It’s like the world is just now catching up to what every Georgia fan has known for a decade.
Daily Archives: January 31, 2019
Forget what I just said about Missouri.
This’ll put a damper on a season.
A former University of Missouri, Columbia, tutor violated NCAA ethical conduct, academic misconduct and academic extra benefits rules when she completed academic work for 12 student-athletes, according to a Division I Committee on Infractions panel.
Oops. Penalties include a 2019-20 postseason ban for the football program and a 5 percent reduction in the amount of scholarships in the football program during the 2019-20 academic year.
************************************************************************
UPDATE: In case you’re wondering, the postseason ban includes the SECCG, which means Mizzou ain’t dark horsing anybody.
Filed under Academics? Academics., SEC Football, The NCAA
Your all-too-early 2019 SEC East snapshot
Pete Fiutak’s Pre-Spring Rankings piece is useful for getting some idea of the losses each of the seven programs in Georgia’s division have suffered. He also links within this piece to his schedule analysis for each team.
The main takeaway is that everybody’s losing key parts. There doesn’t appear to be a team similar to last year’s Kentucky squad that patiently built up senior depth over time on its way to a ten-win season. You would think that would favor the teams that have recruited well. (More on that in just a sec.)
Some quick non-Georgia thoughts: Vandy’s gonna Vandy; Kentucky isn’t going to bounce back from losing its two best players; Tennessee looks like it’s going to be weak along both lines of scrimmage; if Mizzou’s secondary improves, Fiutak may have underrated them; “The Gamecocks are an interesting blend of loaded and concerning.”; it’s hard to see how Felipe Franks takes the next step behind what looks to be a weak offensive line.
As far as scheduling goes, Missouri wins the cross-divisional games contest, facing Ole Miss and Arkansas. That appears to be a particularly big deal this season, because several East squads have brutal West meetings in store (I’m looking at you, Gamecocks).
Non-conference scheduling isn’t exactly scintillating, but at least South Carolina and Florida are playing two P5 schools like the Dawgs are.
About that recruiting well, thing, well…
Last Wednesday’s afternoon release of the 247Sports’ final Top247 recruit rankings provided the latest glimpse of where premier prep football players plan to compete in college. This list compiles the elite talents of a 2019 class destined to impact championship chases and, eventually, NFL drafts in the years ahead.
Georgia is among the country’s best-represented programs with 13 signees making the cut…
Recruiting classes won’t be complete for another two weeks but the vast majority of scholarship slots have been filled by most teams. That includes Georgia, which carries 22 signees and one verbal commitment in a class ranked No. 2 overall in the 247Sports composite rankings.
With more than half of those athletes landing in the Top247, it’s clear the Bulldogs are recruiting at a top-tier level. Georgia (20) is second only to Alabama (27) in composite blue-chip prospects (4- or 5-star) in the 2019 cycle.
Here’s how the rest of the SEC East stacks up in comparison with Georgia’s 13 Top247 recruits in 2019:
- Florida 6
- Kentucky 0
- Missouri 0
- South Carolina 4
- Tennessee 8
- Vanderbilt 0
That, of course, follows in the wake of Smart’s previous dominant recruiting classes. Just to give you an idea of how dominant, here’s a note about Florida: “In its first cycle under Dan Mullen, Florida is knocking on the door of its first top 10 class in five years.” Georgia, of course, hasn’t finished outside the top 10 with any of Smart’s recruiting classes and is in the top three since 2017.
I know we’ll hear some buzz as we get closer to the season starter about how Florida is gaining on Georgia — actually, we already have heard some of that — but on paper, at least, it’s hard to see where that’s coming from. That’s not to say it’s inconceivable the Gators supplant the Dawgs this season, but it’ll take some unusual developments that can’t be seen from here at the moment.
As far as any other team in the East representing a legitimate threat, count me as someone who thinks Missouri has a certain dark horse potential, presuming Kelly Bryant can come in and keep things going offensively. What do you guys see from here?
*************************************************************************
UPDATE: One more thing to factor into the equation is Bill Connelly’s returning production numbers. Tennessee is second in his rankings, which is no surprise, but considering how far the Vols have to go, not such a big deal.
Florida, however, is.
Here are 2018’s top 10 teams, according to the revamped version of S&P+, re-ranked in order of 2019 returning production:
- LSU (76 percent, 15th)
- Florida (74 percent, 26th)
- Clemson (64 percent, 53rd)
- Oklahoma (64 percent, 57th)
- Ohio State (63 percent, 62nd)
- Alabama (63 percent, 63rd)
- Michigan (63 percent, 68th)
- Georgia (62 percent, 69th)
- Auburn (60 percent, 84th)
- Mississippi State (57 percent, 92nd)
It’s safe to say Alabama will begin second in the preseason polls, and sportsbooks are listing Georgia in the top four. But there could be legitimate reason for putting four SEC teams near the top, including LSU, which overachieved last year’s returning production, and Florida. The Tigers and Gators went a combined 21-6 in 2018 and ranked fifth and ninth, respectively, in the revamped S&P+. And now they’re both going to be projected to improve by a decent amount.
In fact, if we were to use returning production as the only S&P+ projection factor — eschewing recruiting and recent history — here’s how the projected top five would take shape. Again, this would be based on nothing more than last year’s S&P+ ratings and this year’s returning production, not the complete formula:
- Alabama (+36.7 adjusted points per game)
- Georgia (+33.2)
- Clemson (+30.2)
- LSU (+28.9)
- Florida (+27.1)
Remember, Dan Mullen made a good living on returning talent at Mississippi State. If Florida is in better shape than I initially expected in that regard, the Gators could be formidable.
Filed under Georgia Football, SEC Football
Tired
What is going on at Man Enough U?
Speaking on PFT Live Wednesday morning, now-former Crimson Tide running back Josh Jacobs cited a lack of energy in the locker room prior to the game as well as the team being “mentally fatigued” as factors in the loss to the Tigers (even as it was a 14-13 game after the first quarter, but that’s neither here nor there).
“Honestly, I know it might sound cliché… but, before the game, you could feel it was gonna be a rough one,” Jacobs said, adding that he had that feeling in the locker room. “Not only young players trying to feel the vibe of big games, being able to play so long after a certain amount of time it kind of wears on you, especially when you play great teams week-in and week-out you get everybody’s best shot it kind of wears on you.
“I think the team was just mentally fatigued. … For the most part, I think people were just fatigued.”
Vibe of big games, great teams week-in and week-out, everybody’s best shot… yeah, Josh, now that you mention it, that does sound clichéd. When did ‘Bama start making excuses for itself?
Filed under Alabama
Too much is never enough.
Honestly, this is starting to verge on parody.
Remember when Bear Bryant used to sign 100+ kids back in the day, just to keep them out of the hands of other programs? Nick Saban’s just updated the formula.
Filed under Nick Saban Rules
When bad things happen to shitty programs
Well, it’s good to see that at least some folks made out just fine from Jordan McNair’s death.
The investigation into the University of Maryland’s football program cost the University System of Maryland more than $1.57 million, with four of eight members of a special commission billing the university more than six figures apiece for their two months of work, according to recently released documents and invoices…
Much of the investigation’s legwork was done by the Baltimore law firm DLA Piper, which charged the university system $636,772 for its services. The eight commission members each charged an hourly rate of $650 an hour.
Charles Scheeler, the DLA Piper attorney who served as the commission’s point person, billed the university system for $283,855, and Ben Legg, a retired federal judge, charged $161,915. Alex Williams, also a retired judge, charged $155,194 for the work he did alongside an associate.
Bonnie Bernstein, the journalist and Maryland graduate, billed for $118,463, and Frederick M. Azar, the chief of staff at Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics in Memphis, charged $71,129.62.
Rounding out the group, Tom McMillen, the former Maryland basketball star who served three terms in Congress, charged $58,996; former Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. billed $40,300; and Doug Williams, retired Redskins quarterback and current team senior vice president, charged $30,550.
All that for a whitewashed report the school president ignored a few days later. So much for you get what you pay for.
Filed under ACC Football
Listen to your heart
David Andrews, another Dawg in town for the Super Bowl:
New England is practicing this week at, of all places, Georgia Tech, where Patriots offensive lineman Shaq Mason played.
“I like to remind him that I’m 3-1 against him and he likes to remind me that he beat us his senior year and that’s all that matters and it was between the hedges,” Andrews said.
Andrews sounds like he’s putting up with preparing for the game at the home of the Yellow Jackets.
“I thought about bringing a bunch of Georgia stickers and sticking them all around the facility,” he said. “We were in there working out and I had my Georgia G shirt on. I’m behind enemy lines now.”
Follow your instincts, David. After that hedge munching, stickers sound just fine.
Filed under Georgia Football, Georgia Tech Football
Get The Picture 