April 11, 2017 · 9:26 AM

“I like this team a lot better, too.”

Kirby Smart doesn’t sound like a guy who thinks 2017 will be a throwaway year for Georgia football.

37 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

37 responses to ““I like this team a lot better, too.””

  1. 3rdandGrantham
    April 11, 2017 at 10:12 AM

    As predicted earlier, we are going to win 11 games this year and will give Bama all they can handle in the SECC. Our three losses will be to Bama, at AU, and either UF or ND (I’m leaning towards ND as of now). If we can get through the early part of the season unscathed, we veery well might win 12, but I’m sticking with 11.

    Now the fun begins, and the upcoming season is going to be really exciting for most of us.

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    • dawgman3000
      April 11, 2017 at 11:08 AM

      “Now the fun begins, and the upcoming season is going to be really exciting for most of us.”

      Lol, I see what you did there 3rd.😂

      Like

    • Rebar
      April 11, 2017 at 2:10 PM

      why oh why would Auburn beat us? I’ve heard more about us losing to Auburn before most of the last few seasons and it hasn’t happened. I don’t think we lose to Auburn.

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      • 3rdandGrantham
        April 11, 2017 at 3:17 PM

        We are overdue for a fall on our face type game vs. them. Plus it’s at their place, and their backs are against the wall this year.

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      • Olddawg 55
        April 12, 2017 at 12:30 AM

        I usually feel confident with Auburn under Maltzahn but AU is quietly filling key positions with transfer/grads in QB, OG, WR and DL/LB…under Steele they have a competent coach who has the HC nod to mold his defense in his liking, an OC who is probably the best of recent times. You can just feel their optimisim growing…I have to live with the Montgomery papers who feature AU with a strong dose of Bama on the side. This is one we really have to key on. Go Dawgs, GATA!!!!

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  2. Parrish Walton (@ParrishWalton)
    April 11, 2017 at 10:14 AM

    The line about ‘bad apples” being gone was the most interesting part of the piece.

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    • mdcgtp
      April 11, 2017 at 11:31 AM

      it is not clear whether “bad apples” is Kirby’s line or Aschoff’s line. Contrary to many of our assumptions about “buy in”, Kirby was actually pretty complimentary of our team last year for such. I think the thing that bothered him more was the lack of competition/productivity at certain positions (OL, S) which hindered his ability to make changes to the starting line up.

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  3. Scott
    April 11, 2017 at 10:16 AM

    This smells like optimism. I hope we can blow out the lesser teams, beat all of our mid-level SEC competition, and Norte Dame, and split the difference with our top tier competitors this year.

    Like

  4. PTC DAWG
    April 11, 2017 at 11:21 AM

    Still not sure where the throwaway year comment comes from.

    We have been weak sauce for 3-4 years now. Kirby had to do something to turn this thing around.

    Like

    • AuditDawg
      April 11, 2017 at 11:30 AM

      Might I direct you <a href = “https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/lexicon/>here.

      Throwaway Season (n.) – <a href = “https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/2016/11/28/why-georgias-2016-season-is-a-disappointment/>the time when a Georgia fan should lower expectations, but not financial support, for the program in hopes of a brighter future, based on a suggested plan that is both vague and definite all at once. See also, Dantzlering.

      I’d also argue the commenters around here saying they’re perfectly fine reserving judgment until Kirby gets at least 3-4 seasons under his belt fit the bill of “throwaway season” nonsense. He wasn’t hired to be good in 4 years, he was hired to win championships now.

      Liked by 1 person

      • AuditDawg
        April 11, 2017 at 11:31 AM

        Ah hell – here’s the relative links to the <a href = “https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/lexicon/>Lexicon and to the Senator’s post.

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      • MDDawg
        April 11, 2017 at 2:13 PM

        I’m fine reserving judgment until Smart has a large enough body of work to evaluate him as a head coach. That’s probably 3 to 4 seasons in my opinion, other folks may disagree. That being said, I never thought last year was a throwaway season. Please don’t lump me in with that crowd.

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      • PTC DAWG
        April 11, 2017 at 2:24 PM

        Everyone wants to win NOW…trouble is, they all can’t win NOW. I could see our weaknesses from a mile away. 4 years..Mizzou twice and UF twice….won the damned East. I was ready for a change. Might not work, but it might. IF it doesn’t, I hope we make a move after 4-5 years and not sit back and do nothing. But I have no confidence in that either, see Mark Fox.

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    • dawgtired
      April 11, 2017 at 11:57 AM

      I’m as excited as most here and seriously not trying to be a damp towel but…We don’t really KNOW if it’s turned around yet…right? I mean the recruiting is awesome but not realized on the field yet. The talk of coaching style and play-calling changes are exciting…but not realized on the field yet. 2016 didn’t look much different than the previous two. I’m just trying to stay grounded and it’s not easy when you read articles like this.

      And from what I gather, the idea of the ‘throw-away’ season, was that Kirby was willing to run a vanilla offense and lose a game or two just to pound the idea into the player’s heads that he wants a team that can impose it’s will on others. Some were saying that he should play to the team’s strengths until he has ‘his’ desired players to play his type of game. At least that’s what I understood from previous comments.

      Disclaimer: I’m excited about the up-coming season and the future with Kirby as head coach and I care nothing of Miami and their program.

      Just thought I should add the disclaimer before I got labeled.

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      • PTC DAWG
        April 11, 2017 at 2:26 PM

        Fair statement…I think the “Hail Mary” changed things with the Coaches and their line of thinking.

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      • MDDawg
        April 11, 2017 at 3:47 PM

        I think the idea of a throwaway came towards the end of last year’s season when some people tried to justify the on-field product by saying “come on guys, we all knew this was gonna happen, just look at the lack of talent poor Kirby had to deal with” or some other excuse along that same line of thought.

        It would be one thing to look back on a season and wonder what might have been if key players hadn’t gotten injured, or if offense/defense hadn’t been going through the growing pains of learning a new system. But that wasn’t the case last year. Georgia may have been young at spots (QB obviously) but there was talent on the team that had managed to eke out 10 wins the previous year. And yes the coordinators changed, but we still ran a pro-style offense and 3-4 defense, so those excuses don’t carry as much weight in my opinion.

        “Throwaway season” was the poor excuse which some people used to try to justify a lackluster product on the field.

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        • ugalestat1
          April 11, 2017 at 4:35 PM

          “or if offense/defense hadn’t been going through the growing pains of learning a new system. But that wasn’t the case last year.”

          Actually that is exactly what happened last year.
          I’m not sure if I believe the whole throw away season meme but I did try and keep my expectations in check.

          Like

          • MDDawg
            April 12, 2017 at 5:06 AM

            Yes, there were new coordinators, but the team went from one pro-style offense to another pro-style offense. I’m sure terminology changed, but it wasn’t as drastic as going from pro-style to spread for example. The O-line’s blocking scheme may have been different, but that’s the biggest difference I can think of on that side of the ball.

            On the defensive side, they went from a 3-4 defense run by a guy who used to work under Smart to a 3-4 defense run by someone else working under Smart. Again, I’m sure there were differences, but not like the year we switched from 4-3 to 3-4 and people argued that we didn’t have the personnel to fit that scheme. And even in that year, I don’t recall anyone coming up with the term “throwaway season”.

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            • Ugalestat1
              April 12, 2017 at 11:57 AM

              Well let’s put this in a way we can relate to our daily lives. If the company you work for decides to change your work management system (terminology in your words) it takes a while to be proficient at using it. Your job doesn’t change but the way you do it does. You throw different terminology aside as if it doesn’t affect anything. I know it isn’t as difficult as changing from spread to pro style or 4-3 to 3-4 but it is different so the proficiency is not going to be as high. I think we agree on it shouldn’t be a throwaway season by any means but changing coordinators is not as flippant as you are making it out to be.

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              • MDDawg
                April 13, 2017 at 12:23 PM

                I think your example goes way beyond a change in terminology. You’re still talking about a wholesale change in system. When I think of changes in terminology, I’m thinking of the way the military changes acronyms all the time. Or the way people might refer to helicopters as whirlybirds, hueys, or choppers (get to da choppah!). The “Mike” linebacker might be called the “Moe” or whatever, but it’s still the same position in the same base defense, so the responsibilities are probably largely the same as well. (Disclaimer: I never played football in high school/college, so it’s entirely possible that I’m underestimating the differences between Pruitt’s 3-4 and Smart’s.)

                Maybe it is more significant than I’m giving it credit for, but I still don’t think it’s as big of a deal as you make it out to be. Probably somewhere in the middle. Whichever is the case, we both agree that last season wasn’t a throwaway.

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    • Hardcoredawg 93
      April 11, 2017 at 6:42 PM

      After the Tech loss, Jeff Dantzler used the term “throwaway season” on the call in show to describe 2016.

      The Senator heard it, apparently pissed him off, and then started to work that term into numerous posts.

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      • eethomaswfnc
        April 11, 2017 at 7:57 PM

        Hell, yes, it pissed people off because at the same time, we were being asked to pay more in a contribution and increased season ticket prices. Dantzler and his running mate, Butler, were selling this snake oil about not being good enough to beat tech or Vandy. They were using the language, “But look at Saban in 2007 losing to Louisiana-Monroe” and weren’t intellectually honest enough to acknowledge Saban had won a national championship before he showed up in Alabama.

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  5. Bright Idea
    April 11, 2017 at 11:49 AM

    I’m glad to read of Kirby being more positive. It is his program now and any problems are going to directly reflect on him, not the past regime. Bringing a competitive attitude to the team is what I like most about Kirby. I will be most watching to see if he trusts the players more during the games this season. Lots of micromanaging last year, even during the bowl. When the ball is kicked he’s gonna’ have to let the players play.

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  6. Irwin R. Fletcher
    April 11, 2017 at 12:31 PM

    I’m pretty sure that UGA has never swept their SEC-E schedule. I think that should be the goal. The rest falls into place from there.

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  7. Dawg 39
    April 11, 2017 at 12:49 PM

    I Think That The 2017 Offense Will Be Better Than The 2018 & The 2019
    Offense Will Be.

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  8. Cojones
    April 11, 2017 at 1:43 PM

    Good, Kirby. Now let’s see it in the games.

    ESPN idiots picked a variance of losses to ND, FU and Aub. Bullshit; FPI’s not withstanding. All of them look like victims when you match up talent, yet, we cringe when thinking of last year’s losses to supposed victims. The team is capable and we are waiting for coaching to live up to promises, whereas, if we do win, the coaches will take credit. My opinion of them will arrive after averaging in their first two years.

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  9. Russ
    April 11, 2017 at 2:34 PM

    With Kirby’s optimism about the offense, I’m feeling more confident. I think the defense will show up, and if we score points, we have a chance for a good season. Glad to see a little optimism from Kirby, though I’m sure he’ll find plenty to moan about in the coming months. After all, he learned from the master, aight?

    Like

  10. JoshG
    April 11, 2017 at 3:14 PM

    Just beat Vanderbilt, Kirbs. That’d be an improvement.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Hillbilly Dawg
    April 11, 2017 at 5:54 PM

    Spring Practice National Champions

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