Bye week happy talk

Those stars just won’t quit aligning, peeps.

After an injury scare to Georgia’s leading receiver, and two games without its best defensive lineman, it appears Terry Godwin and Trenton Thompson are on track to play against Florida.

Both players were in uniform at Tuesday’s practice, the team’s first of the bye week.

I keep waiting for a shoe to drop.  This is Florida we’re talking about, after all.

When you take your foot off the gas pedal of the Gus Bus…

Malzahn said his thought process on going conservative at the half: "How many points can they really score versus our defense"

— SportsCall Auburn (@SportsCallAU) October 17, 2017

… shit happens, like blowing at 20-point lead to a team that lost to Troy two weeks before.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the revised rankings of the SEC coaches after the season from all the geniuses in the punditocracy who were singing the praises of Dan Mullen (who, admittedly, ain’t bad) and Malzahn.

When you don’t allow yourself to play down to the level of your opponent…

For those of you still freaking out that OMG! MIZZOU SCORED 28 POINTS ON GEORGIA!!!, allow Mr. Connelly to provide some context.

Mizzou won the field position battle, finished every scoring chance in the end zone (thanks to that whole “only score via big play” thing), got a smidgen of turnovers luck, and created bigger big plays. All the things the Tigers needed to do against South Carolina, they did in a blowout loss. Cool, cool.

Three things here:  one, Georgia brought its B-minus, C-plus game against a lesser conference opponent and still won by 25, going away.  Two, that doesn’t mean Georgia can bring the same kind of game against, say, Auburn, and expect the same results.  (Somewhat shockingly, I expect the coaches already know that.)  (Yes, that’s sarcasm.)

Most importantly, how many times over the past few years have we seen the Dawgs bring their B-minus, C-plus game against inferior opposition… and lose?  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Shelley Meyer is pointed to and stared at.

You had to know letting yourself get painted into a corner equating Colin Kaepernick and Aaron Hernandez wouldn’t be a good look.

Bless your heart.  Maybe the next time your hubby warns about the perils of social media, you ought to listen.  In the meantime, I’m sure a lot of his players appreciate your thoughtful sentiment.

Life after regression to the mean

These are the D-1 teams that are currently undefeated:

• Alabama
• Central Florida
• Georgia
• Miami
• Penn State
• South Florida
• TCU
• Wisconsin

Of those eight teams, the only one with a lower turnover margin than Georgia’s +1 is Wisconsin, which is even.  Of the remaining six teams, four are in the top five in that category.

That Georgia has been able to roll thus far without being dominant in turnovers surprises me.  It’s an indication of how solid this team has been everywhere else.

Georgia and Points Per Drive

Brian Fremeau tracks points per drive in all its permutations.

Points Per Drive data are a function of all offensive possessions in FBS vs. FBS games, excluding first-half clock kills and end-of-game garbage drives and scores. Teams are ranked by net points scored per drive (NPD), the difference between points scored per offensive drive (OPD) and points allowed per opponent offensive drive (DPD). Points per long drive for the offense (OLD) and opponent offenses (DLD) are calculated on possessions that begin inside the offense’s own 20-yard line. Points per remaining drive for the offense (ORD) and opponent offenses (DRD) are calculated on possessions that begin within 80 yards of the end zone. Points per value drive for the offense (OVD) and opponent offenses (DVD) are calculated on possessions that begin on the offense’s own side of midfield and reach at least the opponent’s 30-yard line.

Georgia currently ranks fifth this season in overall points per drive.  What’s really impressive about its showing is the consistency.  Across nine categories, the rankings range from 2nd to 21st.  Even Alabama has a bigger spread than that.

In case you’re wondering, Georgia finished 65th in PPD in 2016.

Oh, you Herschel Walker.

Back in the days when the weather wasn’t a factor travel time wasn’t a factor the Gator Bowl wasn’t in the state of Florida Herschel Walker roamed the college football world, life in Jacksonville was pretty boss.

Three wins.  Unhappy Charlie Pell is the best Charlie Pell.  When you’re talented and have the right mindset, good things happen.  Amazing how that works.