Seth Emerson, in response to a question about culture change at Georgia in the wake of the coaching transition, writes one of those things you’d like to contradict, but really can’t.
But for now there are just two main culture changes: 1) Financial support to the program, which ramped up before Richt’s final year and is now basically free-flowing, and 2) the Alabama-ization that actually began with Jeremy Pruitt’s arrival in 2014. Support staffers, quality control coaches, and a huge emphasis on recruiting.
But so far the results on the field are the same: A gut-wrenching loss after a player mental mistake? Check. A lopsided loss in which the team didn’t seem to bother getting off the bus? Check.
In fact, you could argue it’s not just the same, but worse. As low as the low points were under Richt, there never was a near death experience with an FCS cupcake such as we saw against Nicholls (which, by the way, is now 1-2 since playing Georgia), nor did we ever see Georgia looking at the south end of a 45-0 score against a conference opponent.
Now Emerson is right to say that only time will tell here. If everything appears to be clicking by next season, nobody is going to care about Georgia’s rocky 2016 start. It’s just that it’s a little hard right now to be taking things purely on faith that such will be the case.
Get The Picture 
Well without faith, what do we have? A bottomless pit of skepticism, which makes us miserable SOBs. So right now I am going to keep my fingers crossed and hope for a sharper first time coach learning curve, stronger recruiting and the eventual acquisition of Gus’ rabbits foot.
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I think Booch has it now last time I checked…but I am still trying to forget the last time I checked so lets not talk about that shall we?
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No game this season has been as good as the best game last season. UGA actually played 4 games better last year than the best game this year.
There has literally been no improvement in the quality of football being played this season over what we saw last season.
On the up side, our coach seems to be a real dick, so there’s that.
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Really. Who did we beat last year that is as good at UNC this year? Georgia Southern in overtime?
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Mostly referring to this. Which I believe is adjusted for opponent.
http://www.footballstudyhall.com/pages/2015-Georgia-advanced-statistical-profile
I believe the senator has posted articles about this metric in the past. Mostly dealing with championship teams usually have a lot of 90th percentile games during their championship season.
So if you want to see what a championship level performance looks like here you go.
http://www.footballstudyhall.com/pages/2015-alabama-advanced-statistical-profile
5 games over 90th percentile. 3 more @ 89th percentile. Lowest game was 71st percentile.
That is where we have to go to if we want to win championships.
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I’m not arguing that we’re anywhere near where we need/want to be. I’m simply saying that by those same S&P+ metrics, 2016 UNC is the best team we’ve beaten in 2 years.
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And UNC played their worst game of the season so far.
Sure it makes for a nice pick me up that we beat someone with a pulse, no doubt.
But the quality of football being played so far this year is not significantly better than the football we played last year, in fact it is a good bit worse.
If you want to say that it is the OTJ training, first time HC, rebuilding the culture, or whatever else is the explanation, that is fine and probably true.
But also true is the quality of football being played at a lower level than it was last year.
But 2 games makes a trend, so if Smart and UGA put together a 90th percentile effort on sunday then we have something.
At some point you got to put two games together.
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Our offense is starting to move the ball consistently. And we’re scoring points. We didn’t do that after the SCAR game last year. See Florida, Mizzou, Auburn, and Georgia Southern as evidence of this.
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And from a simple “less painful to watch” this season has already surpassed last season, even if the offensive numbers are about the same.
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D,JD.
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C’mon PTC, disn’t you review the analysis on the link? Last year was really awesome and there are stats to prove so.
Recruiting has been first class as well.
I just wish our coach was a nicer guy.
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The sad part is that it wasnt really awesome, but still significantly better than this year.
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Are you a miserable prick in real life? or do you just play one on this blog?
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I have been as critical of the Kirby Smart hire as anyone on this blog (and pretty damn critical of Smart’s actions as HC so far, too) but I now think everybody needs to back away from the ledge and give the guy a chance. This is a transition season to a completely new staff. Gus’ rabbit’s foot being the exception, almost every college football team in the nation has a down year when making a coaching transition. If Kirby Smart is really trying to change the culture in Athens more power to him, I say. The Georgia Way (which has been, to my mind, just put enough of a product on the field to maximize profits) has been the thing that has held the team back IMHO. If the administration and B-M had been behind CMR all along like Bama backs Saban UGA and Bama would have been duking it out in the SECCG every year with Georgia winning about half the time and winning the BCSNCG and/or the 4 team playoff 2 or 3 times or more in the last 15 years. THAT’S what has to change in order for the team to start winning championships. If CKS is actually changing that I for one am certainly willing to put up with growing pains until the transition is complete.
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Agree with your points on the admin but Richt was very questionable in terms of the management of the roster. In 2012 we had 69 players on scholarship against Bama, that is inexcusable. We had no depth and it cost us the national title. He did not pay enough attention to detail. Special teams were always suspect. We lost way too many DL recruits during his last 5 years and he was terrible at staying on top of the OL recruiting. He also picked 3 QBs in a row after Murray that had no business playing at UGA (Mason, Ramsey and Park) if you want to win titles, although he did finally go after Eason. He didn’t do a good job at times of hiring the right assistants. No need for any more there, its just reality. Just ask high school coaches about UGAs recruiting before and after Smart (and really Pruitt before started it). Richt was a really good coach but not quite elite. We will see on Smart but his recruiting is a step up as far as every position and getting to kids much earlier.
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Agree.
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In regards to Mr Mayor’s valid point that
“almost every college football team in the nation has a down year when making a coaching transition” I’d feel so much better if U of M was…..having a down year that is. The question was, is and will continue to be why did we chose to have a down year? The Georgia Way, 2.0…. just when B-M starts spending on facilities,extra coaches and more analytics that is when they simultaneously CHOSE to hire a rookie coach. Richt would be 5-0 right now and even if he had lost his first game ever to Ole Miss he’d be 4-1 and looking to J’ville to see who wins the East. To use your your analogy Mr. Mayor I’m on the ledge because McGarity and the board made stupid choices and put me there.
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LMAO at the Miami angst…have they even played a ranked team? Or just rank teams?
No ill will toward Richt here, but in reality, what happens at Miami has ZERO to do with UGA at this point. Other than they might steal a player or two that may have gone to UF.
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There just is no evidence to support that claim other than the emotional argument of nostalgia you have for Richt. We’d probably be 3-2 no matter who is coaching us. We have a 3-2 level roster versus the schedule we’ve played.
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We have a win over a good team. Been a couple of years since that happened, so it’s not all the same. Didn’t get blown out by another good team, which hadn’t happened in a while. Didn’t get blown out by a bad team yet either. Richt would be 1-3 right now.
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If you’re going to copy my moniker, the least you could do is refrain from being a moron.
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LOL. Will the real Charles please stand up?
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Which Charles is in charge?
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Extremely well played.
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Richt would be 1-3 afer five games?
We didn’t get blown out by a good team?
WTF are you saying, man?
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I’m thinking it’s snark. That’s the only explanation I can imagine.
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I am not surprised by the way the team has looked so far. Do I think it could have looked better? Sure. But for a first time head coach I think CKS is doing a fair job. There’s a whole lot he’s having to learn first-hand as OTJ training. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a coordinator at Alabama, when someone hands you the keys to a major D-I program and basically says, “Hey, and we want you to win championships. Like, right now,” it’s a tall order. A taller order than many in Dawg Nation realized or were willing to admit.
I couldn’t believe all the fans online before the season started saying things like “There’s no reason why Georgia shouldn’t win at least 10 games this year.” No reason? How about 1) It’s CKS’s first year as a head coach at any level, 2) He’s never worked with his OC before, 3) No one knew if Chubb would be back and if he’d be 100% (I guess we still don’t know), 4) Our OL and DL lines are undersized and overmatched and/or overmatched talent-wise versus many of their conference opponents, 4) UGA has three ranked opponents in their first five games, 5) Throughout the summer we had three and then two QBs – which, as the Senator often reminds us, means we had zero – and our best/most probable option was an 18yo kid who grew up in Washington State, and 5) Did I mention it’s CKS’s first year as a head coach?
Someone tell me what first-time coach in the last 30 years has had more pressure to succeed in his first year and at such a high level as CKS? No one is even close.
Still reserving judgment till 2018.
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“Someone tell me what first-time coach in the last 30 years has had more pressure to succeed in his first year and at such a high level as CKS?”
THat’s kinda the point. The bar is set pretty high (40 wins in 4 years) and CKS knew what he was getting into
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I’m not sure I understand the point. (No sarcasm here, I am just trying to understand what your point is….)
Just because he knew there were sky-high expectations doesn’t validate the expectations or make them reasonable. The assertion made by many fans was that he should easily win 10 or more games this year. After all, he had a lot of talent to work with, and he had and easy schedule, blah blah blah. All of that was ridiculous.
Now, to be clear, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to expect him to compete for Championships, and soon. But my definition of “soon” is the three or four-year mark. Not this year or next year. Do I think he can get us there next year? Sure, but he’s not a failure by any means in my book as long as it looks like the team is getting better and he is getting better as a HC.
As an aside, I am really getting annoyed at everyone complaining about Kirby’s attitude. I loved CMR, and one reason I did was for his attitude. Others hated him for it. Now, here comes CKS with a much different attitude and other people are bitching and moaning because he hurts their (and players’ and coaches’) feelings. Boo hoo. This is football, not kindergarten. Suck it up and play some ball. Damn.
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I don’t have the link for you, but I believe the Senator posted an article a couple months ago describing the immediate successes from coaches that went on to win conference or national titles. In nearly every case, the coach either won the conference in year 2 or never did, or the national title in year 2/3 or never did.
Saban aside, as he has skewed all standards for all things football for those of us living with it. since 2000, how many coaches won a national title in their 2nd or 3rd year coaching? Stoops at Oklahoma(2000), Miami(larry coker 2001), Ohio State – Tressel 2002, LSU Miles 2003, USC Pete Carrol 2003,2004, Urban Meyer UF(2006, 08), Chizik -Auburn 12, Urban at OSU in 2014.
The only exceptions to that year 2/3 rule are Mack Strong and Jimbo Fisher.
What this means is that expectations for Smart to win and win big immediately are appropriate if we expect him to ultimately win it all. (note, this is not a defense of Mark Richt) This year has to be about setting the foundation for a major, major run in 17 and 18, which our talent and QB indicate should happen, if he is the coach we hope he is.
Now here’s the fCMR defense portion. fCMR had the most godawful luck when it came to playing for a title. 2002- OSU has 3 of the luckiest conclusions to games down the stretch that ultimately ended in victory that prevented his best team from playing Miami for the title. 2005 – Shockley is injured for UF, JT3 can’t sustain, and we’re done. 2007 – UT blocks not one but 2 field goals by a defensive tackle that weighed 360 pounds against UK to win in overtime, which prevented UGA from going to Atlanta. 2012, well enough has been written about that.
if it weren’t for bad luck, Richt and UGA wouldn’t have had any at all.
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I don’t think any program has come closer to playing for the NC and not done so than UGA under Richt. =(
Which is why he was fired. Because he was soooooo close. But just couldn’t get it done.
And so, it seems, it was assumed by many (unreasonable people) that CKS should be able to just saunter on and pick up where Richt left off, so to speak. CKS’s wouldn’t even have to do much! Just push UGA over the edge into playoff contention!
Not that easy.
I do remember all the stats about coaches usually winning it all in the first few years. But none of those coaches were first-time HCs, am I right?
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I don’t believe any of the names on that list were first year head coaches, except maybe Bob Stoops. That being said, if first time head coaches have a harder time winning a national title at their first stop, then perhaps that should have informed the decision making of the UGA AD in the selection process for a team on the cusp of greatness.
I hope like crazy CKS is the guy. History says we’ll likely know by the end of the 2018 season. Based on current talent, recruited talent and Eason, UGA should be in position to be hell on wheels the next 2 years. That should be our expectation, that likely is CKS’s expectation, and hopefully we can have a ball bounce our way for once in my lifetime.
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Agreed. Playing the averages I should have another 35-40 years on this earth. Hope I get to see UGA claim a good NC win in that time. Haha.
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Hell, I’ll settle for league-hired officials not bouncing all over the joint (and against UGa)!
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Larry Coker was a first time head coach. Well He was a high school coach in 1976, but first time college head coach.
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Bob Stoops was Florida’s defensive coordinator before he took the Oklahoma job.
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*Edit to add, first 2-3 years coaching AT THAT particular school, not first 2-3 years as a head coach.
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But my definition of “soon” is the three or four-year mark. Not this year or next year.
…you must be from Texas.
😉
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It’s all a crap-shoot, but the odds of winning a national title are not in the favor of a head coach at his first stop. Of course, we all hope the trend line changes with Kirby, but statistics are not in his favor.
In fact, based on past history, Richt has a better shot at winning at title at Miami than Smart has at UGA.
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Well there isnt a lot of history of schools firing their most successful coach in 30 years in season where he won 10 games and had a top 5 recruiting class coming in.
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Man, if you put a first-time HC at Alabama next year – say, Jeremy Pruitt for instance, I would not be surprised to see him go 8-4.
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^This.
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Just pointing out that it doesnt happen a lot so it is hard to say if it is usual or unusual. The entire situation is rare.
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Didn’t Richt win 9 games last year ? He was not there at Taxslayer last season.
Now, he has been to Taxslayer a couple times before ( and the belk bowl) and wet the bed numerous times in Jax over the years but he did not win 10 games last year.
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Very petty distinction you make, a true nit. It it makes you feel better, KS inherited a program that had won 40 games in the past four years. There does that do it for you? I am not one who is putting pressure on KS in his first year, and hope he succeeds wildly as UGA’s HC, but don’t think there isn’t many UGA fans who feel the risk of hiring a coach who has never had his hands on the throttle before was a risk that wasn’t necessary. UGA was THE most attractive job at the time that decision was made, and their is zero evidence we even beat a single bush before making that call. Doesn’t mean this ship doesn’t sail in the next few years and we win multiple titles, but that defies the odds and the hand could have been played better.
Get over your trivial sensitivity, we are all Dawg fans here, and should wonder why we have been put at this level risk when there were higher percentage options. I hope CMR succeeds because he is a DGD, and a good person/leader, that helped move us to a better place, and was all-in on UGA/Athens. I also hope he does well at Miami, he was treated liked shit here and deserves more success in the future. That doesn’t make me any less a Dawg, just means there is more than one coach I can pull for, same as I hope Stafford, AJ, and Gurley have success in their new careers.
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Don’t forget…this is first time in a long time that we don’t have anyone on the roster that can kick a FG longer than 27 yards or a kick-off farther than 55. Pathetic. I think this team will consistently improve each week as we go through this season, but we can’t do anything about our OL size and talent level this year, so I’m giving Kirby the benefit of the doubt and time to address our deficiencies through recruiting. Here’s hoping our under-achieving DL and LB group will start to play better as well. Getting Ledbetter back next week should help…a lot.
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^^^^^ this is a good analogy.
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As long as McGarity is leading we’ll never be a real winner. Doesn’t matter who the coach is. We care too much about image and being the nice guy.
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It appears his emphasis is in line with what a significant segment of the fan base.
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Trying to judge a new Coach after 5 games, someone might be a moron.
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Nobody’s judging the coach after five games — which isn’t the same thing as judging the five games themselves.
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The difference is important. And as far as that goes, I would judge UGA’s performance against Nicholls and Ole Miss as worse than they looked any of last season. I think Mizzou’s a draw and for UNC and TN we actually looked as good or better than last season in many respects.
Even though TN was tough to watch and we still showed many deficiencies, I was impressed with the spirit of the team and how our offensive game plan had changed up for the better. I think we’re headed in the right direction and I continue to have high hopes for CKS/Georgia over the next few years.
I think we can monkey stomp SCar. I hope this Hurricane doesn’t give them some kind of mojo.
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Well when you play one of the worst games in every living Georgia fan’s memory, then yeah you tend to trend up after that.
But hey that “spirit” sure is looking good.
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The ending was heart-breaking. Sickening.
But if I’m being honest, I’d rather UGA look like they did in that game – like they were going toe-to-toe with a worthy opponent – than they did against Bama last year when Bama probably could have beat us 60-3.
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…. or like we did against Ole Miss this year. =(
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Well said
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If my post hit a soft spot, so be it.
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Whatevs, man.
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Like totally….Just saying I thought the article was silly, and so called Dawgphans first comment on this blog was even sillier.
We know nothing at this point. I have contended we will know nothing even if we were to somehow win the East this year.
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Your post didn’t hit anything. You’re conflating two different criticisms, one of which the Senator isn’t making.
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Senator, I can’t speak for PTC but I believe he was referring to DawgPhan who seems to kind of lead the charge here bitching about Kirby.
In fact, DawgPhan writes below that “I would totally fire Kirby in Columbia this weekend and let him walk home” or something like that. So, there are people judging the coach after 5 games (although the I thin he officially threw in the towel after Nichols which was less than 5).
Most here are judging the 5 games but some are judging the coach.
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Five games is a ridiculously short time to judge a new head coach.
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Yep…Seth Emerson had on his moron hat when he wrote this one.
Did he really think that the minute Smart arrived in Athens that Georgia Football would become Alabama Football? Apparently because he is pointing out how disappointed we all need to be because the team has been less than championship caliber.
Sheesh..some people can’t deal with reality.
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Did you actually read what he wrote? What specifically in that quote is factually wrong?
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And Seth was responding to a question. He gave his honest opinion. Actually reading the links is good.
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Seth was trying to stir up shit. And he did. His snarky “check” gimmick shows that. Maybe after Thanksgiving dinner he says..
“Well, Ma went to cooking classes to change the culture in the kitchen..and the only changes are she now cooks the turkey the way her sister does over in Alabama, and she’s getting better at picking out fresh produce at Kroger..
Other than that, almost halfway through the meal all I can say is .”Cranberry sauce too runny, just like last year, Check”, Too much salt in the gravy, “Check”…
He could have mentioned that Georgia came back in two games against pretty good opponents that they could have folded in.
He could have mentioned the great job the coaching staff did getting this team off of the floor to play Tennessee a great game.
Negative story to please GT readers? check
Stir up shit in a fanbase that has a tendency to eat it’s own? check.
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Nothing is factually wrong. I believe what’s wrong is the implication that the first 5 games of his head coaching career are any indication of what is to come say 2-3 years down the road. All of “his” players are 18 year old raw true freshmen… many of which have outperformed their veteran counterparts if you ask me to this point in the season. Call me a blind optimist but I’m not giving up on this staff or chalking up the head coaching change as a complete failure at this point.
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Is Seth implying, or are you simply assuming?
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I thought so too, Brandon.SE knows that a negative article gets more attention than a positive one. It’s too early to be saying nothing has changed.
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So I’m assuming that Seth is implying, but Seth is being disingenuous because he’s too smart to believe any pattern or tendency is established less than half-way through a coach’s first season…esp with a young team. It’s baloney. He writes for a living, so he has to get attention to his pieces..this one is pretty good in that regard..this thread proves it.
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Faith and actually hope are the only things the fans can have since they cannot either be the coaches or the athletes playing the games.
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I seem to remember CMR’s first year having multiple losses. Second year 13 wins. CKS will get it together. Have faith BULLDOG Nation.
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Grade: Incomplete. The first half of Ole Miss and all of Nicholls is probably the worst I’ve ever seen UGA play in my fandom (2001-current). But the team looked better in the UNC game and most of UT than they did last year. Mizzou has the aura of a hard-fought road win against a conference opponent, but the Tigers actually suck, so.
I won’t lie – I love to hear Kirby talk football. If I were to have a platonic ideal of a coach discussing his plans and his program, it’d be close to what Kirby’s doing so far. The results on the field have mostly not backed up the talk. Yet. And I do get the sense that Kirby knows it.
This team could win out. There are a lot of bad teams left to play. Up to the players to buy in, and the coaches to keep coaching.
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Also, none of the national beat writers who spam twitter with I BET RICHT’S WATCHING THIS GAME AND LAFFIN!!!! have yet to make the case that an alternate universe 2016 Richt-coached team would be demonstratively better than the one we got. I’ve especially liked reading those in games the team has come back to win, cough Dan Wolken cough UNC game cough.
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Particularly when the likely scenario would be Richt returns, keeps Schotty unless he gets hired away, but loses Pruitt as DC.
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I really don’t think Richt retains Schottenheimer; I think he was nearly as sick of Schotty as we were toward the end. But I’m not sure who he gets as OC that would be 1) awesome and 2) willing to go to a tenuous, fractured environment. And losing Pruitt would’ve been a huge blow. Two coordinator hires for a coach in trouble…not exactly a recipe for success.
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Anyone think we have an awesome OC now?
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Chaney’s fine. Not perfect, but fine. Shows the ability to change the gameplan, which is nice.
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Compared to last year? Absolutely
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I think we’re gonna kick some serious ass in 2018.
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I don’t know why anyone thinks things would be better if Richt was still here. There is no way to know but I don’t believe Richt even plays Eason this year. At least not early. So we most likely lose the UNC game, the Nichols game, and Missouri. What do yall think Lambert would have looked like in the face of the Missouri pass rush? I’m not trying to bash the kid. I’ve just seen him become a deer in the headlights when he sees the rush coming a few too many times. Then just ball up and get sacked when it wasn’t necessary. The freak out over that Nichols game is just funny. People are using that as proof that we are doomed. As far as the Ole Miss game, yall act like that has never happened before. Like weve ever gotten our britches smoked by a conference opponent. It has happened a lot. I know Emmerson is making the case almost nothing has changed and we are supposed to be wallowing in it. To me, I guess I didn’t expect this to come together quickly. I think some people underestimate just how far things had slid into the ditch last season and that most likely started some time during the 14 season. Remember getting destroyed by a pretty average Florida team? I don’t care that they won the east. That was as much because nobody else would do it as anything else. Remember that shit show against Missouri with Richt celebrating afterward? Remember needing overtime to beat Georgia Southern and then watching our players celebrate like they had just beaten Florida? People have short memories. Kirby has made some mistakes this year. Did yall think he wouldn’t as a first time head coach? He’s not as friendly as some would like for him to be. Boo hoo. I don’t know what some of you thought this season was going to be. There will come a day when we will know it if Kirby is t going to be the coach we need. Reasonable non knee jerking people will be able to see it. I think by some time in his third year we will most likely know for sure. So I don’t know what all this premature gloom and doom is about or what people think it is going to accomplish or what you thought was goi g to happen this season. We were not going to win the SEC people. We most likely were not going to win the east. Not with a true freshman qb who is our best option, a rebuilt offensive line and new coaching staff. How was it going to look any other way than how it looks? I said when they hired Smart that all I wanted to see the first year was improvement even if it was slow, and I wanted to see the guys show up and fight each game. Outside of the Ole Miss game, who nearly beat Alabama btw, I feel like I’ve seen that. Keep calm and go Dawgs!
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holy wall of text..
tl;dr: Richt would have lost every game he ever coached. Those wins are just blips in the matrix.
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No that’s just how you took it.
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well I didnt actually read it. Who would? I just assumed anyone that would type that wall of text was on that ‘Richt would lose every game” train.
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Oh you assumed. That’s always a good idea.
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Obviously did not go to the Nickels game!
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Think Richt would be doing a better job this year? What did he do the last ten? He may have won ten games a year on average; he just didn’t win the right ten.
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Honestly, the only difference I see between the team this year and last year so far is Jacob Eason. with Lambert as QB, I’m pretty sure we have the same record or are 2-3.
Sadly, Lambert had the exact same pass against UT last year as Eason this year, the difference was it was dropped last year and caught this year. mumble mumble something something player execution.
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Let’s keep it real. The east had been dogshit since 2009. You think Richt averages 10 a year if he spent the last 10 in the West?
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We have no idea how many games we are going to win this year. I personally don’t want an ongoing Richt vs Kirby narrative but we’ve already got it so I might as well address it. Yes Richt won ten games a year usually. He also won six one time and we lost to UCF in a bowl game. That season was worse than anything I’ve seen this year so far.
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Agree, I do not see the point in the constant comparisons. Obviously, some refuse to realize that CMR is in Miami.
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Y’all act like it’s just the pro-Richt folks that make these comparisons. There was a shit-ton of “Richt never woulda won that game” going around from the anti-Richt crowd after the UNC game. Y’all need to stop acting like your shit don’t stink or y’all don’t have some blood on your hands with this whole fractured fanbase.
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To be honest, 2009 might have actually been worse. That was the least fun, worst team I think Richt had until 2015.
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@Auditdawg-blood on our hands? Lol. Pretty dramatic man.
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What is most disheartening to me is the overall consensus of total negativity by folks on here that claim to be Dawg FANs. If Richt was still here and the team was struggling like we are, I could understand and chalk it up to frustration… but damn, y’all !
We have to give the HC and his staff at least a little bit of a grace period before burning him at the stake like some have chosen to do.
Smart inherited some great players and was able to retain the commitment of some key recruits that, in time, will help us win. But he also inherited what appears to be quite a few players who are proving to be underachievers, including some who might have been overrated when they signed two or three years ago. I also think he understands he will have to revisit the whole walk-on kicker thing moving forward.
Secondly, it has been shown that UGA is #14 out of 14 SEC teams, with regard to OL height and weight averages. Combine this fact with the offensive line’s overall shortage of talent, and it is plain to see why we have struggled with regard to performance. It’s also the main reason we have so far been unable to take advantage of the incredible talent we have in our backfield or the significant depth we possess at TE. (They can’t run pass routes when they have to stay home and help the LT on every play).
I believe this stat to be true, especially since witnessing how we have literally been overmatched by nearly every team we have played against thus far, including a piss-poor FCS team that we should have steamrolled.
We have a coach now that will transform this program into a winner given some time to fix the problems and address our deficiencies. It’s the first time in 15 years we have faced the challenges brought on by such massive changes from the top down.
All is well, or will be, DawgNation. Have a little faith, y’all.
Go Dawgs!
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Amen brother, amen! I can’t believe how fast people are going negative. Almost like they were waiting for it.
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“A gut-wrenching loss after a player mental mistake? Check. A lopsided loss in which the team didn’t seem to bother getting off the bus? Check.”
Another day, another ajc story with a negative spin on UGA? Check. Can emerson and the ajc go fuck themselves? Check.
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It’s a mailbag. He got asked a question and he answered it.
Perhaps he should have told his reader to fuck himself instead of answering.
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hmmm….I think you just wrote your next blog post.
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“Perhaps he should have told his reader to fuck himself instead of answering.”
Jeff Schultz is almost there.
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Just because it was the answer to a question doesn’t mean his answer didn’t suck. He put it out there. Then you did. Possibly you were looking for comments based on Seth’s conclusions, but what you are getting is comments on what some of us see is his shitty little attempt to feed a negative discourse about the program.
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As I’ve already asked you, what specifically in that quote is factually wrong?
As for what he was attempting, he didn’t even bring up the Nicholls game.
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Nothing was factually wrong. Trump saying Miss what’s her name had gained weight wasn’t factually wrong..but we all probably thought she still looked pretty hot.
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So Seth fucked up by telling the truth, which you don’t want to hear.
Got it.
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Exactly right W Cobb! The AJC has NO love for UGA.
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He’s already written that one.
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Before I start, I’m a proud 1999 alumnus, a season ticket holder and a die hard fan: Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I expected this kind of start. Look at all the true freshman we have not just playing, but contributing. The Ole Miss loss didn’t bother me. I don’t really know why other than I just didn’t think we had the horses to compete with them.
Tennessee? You damn right I wanted (and expected) us to show up and fight and fight we did. We didn’t get blown out or anything like that. We lost on a poorly defended hail mary. That’s it.
Our freshman QB led our team down the field and executed what should have been a game-winning TD to put us in the driver’s seat in the East.
As for Richt and Miami, they haven’t played anyone. I don’t want to talk about Mark Richt and the Miami Hurricanes. That’s in the past and is irrelevant and only matters to fringe fans or those that didn’t pay a lick of attention for the last decade.
If Kirby keeps recruiting like he has and is given the room and freedom to do what he wants to do, we’ll be looking back fondly remembering these growing pains.
Go Dawgs!
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Great approach and attitude, LC
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As for Richt and Miami, they haven’t played anyone.
I guess Miami played a nobody that took uT to overtime and could barely beat by 6 points yet Miami beat them by 5 touchdowns.
Just a thought…
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Comparative scores are so reliable.
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#112 strength of schedule. People that do this for a living seem to think Miami hasn’t played anyone either.
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Bill C. has them in his top 10 in S&P+ which completely phased out pre-season expectations after Week 5 which weren’t THAT high for Miami to begin with. It’s OK to admit that Miami is playing like a good team should play despite the competition.
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Sure. But get back to me in 5 weeks, ok?
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It could be worse in 5 weeks for sure. All I’m saying is that as of right now they are playing like a good team should given the competition. Nothing more, nothing less.
As I stated earlier – if people wanted to squash the Kirby vs. Richt discussion (which is incredibly stupid IMO), the folks that wanted the change should have never started off with the “Richt never would have won that game” bullshit after UNC giving ample fodder for the other group of the fanbase after the Nichols and Ole Miss disasters. Errbody’s got some blood on their hands with how the fanbase is at this point, but the pro-change folks want to pretend like they don’t.
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It’s become the 2 party system. That fracture is never going to heal. It KS is a bust, then “we never should’ve fire Richt”. If Kirby wins a NC, it’s “Richt would’ve won 2 if he had the admin support Kirby does”. (And the flip side of those arguments, of course).
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Only speaking for myself – my position is that if Kirby Smart is a bust, we should have hired Tom Herman and need to fire Greg McGarity. 🙂
Although I suspect if Kirby is a bust, firing McGarity will probably take care of itself. I know I’ve made it clear that I’m not at all happy how the hiring process went down, but I really am (and was) Richt-agnostic. I just like trolling people that made my fandom unenjoyable the last few years.
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McG is tied to Kirby. Either Kirby will make everyone agnostic to McG, or he’s out with him in 4 years.
That will take care of itself. I love Herman, but I don’t think he would’ve come. He can read the tea leaves. He knew after one more year in Houston that UT or A&M would open up.
McG had to offer the job to someone that would say yes the first time. Which is why I think mostly it was a done deal after Jax.
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All that shows is that UT is inconsistent, because UT should have beat them by 5 TDs also. Tennessee has been an inconsistent underachiever in our league since 1998, which is why they’re on their third head coach since then. Looking great one week and pitiful the next is proof of it. We should know, because that’s how our season has progressed so far. The big difference is, we’re playing a LOT of freshmen, RS freshmen, and sophomores. Tennessee isn’t. If Chubb doesn’t get hurt on the first play in Knoxville last year, Tennessee doesn’t win that game. They had to pull a 2013 Auburn miracle play out of their ass to win last week. Tennessee has played with fire this whole season, and the next two Saturdays will send them to ER with 3rd degree burns to prove they shouldn’t have.
UT better get used to what’s in store this week and next…they won’t have Dobbs to bail them out next year, plus they lose Croom and more than likely Hurd, Kamara, Wolf, Smith, and Malone. How about Sutton, Kelly, Reeves-Maybin, and Barnett off the defense?
In other words, ALL their playmakers will be gone.
BTW, has any other QB even taken a snap in a real game in the last two years?
Sounds to me like a total re-build, not a reload…
Just sayin’
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“don’t want to talk about Mark Richt and the Miami Hurricanes. That’s in the past and is irrelevant and only matters to fringe fans or those that didn’t pay a lick of attention for the last decade”.
what happened in the past is not irrelevant……to paraphrase Mr. Faulkner… it isn’t really in the past. The architect of this mediocrity is still in place and will continue to make poor choices for our alma mater until he is removed. We fringe fans , who have all your credentials in spades, had and still have season tickets since before you were born and multiple degrees are simply taking this opportunity to see if we can convince the masses/mob to finish the drill….if we are going to clean house and fire our best coach, let’s finish the drill and fire the worst AD we’ve had in my long lifetime. Joel Eaves,a great man according to no less than the Godfather of Soul, Vince Dooley,and despite is personal indiscretions, Dameon Evans, were all far superior to the current Florida retread….I’ve never been completely convinced that he is not the illuminati gator..
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So Kirby is a poor choice? As the Senator stated, it’s only been 5 games.
If we’re still sputtering in year 3, it’s a poor choice.
A fringe fan (to me, the author of the comment on this thread) is one that doesn’t follow the program closely, may not be vested watching a game and is quick to judge based solely on a box score or a W/L record and not the whole picture.
As for McGarity, anyone and everyone knows his success or failure hinges on Kirby’s success or failure. He ain’t getting run out of town on a rail if the gymnastics, swimming, equestrian, etc., teams sputter and have to reload again. He’s tied to CKS.
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The Ole Miss loss bothered me for the exact same reason the Alabama game last year and the last 2 Florida games bothered me … We didn’t look ready to play, period. We were and are not 45-0 inferior to Ole Miss. We simply did not show up, did not handle adversity well, and looked extremely poorly prepared.
Last weekend bothered me for what should have been except for a flat-out terrible play call backed up on your own goal line with an inexperienced QB. I’ll chalk that one up to on the job training for the head coach and an OC that I’m still not sold on.
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Maybe Richt runs the table and beats Alabama for the national championship 70-0 this year. If so, that does not mean jack shit as far as what he woulda, coulda, shoulda done at UGA this year. Its a different school, different conference, so everyone needs to chill and let Kirby coach. I know DawgPhan and a few others would like to fire Kirby today and go beg Richt to come back, but A. that is not going to happen and B. to want this is a loser mentality not based in reality. Just my opinion.
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I’ll tell who the loser is….you are…loser.
I dont want Richt back.
I would totally fire Smart this weekend in Columbia and leave him there to find his own way home.
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Whoa Dude! Beating ‘Bamer 70 To zip would give me pause.
Just sayin’
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Maybe, but it still would not have anything to do with what would have happened had he not been fired. Richt is great, maybe elite, but he was not elite here for some time. I hated that. I remember when I thought we had our Bear Bryant finally. Time to move on and wish him well and focus on who can make us elite. Maybe Kirby, maybe not, but damn giving up on the guy already like DawgPhan. Kirby must have slept with his girl in college or something.
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Great post but I would bet a lot of money DawgPhan is a millennial. Kirby was in school at least 10 -15 years ahead.
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I lived through the Goff years. Things haven’t even begun to get dark yet. GO DAWGS!!!
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The people overreacting to the start of this season are the same people who always screamed for Bobo to be fired and ask “Damn is Bobo calling the plays?” when the offense sputters now. I agree with what gatriguy said, our fan base is the two party system now. It will be a long time before the divide is bridged. Too may needlessly hurt feelings.
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To all you bitter clingers, SUCK IT. Richt is in MIAMI, if you miss him so then become a CrimiCane fan.
The Ghosts of 2013 would have haunted him just as it has Smart so STUFF IT already.
And for his 15 Years, the debacle, the EMBARRASSMENT of the WLOCP, sealed his fate. In all my 60 Years, NEVER have I been so disgusted and ANGRY over such.
Having been wildly successful in my Business ventures, one thing ruled every personnel decision: RESULTS! After investing the time, after providing every resource with which to succeed, the BOTTOM LINE is all that matters and this applies to our beloved Dawgs as well. Richt FAILED.
Kirby Smart shall be afforded adequate time to implement his plan and ANY who envisioned better than 8-4 going in was more optimistic than I. If you are among those whose Chinese Algebra delivered an SECC for 2016, then all I can say is that I would never have hired you as you would have never passed the IQ test.
Now sit back and watch the evolution in progress. Yes, I expect there will be more angst vs. some opponents that this team matches up poorly with, that Lady Luck’s hand reaches in and helps as well as spoils, and that attrition could come into play, especially where we can ill afford it. Those things are part of the Game and if one insists upon relying upon some nebulous back testing statistical bullshit to validate their butthurt, then you too shall FAIL the most strident test of all: The Future.
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