Game day comment thread, Dawg edition

Tailgating is like a muscle — you’ve got to exercise it to get it into shape, so I’m heading out to get my share in before going to the Dome.  I’ll see you guys on the other side of the game, so get your licks in here in the comments ’til I’m back.

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Game day comment thread, non-Dawg edition

I got a request for an open thread for game day comments for other games, so we’ll give it a whirl.

I’m not going to play the “greatest opening weekend in the history of college football” card, because ESPN’s already giving that a ridiculous workout.  (Then again, they’ve paid handsomely for that privilege, so you could say Mickey’s entitled to use it.)  I’ll leave it to you guys to fashion a drinking game out of that, if you so choose.

Anyway, here are today’s big games:

#3Oklahoma

#15Houston

12:00 PM

Both teams look to make a statement, but I think the Sooners have a bigger chance to do that.

#16UCLA

Texas A&M

3:30 PM

I’m not all in on TAMU yet.

#5LSU

Wisconsin

3:30 PM

You think Dave Aranda has a few insights about his old team?  LSU should roll.

#20USC

#1Alabama

8:00 PM

Both schools have great first team talent.  But nobody has depth like Alabama has depth.

#2Clemson

Auburn

9:00 PM

There’s been some late week pundit chatter about not sleeping on Auburn.  I know Clemson’s got some people on defense to replace, but if Deshaun Watson could handle Alabama’s defense, is there some reason he shouldn’t be able to do so with Auburn’s?

Feel free to discuss those, along with any others that catch your eye.

Georgia football is coming: thoughts on the opener

It’s been a while since we’ve been in the position of waiting to see what a new head coach brings to the table.  I’ve mentioned before the feeling I had, after Georgia lost its first conference game under Richt, of I’d seen the same show before under Donnan.  Then, two weeks later, I watched the hobnail boot come crashing down in Knoxville and bought in to what Richt brought.

So, win, lose or draw tonight, I won’t be drawing any ultimate conclusions about the Smart era.  (YMMV, of course.)  That doesn’t mean I won’t be sweating the small stuff, though. There are enough question marks coming into tonight — Lambert, the offensive line, the defensive front seven, special teams, for starters — to allow us to make some determinations about the coaching abilities of the new staff when the game is over.

I won’t be coy.  I predict a Georgia win; not a blowout, but a touchdown spread wouldn’t surprise me.  The difference will be Nick Chubb versus the North Carolina run defense. It’s a great matchup in Georgia’s advantage.  I do think Fedora’s offense will have its moments, as there’s too much talent there for the Dawgs defense to shut down all game, but if Smart has the opportunity to control the game with Chubb’s running, that’s exactly what he’ll do.

A few other random thoughts:

• Sure, Chubb is a big deal, but just as big will be the line play on both sides of the ball.  If Pittman’s managed to fashion a functional offensive line, aside from making Chubb and the running backs look better, it’ll give Lambert a real chance to have a productive day.
• I don’t expect to walk out of the Dome hearing Lambert for Heisman talk.  I’ll be happy to settle for people thinking, “hey, nothing wrong with being a game manager”.
• North Carolina’s secondary is good, but when Georgia is in single back formation, they can’t cover everybody.  This year, I hope the “our offensive coordinator knows how to use the tight ends” talk is more than just wishful thinking.
• If that open practice I sat through is any indication, I expect to see Isaiah McKenzie in a variety of roles.
• Will Ridley and Chigbu be significant contributors?  If so, Georgia will be okay at wideout.
• Counting on true freshmen in the defensive line rotation makes me nervous, I admit.  If there’s one area where controlling the game with Chubb and his cohorts will help, it’s here.
• I’m looking forward to seeing if Roquan Smith is ready to step up.  I also hope I’m able to control my shock if the defense has an ILB whose a positive in pass coverage.
• I have a feeling Mo Smith will show out as a big addition in the secondary, both from a skills standpoint and also from having great familiarity with what Tucker and Smart want.
• If there’s a real black hole in terms of my expectations, it’s special teams.  New punter, new place kicker, new kickoff specialist, all being added to an area that’s been inconsistent for years is not a formula for confidence.  We haven’t talked much about Shane Beamer, but I guess we’ll see if that changes after tonight.

Your thoughts?

Such a deal

When you compare the cost of hot seats…

If LSU was ready to fire Les Miles for going 9-3, then it will be ready to fire him if he goes 9-3 again. Except for one thing: His buyout still exceeds $10 million — $12.9 million, to be exact – if he is fired before December 31. That would be payable over six years, but still.

Kentucky’s Mark Stoops has had back-to-back 5-7 seasons, but what has frustrated fans in the Commonwealth is that the Wildcat have had 5-1 and 4-1 starts in the past two seasons, then faltered. But Stoops seems safe regardless of the win total considering he has a $12 million buyout.

Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin has gone from 11 wins to nine to eight then eight again. A&M isn’t crazy about paying a coach $5 million to go 8-5, but the school might feel uncomfortable paying a huge buyout – if Sumlin is axed after this season, he would be owed $15 million, payable within 60 days.

Auburn’s Gus Malzahn took the Tigers to the national championship game in 2013, his first season as coach. Since then, Auburn has gone 8-5 and 7-6. That hasn’t instilled confidence on the Plains. Auburn is average at quarterback and running back, which doesn’t bode well for Malzahn’s attack. But can Auburn afford to pay him off if he has another seven-win season? It would owe him $6.7 million.

… junking the Gus Bus is a relative bargain.  Shrewdly managed, Jay Jacobs.

OJ and Joe Namath walk into a bar…

Ah, the ’80s were a more innocent time.

(h/t)