Former Georgia beat writer David Ching sounds a bit jaded in response to a question about what’s been learned from this year’s edition of spring football:
This isn’t necessarily a lesson I learned this spring, but the last several weeks have provided another reminder that no SEC program seems to get more of an annual offseason buildup than Georgia. I’m not even saying this year’s optimism is totally unfounded, but once again we have the Bulldogs getting SEC East championship hype in April. Last year actually marked the end of an eight-year run where media members picked Georgia to finish either first or second in the East at the conference’s annual media days extravaganza (the Bulldogs finished in a three-way tie for second at 4-4 in conference play). But even after a mediocre debut season for coach Kirby Smart, an outstanding signing class has optimism brimming again in Athens. Folks seem to be diving head-first back into the Georgia pool despite reasonable questions over whether this is a championship-caliber team. It would not be at all surprising to see a new streak start at media days this year, whether the Bulldogs deserve it or not.
Ouch.
On the other hand, doesn’t the law of averages suggest that sooner or later this take will wind up being the correct one?
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If Georgia does win the East, they will have made a great stride over last years debacle, indeed. It’s quite a leap from the disaster against O’Ms and a loss to Vandy to SECe champs in one year. I can understand why Ching is giving us a cold shower.
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I am in the lets see what happens crowd. Nit optimistic or pessimistic just watching to see what happens.
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Expecting, and being picked as a favorite, to win the East is not exactly the same as people projecting this as a “championship team”. This 2017 team MAY be capable of competing for a championship in Atlanta by season’s end. No team in the East this year is regarded as being a championship caliber team at the beginning of the year, not sure where Ching is getting that.
The Division representative is not equivalent to being a “champion”, UGA should be the favorite to be that representative. Not going to cause anyone to expect great things, nor pre-order rings, we will have to wait and see the product on the field before we get over confident. Ain’t no big thang…….yet.
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Agree. The preseason happy talk is always fun, but there are challenges to winning the east. There are Gators and Wildcats, Volunteers and Commodores in that part of the country. Even the chickens down here have teeth. Don’t forget we have to fight the Fighting Irish right off the bat. Can we do it? Sure. Will we do it? We’ll see.
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Chingy’s just mad that we keep beating his Auburn Tigers every year that they aren’t playing for the national championship.
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Nah, he is simply correct.
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This meme was once owned by the Clemson Tigers … now it’s UGA. Hopefully the Dawgs will break through at some point. Richt planted the flag in Knoxville his first year … Maybe Kirby leads his troops to a convincing win in South Bend this year. Will be rooting for it big time.
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Notre Dame was 4-8 last year.
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Makes no difference their record, to the national sports writers they are the gold standard by which all college football teams are measured. Look at the praise heap upon Texas for beating the mediocre ND last year. We talk about overrated UGA but the most preseason overrated team in the current era of CFB is ND. Their QB is about to be drafted high this year off of that 4-8 season, so the over hype transfers to all of their players too.
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I really enjoyed the “1st OR second” part. Conveniently lumping in 2nd place finish predictions to fit his agenda. Much more inflammatory and gets hits. I think I see where the former part of the Georgia beat writer comes in.
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“…no SEC program seems to get more of an annual offseason buildup than Georgia.”
So we consistently lead the sec in optimism! That’s a bad thing?
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On the other hand, doesn’t the law of averages suggest that sooner or later this take will wind up being the correct one?
Regression to the mean for the WIN!!!
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