After reading Matt Hinton’s excellent piece on the effect of John Chavis’ change of programs, I’m not sure whether it says more about Texas A&M’s immediate future, or LSU’s.
In any event, 2015 looks to be shaping up as interesting times for the SEC West.
Get The Picture 
Chavis is one of the best defensive coordinator in college football. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Texas A&M really turn the corner with a serviceable defense.
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I’ve got no love for LSU–never have. IMHO their coach is a nut, albeit an entertaining nut. Ever since the 2009 LSU-UGA game I actually have developed a hatred for the Bengals. So if they sink to the bottom of the SEC West, which is certainly possible, I’ll be smiling.
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The interesting thing about Chavis’ defenses is the simplicity. He pretty much lets the talent do the work without trying to over think things. It isn’t sexy but it’s effective: stop the run, don’t give up the big plays, make them get three and not six. I remember watching us play ut in athens in 2004 and they basically played cover one (one deep safety with the other basically playing in the box; corners playing seven yards off the LOS) all day long and it was enough for them. We put 45 on LSU the week before and all Saban and muschamp wanted to do was man up. That’s what we wanted to see with Reggie and fred. Chavis saw what we did and said, “no track meet today.” UT 19 DAWGS 14. Solid coach. Chavis and cutcliffe may have been the most formidable coordinator combo I can remember dealing with as a georgia fan.
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Not picking a fight, your comment got me to thinking. Spurrier and Stoops can be in that discussion, too.
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Yes, no doubt. Thankfully, short-lived though. We also beat them once (1997).
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“Unmistakable Wario Vibe” That’s just good writing there. This guy uses a good mix of fact, commentary, and flip references. I’m sold.
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Your right Derek another good combo was Strong and Meyer/Mullen, they were a real pain in the ass too.
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Chavis & Muschamp best 2 off seaosn hires in the sec. defense wins champinships.
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So, you think that the hiring of Jim McElwaine by FU isn’t the “best hire” of the off-season? 🙂
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don’t get that hire at UF. Never even hear dof the guy. nobody wanted that job. short fuses = less interest. seen it all over the coutry. you like dat hire?
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Actually, no. I hope I am right when I say that McElwain is just another Saban disciple who will fall on his ass just like Boom and SOD did. I wrote a post the other day about FU “returning to the mean.” I think that mean is the pre-1989 mean. The FU crowd thinks that mean is the Spurrier/Meyer era mean. We’ll see who is right in the near future.
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I like the Mad Hatter, he just hasn’t had any luck at OC. Chavis is a solid but in my opinion overrated DC (3rd and Chavis). I would take Pruitt over Chavis. I believe Chavis, and Bobo both show you need a complete game plan in all 3 phases to win, and that boxsscore viewed in microscope only give part of the story. Chavis is good enough to win a title if the OC can score more than 20, special teams gives decent field position, and the defense does not go 3 and out frequently upping the number of possessions his defense has to defend. Alabama but forced LSU into 4 3 and outs last year but Bama still only started better than there 25 on 4 of 15 possession with 2 of those being on the 35.
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Pruitt over Chavis? Little early fo dat. only Coach P’s third season as a coord. cant put em der yet. SoCo/UF scored 38, GT 30,, lost all 3. run def schemes not good when testd, so poeople ran stead of passd. that made pass def look bettr than itwas.
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You also missed the point that Chavis was helped by an offense and special teams that pull the defense in a place to defend long fields and with some rest at least in the Bama game. Plenty of LSU and UT don’t want him back. I believe he is decent but didn’t want him when UGA hired CTG. It takes all 3 phases which the article falls short on pointing out. LSU also has some of the best DL talent in the country, UGA had serious depth issues in the secondary.
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*put the defense
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Pruit might turn out reel good. Look a lot like Grantham did in first season in 2010. They bout the same in def pts alloweed. Maybe 1 pt different per game. Not a big improvement dere. Grantham better at run stop than Pruiit. so teams threw a lot more back den. no need to throw on the new guy cuz he can’t stop the run too good.
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I like pruitt because I think it takes creativity to disrupt tech and auburn. Playing olb’s at free safety for example. I also like how he sets things up like the pick vs. usc last year, that should have won the game. Just a beautiful robber call at the right time. We then blew it of course. I think pruitt is the brother bill of our era. He’s playing 3d chess out there. That said, I don’t mind playing checkers when I’ve got the players to do it with.
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Agreed, I give Pruit somewhat of a pass against S. Car. with the Secondary depth at the beginning of the season.
GT was disappointing. Discipline is the biggest thing to shut down GT. Again all 3 phases must come together, take away 2 fumbles and UGA wins. The offense and defense share blame in that loss.
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Good Lord! Some of you are still in denial about who/what lost the 2014 UGA-South Carolina and UGA-GA Tech games! Some of you never cease to amaze me. End of game coaching decisions lost those games. (Pooch kick-off and failure to run the best back in the US on first and 4 with the game on the line). I like CMR too but I’m not going to bury my head in the sand and make up (yes–make up!) some BS about why the Dawgs lost games that the players played well enough to win and the staff choked away at the end.
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And that my friends is precisely why the Mayor is regarded as polite
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Hah. Well played. ..
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Didn’t know I was writing an essay with every detail in why UGA lost. I certainly don’t disagree with those points but I wasn’t turning this into a full Richt and Bobo bashing. I am contemplating if I contemplate, taking a Disney Dawg view on the program, they seem so happy.
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I think the Mayor makes a point about himself when he uses the language that’s best applied to his take of who and what was responsible for those losses. If, in a debate, it’s best to hit your strong point of reasoning over and over and there are listeners to your value debate points who are in the minority, then you stand the chance that you are only repeating ad nauseam.
Keep that Disney Dawg approach ongoing and you most probably will be happy also.
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lol I wasn’t initially in debate of how the game was lost just Pruitt’s performance. I actually find the Mayor’s response somewhat humorous given my past replies on the topic of 2014 under achievements, being basically in agreement. Hitting your strong point? UGA fans tend to focus on the surface often being points scored by the other team not looking deeper in how that took place.
As for the Disney Dawg approach, I doubt it.
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