There’s a part of me that’s ready to say, “Jeff Driskel, 3rd team quarterback”, drop the mike and walk off into the darkness.
(By the way, Steele has Gurley and Wilson on his first team All-Americans list.)
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“We remember the Sugar Bowl, I think it my junior year of high school, we let Alabama beat us twice,” Brinson said of a team that also lost to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game. “We’re not letting Alabama beat us twice. In the Sugar Bowl in 2018, they… thought they should have been in the playoffs and lost to Texas.” -- AB-H, 12/27/23
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Get The Picture · Bloviation for the Dawgnation
Get The Picture 
Is it wrong for me to wonder if Ramik Wilson has been overrated by the media after last year’s stats? I will admit, he made some nice plays for us week after week. But I never felt awed in watching him. Often, I felt like his tackle was a “bad tackle” – 8 yards downfield after defensive scheme had failed. Yes, we still needed the tackle, but it didn’t feel like All-American stuff. It felt like “last line of defense” and “here we go again on another crossing route that our LBs are way behind on.” Is it wrong for me to articulate this? I feel dirty as I type.
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Go back and watch his play against Georgia Tech.
I’m not saying he’s any great shakes in pass coverage – then again, not that many ILBs are – but he’s a better defender than you’re giving him credit for being.
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Wilson is a solid player, but he’s way more of a JOP linebacker than a true playmaker. He does add to the absurd LB corps, though; one Phil Steele tabs as the best in the nation.
Though he also tabs Driskell as the third best QB in the nation, so take that with a grain of salt.
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Geez. That’s a stretch that results in a loud pop, IMHO. Floyd is worthy of that level of hype. But nobody else. I think we’ll be pretty good, overall, at LB. But I think we’ll be pretty good, overall, at all 3 levels. That’s because of Pruitt and good coaching.
So there’s a chance, probably a better chance for the OLB’s. But a lot of that depends on what kind of player Jenkins has decided he wants to be. DeLoach has a chance to help in that regard, as well. And maybe Bellamy.
But best LB corps in the country? Sorry, but to me that’s funny-paper stuff.
~~~
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DeLoach is a full-time, hand in the dirt D-lineman now.
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Gosh, I forgot. Thanks. BTW, I like the move.
~~~
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So hmmm…who to trust…the guy who forgets where players line up or the guy that spends his whole life watching and breaking down film and has years and years of experience grading position groups. Also has an incredible public track record for being pretty good at these sorts of projections.
Hmmm…I can’t figure out whose opinion to trust…Steele or random forgetful internet guy…
scratches head
hmmmmm….
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If your primary indicators are subjective, I would certainly disagree with that.
I don’t think that’s fair, in the least, and consider it a shot, nothing more. But so be it. At least we know where we stand.
~~~
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Somehow, the above post didn’t come out right. Responding to DawgPhan, not Irvin. Here’s what I meant to post …
I don’t think that’s fair, in the least, and consider it a shot, nothing more. But so be it. At least we know where we stand.
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Not saying it is, just saying he ranks the LBs at UGA as the top unit. And 1-4, he’s got a decent case.
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Which LB unit do you think is better than Jenkins, Herrera, Wilson, and Floyd? Just curious.
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I’ve no idea. Nor do I need to know. The fact is, nobody really knows. I don’t claim to be a prognosticator.
I know our guys. And I haven’t said they can’t be the best. What I have said is clear. And accurate, I believe. One thing I know for sure .. there’s a heckuva long way to go if we’re going to be even close to being the best LB corps in the country. A very long way.
Right now, I’m having a hard time believing we’ll be better than Alabama’s group. Or LSU’s. Without even looking at them. But it’s way early yet.
~~~
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” I don’t claim to be a prognosticator.”
No, apparently you just are a critic of prognosticators who do have some level of expert opinion on other units. That’s not a bad gig if you can swing it.
The LB group that I watched last year was outstanding. They held some very good backs and good rushing teams to season lows in YPC…it’s not their fault Connor Norman couldn’t cover Kerry Watkins or Shaq Wiggins couldn’t cover a WR pass by Mizzou or a fly pattern against Nebraska or knock the ball down against Auburn. There was a massive problem last year on defense and it was terrible execution allowing back-breaking ‘big plays’ on our pass defense.
The only game I remember the LB’s getting motored was the 2nd half of that Tennessee game.
Go watch some of the highlights of the South Carolina game…sack on Shaw in the 1Q b/c Herrera and Wilson blow up the middle of the d-line…watch the 75 yard run by Mike Davis and see how they sealed the LBs and Davis broke free because of terrible contain by JHC and Trigga….I don’t know where Trigga is going but he gets caught taking a terrible line on the play…but also watch the pursuit…because you’ll see our MLB running step for step with JHC and Swann in pursuit of Davis down the sideline…Herrera couldn’t keep up…but Wilson is flying…Davis is an NFL back and he had nothing in the middle during that game…to the point Spurrier is running the option at the goal line…which the LBs blew up.
I guess in a nutshell, I would disagree with your assessment.
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I responded to Parrish Walton’s post, and secondarily, the OP. That’s all. Just gave my opinion.
That’s fine. But what assessment? That our LB’s may not be the best in the country? That’s a broad, general statement, though it is based on film and what I know about where we are right now.
Look, I’m not trying to be argumentative. I hate that. I know you disagree with much of what I say. And it’s OK. I respect your opinions.
~~~
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“Is it wrong for me to articulate this? I feel dirty as I type.”
Yes. Find a hose 🙂
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Of course not. The bar has been set very high for Ramik, but that’s what you get for accumulating stats. I don’t think it’s fair to him, quite frankly, and I’m pulling for him to live up to it.
DGD, but All-America? There’s been nothing like that to date. Even 1st Team All-SEC is questionable. But stats rule in this media-driven culture.
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Hmmmm….so ‘nothing like that to date’? I guess all those NFL scouts drooling over him are also part of the ‘media-driven’ culture?
If you are using stats to help frame your understanding of a player’s ability, then you are leaving out a pretty big piece of the puzzle. And 11 TFL don’t grow on trees from the MLB spot. There is a reason that Tre Mason averaged 4.3 YPC against UGA while not breaking a run longer than 24 yards….while destroying Alabama, Mizzou, and FSU for 5.7 YPC, 6.6 YPC, and 5.7 YPC the following three games…I’m not saying the reason IS Ramik Wilson, but I think he and his 18 tackles that game were part of the reason why…
In summary, stats.
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I think we’ve been over this before. Stats can be useful, but are very much secondary indicators. If you disagree, I’m fine with that.
~~~
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If your primary indicators are subjective, I would certainly disagree with that.
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My primary indicator is the game film. And that’s because it’s the most reliable information you can have in football. It’s unbiased, and unaffected by any other human input, whether subjective or objective.
Stats are secondary. Useful, to be sure, but rarely conclusive as to the quality of play. As I’ve said many times, sometimes they tell the real story of what happened on the field. But more often than not, they don’t.
Now whatever is derived from watching film is certainly dependent on the one who is watching and analyzing. In that sense, I suppose it is subjective. Because anybody can watch film, and some have the ability to see more than others.
I’m confident that I see things on the field at a high level, for a number of reasons. And I base my opinions on that, primarily, along with other information, stats being one. Over the years, I’ve found it’s very accurate. So I’m comfortable with it, that’s all. So that’s the way I roll.
I enjoy sharing my thoughts with others who, like me, grew up with and love the Georgia Bulldogs, with the hope that they are useful, if not helpful, to my Georgia brethren. I get enough feedback to know they’re appreciated by some.
If the day ever comes that isn’t the case, I’ll quit. Because it won’t be worth the time and trouble.
~~~
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Irwin, with regard to stats, I meant to say .. “AS often as not, they don’t.”
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Dude, your perceptions from watching game film, even if you view your analysis to be at a very high level (you modestly refrained from referencing the height of that level in relationship to Mt. Everest) are subjective.
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I could care less whether they’re subjective or should be characterized another way.
What matters to me is that they are accurate and true, because I really want to know what’s going on. And in that sense, they have withstood the test of time. That’s all I care about.
You don’t have to read my posts, you know. Since they’re totally subjective, you may not want to clutter your mind with them.
~~~
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“Stats can be useful but are very much secondary indicators.” Yeah, that Hank Aaron guy. I know the stats say that he retired the all time leader in home runs, RBI, extra base hits and total bases, but those are secondary indicators of whether he was a Hall of Fame player. I saw Sandy Koufax strike him out once and that is a more primary indicator to me of whether he was any good.
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Well, that’s really twisted. A total misrepresentation of what I said. You probably had to work a minute to come up with that one. Well done.
~~~
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Wilson is a ‘Ball Dawg’.
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Marshall Morgan not even making 4th team is a crying shame…
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He listed Marshall Morgan as 1st Team Kicker…
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You meant his All-America list, not his All-SEC list; I beggeth your pardon.
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Exactly. I have a hard time believing there are 4 kickers in America better than MM.
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+1, 202.
~~~
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The Driskeling
“There’s a part of me that’s ready to say, ‘Jeff Driskel, 3rd team quarterback’, drop the mike and walk off into the darkness.”
Excellent. I say you should drop the mic and walk off into the darkness just for coming up with that for the darkhorse Heisman candidate
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The good Senator writes;
“There’s a part of me that’s ready to say, “Jeff Driskel, 3rd team quarterback”, drop the mike and walk off into the darkness”
Are there 11 new QB starters in the SEC? If so, then this might be just the law of attrition putting him in that spot. I hope to be wrong, but unless Roper has him improving dramatically, he won’t even be a honorable mention by the third game of the year.
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Let’s put it this way: Steele lists Dak Prescott as his fourth-team all-conference QB.
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Well then, there is my answer.
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Ms. Slaw Dawg had Wilson’s number early on. Literally. “There’s my 51 again,” she’d say after another tackle. I was a bit skeptical early on (“he HAD to make that play because so and so blew their assignment,” “yeah, but he didn’t really wrap him up,” etc), but by season’s end, I was a believer.
So I dunno if Steele is right about UGA having the best LB corps or not, ’cause I don’t know nearly as much about all the other teams as he does, but I do think they’re gonna be very, very good.
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We have ONE good linebacker: Amarlo. The Georgia defensive coaches themselves have said that having the SEC’s two leading tacklers is a dubious distinction as this is a function of not being able to get off the field not two guys who are just TEH awesome.
Floyd and Jenkins are not great outside linebackers. They’re two really great athletes that can make entertaining plays on defense but need to be coached up to do a lot of the things you need an olb to do: like set the edge.
Ramik last year was a serviceable lb at best. He perfected the art of yards after contact, unfortunately he doesn’t play running back.
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Nice post. Point well taken.
~~~
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He improved as the season went on. During the first 4 games of the year, me and my neighbor at Sanford begged that he be removed because he was a liability.
Curran was a special player, IMO. He diagnosed plays and hit people far upstream of where they thought a LB would be. Ramik played better in the second half of the season, but his stats were greatly padded by how many plays run against it.
We were 86th in rushing plays against us (520) http://www.cfbstats.com/2013/leader/national/team/defense/split01/category01/sort04.html
We were 34th in passes against us (382) http://www.cfbstats.com/2013/leader/national/team/defense/split01/category02/sort06.html
We were 64th in plays run against us (902).
If you play every play, and you have a lot of chances to make plays, you’re going to rack up tackles as an ILB. That doesn’t make you an All-American.
All that said, he improved a lot and I’m looking forward to seeing if he can lead this tin can next year.
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Good post. IMO, both of you are on target.
~~~
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Ramik is good, but he’s not All-American or first round draft pick good, yet. All he needs is a little more speed.
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Oh goody! I look forward this fall to weekly reading about how Mike Davis is better than Todd Gurley because he has a .1 yard higher average per carry against teams whose names end in z, on Tuesday and Wednesday games, on 3rd down and less than 1, with less than 2 minutes to go in the 5th quarter. You can’t argue with stats I tell ya.
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LOL.
~~~
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In the wake of this week’s events, I can say at least that I’m thankful that Ramik has kept his nose clean and done things the Georgia way during his time in Athens. I’ve stopped taking that for granted now.
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