Bill Connelly’s tongue goes in cheek for a description of what that is:
Issue: South Carolina returns only one of its top five running backs, and the ground game was really only above-average at best, even when Marcus Lattimore was healthy.
Response: Jadeveon Clowney.
Issue: South Carolina also returns only one of its top four receiving targets from a passing game that was explosive but not incredibly efficient.
Response: Jadeveon Clowney.
Issue: South Carolina must also replace its top five linebackers, not to mention stud safety D.J. Swearinger and stud end Devin Taylor from a defense that was perilously thin last year.
Response: Jadeveon Clowney.
That’s how you garner a #3 preseason ranking from The Sporting News. Bill isn’t quite so convinced that such a case has been made.
Get The Picture 
My response to your post: Jadeveon Clowney.
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Counterpoint: Jadeveon Clowney.
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I just watched the highlight clips in that article. Holy Jadeveon Clowney.
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Jane, you ignorant Clowney.
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I’ve been saying this for a while. They’re going to have a very good DL because they have 3 legit starters there, not just the freak. But other than that? Tons of attrition, including some of their best players. On offense they have no outside threat and Shaq what’s-his-name was so-so in year one, so expecting him to be Alshon Jeffrey is a bit much. Having said all of that, SoCar still scares the hell out of me because I think Spurrier owns Richt.
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Spurrier owns UGA, not Richt. You need to go back to Richt’s offenses at FSU to make a true comparison on a personal level.
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Seriously, though: Jadeveon Clowney.
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A preseason ranking of third in the country is too much, but Connelly is oversimplifying things. Most people around the program believe that while the defense has huge question marks at linebacker, the offense should be better this year. The Mike Davis/Brandon Wilds tandem should be as good as a recovering Lattimore was last year (Davis is potentially an All-SEC back), and the running game will also improve if Shaw isn’t hurt as often (big if given his size and style of play). Plus, we have four starters back on the offensive line. Receiver is a question mark, but there’s talent there. I agree with the above poster that Shaq Roland is a disappointment so far, though. I think a preseason ranking of around 10 is fair. The only game in which we would likely be considered underdogs today is the UGA game, which I imagine will open with UGA as slight favorites because of homefield advantage.
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Jadeveon Clowney 🙂
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My response to that: Jadeveon Clowney. 😦
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Mark Mays for all his faults was a HOF Olineman. His take on how to stop JC was to cut him and keep cutting him and if that didn’t slow him down add the TE for help. Maybe we should take a page from GT’s playbook and make JC worry about his knees more than his game.
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DE Patrick Kerney was having his way with Stinchcomb in the Peach Bowl. He couldn’t stop him by himself. Finally, CJD put Orlandis Gary (pound for pound probably the strongest guy on the team) in to chip on Kerney . Result: Kerney on sideline with an ice pack on his thigh. Quincey could finally set his feet and get his mind on the receivers. I think Hicks is quick and agile enough to put on few welts on Clowney.
“Carter, a 21-year-old freshman who spent the last two years playing minor-league baseball, actually had a hand in six TDs – three for Georgia, three for Virginia.
He threw three interceptions in the first half, all leading to Virginia scores: Anthony Southern’s 2-yard run and TD passes by Brooks of 43 yards to Wilkins and 24 yards to Thomas Jones.
Larry Mann sparked Georgia by blocking Donnie Scott’s punt late in the first half, setting up Carter’s 11-yard TD pass to Tony Small.
The Bulldogs tied it in the third quarter on Carter’s 14-yard pass to Champ Bailey – an All-American junior likely playing his final college game – and Gary’s 15-yard scoring run.
Wilkins, who had six receptions for 161 yards, put the Cavs back ahead with a brilliant, 67-yard touchdown reception. He beat Bailey over the middle and got away from two attempted tackles by Kirby Smart, Georgia’s All-Southeastern Conference safety.
But Braverman missed the extra point, leaving the margin at 27-21 and eventually forcing the Cavs to go for two late in the game.
Georgia went ahead for the first time when Gary dove over from the 2 with 12:52 remaining and Hap Hines converted the extra point, making it 28-27.
On Georgia’s next possession, Carter threw a 52-yard pass to Michael Greer, who made a great diving catch down the sideline. Carter finished the drive by sneaking in with 7:01 left. ”
http://www.virginiasports.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/010199aaa.html
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69: that’s what we did to Eddie Lee Ivery in 78. Nobody (but us) remembers his knee getting twisted in pile ups. They just remember Belue to Arnold.
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USC will be good. #3 is probably too high, but there’s reason for the overhype:
– Clowney.
– Their schedule is basically 2012 UGA’s. A big road test, a game against Florida, and a bunch of riff-raff. That spread of games ended up leaving Georgia….#3 in the country.
– General idea that “it’s their time.”
I think- hope- we’ll beat them in Athens. And I think they’ll drop a stupid game somewhere because they are who they are. If they turn the ball over 18 times against Florida again, it’ll be that one.
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I agree. Georgia will bring the same attitude and response to the hedges that they welcomed the Barners with post Scam Newton.
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It’s up to UGA fans to make the atmosphere as vitriolic as it was in SC. If the fans aren’t hoarse after the first qtr, we have only ourselves to blame.
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We ARE amassing quite an account of payback for them. Add that it’s the OBC and the payback account is (still) stuffed fat as McGarity’s checkbook.
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Probably going to trash this in an attempt to embed this tweet, but here goes.
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Connelly is a national treasure. He shouldn’t be on the selection committee for the playoffs, he should BE the selection committee.
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Honestly feel we will beat SC, and I don’t think it will be that close. We will have an answer for JC, although it will certainly involve more than one blocker and impact almost every play call. Mark May is right for a change, we just should have done it last year.
JC is a Top 3 draft pick, if he doesn’t get injured. And I think that will be on his mind and will cause him to play less than “all out” this season. Dawgs win, and win the East. Not saying they cannot upset us, or wouldn’t accept another guft from us (like 2010), but we have better athletes at almost every position, home field, and a sack full of revenge on our mind.
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Didn’t you say that last year? I’m gonna go out on a short limb and say you lose by 14+. Clowney beside the point. Better athletes at almost all positions? Not likely…
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Wrong chicken breath, I didn’t say that. While I feel we dominated SC in losing in Athens in 2011, I felt last year would be a very difficult game. Of course I thought we would pull out a win because we are Georgia and you are, well, SC. Nothing shocking about you winning but the size of our stumble was surprising to all….including the few grounded Cock fans that exist. And yeah, we are better across the board this season. Doesn’t mean another 2011 couldn’t happen but it is CFB, which I realize is not SC’s forte. Congrats on becoming more competitive, but you are not Georgia yet, and it isn’t even close. The one time you made it to Atlanta you showed again that you are just pretenders with illusions of grandeur. And even when your team is looking better the same old ignorant SC fans remaon to embarrass everyone in the SEC.
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Yeah… I think we heard that last year as well… let’s be realistic… Gurshall isn’t that good, not against South Carolina… go look at the stats..
Better across the board? Nope… if you were, you would have won last year ..
Try and spin it how you want… BTW… how did your last SECCG experience go??? Exactly…
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You GDC__K Suc__r. Ban him Senator, We don’t need this Sweet Honey Iced Tea leading up to the game. Bad enough we have to listen to SOS in the weeks to come.
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Ban somebody for a little trash talk? If I did that, I wouldn’t have any commenters left.
Besides, SC’s won 3 in a row. He’s entitled to do some crowing.
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Okay, I just got a little hasty. Sorry, Senator. jdgrn01, we can handle you and your trash talk. BRING IT ON!
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No troubles…. if it weren’t for friendly banter there would be no reason to play the game…
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Verite!
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You seriously compare our SECCG performance with SC’s? Really? I don’t know if I could have made the point better about the delusion of SC fans. Go enjoy your success at baseball, football remains a mystery to you guys.
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Let’s see. You lost to Alabama. Last time we played them we smoked them…
you lost to LSU. 41-17. Not much of a difference
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Mac, you are correct as usual. I will be there in the red seats behind our Dawgs. We have nevah, nevah lost an opener in Athens when I have attended. Well, except 1979 when Wake Forest won. That was different.
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Mackovic’s meatballs.
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Wow – talk about no love for the Dawgs. #12 by Sporting News? That’s crazy.
I realize y’all lost a ton of defense, but your offense is loaded and Murray is about to own the SEC record books for passing. He won’t just break records for yards and touchdown – he will smash them.
Y’all have a tough schedule, but Murray and the offense will be more than enough to offset that.
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Florida at #4 is enough to invalidate the poll completely. Based on….what, exactly, fellas?
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Yeah, preseason polls have little credibility with cfb fans but that one is a little off the charts. SN is out of its comfort zone with this sport. Win the SEC and respect will have been earned. I think the UGA/SC winner will get their chance in The Dome against Bama.
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I would run power right at Mr Clowney until they stopped it. FYI
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But running Gurshall away frow him is probably even better. I don’t think they move him around as much as we could move Jarvis Jones, so just let him chase us around all day.
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We should go directly at his position. Everyone on SC defense will be coming from the opposite side of the line without considering that Clowney may need help on a lot of double-teamed plays. Go straight at him to win.
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Regards to PTC Dawg. Sorry, I read your post two ways. Anyway, this is in support of your post if you meant send our power directly at Clowney..
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Run straight at him and cut him on every play. I’d have a TE or FB hit him too. On the inside hip. On every play.
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Gaturz are 4th in Sporting News and us 12th. I’m gettin’ that Rodney Dangerfeld feeling again.
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You had me at Clowney…you had me at Clowney.
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If Jarvis had made that hit in the UM game that Clowney did, he would have been called for unsportsman like conduct for a head shot, thrown out of the game, and suspended for the next year. I’m not saying it was an illegal hit (it wasn’t), but I know what happens if a UGA player makes a helmet pop off.
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You have to look at his history to understand why.
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JD is enjoying the comments. Keep ’em coming, particular the ones by the Dawgs. 😉
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You may stop Clowney. Well,not really but you may slow him. But you won’t stop Quarles, Surratt and especially Chaz Sutton.
Like you guys think all these strategies haven’t been used against JD? The Vols did the best job by chipping him with the RB and TE. But as he has done so many times, he came through and made the game changing play as he did vs. MICH.
Yeah, you can probably sell out and make sure he doesn’t beat you but you still have no answer for Shaw. He ran y’all ragged. You say we deserve a great deal of “payback”. Well, that’s how we have felt, too. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
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CMR and the OL are so ready for him. They have been preparing since that dark Saturday last year. We will take them down. Cannot wait to see the FOP and the spread.
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You should worry about getting past Clemson first….
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No worries….The ACC got nothing the DAWGS cannot handle.
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