The big question for this Saturday, of course, is how much the coaches and players will care about the game. As Seth Emerson notes, things are a little weird right now.
John Lilly, one of the symbols of the weird transition going on with the Georgia football team, walked through a hotel lobby here on Sunday night still wearing a Georgia hat. He will serve as the team’s offensive coordinator in the bowl, but he has already cleaned out his office back home in Athens.
Other players and staffers began streaming in on Sunday. It officially was reporting day for Georgia’s final week, but more than a few coaches and players on this year’s team will be no-shows.
The former head coach is in Miami. The new head coach is still with his former team. The interim head coach is only with the Bulldogs one more week until he joins South Carolina. The former defensive coordinator is also back at Alabama, already in his new job. The former offensive coordinator will not be here, nor will one other defensive assistant. The quarterback who started this year’s previous game in Jacksonville has already transferred and found a new school.
All that served as the backdrop Monday as the Bulldogs return to practice, preparing for a match-up with Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl that many have deemed irrelevant.
Yeah, just a little.
I don’t think the coaches will mail it in, if only for reasons of professional pride. But I can see how the players might struggle with motivation. If only Penn State had a coach capable of pissing off Georgia folks… oh, wait.
By the way, as a side note, did you know Marshall Morgan has a chance to set a conference career scoring mark? Or that, if Georgia wins, Greyson Lambert would tie D.J. Shockley for the highest win percentage (.833) among starting quarterbacks in the Richt era?
Like I said, things are a little weird right now.
Get The Picture 
Bizzaro World.
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Its liken unto a Whiskey Wind has blowed through the coaching staff…Bluto you gotta put up a coaching roster so we’ll know who to complain about.
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Feel like I have wasted money by going to this game. This whole transition process has been an embarrassment.
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Succession planning and transitioning in any organization is tough. I think all things considered, they’ve done ok. The only thing that I think really looks horrible is naming BMac interim and then him leaving. In retrospect, it should have been Rocker.
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Bob, please don’t feel that way. It is still your team playing against the other team. Go and have fun.
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I agree with Gask…the novelty of the situation should at least create some interest?
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Lots of strange things listed in that post, I am still pulling for the Dawgs to embarrass the natty lions.
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So, he top three scores in SEC history are GA kickers, huh? I know that’s a good thing, but…
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the top three scorers UGA I should really proofread this stuff.
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So you’re saying we finally have a chance to win in Jacksonville? 😉
No pressure and no fake juice this time. It should be fun.
BMac gets an opportunity to show what he can do as a head coach and Sherrer and Lilly get another opportunity to show what they can do as coordinators.
There is motivation for Georgia.
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I hope the seniors win their 40th game. I hope fans show up to support them. The team has gotten the short stick in this transition.
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Gasp! The players may finally have to win a damn game!
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In another segment of our bizarro Dawgs, I saw CBS at church in Athens on Christmas Eve.
Seemed quite happy.
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I’m looking forward to the game. Let’s see what we can do w/ our apparently superior talent and a hopefully creative plan. I agree that motivation could be an issue however often teams play harder when a new coach takes over as they are effectively trying out for future playing time.
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Ya know, since this is a multi-million dollar enterprise, UGA ought to create a position of authority in the athletic program. Someone who looks out for the team’s interests. Makes sure screw-ups like this never happen. Someone we can look to who takes responsibility when something goes awry. Somebody who has good management and p.r. skills…
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I’ll probably just watch the Under Armour All-American Game live on ESPN2. its the same time as this bowl game.
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Blame it on Shottenheimer. He blew it all up.
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If I had been Coach Smart I would let me two new hires and grad assistants do the bowl. Could be ugly, but I would have taken this time to start getting my system in place.
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Man, in 25 years or so, people are going to look at the Lambert numbers (completion record, winning %) and talk about how great the Lambert era was.
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No, we’re not. But then you knew that. OTOH, it really isn’t his fault entirely. I can’t think of a game where he just lost the game for us. But back in the summer when he transferred, I was hoping for something like this to happen:
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I see you finally figured out the avatar. Hahaha
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All of you not interested in watching the team play need to consider if you are really fans of the team.
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Agree, I will watch every minute of the game. They are my team for better or worse. Kinda like the old lady. And I use that term with the deepest affection.
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Well I almost went to the UA game in Orlando as I have free tickets but being as though one of the kids playing I helped walk on…I will watch on TV…8 hours of driving yesterday after the Christmas visits is enough time in the car for me…
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