December 28, 2015 · 7:53 AM

“OK, it’s time to get serious.”

The only thing missing from this Jason Butt “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times” tale of expectations for Kirby’s first season as Georgia head coach, is a QBR reference for the G-Day game.  Otherwise, as a word of caution, it’s worth a read.

37 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

37 responses to ““OK, it’s time to get serious.””

  1. Bob
    December 28, 2015 at 8:19 AM

    I am cautiously optimistic. I don’t expect miracles. But frankly some of the lowering of the bar expectations is getting old as well. He ain’t taking over Illinois or UVA or Kansas for goodness sakes. With that schedule he surely should be able to match the underachieving Mark Richt’s 9 wins.

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  2. Bright Idea
    December 28, 2015 at 9:02 AM

    2015 high expectations were centered around one Nick Chubb. I don’t see that one guy on the roster unless Chubb immediately returns at 100%.

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    • Will (The Other One)
      December 28, 2015 at 12:48 PM

      That I doubt will happen (though it’d be a great surprise.) It was a nasty knee injury, even though he was young and wildly fit, I think 12 months to recover fully is about right. So from October on he could be all the way back, but I don’t think they can really lean on him vs UNC unless he has the same magic knee tissue as Adrian Peterson.

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  3. GaskillDawg
    December 28, 2015 at 9:11 AM

    The comment in the article about Smart having to “turn the program around” is a false metaphor. The program is fine; Richt was fired not because the program was in bad shape but because the people in charge felt that his coaching performance was not living up to the condition of the program. The better metaphor would be, instead of “turning the program around,” “make a course correction to the program.”

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  4. DawgPhan
    December 28, 2015 at 10:26 AM

    meh. Championship coaches need 9-12 years of experience as a head coach before they win a title. Smart doesnt have that and there is not a way to shortcut that process. So maybe in 8 years Smart will have enough experience to win a title. It probably wont be at UGA though.

    Could UGA consistency in hiring inexperienced coaches be what has caused the 40 years of no titles. Something just inherent in the Georgia Way.

    Just something about experience.

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    • SouthGaDawg
      December 28, 2015 at 12:29 PM

      Your comment caught my eye and made me look up Urban Meyer. He won a NC in his 6th year although he was really not eligible for NC consideration at BG and Utah. So he really won a NC in his second year at an eligible school although he had six years of head coaching experience. Two things I learned form this research – Meyer is really good, and he is an exception. I don’t like the heart attack faker, but he is dang good. Now, back to CKS, who knows?

      I think a great debate would be – Who gets to the CFP first? UGA or Miami? Playing in the league they play in with a favorable out of conference schedule (they play ND in 16 & 17, and LSU, UF, and Michigan State in future years), the U looks like a contender with a rejuvenated CMR.

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    • Normaltown Mike
      December 28, 2015 at 1:22 PM

      Stoops had 2 years, Jimbo & Chizik…4 years. So…there’s that.

      Goff was a bad coach and Donnan an average coach. CMR is a good coach and had enough opportunity to win a championship over the past 15 years. The “Georgia Way” didn’t hold back Richt from success

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      • DawgPhan
        December 28, 2015 at 1:54 PM

        And Jim Tressel needed 17 years. Bowden needed 24 years. Larry Coker needed 1 year.

        So there’s that.

        The point being that these coaches that win championships on average need a few years of experience as head coach before they make the jump to championship success.

        You are right that you can shortcut the process if you land a Heisman winning QB.

        More specifically in the SEC. The only coach to make the BCS title game without head coaching experience was Fulmer. Every other coach to make the title game had head coaching experience before he got to the title.

        Even if you just look at coaches making the SEC championship all of them except for CMR and Fulmer had head coaching experience. So 2 people in the history of the SEC title game have done it without previous head coaching experience.

        Putting a value on experience isnt some crazy idea. Experience matters in most jobs, being the head coach of a football team is probably one of them.

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      • old dog
        December 28, 2015 at 1:56 PM

        Yes…coaches should get at least 4 years to work their magic was the common refrain…then Bob Stoops goes to Oklahoma and wins the whole thing in year two…man, that got a lot of Athletic Directors and Coaches off the golf course and back to work… HAHA!!

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    • Russ
      December 28, 2015 at 1:25 PM

      Richt could’ve played for the MNC in 2002 if there weren’t two undefeated teams. It takes a little luck (like Florida had in 2006 when UCLA upset USC on the last week of the season) to get to the MNC game.

      The same can be said for many teams and coaches. The margin is very thin sometimes.

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      • Normaltown Mike
        December 28, 2015 at 2:01 PM

        I look at 2007 as the greater miss. If he’d have handed the ball to Knowshon 30 times against South Carolina in 2007, we win that game.

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  5. Nate Dawg
    December 28, 2015 at 10:29 AM

    I see 9-3 as a possibility, and losing the same games as they did this yr. I could see losing to a better tenn, losing fla AGAIN cuz you know..just cuz…and then replace bammer with Ole Miss on the road. Now maybe Ole Miss loses a lot but the SEC is tough so replace it somewhere else, but this scenario wouldn’t surprise me. Now if we lose these games in different ways than we did this year, I’m sure at the time I’d be heartbroken, but maybe this time next year I’d feel a little better…somehow…hopefully.

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  6. PTC DAWG
    December 28, 2015 at 10:35 AM

    I still say the East is wide open.

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  7. Reipar
    December 28, 2015 at 11:45 AM

    I don’t expect a NC or even SEC title, but he sure better win the east!

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  8. Jack Klompus
    December 28, 2015 at 11:57 AM

    Jason’s best article to date.
    Unfortunately, over the past 5 years Georgia has given me nothing to warrant my off-season and pre-season excitement for the program. I will cheer loudly for the Dawgs and support them with everything I’ve got…but I won’t buy into hype until I see it on the field against a legitimate opponent.

    The first game will be a solid indicator as to where the program stands and how well Kirby has prepared the team over the summer.

    Go Dawgs!

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  9. W Cobb Dawg
    December 28, 2015 at 12:21 PM

    The article didn’t mention it, but we’ll also have a new kicker. I’m assuming Ramsey becomes the regular punter. The OT replacements is the biggest question.

    I don’t agree the team is ‘rebuilding’. But we are looking for replacements at some key positions – OT, QB, WR, DL, LB and K. And depth is a continuing concern.

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  10. Semper Fi Dawg
    December 28, 2015 at 12:38 PM

    I can only imagine Butt’s twitter feed battle with 12 year olds. Clearly it inspired this article.

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    • Twistification
      December 28, 2015 at 2:16 PM

      Just another guy giving a voice to the lunatic fringe and then passing it off as the average UGA fan. Kind of tired.
      The average UGA fan hopes for great things (thats what makes pre season so much fun around here). The lunatic fringe expects great things when evidence suggests otherwise.

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  11. 69Dawg
    December 28, 2015 at 2:51 PM

    8-4 and the earth shakes. The ‘Richt has had the horses but just couldn’t get it done” group will have to make the argument that UGA didn’t have the horses to get it done. That should be entertaining and informative. The “Richt needs to get two more years with these new recruits and coaches” group will be screaming we told you so either way. I’m glad Kirby 1. wanted this job and 2 probably knows he is dealing with a somewhat vocal minority of whacko fans on both sides of the issue. He will earn every red cent of his pay the next 5 years, then he will be fired if he has failed to perform at least as well as Richt did in his first 5 years. This is the Georgia Way and don’t you forget it.

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    • alamosa
      December 28, 2015 at 6:47 PM

      Yes, I see this problem at a number of programs. UDub, where I went, has the same crazy whacko fan base. Hell, yesterday there were Seahwawk fans ready to fire Pete Carroll. The coaches do earn their money. Agree on the 5 year thing, $$$$ boosters.

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