Will Georgia’s 2021 passing game be more than a little bit pregnant?

So, this was posted to Twitter, presumably to highlight Bennett’s propensity for rushing his reads and missing open receiving targets…

🤔…. pic.twitter.com/f2wt9Wpjjg

— Brent Rollins (@PFF_Brent) February 11, 2021

More interesting to me is the responses it generated from one of the writers at And The Valley Shook.

His premise is that, while Georgia’s offense is being modernized under Monken, it’s not being fully modernized.

If Georgia goes pass first, they win the national title, it’s that simple for them. Start throwing it, I know the backfield is insane, but it’s not 2013 anymore.

— Max Toscano (@maxtoscano1) February 12, 2021

My thought is, that did work for LSU in 2019, so I can’t knock him for saying that, but while I think Smart is wedded to opening up the offense, I’m not sure how far he’s willing to go.  For one thing, that backfield is loaded.

That being said, throw first may be exactly what the doctor orders against opponents with dynamic offenses.  And Kirby’s reputation may actually be a benefit to doing so, as I would expect defenses to continue to load up against the run, because that’s how Georgia’s rolled under Smart.  And we shouldn’t forget that in the last four games of 2020, Monken was fine throwing the ball more when challenged to do so by opponents.

What say y’all?

The rich, still getting richer

In light of yesterday’s post about how the top tier recruiting talent is becoming more concentrated at the top programs with the 2021 class, I thought this was an interesting data point.

In fact, the top ten programs took a slightly higher share of elite talent in the year 2000 than 2020. Granted, there was a smaller share of elite talent in that year, which throws off the metrics. However, since 2002, the share of elite talent going to top 10 teams has hovered around 45%. From 2001-2013, the top 10 programs signed 45.9% of the elite recruits. Compared to the CFP era 2014-2020, this same tier of programs signed 44.2% of elite recruits.

Which begs the question — is the 2021 class an outlier, or the clear demarcation of a trend?  Someone raised a good point in the comments yesterday, that top recruits are looking for sure things right now, something that favors the big boys.  Part of that has to be a result of what COVID hath wrought, namely the lack of opportunity for in-person visitation and evaluation.  (To be fair, that sure thing cuts both ways.)  And, with the news that the NCAA is leaning towards extending the recruiting dead period again, the uncertainty is going to remain, at least for a while.

Reader poll: consistency vs. championship

In today’s Mailbag ($$), Seth Emerson touches on a topic I’ve wondered about over the years.

Who has the most to crow about over the last 20 years: Georgia football, winning about 75 percent of its games, coming close to winning it all, or Auburn, winning at a lower clip and enduring some miserable seasons, but with 2010 to boast about? Was Gene Chizik a better coach than Mark Richt just because he won a national title? Is Ed Orgeron a better coach than Kirby Smart because of his title?

… There is no right answer to the question. It’s an opinion question, and feelings will vary depending on who you are. Georgia’s fan base, from what I can tell, tends to live in the moment and would probably trade places — meaning recent championship hardware and chances for more in the near future — with only two programs: Alabama and Clemson. I don’t think most Georgia fans would rather be Auburn or LSU. Maybe LSU, but I’d be surprised if any Georgia fans are envious of Auburn.

What say you?  Would you trade that consistency he speaks about — and remember what highs the 2017 season brought before you answer — for that natty moment, even at a cost of the program subsequently hitting the skids?

There’s a reader poll for that.

No, you can’t choose “I want Georgia to be like Alabama and have it all” as an answer.  You’re a Georgia fan and you know what that entails, after all.

Feel free to elaborate in the comments.

Blue chip recruiting graphic, 2000-21

The chart at this link is mesmerizing to watch, but it also explains a lot about the falling fortunes at places like Tennessee and Miami, and, of course, the rise of Alabama.

If there’s a place for second acts, it’s Knoxville.

Ladies and gentlemen, back for a return engagement, it’s…

Sources: Tennessee is hiring Rodney Garner as the defensive line coach. He was last at Auburn and brings extensive SEC experience, including stints at Georgia and Tennessee.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 12, 2021

Nothing says stability like hiring a defensive position coach before you hire a defensive coordinator.  Heupel must really like Garner’s brand.