I thought it might be a good idea for everyone to share his/her thoughts on what would make the 2016 season a success. Is it wins total? Division championship? Something higher?
I’ve written this before, but I’m not looking so much for wins or titles as I am to see a program where everyone is on the same page and where the head coach is attending to details, both large and small. Give me that, and I suspect the wins will take care of themselves, given the existing talent base and Georgia’s schedule.
What are you guys looking for as a mark that Kirby’s getting ‘er done?
Get The Picture 
Beat our rivals – Fla, UTK, Auburn, Tech. Hell, that happens so rarely (a sweep) that I’ll say a good year is beating three of those four, and a fantastic year is beating all four. That being said, if the one loss is GTU, that is no longer a good year.
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On a macro level, I agree with your views.
On a micro level, there’s a few specific things I’d like to see. One is the ability to put teams away when given the chance. I don’t know what it was about Richt’s teams, but anytime we found ourselves in the early to mid 4th quarter, and you caught yourself thinking “all we need is one score here and the game is over”, or “all we need is to hold them on this drive, and the game will be over”, 9 times out of ten (no that’s no exaggerating) we’d fail to score or give up a quick TD in those scenarios and end up making the game a whole lot harder than it had to be. We’d often times still win, but would require a big final stand on the last drive or something like that. Especially on offense, anytime you knew that one more score would put the game away, even just a FG, you could bank on us finding a way to screw it up. A win is a win, but we sure could make life easier and maybe get younger players some extra playing time to boot if we just learned how to put teams away when given the chance, especially lesser teams.
So I guess I’d say I’d like to see a true killer instinct starting to be developed.
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Well put – I’d add on that, when we do lose, that we are competitive. In other words, I don’t want to see any more “what the hell was that” ass-whippings like we took from Florida last year.
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That and hold a lead like Rev said. The worst loss last year IMHO was to UTK with the Dawgs giving up a 21 point lead with only slightly more than 1/2 of the game left to play.
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Wouldn’t those remarks speak for every SEC fan base whose teams we will face? But someone has to lose; someone has to get the last TD; someone has to reach down and make the one play that will open up the game – or it’s all the coach’s fault.
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Well yeah…….and some teams/coaches are better at it than others. My point is I’d like to be one of the better ones. 🙂
At no point under Richt were we ever good at putting teams away. And by “putting teams away”, I’m talking prior to the last 2 minutes of the game. Even in his first 5 years of great success, with a great leader at QB like we had, how many times did we have to send BVG’s boys out for one last stand because the offense/FG unit blew the chance to ice the game? It was a consistent theme throughout Richt’s entire tenure.
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Disagree with you there my friend. I remember several games during his good years where we did jump on people and butt them. There were close games as well. But LSU ’04 then again in ’05 in the SEC-CG come to mind.
I do think killer instinct and better organization top to bottom is what I wanna see. I think with that, the wtf moments will be a thing of the past.
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I’m looking for 9 wins, and no wet-the-bed losses. We’ve seen recently that the big jump happens year 2 or 3, so a move that direction is key.
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the problem is that a 9 win season means at least 4 bed wetting loses.
We are more talented than every team on our schedule. How do you get to just 9 wins without a bed wetting loss when any loss to any team on our schedule is a bed wetter?
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Agree. Our talent appears to be good but weak on the lines as has been discussed. if we fight in every game and Eason progresses and Chubb is solid end of year we will close well which will help us close a top 5 or top 3 recruiting class.
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which 4 games can we lose that wouldn’t be “bed wetting”? Of those 4, at what point does a loss move from “competitive” to “bed wetting”? If we go 10-2, lose to UNC by 10, then win the East, and lose to Florida again by, say, 24-7, is that a good year? Or did we “back in” to an East title? Is it a better year if we lose 3 games by a FG or less, and one by a TD? At that point is the narrative “can’t win a close game”?
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Simple….an average of 9.7 wins or higher and two SEC titles or better in the first five years. The bar is set high, I hope McGarity knew what he was doing.
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This.
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Please. CMR was fired not because of his ’01-’05 performance, but his rather anemic performance from ’06 onward; especially ’09-’15.
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That “anemic” performance was significantly better than Georgia’s all-time historical average before Richt (below .650 all-time). Including those lean recent years, Richt’s career win percentage is the highest of any coach in the history of Georgia football.
So yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty high bar for our current coach and any coach we get down the road.
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quit using facts to cloud the issue. 😉
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Agree…
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It’s only in recent history that…. big schools get to play two cupcakes every year while the big state schools’ programs have hundred million dollar budget advantages over competition and Georgia Tech has been down and Tennessee has been down and Auburn and Florida have gone through very rough periods and Bama was in the Shula era.
I liked Richt, but I suspect he had a favorable set up to pad his winning percentage compared with most of UGA history. The school itself is better resourced and an easier sell thanks to the Hope scholarship and the economic growth in Georgia.
I’d be interested in learning how was Richt’s winning percentage against quality opponents (by some metric like opponent winning percentage and rank) compares to previous coaches.
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Every school cycles (ups & downs), just like percentages….it all works out (for all teams).
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His average from ’06 until then was almost exactly the same (9.4). He also won 3 division titles in that period. I think it was more of him being a victim of his own success and politics. The dawgs went 20 years without an SEC title before Richt….he also won 2 during his coaching period. I am pretty sure that beats the average of those before him. Maybe the Dawgs ain’t as good as some think they should be, history would agree me if you compare Richt’s record to those before him. I pretty sure I would not have made the same decision as McGarity….but I certainly hope he proves me wrong.
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he’s gone, it’s time to move on…….
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WELL….obviously he is gone, no reason to state the obvious. I am just saying I would not have made the same decision. “Move on”??…..awfully presumptuous of you. But just so you will know, I moved on from day 1…..I hope Kirby wins them all!
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9 wins and not having a “wtf” game.
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Wins…at least 9 plus another bowl game and no lackluster blowouts to an opponent that does not look superior in talent. As I posted the other day, the optics of “good” losses vs. “bad” losses is kind of b.s. If the 2012 SECCG is an example of a good loss, it sure does seem better than the 2014 OT loss to tech or the miracle loss to Auburn in 2013 but if you don’t want to be blown-out and demand that our losses at least be close, then they’ll likely happen on fluke events like those two games. Frankly, I feel terrible about all the losses and while prefer to blow-out “lesser” opponents, whether we beat Mizzou 9 – 6 or GSU in OT, I’ll take the win everytime.
Just win baby.
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Yup. Really doesn’t matter to me about scores, wins are wins, losses are losses. I hear fans say they just wast us to be “competitive” in every game, but what exactly does that mean? I think wins are the only things that matter, if we lose I dont care how many points we lose by. Like in golf, you miss a putt by one inch or by ten feet, doesnt matter, you missed the putt.
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Last year’s Florida game? Not competitive. No more of that shit, please. Last year’s Bama game? Also not competitive. The 2012 SECCG? Competitive. That’s what “competitive” means.
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8 or more wins and no bed shitting.
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Win the games we are supposed to win. Don’t take the foot off the gas and let teams come back.
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Sometimes a step back is needed before moving on forward. No serious expectations this year out of me. Improvement over the course of the year would be nice. Beating a ranked team would be nice.
I am more excited to see our games than I would have been had Richt been retained…so that’s nice.
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9 wins is what I kinda expect. So a good year would be 10 wins. And beat fla. Just focus on that game and beat fla.
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Echoing others:
Develope killer instinct – Put teams away
No inexpicalbe bedwetting losses
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^^^^^^^^
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A 50+ yd pass completion from someone other than a RB.
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I like this post, the cut of your jib, and your handle.
Please explain the latter (I’m not being sarcastic, I really want to know).
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Taking you at your word (that you’re not being sarcastic), I believe the John Denver handle is a reference to the movie Dumb & Dumber. After they make a wrong turn and travel a long ways in the wrong direction, one of the characters says something like “I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a bit more…rocky” to which the other replies “yeah…boy that John Denver is full of shit.”
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Thanks, man.
Nothing interesting really, just Lloyd Christmas’s view of the singer/song writer is pure comedy to me.
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Aw, man, I should have remembered that! Good choice, regardless.
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A season better than a Mark Richt season. Otherwise, there wasn’t much of a point.
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Richt would be looking at a 10 win season this year, counting a bowl win.
Rucht would not win the East, as he normally does not.
Kirby winning the East would be a better season.
Beating the Gators, Tenn. & Auburn would be a successful season for me.
Especially beating the Gators Richt was 5 & 10 against them.
Kirby needs to do better than that to be successful as The Dawg Coach..
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Pls. add the nerds.
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Howd Richt do against Auburn, Tech, and Tennessee?
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I would say nine wins with improvement in play throughout the season.
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..”but I’m not looking so much for wins or titles as I am to see a program where everyone is on the same page and where the head coach is attending to details, both large and small.”
Exactly my sentiments. We very well might get a few unlucky or bad breaks, calls, injuries, etc. in some of our bigger games, in which we lose a few tough games. But if, overall, things seemed to be buttoned up quite a bit more overall, I’ll be very happy with the overall direction of the program. Thus, I’m not going to draw a line in the sand in terms of win totals that must be met, as there are so many unknowns out there.
Thus far, however, I like what I’m seeing/hearing this off-season, and our recruiting really seems to have gotten an injection as well.
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What a bunch of crock, we will be favored in every game excepting maybe one and “I am happy with program direction and “wins not important this year”. Need towin 11 and play in SECCG, anything less is same as we have had.
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A good year for the team is winning every game and playing in the sec title game.
9 wins is a failure. 10 wins is a failure. 11 wins and an SEC title game appearance is the bare minimum.
We are better than every team on the schedule. UT is the only team even close to our talent level and we get them in Athens.
Besides wins and loses, I want an offense that is explosive. I want a defense that shuts teams down. I want deadly special teams. I want a #1 recruiting class. To
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Why do you think that Ole Miss (in Oxford BTW) is that much worse than us? But for a crazy play to end the Arky game, they win the West last year.
UNC nearly got Clemson who nearly beat Bama. Not sure we’re that much better than UNC today.
I’m also not sold that UF somehow has a terrible roster. The games in the Columbias aren’t just cake walks either no matter what the line ups look like. Playing on the road is tough in this conf.
In short, there are 4 teams on the schedule that are legit threats and we have 2 reasonably difficult road games where we’ll likely be favored by less than 10. I don’t see how you suggest that there is just 1 tough game on the dock.
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Mostly because UGA has recruited better than all those teams over the last 5 years and in college football recruiting matters.
It matters a lot and we have done it better than everyone else on our schedule.
UGA 273.2825 277.5833333
Tenn 256.4875 270.7933333
Ole Miss 260.725 255.8
Florida 262.025 252.2066667
Auburn 273.81 275.9566667
UNC 208.4675 209.1433333
The 7 point difference between UGA and UT over the last 3 years is equal to UGA signing 1 more top 50 (by position group) player every class over that 3 year period. The 4 year avg is even greater. Auburn is the only team that is even close to us when it comes to recruiting over the last 6 years.
The difference between UGA and UNC over 4 years is equally to about signing an extra 12 5* players over that period.
The difference between Ole Miss and UGA over the last 4 years is signing an extra 4-5 4* top 25 in their position group players.
Those players make a difference.
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So why play the games? Just match up the recruiting rankings and save a lot of time.
So why did ole miss beat Alabama the past two years exactly?
How did Ohio state beat Alabama?
How did South Carolina beat Alabama?
How did auburn beat Alabama in 2010 and 13?
Maybe saban sucks at the coaching.
Players absolutely matter but match ups are even more important. Recruiting ranking notwithstanding, we matched up better with auburn the last two years because our front seven could run. We didn’t match up well vs. power teams because our edge guys struggled to defeat big boy blocks.
Leonard Floyd may be a 5 star. It won’t help him when a four star OG that out weighs him by 60 pounds comes down the line.
What do those ranking say about football exactly? They may tell you who has a good team in the abstract. They won’t tell you who on their schedule they match up well with and who they don’t.
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Sure anything can happen. It’s a game, the favorite doesnt always win.
But our team is more talented than every other team on the schedule.
There are 2 teams that are close, UT and Auburn. We have done a really good job of beating auburn for the last 15 years. A loss to them is a failure. UT plays in athens, we have a more talented team, and we have been beating UT at a historic pace recently. A loss to them is a failure.
We will likely be favored in every game this season.
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You’re forgetting that we’ve had a TON of attrition over the past 5 years. Hell, the entire ’13 class alone is pretty much up in smoke at this point. Sure, every program experiences these issues, but we’ve had more of it than others in terms of quality and quantity.
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I agree about attrition. It would be great if someone put that data together. I feel like we lose a lot more talent than other teams, but I dont have any data to back that up because I dont really follow other teams the same way I follow UGA.
Also that 2013 class was the worst class for UGA in the last 6 years and it is still a better class than the average 4 year class for UT, Ole Miss, Florida, and UNC.
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So you missed the line for the game in Oxford did you?
There’s always one way to be right every time: know nothing.
The earth is flat if you don’t know that it just ain’t.
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I guess I did miss that Ole Miss line. I can’t seem to find it anywhere.
What is the line for that game right now?
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8.5. http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/vegas-sportsbook-releases-updated-lines-several-marquee-sec-matchups/
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guess we will see if the line moves.
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You ever see an 8.5 line flip the other way? Face it phan we aren’t going off as favorites in that game.
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guess we will just have to see. That line was posted in June. Ole Miss is likely to be 1-2 by the time UGA arrives in Oxford.
I believe that is also the only sportsbook with a line for that game right now as well.
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We do not have as much talent as you think- the lines are not all that strong, RB is very iffy with little depth, and our Qb situation is not going to be solid until at least a couple weeks before Jax. PK is a huge issue as well. 11 wins is a stretch for expectations.
Also, this new staff has their own way of doing things and I would bet some on the team were real comfortable with the way things have been in the past. I doubt all the players have all bought in yet.
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Easily beat (read CRUSH) the teams that are supposed to be tuneups (eg., don’t struggle with teams like Ga Southern as last year. 2. Beat the traditional foes (Florida, Auburn, GT– Dooley used to say you had a good year if you beat all three of them) 3. Get to the SEC championship game.
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My sentiments are somewhat similar, with one qualifier…Just be better in November than we are in September. That’s the mark of good coaching to me in a nutshell. Take what you have as a team, and improve it.
I think that killer instinct several referred to is evidence of that. Learn how to put a team away. It wasn’t in Richt’s character to embarrass a team if he thought the game was in hand, and it seemed we often let a team hang around because of that.
All that said, for me the Mendoza line is about 8.5 wins. Losing to 1 lesser opponent would not be that surprising in year 1 for a new coach, but the team is also talented enough to get an underdog win too. My sophisticated evaluation tool reads:
9 wins or better: Very happy
8 wins: Pause, review…what happened?
7 of less: Something is wrong.
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If we win so much that the fans stop saying stupid shit about how they think we could do it better, that would be a successful season.
Seriously though, I think that we aren’t going to know much about the progress of the defense in 2016. Either Kirby will do it the Jeremy Pruitt way and put something together with spit and glue week to week or he’s going to implement the “process” immediately which will be ugly at times until the personnel gets in place. Either way he does it, what we see in 2016 won’t be what we can look forward to in 2017 and beyond IMHO.
On offense, if Eason can get comfortable in the offense and play within the offense while showing off his remarkable abilities when the opportunities are there, that will be a success. I want to see the abilities of a Murray and a Stafford without Murray’s occasional big-eyed stage fright and without Stafford’s tendency to forget technique and rely on his arm strength alone.
In short, if the kid is a cold-eyed killer or a disciplined and confident gunslinger, I’ll be happy. A half a foot taller Eric Zeier or a David Greene with a cannon would just suit the hell out of me.
We’re not trying to win it all in 2016. We aren’t even trying to put the world on notice that we’re going to be a player in 2017. Saban’s 7-6 season in 2007 certainly didn’t give a lot of people the impression that they’d be undefeated going into the SECCG. That is how quickly fortunes can change.
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Mention of a David Greene-like Qb
was sufficient, thank you.
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“We’re not trying to win it all in 2016” Don’t tell the coaches and players that.
In all seriousness though, I get what you’re saying and I think Saban’s first season at Bama is a great example.
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Carrying on with Reverend Whitehall’s Macro/Micro-level breakdown:
Macro:
1) I really want to see Georgia maintain and build on its reputation as a program that places an emphasis on building the character of its players. This season is a certainly a success for me if the program continues to expect its players to conduct themselves with honor on and off the field and is serious about education and discipline (both positive and negative) to encourage the players to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the great university and football program of which they are a part.
2) I certainly want W’s, but I can won’t be crushed if we have four or five total losses out of thirteen games as long as the coaches and team look like they’re building something throughout the year and seem confident in what they are doing. Even 850 miles away (in my case), while a fan is watching on their TV at home, they can tell when players have bought in and feel like they’re part of something great or something they believe is going to be great. I really think if we look like we’re competing and playing our butts off we (and the coaches and team) will be able to very proud of 8 or 9 wins.
Micro:
1) The QB situation HAS to be handled better than last season. For me the first indication of proper handling would be to name a starter (I really don’t care who) no later than a full week before the opener against UNC. Two weeks would be better. I think uncertainty (or portraying uncertainty to your players and fans) is more detrimental than making the “wrong” choice in this instance. I honestly don’t think any one of the three QB’s is probably proving the “obvious choice” yet and probably won’t in August either. Just make a decision and go with it. Don’t belabor it and give everyone – including your team – a giant question mark at the all important QB slot.
2) I want to see our OL scare the living daylights out of our opponents by the second half of the year. It’s what I expect, and if by the second half of the year our OL isn’t mentioned as a (or maybe THE) major force to reckon with in all pre-game talks then something is terribly wrong.
3) Special teams. Special teams. Special teams.
4) And, dear heavens above. Don’t let off the gas when you’re up 20.
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No career or season ending injuries.
The team is better at the end of the season than it was at the beginning of the season.
We all feel proud to be Dawgs.
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+1 Well stated.
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That’s a great description of what I’m looking for. Well done!
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1) Win the East.
2) CRUSH the “genius” from the flats.
3) BEAT the color orange.
4) NO WTF! games.
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1) I want us to come out prepared to beat Florida – if Kirby knows what’s good for his long term job security, he will beat the Gators early and often.
2) Build on Richt’s success against the other 2 of the Big 3
3) No important games where it looks like the team comes out like we just got out of bed before the game
4) Special teams – we’ve looked so bad on special teams over the last 3-4 years at points. Maybe that goes to managing details, but we’ve let games get away from us directly as a result of special teams
5) NO wasted timeouts on defense – unless you’re behind, at the end of a half, or are challenging a call, you should never have to use a time out on defense.
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You (eethomaswfnc) nailed it. I would add only come out with swagger but with class. Intimidate your opponent with confidence.
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seems like a good georgia season is a lot like porn. You know it when you see it, but you can’t really define it.
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It will be a good year for Georgia IF 3rd and 1 or 2 yards go does not continue to be the most difficult down for UGA to convert as has been the case for the last few years.
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I fully expect a head scratcher in the middle of the season season and I also expect to see the team playing lights out in another game. A very successful year would avoid the head scratcher, A successful year with end with Eason looking like a veteran starter, the D coming together, 60 minutes at 100%, and a bowl game.
10 wins as a failure is absurd, especially given QB and possible RB situations with a new staff. Tenn and UF are both equal in talent. UGA faces a tough early slate. A thin Defensive front 7 against a team that has had Smart’s # (Ole Miss) and another that plays HUNH for the opener. I expect a head scratcher game as a buy in moment as well where some essentially wash out of real playing time, and others step up. Smart in my opinion will be tougher than what the team is used to, and it will come with some growing pains as any good work out when pushing for new bests will. Smart is also a 1st year head coach which will likely lead to a 1st year mistake somewhere.
I may sound like a downer but 2017 is when I expect to see things really pay off. 2006 was a frustrating year but I saw a team that if they could clean up mistakes could be dominant. Auburn ’06 gave that line of thought real hope. I expected a title run in ’07 which is what we saw. ’16 could be much like ’06 and that is not all that bad in the big picture.
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I’m totally expecting a head-scratcher game, as you say. Not surprised if we beat the pants off of UNC, for instance, and then turn around and lose to Mizzou, putting us in a serious hole in the East.
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Many of us seem to think we should run the schedule based on talent alone. I just don’t see it that way, too many questions. A good season will be determined for me based on how we execute and how hard we play. I want to see 60 minutes of consistency and weekly improvement. The red zone can’t turn into Baghdad, settling for missed FGs. We shouldn’t play not to lose. We can’t get embarrassed in the big games, and UNC is one of those. We’ll win our share but never enough to keep everybody happy. We also have to learn to be content with some close wins, survive some Saturdays and move on. Lots of good teams do it that way. I look forward to seeing a new approach. This year I only expect to win more than we lose. That could only be 7 or 8, it won’t be 15. Mostly I look forward to not having a weekly referendum on our head coach though it will start for many after the first loss or first narrow win. That’s just the way we are. We expect to win them all but complain about the 17-14 victories.
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kick it into the damn endzone…..
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No “head scratcher” games where either an entire half or a whole game is a Chinese fire drill where we give up 3 or 4 unanswered TDs. Consistency over a season will be the hallmark of improvement. I want us to play tough and minimize coaching/mental mistakes. If we get beaten by better teams, then that just happens.
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I turn 50 in a few weeks, and last year was the only time in my life I just quit watching, quit listening, quit following the Dawgs. The way we lost to Bama was a very poignant moment to me, because it was obvious we simply were not in their league. The Florida loss was the nail in the coffin. I didn’t tune into another game. The product being marketed was simply unacceptable. With the firing and hiring that took place after the season I find myself again interested in the team and I’m grateful for that in and by itself. That being said, I will be satisfied if we simply show up weekly with a competitive spirit and a competent game plan. That will signify a marked improvement as far as I’m concerned.
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SemperFi,
I quit following the war after Tet. I mean seriously? You guys just lost me there.
I really don’t care whether its my team, my country, my wife, children, employees, siblings, once I’m disappointed, I’m just out. DONE!
I find that loyalty is best when its totally conditional and its all about me. The players want a special Senior Day with a full house at the Tech game when they’re 5-6? Well fuck ’em. Who gives a damn? What have they ever done for us other than sweat and toil for 4 or 5 years, twelve months a year. They lost and upset my fee-fees and so the hell with them.
I even had my vows modified to say: For better or even better but never, ever worse and damn sure never sick. Ewwwww!!! Time for a new one!
Well at least you just didn’t give a shit. Somebody around here cared enough to pull for the other guys. Now that’s real loyalty there.
(I hope that its clear that the above is totally sarcastic. FWIW: if you’re a bigger fan when we’re 13-0 than you are when we’re 1-5, please just go away. I just know that some of you “fair weather” fans will be with me on that glorious day on Pasadena or New Orleans and I really, really don’t want a damn one of you anywhere near me. I’d rather you just pull for Auburn. Thanks for your consideration.)
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Humor is in poor taste. I still watched but at times questioned why with a dysfunctional program, maybe it was for the train wreck of going to OT against little little brother. Can I still be near you?
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Sorry, my sense of humor isn’t restrained by any notions of decency or taste. I’m just trying to make a point. Sometimes absurdity works in that regard and using absurdity can be “edgy.”
In any event, I don’t have issues with people who get disappointed or even cynical, but I have a real problem with people who don’t understand that at the end of the day it’s really all about the players. It’s not about you individually ever. We owe it to them to be there through thick and thin. We expect them to give their best no matter what don’t we?
We win together. We lose together. We go through the good times together. We go through the bad times together. What we don’t do is quit….ever. What we don’t do is pull for the other team to force a coaching change. What we don’t do is suggest that the coaches bench everyone and play for next year. You keep trying your best to win the next game, the next possession, the next play.
If you aren’t willing to do that you really aren’t a fan at all. You’re just a bandwagoner looking to capitalize on someone else’s sweat equity.
What was it that Lebron said about Cleveland fans after they got the city their first title in 52 years: “Our fans are ‘ride or die’?”
That’s me. If I ever get off it won’t be because of the won/loss record, I can assure you of that.
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Derek, you intrigue me. You make snide remarks like a younger person, but if you “quit following the war after Tet,” then you must be about ready to qualify for AARP? Because surely you can see that he’s only 49 wouldn’t be old enough to have been in ‘the war.’ Just an observation I made. No offense intended.
I read a lot of your posts and can say I agree probably 50/50, but you can’t sit here and expect anyone to believe that your enthusiasm for the team and the game is just as high when we’re slugging it out with Mizzou as it is when we’re driving down to try to beat Ala or Aub in the waning seconds of a game. Or your anticipation for a cupcake is just as high as your anticipation for an SECCG.
He didn’t say he quit being a fan and I’ll bet his friends still asked him what/how the Dawgs were doing etc. He just disconnected. Just like I did, and just like the thousands of fans did midway through the third quarter on that rainy Saturday in October last year. And and after the last two horrid afternoons in Jacksonville.
What you said about the players and how hard they work and our support makes sense, and the optics might not be the best. But in the long run fan apathy and discontent probably does better for the players in the long run because it possibly helps facilitate needed changes that may be overlooked until someone on the staff or in the administration looks out and sees empty seats on a regular basis.
Hating on the “fair weather fans” does absolutely nothing but keep you in a perpetual pissed off state because I’d be willing to bet that they don’t spend one second of their time upset that you’re upset at them.
Keep the faith and keep rooting for the Dawgs in your own way and if we make it to the Natty and I happen to get tickets next to you I’ll buy you a soda so maybe you won’t be so mad at me.
Now those folks that root for the other team… They’re just freaking warped!
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Well, you don’t have to like it, but that’s the way it is. And no I wasn’t quite around when the Tet offensive happened. I missed almost all of the 60’s. As I said I was being facetious.
The theory of negative reinforcement is totally lost on me. I am surrounded by adults who feel insecure and insufficient because they were raised by people who critiqued them rather than love them unconditionally. They are in many ways damaged as adults and not better people at all.
I am forever grateful that my mother was not like that. Disappointment was always the greater motivator. You may think boos and empty seats is “good for them.” I don’t. I think a full stadium makes them want to do their best. Cheering their effort and being silent when they’ve not showed up to play will send every bit of a positive message.
What you suggest causes resentment. It causes people to turn inwards and be selfish.
We’re so quick to assume that people act like dogs when we just know that people do not wag their tail at anyone who feeds them and they do not learn by getting the newspaper when they shit on the rug, metaphorically of course. We’re more complicated than that. We’re more discerning than that.
If you give conditional love, that’s what you’re likely to get in return.
And btw we agree totally that chili is the worst.
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Good for you. Ladies and Gentlemen we have a REAL Hero here. Can someone give this man a medal. I tell you, it’s an honor just to be denigrated by such a principled and dedicated individual as yourself Sir. BTW would you like a bigger horn to blow along with that medal?
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You’ll quit on the team, but you don’t quit on a blog chain because the latter is about you.
Obviously, I was way off base in my “denigration.”
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Derek, you are a “master” at pointing out the ignorance of all whom you deem unworthy, so let me point out a glaring instance of your own ignorance. The Tet offensive was an absolute disaster for the NV and the Vietcong and was therefore the last time that they faced the US in a traditional battlefield. While Tet did indeed begin well for the north, as soon as US and South Vietnamese forces recovered from the initial shock, stopped the initial offensive, and dug in defensively, it became a shooting gallery. It is reported that of the 80,000 NV troops that initiated the attack, more than 45,000 were killed over the next few months. The leadership in Hanoi was devastated by the outcome, having believed this would end the war. Despite the constant announcements by Walter Cronkite that the war was lost, the US absolutely routed the north in this particular instance.
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10 wins is an absolute must otherwise why the change. SEC east championship, otherwise why the change, SEC championship, otherwise why the change. Since we are expected to pay more and donate more, I expect to win more…..now……The schedule and talent level are commensurate with those expectations………….
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Win Ten and Beat florida !
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The season will be successful if…
We win all our games and beat Ohio St. for the National Championship. Okay, I’ve aimed a little too high? Alright then, it will be successful if Jacob Eason makes a brilliant transition from High School to college, contributes early and stretches the field. It will be successful if the OL improves from game to game and exceeds last year’s performance. It will be successful if Chaney demonstrates creativity and leverages all the weapons at his disposal. It will be successful if the defensive front 7 can get a lot more pressure on QB’s than it did last year. It will be successful if we improve our turnover margin. It will be successful if we can find someone who can kick field goals and send the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs. It will be a successful season if we can plug holes in the middle and prevent teams from converting on 3rd downs. We must lower the 3rd down conversion percentage!
Lastly, if we can do all that then we’ll easily win 10 games or more. I know we focus a lot on Florida every year and nobody wants us to beat them more than I. However, this year it’s about PAYBACK… I want to see major unmitigated destruction of the hideous Orange. The Vols must go down in resounding fashion!
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I wonder if all of those who are saying now that they’d be content with 4-5 losses will still feel that way if/when we actually lose games in the fall. I hate the feeling of losing, and so, for me a good season involves very little of it. Three losses are the most I can stomach, esp. when I have to endure rival fans’ taunts and smug looks for an entire year. Also, as others have said, any fewer than 10 wins signals regression from the last two years’ win totals and starts a conversation that I don’t want us to be having about whether CMR could have done better with this year’s team. So, the minimum acceptable season for me is 10-3, though I could tolerate a 4th loss if it meant we had played in the SECCG. Basically, I want no less than last year’s record, with better offense, no major injuries to critical players, and no inexplicable blowouts. I sound demanding, don’t I? 🙂
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No embarrassing loses….. Florida last year was one of the most embarrassing losses i can remember. Georgia Southern felt like a loss. How we play in Columbia, SC and Jacksonville will show me where we are. I know the chickens are supposed to be what they have been in recent years, but I think we are starting a trend of not playing to well in that stadium.
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Beat. The damn. Gators.
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Let’s see, we have better players than anybody we play. I’m not as sure about that as everyone else I guess. It seems the we should win at least 8 but possibly 10 games has carried the day. I will be happy if on 3rd and short we move the LOS 4 yards down the field such that the RB can just follow along. I will be happy if we actually get some sacks out of these great rushers we have been recruiting for years. Most of all I will be happy if we do this to a Power 5 opponent and not just to the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Clemson game in Athens was the best example of what I’m talking about. Anyway we’ll know real quick if Kirby can coach a team that’s not Alabama.
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Oh yea the other thing I’m looking for is whether Kirby can find Ole Lady Luck and recruit her back to Athens. Our luck, with some exceptions, left Athens when Dooley left the field. I’m tried of the other team getting the big “break” when it is really a matter of luck. I know you can make your own luck and I certainly would settle for that but damn let’s see the ball bounce our way some.
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If there’s evidence that we’re moving away from the foibles of the Richt years, then there’s 10 wins to be had:
1. No clock management circuses.
2. No passivity.
a. When the other team punts, if we’re not going for the block, we’re setting up a long return. If we’re fair catching, it was because we sent the house for the block.
b. If we’ve got the ball and a minute to go before the half, we’re putting points on the board.
3. Acting like we’ve been there. I loved the Celebration and I don’t begrudge the blackout. But I noticed how incredibly rare it was to see Alabama players talk smack, over-celebrate or indulge fake juice. On gameday, it was business time with those guys.
4. No second half swoons. From about 2006 on, we frequently opened up the third quarter unfocused (particularly on offense and special teams), giving the other guys quick points and a clear momentum shift, and ourselves a crumbling confidence.
5. Win the fourth. I don’t care what the score is. Unless we’re up by 35 and have completely emptied the benches, we should treat the 4th as sacrosanct, what Dooley called “winning time.” It’s psychologically important to finish strong, regardless of the circumstances.
6. Retake Jacksonville. I hate overemphasizing one game, but fans put a lot into this one, financially and emotionally. When you’ve dropped a couple of grand on a condo, tickets, food and beverage, and the team fails to compete, that’s a big, big slap in the face. And it’s a brand-killer for the program to keep getting slaughtered in that game. There’s way too much parity between us and Florida for us to be losing that game by the margins we have lately. I want to see a Georgia team that enters Everbank like it’s a home away from home.
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Mine are a bit specific
-I would like to see continued strength against the spread with our D, and stronger showings against teams that run power up the gut
-Creativity in getting the ball to our playmakers. Chaney proving his o coordinator chops
-Player progression
-Beat Florida.
-Nick Chubb back to form
-F%^ng Beat Florida
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No games where the team is unprepared and looks like they have no game plan or enthusiasm. Improved special teams play. Effective half-time adjustments. No more calling the same old plays, even though they almost worked, such as running up the middle no matter who is in at tailback and how much yardage is needed. No more turning the other cheek when officials make bad calls or act biased against the Dawgs, such as Penn Wagers did. I would rather see Kirby thrown out of the game than take shit from officials or other coaches that think they can get away with stuff against Georgia. No more crap like at the Gator bowl a couple of years ago when it was raining all week, when Georgia rented a hotel ballroom walked through the plays while Nebraska practiced in the rain. No more crap like letting Florida wear their home jerseys even though they are the visiting team because you are a nice guy and want them to love us. Won’t work, they hate us, no more Mr Nice Guy. Winning the East and at least playing in the SECCG should be doable with the talent we have, anything less will be a disappointment to a lot of people. The old paradigm of beating Tech and getting a decent bowl game in Florida just won’t cut it anymore.
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Just win, baby.
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I have the benefit of reading all of the excellent posts above before spouting off, so some of this will seem repetitive.
9 regular season wins (or more) and win the East. That means we could lose to UNC, Ole Miss, and Tech (I just threw up in my mouth a little) and still make it back to Atlanta for the SECCG. However, I won’t abandon ship if we finish 7-6. As others have noted, even Saban didn’t win a championship in his first season at Bama. And Richt had an 8-4 season his first year before winning the SECCG in 2002. It would be nice not to be 2 games behind in the SEC East before the first half of the season is over, but I digress…
Be competitive in every minute of every game. Don’t come out of the locker room looking flat in either half. This goes for the coaches as well as the players. How many times have we seen the coaches take an entire half to make any adjustments on offense or defense? This would alleviate the bed-wetting scenarios as described above.
I’d love to see consistently fundamentally sound execution from both sides of the ball. That to me seems like one of the hallmarks of a great team. Sound tackling, crisp route-running, minimize penalties, etc.
Beat the Gators.
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Not sure what happened. I had each of these numbered but then the numbers disappeared when I posted it. Sorry guys.
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The high spots along with some high expectations have been addressed. An end to sloppy performances, a killer instinct, a focused until the end team we all agree on. And the devil is always in the details.
Though inheriting what is far from a bare cupboard, Kirby-san has many of those details to address, the first of which is Coaching. While the D will not have nearly the “new” to grasp, the O will see its 3rd iteration in as many seasons so some latitude must be given. And everyone’s favorite whipping post, the Special Teams, must cease being Special-Ed. Oh how I have berated them as being on some brainless autopilot with little to no thought given to their strategic use. Coaching can fix it.
No specific win total do I have in mind but I would be elated at conquering the SEC Holy Trinity (UT, UF, & AU) and ending the regular season with a Conan the Barbarian crushing of the bumbly bees.
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….if #7 isn’t the next BUST…….
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I’m all in. Kirby & Co. have already shown there’s no detail too small, and no goal too high. Recruiting/roster building is going great. We’re targeting and signing PWOs. Never gave up on recruiting Herrion. Picked up Catalina at a position of need.
People underestimate how big a deal getting 93,000+ to G-Day was. Kirby had little to gain by setting such an outlandish goal. He pulled it off with flying colors – showing he’s got plenty of chutzpah, while demonstrating to everyone (most importantly his team) that we can set and achieve very high goals.
I believe CMR found new and ever more creative ways to lose games. Truth is, we usually had more talent than opponents. It was dumb decisions made prior to and during games that cost CMR a lot of wins against weaker or evenly matched teams. Directional kicking, punt safe, ultra-conservative play calling, poorly timed time-outs, pint-sized RBs up the middle, throwing 3 yards when he needed 5 yards for a first down, the fricken hand waving on D, etc., etc., etc. If Kirby did nothing other than avoid some of the dumb shit we’ve become accustomed to, he’ll win a helluva lot of games.
I say 11 wins, including a division title. The schedule could hardly be more favorable. We’ll be favored or even in at least 10 games. Kirby comes from a program that knows how to win. I see nothing surprising about a team winning a lot of games when they 1) have a lot of talent and 2) prepare thoroughly.
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Being 3-2 after ut and winning out from there… with no serious injuries.
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No Championship…No Peace. No regression acceptable. I don’t want to be Michigan post Lloyd Carr or UT post Fulmer. The talent level is more than adequate and schedule is one national champion easier. Willie Martinez could win 10 with this schedule. Win the East or I’m pissed.
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No big losses. Ok to get beat in a close one to a team like Ole Miss, but at least show up and compete. But with the talent and schedule, not getting 9 wins would be a disappointment unless Chubb and Sony don’t finish because of injuries
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Don’t get your ass kicked so bad in a game that the fans get up, all at the same time….in the rain, and hit the exits in the 3rd quarter on national TV. Don’t clear the stands by the half in JAX due to complete boneheaded playcalling…etc. If Kirby wins some tough games and does not look as inept-clueless as Richt did much of last year, I will be happy….for the 2016 season at least.
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This business of UGA being more talented than all its opponents mystifies me. Nobody values pure talent more than Phil Steele, and in Steele’s Power Poll (the rating that excludes any consideration of scheduling) five of our 2016 opponents rank higher than the Dawgs: UT, Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida and UNC. Yes, we get UT and Auburn at home, but still: demanding an undefeated season because we don’t play somebody who completely outclasses us is a mite ridiculous. I also seem to recall that Saban didn’t exactly light up the SEC in his first season at ‘Bama.
All I ask for are no defeats that are clearly attributable to poor coaching, like Tech ’14, SC ’14, or the last two Florida games. It’s hard to know what a realistic record is until the whole conference is playing. But let’s just avoid the losses that make you almost feel like you could do better–you know, like maybe not starting Bauta against the Gators and then refusing to change the game plan.
Frankly, my major source of optimism for this season is what looks to be a pretty serious upgrade in offensive coaching ability. I personally think hiring Schottenheimer is ultimately what got Richt fired. Let’s hope we don’t revisit that kind of experience.
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As others have said, I’m looking to see three main things on the big picture level…to A) remain competitive in games and not get our asses handed to us, B) to overcome adversity when we are punched in the mouth or fall behind early and C) to win 9 games. A and B kind of run together but I feel like Mark Richt coached teams often lacked mental toughness.
Other things I’d love to see…
– Massive improvement in our passing game, particularly the deep ball and extensive usage of our TE talent
– Consistent OL play
– More push and violent attacking from the DL
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Beat Florida.
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A National Title, because that is the only thing that would justify firing the 5th winningest coach in NCAA history. Yep still bitter over that one.
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I’m bitter as well, but I don’t have very high expectations this year considering the complete turnover in staff. Towards the end of CMR’s tenure at UGA, I was pulling for him as much as I was the Dawgs because I felt like he deserved it. He was willing to do things the right way and never sacrificed his integrity. Unfortunately he couldn’t get over the hump and ultimately he was crucified for it. Kirby has some lofty expectations resting on his shoulders. Personally, I think he will eventually meet or exceed them, but I highly doubt it will be right out of the shoot.
With that being said, if after a few years Kirby is still struggling to out perform CMR, then McGarity will essentially be a complete jackass. I would very much prefer Kirby to be successful and exceed the expectations, but if he doesn’t then we at least get to see McGarity’s demise.
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