“Your goal ought to be to hire the coach who can win the most games who will say yes.”

Interesting piece from Andy Staples on how some – okay, a few – ADs are using analytics to aid in hiring a new head coach.

Read it and see if it sounds like the Georgia Way to you.

That’s why he gets paid the big bucks, y’all.

Your “no shit, Sherlock” comment of the day.

RICHT TUES. PRESSER: "we're really not worried about stats right now" on winning yet throwing for less than 100 yds. pic.twitter.com/ICtVBxOahc

— Patrick Garbin (@PGarbinDT) November 17, 2015

Another reason to head to Senior Night

I figured this was coming.

This is indeed Keith Marshall's final season at Georgia, Mark Richt announces. Will not pursue medical redshirt.

— Seth Emerson (@SethEmersonAJC) November 17, 2015

Can’t say I blame him one bit.  Careerwise, there’s nothing he can get out of another season of college play that he couldn’t accomplish by going ahead and getting ready for the NFL draft as soon as this season’s over.

He’s been a damned good Dawg.  And that Tennessee game will always suck for robbing him of what should have been a much more productive college career.

Whatever may come for you, Keith, best of luck with it.

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The death of haz a crayon

Groo really nails things in one paragraph:

By now we should understand that, for better or worse, this is Georgia’s team. The formula hasn’t changed much since the Missouri game. I expect that this was how the coaches hoped the Florida game would go. Georgia quickly ditched the Bauta experiment for a wildcat package, but the plan is the same: run, manage, defend, win. It’s worked in three out of four games.

On the one hand, I give Richt credit for realizing that what worked so well for Georgia’s offense in 2014 wasn’t going to cut it in 2015.  On the other hand, the decision to start Bauta – more accurately, to start Bauta without giving him the full share of reps with the first team in the bye period along with sticking with the offensive game plan that had been slowly choking to death over the past few games – wasn’t a smart one.

Would Georgia have beaten Florida if it had used the same offensive game plan (and personnel) it had against Auburn?  We’ll never know, of course.  But I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to think the Cocktail Party would have been a helluva lot more competitive than it was.

Bottom line:  for the rest of 2015, it’s the defense’s world and we’re just living in it.

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UPDATE:  This, too.

Teams running fewest offensive plays per game 1. Army 60.4 2. Syracuse 62.6 3. LSU 62.7 4. Penn St 62.8 5. Georgia 63.6 6 South Car 63.8

— Phil Steele (@philsteele042) November 17, 2015

Maybe we’re not done with the rebranding yet.

Damn, bring this on.

Especially this.

Wickline’s attorney has asked the court to bar or restrict witness testimony about the meaning of the term “play-calling duties” in Wickline’s Oklahoma State contract.

I bet there are plenty of Texas fans who would like to know if anyone on Strong’s staff has a clue about the meaning of the term.

Recruiters gonna recruit. The AJ-C’s gonna AJ-C.

Jeff Schultz – in a piece appropriately titled “Overreaction Monday” – gets a little huffy about Mark Richt traveling to see a prized recruit.

Now, it’s possible Richt merely wanted to ease concerns with the family and the player amid speculation the coach might be fired. Or maybe he just wanted to attempt to change the narrative from, “What a disappointing season,” to, “We’re going to be awesome next season.” But let me offer this third possibility: Richt is sending a message to athletic director Greg McGarity and president Jere Morehead that goes something like this: “See this recruit? He likes me. And if you want me gone, you’re going to have to fire me, because I’m not resigning.” You could say it’s an attempted power play.

Will it work? My guess is: No. McGarity and Morehead will still make their decision regardless of this, which is not to say which way they’re leaning because I honestly don’t know. The decision could be based on Richt’s recent resume and/or what big-money boosters think as much as the potential of the future, which offers no guarantee. And if Richt believes that a picture with next year’s hot recruit is going to appease the masses, he’s mistaken.

Meanwhile, his colleague Steve Hummer detects more of the hand of Evil Richt in play with the trip.

But Mark Richt’s cross-country trip to brunch with an 18-year-old last weekend was a stroke of uncut genius. His surprise visit to Washington state’s Jacob Eason was masterful in execution and message. I’d almost credit the Bulldogs coach with having a little Machiavelli in him, if he wasn’t such a square-cut fellow.

That’s all great, but could I bother to point out another possibility?  Remember the frothing that took place after this Great Moment In Social Media?

So it didn’t go unnoticed that Eason is now following Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier on Twitter. Also among his most recent follows is California head coach Sonny Dykes.

It could be a significant wrinkle as the heat is turned on Georgia coach Mark Richt after a 27-3 loss Saturday against Florida, the team’s third in the last four games.

The Lake Stevens, Wash. product, who committed to Georgia in July, 2014, was reached by Florida.247Sports.com about his social media connection to Nussmeier.

“I don’t really want to have a comment on that,” he said. “You know, he reached out to me, so I followed him, so he could communicate. So that’s about all I want to say about that.”

You think Richt’s feeling a little heat on the recruiting trail these days?  You think it might be somewhat prudent to check up on Eason once in while?  And, while he’s at it, maybe send a message to potential poachers that he’s still defending his turf?  Occam’s Razor, bitch.

Some of this shit would be funny if it weren’t such a sad stretch.  Perhaps Schultz ought to devote his next Overreaction post to an argument that Richt and his staff should stop recruiting altogether until it’s clear they’re back next season.  Can’t have any perception that McGarity’s being pressured, you know, because that would be bad for the program. At least not by Richt.  Pressure from the media is another story.

Gosh, now that I think about it, maybe Richt ought to forfeit the rest of the season while he’s at it.  That would sure make Greg’s job a lot easier.

Tuesday morning buffet

Been a while since I’ve stocked up the breakfast bar.

• Does anyone believe Larry Scott when he says, “Very, very low on the totem pole is what’s best to get a team in the playoff.”?
• Herbie runs his mouth again, apologizes..
• James Carville says it’s time for a fan bill of rights.  Not gonna happen.
• Continuing problems with the Neyland Stadium turf?  I’m shocked, shocked to hear that.
• SEC Network’s Dari Nowkhah on the media’s preseason love for Auburn:  “But we believed the hype about Jeremy Johnson. We believed the hype about Will Muschamp.”  Well, whose fault is that?
• Miami goes with a search committee and a search firm in its hunt for a new coach.  Nice belt and suspenders approach there.  At least the AD will have plenty of people to blame if the hire flops.
• Further evidence that the people running college sports have no clue how to manage a dollar:  University of South Carolina president Harris Pastides said the school’s decision to pay Steve Spurrier for the remainder of his current contract year even though Spurrier resigned mid-season was made at least partially out of concern that it would end up having to pay him an even greater amount of money.
• Gosh, you’d think winning a national title and playing for another one this decade would make Auburn fans less grumpy than this.

This week’s name of the week

I’ve been saving this one for a little while, but thanks to Reservoir Dawg for bringing Georgia Southern’s Ironhead Gallon to my attention… and now to yours.

Mumme Poll, Week 11

Things keep consolidating, which makes sense.

 

Rank	Team	Votes
1	Clemson	27
2	Alabama	26
2	Ohio State	26
4	Oklahoma State	24
5	Oklahoma	22
6	Notre Dame	18
7	Iowa	15
8	Florida	10
8	Houston	10
10	North Carolina	6
11	Michigan State	4
11	Baylor	4
13	Toledo	1
13	Michigan	1
13	TCU	1
13	Navy	1

 

More to come after this week.