We’re oh so close. The buffet is here for you.
- Here’s an SEC preview you’re gonna love.
- Paul Myerberg has South Carolina as his number five team because schedule.
- Dabo talks about losing both Gurley and Marshall to Georgia.
- David Ching has a nice piece on Georgia’s uniforms.
- If you’re too cheap to buy any of those preview magazines, here’s a link that’s an index to every one of Bill Connelly’s 2013 team reviews. (Bookmark it.)
- Over at Shakin the Southland, DrB reviews his expectations for Clemson this season.
- Hmm… maybe this is why there’s been no consideration to having Malcolm Mitchell put in any practice time with the defense.
- The team with the fewest number of senior players this year is…
- If you’re looking for more number crunching, Football Outsiders has its 2013 projected F+ ratings and win totals projections out. They sure seem to like Georgia more than Clemson.
Get The Picture 
I don’t get the A&M love over Alabama. I just don’t see lightning striking twice. Last year A&M needed two Bama turnovers at the goal line (-3 turnovers overall) and some electrifying, backyard, run-around-until-someone-gets-open quarterbacking from Manziel to win by five points. It’s possible in the any-given-Saturday meme, but I think Alabama rolling over A&M is the more likely scenario.
And, I don’t think an SEC team goes undefeated this year (out on a limb, I know).
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Saw an Aggie out here with a t-shirt referring to the “beatdown in Bama”. I don’t think he knows the meaning of “beatdown” unless he’s talking about what they did to OU in the Cotton Bowl. However, I think he’ll understand it a little better after Alabama finishes with them. Aggies are still among the most delusional fans out there, and that includes Sackerlina fans.
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I always hate misapplied buzzwords like “beatdown”. I think when we lost to WV 49-45 or some such we were “waxed”.
That said, I think you got carried away with your closing line.
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I’d love to agree on that last point, but when I see that Bama gets bye weeks before both TAMU and LSU (plus they get LSU at home, and no doubt Saban is still pissed about losing at home to them in ’11) I just don’t see it happening. Best we can hope for is at least the Barn puts up enough of a fight that they don’t have a glorified bye week before the SECCG.
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Look, I know I’m old but I just don’t understand why all the players like the various “uniform” colors and styles. I always associated my team identity with the uniform we wore and would never think of changing it. Can’t wait until we get back to block letters on the football jerseys.
Oh, and get off my lawn and turn down that noise!
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I’ve got no problem with personal preference, but I’ve always thought the block numbers were out of place with the G and like the update.
[Of course, I love the black jerseys with the red helmets and silver britches…I’m actually hoping to see the black jerseys this year…so take it for what it’s worth]
That Ching article was chocked full of nuggets, but this was my favorite…
“Next year, in 2014, we’ll finally have the pants back,” Meshad said. “The silver britches will be back. This year you’ll see a version of them, but they still won’t have the sheen and silver that we like until 2014.”
Anyone else think Pasadena would be a perfect place to break out the Silver Britches?
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Sorry for the reply to the reply…but does anyone know if they are keeping the block numbers on the helmets?
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It looks like we are… scroll down to the back of the “Walker” jersey, and you’ll see block numbers on the helmet:
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/new-uga-logo-football-uniforms-georgia/
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Don’t expect us to go back to the block numbers to come back anytime soon. The numbers on the jersey are from the font that Georgia is implementing across all sports as part of their latest rebranding effort.
http://www.georgiadogs.com/ot/brand-identity.html
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For whatever it’s worth, I don’t like the new number font, either. Although, compared to what’s going on at some other schools, Georgia’s still doing very well on the uniform front.
The one big thing that Richt’s put in that I’d like to see changed is the bones instead of the stars for good plays. I like the stickers, and the bones aren’t necessarily bad, but I prefer the stars.
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My understanding — and maybe one of you guys remembers this for sure — is that Richt’s dogbones didn’t replace the stars. I think Donnan did away with the stars and didn’t use reward stickers at all. Now I guess Richt could have gone back to the stars if he wanted, but I think the dogbones are kinda cool, personally.
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If we’re 3-0, I could see the team busting out the black for LSU.
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Gawd, I hope not. That game will have more than enough hype going for it without needing to resort to a uniform gimmick.
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Other gimmicks….Dooley switching to red helmets and the new G, going from white pants to silver britches, ….oh wait, I forgot that’s ‘tradition.’
The only difference between a gimmick and a tradition is how long you’ve been doing it (and probably what your motivation is). If we consistently break out the black jerseys for one game each year, it would be a great tradition.
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“You think you know, but you never know.” That Mark Richt….and on the treadmill, no less. Think how smart he will be if he wins…..stop, wait, that’s looking ahead….bad, bad, bad.
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That’s a great story. Love that Richt called him after he learned Gurley was a Dawg! Dabo seems like a pretty good dude.
On a different note; it seems there is a different vibe coming out of Athens now that PMA is no longer there. Just an observation.
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I certainly hope the Congrove poll is right. The UGA schedule is certainly hard enough so if the Dawgs win all their games and the SECCG UGA won’t get shut out by a Louisville type team that wins all its games.
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Louisville is picked to lose their opener….. so there is that.
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So much of the Clemson-UGA talk has centered around the young/new secondaries, but the STS post on their D stats is illuminating.
While Clemson has some returning guys up front (both line and LBs), their D numbers up front are not notable. They have a fairly porous Rush D, and their up-front defensive pressure is respectable, but not otherworldly. Don’t see how their front 7 keeps the pressure off their secondary, especially if they remain that weak against the run (and will need to cheat up, opening up the Play Action)
CLEMSON
Category Ntl rank 2011 Ntl Rank 2012 Ntl Rank
Rushing Defense 176.86 83 156.0 58
Sacks/Gm 1.85 76 2.6 22
Tackles For Loss 5.07pg 86 6.7 29
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And, that was largely against a set of abysmal, ACC offenses.
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And with Goodman at DE, who is now a Falcon.
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How did Clemson lose out in recruiting Gurley and Marshall to Georgia? Well, why would anyone ever go to Clemson in the first place? I can understand a player (even a student) going to Bama or Florida, maybe even Auburn although I wouldn’t. I could even understand going to FSU. But Clemson? Come on……
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Per the CFP site: a 1.09 point win by the lake then. O how I hope there is some dependability from the PK position. And I took a quiet satisfaction in thinking that N’western will bump off tOSU and keep the Black Pope from the BCS Game.
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