You guys know I normally don’t make anything out of verbal commitments, because there’s a long time ’til signing day and Laremy Tunsil happens, but in Justin Fields’ case, I’ll make an exception, because Sam Pittman.
Daily Archives: October 6, 2017
Sometimes, the punchlines, they write themselves.
I breathlessly await Booch’s next presser.
Filed under Because Nothing Sucks Like A Big Orange
Revenge is a dish best served on the Internet.
Les Miles has a podcast now. Judging by this, I may need to give it a listen.
Evidently there’s nothing in his buyout provisions preventing him from throwing a little shade in LSU’s direction.
Filed under Wit And Wisdom From The Hat
Moar stat porn
It seems like there’s a turn on every day now.
Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!
Does Coach O’s 2017 = Kirby Smart’s 2016?
I generally like Steven Godfrey’s work, but this strikes me as a little too superficial.
Or, maybe, 2017 LSU is a version of another program that replaced another tenured, consistent head coach who was often great but unable to surpass Alabama: Georgia and Kirby Smart.
Um… nah. He even rebuts his proposition with a quote in the same piece from an unnamed SEC assistant coach.
“The difference is, Orgeron has had more time than Smart, with the interim year, and the big thing is that expectations were way out of line. O sold LSU on immediate consistency, not a rebuild. That’s where a lot of the anger is coming from. He’s got really good coaches. He’s going to recruit really well. His biggest mistake is hiding how much work their (sic) was. But maybe he thought he wouldn’t get hired for a rebuild.”
Smart’s flaws last season were the result of a first-time head coach going through a phase of on the job training. Orgeron, by contrast, is on his third head coaching gig, his second in the SEC. Beyond that, he’s a promoted interim head coach, which means the usual arguments about getting acclimated to the personnel and culture change issues don’t apply as they did at Georgia last season. The learning curve at LSU should already be kicking in; that it isn’t is a pretty good indicator that the Tigers got what most expected they had with Orgeron.
Whatever that is, it ain’t Kirby Smart.
Filed under Coach O Needs Another Red Bull, Georgia Football
Another Vandy thought
The more I ponder tomorrow’s game, the more I keep coming back to one thing: this is a horrendous match up for the Commodores. Don’t take my word for that, either. Per VandySports.com publisher Chris Lee,
“I think it’s a very poor matchup for Vanderbilt.
“Vanderbilt hasn’t run the ball on anyone. I think VU’s best chance is to throw the ball, but Georgia is giving up 3.3 yards a throw in SEC play. Plus, although Vandy has pass-blocked well, Georgia has an outstanding front seven, and that could really spell trouble if the Bulldogs can get to Shurmur, who isn’t mobile.
“On offense, Georgia is going to try to run the ball at Vanderbilt. That’s something that’s given the Commodores fits lately…”
Stop the run on defense and make the opposing offense one-dimensional with a non-running quarterback. Run the ball on offense and take the pressure off your true freshman quarterback. Gee, where have I seen that work before?
If Vanderbilt manages to keep the game closer than Tennessee did, it’ll be because the ‘Dores don’t turn up on the short end of a minus-3 in turnover margin.
Filed under Georgia Football
Is the Kirby Smart coaching tree beginning to take root?
Boy, that didn’t take long.
If Tucker’s defense continues to play the way it has through the rest of the season, the logical next step would be for a potential head coaching opportunity to emerge.
“Mel’s a great leader. He commands great respect,” Smart said. “Players really follow Mel’s lead. He does a tremendous job of game-planning, X-and-O-ing, calling the game. But more important than that, he’s a very loyal soldier that helps guys out. If guys are struggling or their confidence is struggling, he’s able to go to pep them up. They follow his lead.
“So yeah, he’d do a tremendous job. He’s been an interim coach before, and I know he’d do a tremendous job given the opportunity.”
I wonder if anyone will say, “but everyone knows it’s Kirby Smart’s defense”.
Filed under Georgia Football
Right place, wrong time
One of the minor puzzlements of the Notre Dame game was how pedestrian Irish left tackle Mike McGlinchey, who’s considered by many to be a surefire first-round NFL draft pick, looked. Well, this might explain things a little.
That being said, blocking Bellamy and Carter didn’t help his case.
Filed under Georgia Football, Notre Dame's Faint Echoes, Stats Geek!
Rare air
Might as well get used to it, peeps. The “Georgia in the CFP” speculation is rising. Nate Silver has the Dawgs sniffing at the edges; Jerry Palm has them in.
If Georgia travels to Jacksonville toting a 7-0 record, it’s only going to get louder.
Filed under BCS/Playoffs, Georgia Football
Get me outta here, Percy.
Mike Bianchi does his perennial troll of the SEC’s Mississippi members — “If the major conferences were starting from scratch today and holding a draft; UCF and USF would be in and Ole Miss and Mississippi State would be out.” –and enlists USF’s Charlie Strong in support.
“Without a doubt,” Strong told me Wednesday on our “Open Mike” radio show. “With the job we’re doing here at USF and the job they’re doing at UCF, we can go beat those people [Power Five teams] right now. Just think if we had their resources. … The only thing they have that’s different from us is that they are Power Five. There’s nothing else. That’s it. We have as many good players [as some of these programs]. They just have Power Five status.”
Meanwhile, in private, Strong is supposedly singing a different tune.
Practically every week this season, South Florida coach Charlie Strong has pleaded with fans to fill Raymond James Stadium, even making some critical comments about attendance. And every week, USF fans have failed to respond.
Though South Florida is 5-0 and ranked 16th, just 24,325 people showed up (announced) for its last game against Temple and it’s doubtful things will be that much better on Oct. 14 for Cincinnati. That is just one of many frustrations Strong has voiced privately this season about coaching at the Group of Five level, according to a person familiar with Strong’s thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity. That person told USA TODAY Sports they would not be surprised if Strong got in the mix for Power Five openings, despite his affinity for the Tampa area.
Though Strong’s Texas experience was a disaster, he’s 58-37 as a college head coach and will likely win 10 or more games this season at USF. He’s still a marketable name in the business and has a good track record, a good recruiting reputation and a likable personality. It wouldn’t be a stretch to see him involved with Ole Miss…
LOL. Talk about if you can’t beat ’em…
Filed under It's Not Easy Being A Mid-Major
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