Tony Barnhart is taking his annual schmoozing tour of the SEC. First stop, Alabama, where he asks what the hell happened against Ohio State.
“We had a good team but we also had a lot of new guys who had never been in that situation before and they relaxed,” said Kelly. “I felt a change when we got to New Orleans.”
Senior corner back Cyrus Jones was more blunt in his assessment.
“We lost our focus. We had a letdown,” said Jones, an All-SEC performer in 2014. “We underrated the capabilities of our opponent. That’s not who we are.”
Taking an opponent too lightly? I thought only Mark Richt-coached teams were guilty of that.
Get The Picture 
When Mark Richt has a team “underperform” yet almost win the national championship then those comparisons will be appropriate 😉
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2012 doesn’t count?
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Do you feel like we underperformed in that 2012 SEC championship game?
No? Then no, it doesn’t count. Thanks for playing 😉
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I was referring to the 2012 season. There was an inexplicable 35-7 loss in Columbia on the way to the game you reference.
Obviously, I’m having a hard time understanding your point.
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Your post was about a specific game where they played the best team in the country, “underestimated them,” and still almost won. That’s something Georgia will never do under CMR. Ever.
We played a significantly worse team than OSU in South Carolina and the game was over by the end of the first quarter.
If we underestimated Bama in 2012 the final score would’ve been 50-0. We played the best we’d played all year and still got a similar result to Bama vs OSU.
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No, read the last paragraph again. It wasn’t about a specific game.
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Really? Then why include quotes about a player from a specific game?
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You appear to be better at this blogging thing than I am. How would you have illustrated that Alabama wasn’t mentally prepared to play a game last season?
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Did you really illustrate such? I mean an offseason quote from a returning player sounds more like happy talk to me. Kind of like “yeah there weren’t any leaders last year and no accountability but it’s totally different this year Mr. Reporter Man.”
Consider this: Would you ever need to consult with a player to confirm that UGA wasn’t mentally prepared for the dozen or so games we’ve had with worse results? No, you wouldn’t, because it was always painstakingly obvious, which clearly isn’t the case here.
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I guess you’re right, then. Alabama is always mentally prepared.
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They may not always be 100% (nobody is) but they don’t have nearly the lows that UGA does. It’s like you’re trying to say that Bama playing at 98% is the exact same thing as UGA playing at 60%.
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Jesus… so now we come to the putting words in my mouth part of the conversation.
No wonder you never think you lose a debate.
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“Taking an opponent too lightly? I thought only Mark Richt-coached teams were guilty of that.”
Maybe you could clarify what you meant by this for me, then.
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I already have. You dismissed that as “offseason happy talk”.
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A legend in his own mind.
He shifts definitions and meanings mid-discussion and projects things into your points that aren’t there.
He’s that guyvat the gym shi can’t ply basketball and spends the entire session complaining that he’s not fouling but you are.
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Look, one of the other guys who follows me around! Sup ASEF?
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See? There you go again. I follow the Senator. So does everyone else on the Senator’s blog, including you. I think that’s rather obvious – or should be. Have a nice day.
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Yet you, and a few others, always feel the need to chime in and respond to my posts for no other reason except to show your ass. It’s flattering that my dissenting opinions bother you to such an extent. Perhaps I touched a nerve?
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Yes, you do seem to get on the nerves of people here. That’s because you can’t seem to understand the basic rules of the community. I have disagreed strongly with everyone here, including the Senator, without anyone turning into a jerk over it.
You shift your goal lines and terms. You get very sarcastic very quickly. You seem to want to be heard and then you go overboard alienating anyone who attempts to engage you in a discussion. I posted a completely innocuous and polite post last week and you went straight to f-bombs. Seriously?
You seem to have something of a martyr complex. Or at least your online persona does.
Have a nice day.
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“I posted a completely innocuous and polite post last week and you went straight to f-bombs. Seriously?”
Ok, I went back and re-read and noticed that you weren’t the person who called me a troll in the first response after a rather innocent post by yours truly.
That was my bad. Sorry man.
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Troll call! Here comes AHD!
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Lol. Ya know sometimes you can be a bit of azz. Just sayin’
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Only sometimes? That’s better than what I assumed you thought of me 😉
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The times we live in. It may very well be that kids today are more prone to taking a week off; or underestimating (and not preparing mentally for) an opponent. There a a zillion distractions that didn’t exist a generation ago.
We’ve seen it happen to most teams..but when it happens to a Saban coached team in a game this big it raises two questions.
Is this an unavoidable occasional problem (as I suggested above)?
Or..
Is this really just dodging the reality that Ohio State was the best team?
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Alabama losing to Ohio state or Oklahoma in 2013 is nowhere near the same as us getting blown out on an annual basis. Alabama’s “letdown” games are a) against his opponents in marquee games like the sugar bowl and b) in every instance the tide still had a chance to win in the 4th quarter. I would gladly trade our ’14 cocktail party, ’12 usc Jr., ’11 Boise state, most of 2010, ’09 Florida & Tennessee, 08 blackout & Florida, 07 & 06 Tennessee (ru seeing a pattern here? ) for Bama ‘s “letdowns”. Hell, is be tickled pink just to see us get to the sugar bowl for said let downs. We haven’t even been to a BCS bowl since 07 . This comparison is a stretch at best.
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Agree. This seems more like a troll post from Bluto than a legitimate blog post.
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Meant “good teams” not his* and “I’d be tickled pink” not is.
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Why is “letdown” in scare marks?
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I think it’s because our “let down” games don’t look like bama’s “let down” games so the scare quotes signify that while we’re using the same word, they really aren’t the same thing. I don’t know that Saban has had a let down game since 2007 other than the 2 meaningless sugar bowls. I can’t think of one regular season game that I would ascribe that term to. They’ve been beat sure, but just didn’t get off of the bus while still in the hunt? Can’t think of one.
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Bluto and the rest of the Richt apologists like to pretend that Bama losing to OSU in the sugarbowl is the same as the dozen or so games we’ve had the past ten years that were similar to Columbia in 2012.
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Playing the “Richt apologist” card. Ouch.
My point, which seems to have been missed by those who want to miss it, is that even the team that most Richt non-apologists (to turn a phrase) like to point to as the shining city on the hill has problems getting ready to play a game now and then. And while you can bemoan the caliber of team that Georgia regularly shits the bed against, that cuts both ways – how are you not mentally ready to play a national championship semi-final against the then #3 team in the country? I mean, I can understand how you take 2014 Florida lightly, but 2014 Ohio State?
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That bama’s players may want to suggest that a “let down” was the answer, I don’t think that’s at all accurate. That was a damn good football team that won the title last year. It’s easy for the losers to say: the best team lost, but the reality is that bama met a very, very good team in osu. Bama’s returners can sell them short, but they do better trying to make sure they actually are the better team in 2015. I think I’d take osu at a neutral site right now. Unless bama upgrades at qb, they are losing that game again.
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Yep. OSU was a step above Bama at the end of the year. I do think at least some of the Bama players may have bought into the “Slow Big 10” legend, though. I have to admit that Ohio State was almost certainly the best team in the country…at the time of the game…but not early in the season. Probably some of the Bama players not wanting to admit this.
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At no point in that game did I think “bama’s not ready to play.” Bama was bama. The story was that osu had a game plan, stuck to it and a QB with the physical tools and mental toughness to pull it off. Bama shows up with essentially the same plan every week. They are like what mike Tyson was at his best: “everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth”. Sometimes you run into buster Douglass. (If memory serves buster Douglass is also from Columbus, OH.)
Bama was close to putting them away in the second quarter. But like a lot of bullies, you take their best shot and punch back and you’ve got a fight.
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“How are you not mentally ready to play a national championship semi-final against the then #3 team in the country? I mean, I can understand how you take 2014 Florida lightly, but 2014 Ohio State?”
See my reply above, and also Derek’s immediate reply. This is nothing more than offseason happy talk.
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The play call with 10 to play in the 4th at the 22 of OSU didn’t help. Everybody who claims that Kiffin has a clue as a play caller should watch that over and over. Just awful. Good recruiter. Good game planner. Good with marginal QB talent. I question his play calling under pressure. That seems to be (one of the places) where his arrogance catches up with him.
Give credit for the OSU game to whoever was in Cardale Jones’ ear and whoever was calling the plays for them. Cardale looked lost and frustrated in the second quarter. He was about to lay down, but they kept him throwing the ball down the field as you must vs. Bama. Cardale hung in there and kept putting it on the money. If it was easy, everyone would do it, but they can’t.
As far as Bama is concerned overall I think that as John Wooden said, its much harder to stay at the top than to get to the top. That being said, they are probably a serviceable QB away from being really, really good….again. Although I will say that I’m not sold on Derrick Henry as a starting TB in the SEC. Reminds me of Brandon Jacobs when he was at Auburn. Big, lumbering guys (even with a high top end) have a have hard time in the SEC. You have to have quick feet and a quick burst to avoid negative plays. I think they are beatable in Athens IF we either find a really good QB OR we somehow could play defense like we did vs. Auburn. Unfortunately we are more equipped to shut down Auburn than we are equipped to shut down bama. We need Brice to find his inner bad mf-er before they roll into to town.
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Re Alabama. Treat it like any other game. Act like you’ve been there before. The intangibles will be the key. Statistics can me misleading. They don’t play games on paper. If they come together as a team, stick to fundamentals, and eliminate the mental mistakes, can’t be intimidated, stay hungry and leave everything on the field.
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All teams, players and coaches, have off games….period, and it doesn’t matter the sport. To point out UGA’s and not apply the same to Alabama/Saban, ohio/Corch, is pointedly biased. Urbie had his hiccup last year against Va Tech but it turned out to not hurt him. (Helps when you only play comparable athletes 1-2 times per year, but give them credit, they were good enough when they had to be at the end.) It is OK to be biased, but don’t stand on the principle that you are are thinking objectively. We never know who is the best team in CFB, never will, but don’t think all teams don’t have off games.
Bama wasn’t taking a night off last year in the playoffs, they just weren’t that powerful as what everyone expected. Their “off weeks” last year against Ole Miss (where they got a pass because the WWL had prematurely anointed the Rebels as a powerhouse because of some uptick in recruiting) and against both Arkansas and Auburn where they barely escaped. They also had hiccups against Auburn 2013, and both Utah and Oklahoma in bowl games. But Alabama and Little Nicky get a pass for winning titles with the best recruiting classes in America and the best quality depth so it excuses their “misses”. And the losses there are on the total program, coaches and players, because you win and lose together, same as in Athens. A vocal, small minority of UGA fans would have you believe it is only on the Dawgs’ HC, and every loss is put under the microscope with no offsetting credit for the good games. It gets tiring to hear the negatrons attach an anchor to the program they proclaim to love. Truth is, they are so far out on the “hate Richt” limb they have to speak irrationally to cover up their extremism. It is OK to want a coaching change, but don’t let it cause you to babble incoherently to justify your pet cause. Every coach, every group of players, simply don’t play all of their games at a peak level. It is that roller coaster of peaks and valleys that give us great games to watch, no great team, or even individuals in non-team sports capitalizes on all their opportunities to shine.
I believe Richt’s teams are 3-4, or 3-5 against Saban coached teams, let’s hope the Dawgs win this next one so we can see if moves the debate. My guess is not, because the same group will be attacking UGA and minimizing the achievement, or throwing more gas on the flames. Why not just be fans and stand with your team?
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” They also had hiccups against Auburn 2013, and both Utah and Oklahoma in bowl games”
If you think those “hiccups” are similar to ours then there’s no sense in even debating
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Later today I’ll be picking up some Bama gear to wear to a good friend and co-worke and huge Tide fan’s memorial service. Since I won’t need it any longer after tomorrow I’ll gladly donate it to you.
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lol, typical crybaby response. Someone compares us to Bama, I disagree, you accuse me of not being a “real” fan. I can still love UGA while acknowledging that there are better coaches than CMR and more consistent teams than us.
Get over yourself.
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Bama players not only put their pants on the same way we do, they also make the same mistakes that we do. We should remember that come game time.
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Our fans should remember that their roster is different than ours. Are we closing the gap? Yeah. Are we where they are along the LOS? Not really. I do think we’ve got a better set of tailbacks. Our olb’s are better too. After that, we’re even or worse. The contest is who has the man under center. And our guy has to be much better than theirs. They can beat us with an average qb. We can’t return the favor I’m afraid.
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Nah. You must not have seen the game where the first two Bama QBs were on the sidelines with opposite arms in slings after the first half. Their 3rd string QB didn’t look so hot either. Agreed with everything until your last two sentences.
BTW, didn’t you know we are “QB U”? Both Richt and Shotty will get the best out of a QB than will Nick.
Ain’t skeered.
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I don’t think Alabama took anyone too lightly. The truth is, they got their butts handed to them in the playoff by a very talented, physical team with a seemingly unstoppable QB.
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Ok so it looks like everyone leaning toward Alabama being prepared but losing to a better OSU team. What about the Ol’ Miss loss?
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great point twist ……,Bama and Saban didn’t take Ole Miss seriously, they underestimated them and Coach Saban was just totally complacent with the way he prepared a game plan and players and absolutely failed to adjust to the game as it evolved. There was absolutely no excuse for the way the Tide “shit the bed” in Oxford and in that little bitty stadium. A total brain cramp right up there with kicking a field goal outside of your kickers range and handing your most hated rival the West Division.
Now what is that it says on the side of a shampoo bottle? “Rinse and repeat” Saban’s players saying they underestimated their opponent just can’t be believed but Richt’s can….why? Bama underestimated OSU because of what they had done the last few times they had played in the BCS game and even the evil lord Satan could not convince his team that OSU wasn’t going to do it again. I put that on the Coach not getting his players ready…Fire Saban
Now what is that it says on the side of a shampoo bottle? “Rinse and repeat”
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Lol, you guys try SO HARD.
Seriously though, stop justifying anything that happens at UGA with “but Bama does it too!”
I love UGA and UGA football as much as anyone but our football program isn’t even in the same league as Bama’s. You just sound ridiculous every time you bring them up.
(cue the “go cheer for them if you aren’t willing to pretend that we’ve won 3 national championships in the past 6 years!” crowd)
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Somehow, you’ve managed to pull off the trick of missing the point to my post while illustrating the point to my post at the same time.
Nicely done.
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What exactly was the point of your post, Bluto? I guess you’re right, I’ve clearly missed it…
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The point is all teams come out flat at times–even the best ones. Does CRM coached teams do it more often and to a greater degree? I guess that’s what we are debating here. Some people claim that it is an inherent flaw of Richt to come out flat more often than most coaches every year and that the only solution is firing him.
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Well, the degree of flatness is what bemoans me the most. We curb stomped Auburn and Mizzou yet got curb stomped by Florida and lost to a South Carolina team that got beat by 5 separate teams we had beat during the season. These types of large swings seem to happen every single season and usually multiple times per season. Contrary to the statements of others on here, not every good team has such large and recurring swings like we do.
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Finally you hit a point and qualified it as well (…,not every good team … ). But there certainly are others (see: Stoops, aka, “Baghdad Bob” for starters).
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Missing points seems to be a specialty of his, it is why he ends up in multiple post arguments every single day here. He misinterprets and twists points to attempt to find some high ground . He sounds like an entitlement baby who bemoans the fact that he doesn’t have one everyone else has so often that he totally whiffs on the opportunities he has before him. A UGA fan should be thankful, not whining and throwing a pity party every day. How many fans can be miserable when you have the blessings we have? In fact, why be a “fan” and be this unhappy? Life is good, and has a great chance to be better. He must be a load to have as an acquaintance.
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lol,
1) I’m not unhappy you old fart, I’m just amazed at the perpetual excuse making and ridiculous comparisons that I witness from the Richt apologists. “Bama barely lost to the best team in the country so it’s totally comparable to SC 2012 derrrr!”
2) A common fallacy I see perpetuated among your ilk is the notion that one cannot admit that Richt has obvious shortcomings while still enjoying football season. They aren’t mutually exclusive, you know.
3) By the way, you have to be the biggest, most passive-aggressive weenie I’ve ever encountered on the internet. You seldom find the courage to respond directly to me even though your posts indicate that you are, in fact, responding to something I’ve written.
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Forget it, the coach worshipers will never see the truth. There is a segment of the Georgia fan base that loves the coach more than the team. They cannot ever admit Richt is not the greatest college football coach of all time and that the university and the stadium should be renamed “The University of Mark Richt” and “Mark Richt Stadium” in honor of him. Anyone who dares utter the heresy of questioning the sanctity of His Majesty the Coach must be miserable, not a true Dawg fan, and should find another team to pull for.
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It is appropriate that the two of you find each other, crybabies should be put into the same room so they can make each other miserable. I honestly don’t know another “fan” who would put up with either of you, I cannot imagine spending a few hours commuting to and from a game trapped in a car with either one of you. Hopefully you drive alone. Worshippers ass, realists is more like it. As the Senator said, I wish you could find a team that meets your need for perfection, but that doesn’t exist so just enjoy the misery you bring upon yourselves.
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Dang, 83, you got another one right with your last sentence. You’re on a roll, guy.
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QED
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Alabama was a couple of plays away from undefeated and a 4th title. They were also a fee plays away from 4 regular season losses. Ole Miss: If Treadwell gets over the goal line uninjured, they might have gone undefeated in the regular season.
A lot of it is a crap shoot, either random luck or execution on a tiny fraction of plays. Still, Richt has a number of “it was over at halftime” results that make no sense when you look at the totality of that particular season. Has he learned how to recruit great assistants? Has BM learned how to retain them? If so (and things are looking better on that front),then the SEC East is a real opportunity for a few years.
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Someone’s learning the meaning of the term “Snakebit!”.
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Bulldawg165 you suggest that these guys have an agenda, trying to cover for Richt, but you clearly have one of your own, which is to heap dirt on him. I’m sure you think of yourself as realistic but you’ve gone so far in what you think is the opposite direction of these other guys that you are just biased from a different in end of the spectrum. I don’t doubt that your heart is in the right place but give it a rest man.
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Amen!!
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Of course little debby would chime in here lol
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How exactly am I biased, Mike? I don’t hate the guy, it’s just utterly absurd to compare him to Saban. If you can’t admit the fact that he’s not Saban and yet still be (moderately) satisfied with him as our coach then that’s your problem, not mine.
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