12 conference the way that polls and computers cannot.” Settling it on the field, for the win!
- Tyler Dawgden gives you reasons why he thinks things are looking up for Georgia’s offensive line.
Get The Picture 
The Pike thing is hard to call from the outside.
Apparently, he had discipline problems in HS (suspended twice in senior year), but coaches were okay with bringing him on board. Typically, you gotta be puttin’ on a pretty good idiot show to get a public intoxication, so I’m thinking sending him home was a good move.
His upside should be good, but man, what a knuckledhead. Steven Garcia, The Rebro.
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Maybe he’s more than the average idiot. There might be a bit of assholery there, too.
“Before his senior season, Pike was also ejected from a 7-on-7 camp for throwing a football at an official.”
What a douche.
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That “fan assessment” of the ’12 Gators just makes Phil Steele’s pick for UF to win the East look all the more curious. I have yet to talk to a single Gator fan who’s anywhere near that optimistic. Maybe they’re just lulling us into a false sense of security?
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Steele was enamored with Florida’s special teams and defense, which is curious, because…
1) As shown in the Cocktail Party: Even if Florida is going bonkers on special teams, it doesn’t matter if they can’t move the ball otherwise. Who catches balls for the ’12 Gators? Who moves the chains on the ground? Who protects the QB? None of these questions were answered in a satisfactory manner last year (to say nothing for balls-out awful QB play).
2) Florida’s defense is very very good, which means it’s still not as good as Bama’s or LSU’s or Georgia’s. Maybe better than South Carolina’s this time around, but maybe not.
I don’t think there’s any way Florida loses at Tennessee, but Muschamp doesn’t have any benefit of the doubt.
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Florida will implode this season…thats my guess
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Futiak on Mizzou OL: “painfully thin…not the most physical…finesse blocking unit that will have to prove it can handle killer DL’s of Florida, Georgia or USCe,” not exactly a ringing endorsement. I believe it’s more of a positive that we get to exploit that weakness in September with the strongest part of our team, the front 7, than their perceived advantage of hosting us in their SEC opener with a jacked up fanbase.
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And a QB with a bum shoulder that was never very strong & who wants to run as much as throw
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Sounds like Colorado 2010.
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The only team that can beat Georgia at Mizzou is Georgia.
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The only team that Georgia EVER loses to is……Georgia.
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apparently we saw different games when Alabama came to Sanford Stadium for the second black-out game because IMO Bama beat the crap out UGA even w/o our help.
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WRONG. That was a self-destruct if there ever was one. The UGA team was not ready to play in the first half and Bama scored 31 unanswered points. In the second half the team woke up and scored 30 (failing on an ill-advised 2 point conversion attempt–it would have been 31 points scored in the second half by the Dawgs) but the Tide scored 1 TD and a FG. In other words the Dawgs beat ’em 30-10 in the second half. The teams were evenly matched talent-wise.
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“You are an ardent member of the College Football Playoff Party….You’re on the brink of victory….Is there a trial starting soon in Alabama, where a Tide fan is charged with taking his fervor, plus pesticide, and poisoning Auburn’s trees?”
Yes but it’s been continued until Halloween* so Harvey can spend his Summer vacation with Paul during SEC West war games
*http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/06/harvey_updykes_jury_trial_in_t.html
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The son causes trouble at Auburn and his dad went to Tech. That is a sweet daily double.
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Maybe there’s still a chance for him to run bleachers at UGA.
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He’s a likely starter at UT.
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Man if FU loses to TAMU and UT … yikes … Personally I see them winning those two and losing to FSU
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I agree and not placing La Laf and BG in their cupcake category says a lot about perception of FU. It is all over the place. BG used to have good QBs and acceptable teams to go with them, but not in the last 5-7 yrs. Mizzou is also all over the place and no one will be sure of what they have until after we play them.
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Sorry to disagree senor but Mizzou is going to finish #2 in the SEC East this coming season–IF Georgia beats ’em.
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Wouldn’t like to put money on that, would you, Mayor? 🙂 IF UGA beats them, then SC and FU can beat them also this year. If UGA doesnt beat them, I think they could win it all, but that scenario is unlikely.
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In conference I got Mizzou losing to UGA and Bama, plus maybe to A&M. 6-2 likely is going to be the second best record in the East. 5-3 might be tied second.
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While I want to believe the offensive line situation with suddenly get better, there are some concerns. 1) You lost 4 lineman to the NFL, that’s a large talent drop off 2) you end up with only 31 games of experience combined as a unit, Patrick Garbin wrote that 80% of the time in the past when that happened, Georgia won less games the next season. the defensive lines of South Carolina and Florida are particularly troubling 3) People are assuming the sacks are the fault of the offensive line personel or schemes. Hutson Mason disproved this, only getting sacked once all season. Cox and Stafford also disproved this, both never getting sacked more than 20 times in a season.
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Do you have a point here?
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“Hutson Mason disproved this, only getting sacked once all season.”
Atta boy Hutson, avoiding the New Mexico State blitz.
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You beat me to it.
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Lemay had zero sacks last season. I blame Bobo.
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You forgot that Bruce Figgins never fumbled a handoff …
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Hot Seat predicts a Florida loss vs TAMU and a win vs Florida St?
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Hot Seat is FOS. I agree with some of the wins/losses for FU but the Gators ain’t beating FSU and probably not Missouri.
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Steele thinks Florida will beat Georgia because most of the time, what 17 out of last 21 games or something like that, they have won. And how often does Georgia beat Florida back to back over the last 20 years? Not once. Steele knows his SEC history. Until Georgia beats Florida back to back, you got to go with history. That’s why he picked Florida.
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That’s pretty weak rationale for his pick, games played before either the players or coaches existed are relevant? Why not just include the entire series record? I think he picked it that way because UGA is likely to stub their toe somewhere, nearly every team does, and UF will have great motivation to win in JAX against a team that should be higher rated. And the STs edge can be huge in close match-ups.
The offensive line questions still are my biggest concern. I don’t agree with the blog author’s report that Theus is very strong and should be able to move DTs back. At this level of play, that is no small task for a guy who has been pushing around athletes much weaker than him. I hope he is right, but Sturdivant is one of the few I have ever seen do that at UGA. SEC defenses are challenging to young men despite their pedigree.
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Dang! I think our Mother kept you and gave me away. That was exactly my thought on Theus. If this kid isn’t all American by midseason, the naysayers will be back with the comments about players “not being developed”, “not as advertised”, etc. …and Sturdivant was the best.
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You may be right, be sure to put me in your will just in case. I am really excited about the potential of Theus, we haven’t been too successful in recruiting at this position so it is particularly encouraging. I don’t follow recruiting as closely as many but I think it is a very difficult task to evaluate talent when you don’t see these HS stars challenged by top-flight athletes. Perhaps at the camps, but not many HS players challenge the elite players. Sturdivant was exceptional, and it is a shame what happened to him during his college career, I hope life deals him some better cards from here on out.
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if the offensive pass protection and run blocking was so bad in 2011, why did 4 of them get drafted by the NFL? This doesn’t make sense. Can someone please explain this to me?
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What, the pros don’t make mistakes?
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Not Denver, what with 2 top SEC runners, including one that was a QB and no longer is there. Yep, just ask the Denver fans about Moreno.
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Moreno never should have left school early.
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Because the NFL drafts potential? I don’t understand the question.
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3, not 4, and 2 of those 3 were not well suited to the position they played (OT) a pretty critical position when it comes to protecting the QB and keeping the best penetrators on your opposition out of your backfield.
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I am just saying the NFL concluded 4 the offensive line were among the best in the nation at passblocking and runblocking. Some might point to Bobo’s schemes, but the schemes worked in 2007-2009 when the sack totals stayed under 20.
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And once upon a time, the Atlanta Falcons concluded that Aundray Bruce was the best player in college football. See how that works?
Give the trolling a rest, brother.
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I hear that Ryan Leaf fella was a can’t miss prospect over Peyton Manning.
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Wasn’t there a Heisman from Auburn who unfit that mold as well? All PS and no vinegar?
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Leave Pat Sullivan alone
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Skeptic/Charlotte/Whateverthehellnameyou’reusingfromthesameIPaddressDawg, is that you?
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No, sorry. My rants revolve around Richt. It is amazing he is still the head coach. Did you know that UGA is 0-9 vs ranked teams the past 2 years and 5-15 dating back to 2007 (these numbers come from CFB Stats)? Solid coaching.
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FWIW i actaully agree with most of your posts. And just because I point out areas I think the team needs to improve doesn’t mean I’m A) always crticial of the team or B) don’t support my alma mater and want to see this coaching staff and team do well. Please don’t lump me in with a guy like Skeptic who says he doesn’t like Chick-fil-a solely for the sake of being a contrarian or whoever the hell WWF is.
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My dislike for the Chick-fil-a sandwich and chicken biscuit are quite real. There is no swimming against the current on that on. I do like their peach milkshake, if that counts for something.
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Try the jamoca shake at Arby’s.
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Jamoca shake…one the top 3 treats in the world(the others are ice cream sandwiches and chocolate covered raisins.
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That’s top 4 treats in the world. You left out p*ssy. It looks kinda like a taco but is a lot better. I’d put it #1.
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that’s not a treat it is a staple… you know like one of the food groups
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Scott does have a point on scheduling, the Pac 12 does seem to do a very good job as a conference going outside of their region to play big boys. I would add though, if he’s gonna lump us and the Big 12 together, the least he could do would be include the Big 10. The SEC as a whole plays more high level OOC games, and more high level OOC road/neutral games, than the MAC loving Big 10 does, and it’s not even close.
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Doesn’t it begin to bother someone that we heard selection could involve a hefty dose of SOS? Think they (PAC12 and Delany) had that in mind long ago and they are pumping up the SOS perception to overcome SEC power ? Of course they are because they see no other way to begin to overcome the talent and coaching deficit except with polling mind games.
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The only conference that can compete with us on SOS is the Pac 12. As said, if you look at the quality OOC games between the SEC and Big 10, the SEC schedules more and more road/neutral games, and it’s not close.
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That won’t keep Delany from sales puffery. The PAC12 and BIG10 will sell those games to the pollsters like they are playing NFL-disguised teams. Any OOC game they have that is listed in the bottom quartile will be puffed up to a 40-50 spot without anyone noticing, but will win the day in polls computers over other teams playing someone in the bottom quartile(e.g. UGA/Buffalo).
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The real problem with the Big-10 and the Pac-12 is that the bottom half of those conferences are, in reality, cupcakes but nobody in the media says it. So those conferences can play more conference games without fear of the top teams losing. They have their own cupcakes in-house. So when UGA schedules Buffalo and beats the crap out of them by 42 ESPN says “easy schedule” and knocks us down for it but when Michigan or Ohio State beats Indiana or the Illini by 10 ESPN says “Big-10 conference win” and gives them accolades. UGA or Bama would have beaten either one by 35. What a bunch of BS.
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Did Van Gorder really say no one mentioned his hair while he was at UGA..really… he must have been one hard working SOB who never got out much because as good a Defensive coach as he was I and many to the posters on this blog found the porn star hair dew and mustache down right embarrassing Does he own a mirror?.
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