3. UGA squanders the most talent in college football.
Farrell’s take: FACT. I asked this question on Twitter and the overwhelming response was Georgia. While I don’t think this is a runaway for the Bulldogs, I do have to agree. UGA hasn’t won a national title since 1980 despite a massive in-state recruiting advantage and stellar recruiting classes under many coaches. Maybe Kirby Smart will break through and win it all, and he has had success in the SEC East, but a national title is expected with so much talent. The same was true for UGA under Mark Richt and others. USC, Texas, Miami and others were also common answers, but clearly they have won it all much more recently than Georgia.
He heard it on the Internet, so it must be true.
Get The Picture 
I see no lie here. We do waste a ton of talent. It still grinds my gears that we failed to make full use of Hardman, Nauta, Ridley, Eason and Fields.
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We do “waste” some talent, but the answer IMO is Michigan.
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If you go by the recruiting rankings, I think the answer is Southern Cal.
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The problem in the SEC is MNCs go through Saban. Excuse or not, teams in other conferences don’t have that challenge…until they reach the playoffs. Then, they too, more often than not, also fall short.
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So the question wasn’t really “Does Georgia squander the most talent,” it was “Has Georgia failed to win a national title recently.” And by that metric, pretty much everybody except Bama and Clemson are squandering talent by the bucketload.
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Exactly.
Smart’s got three divisional titles, a conference championship and a trip to the national title game in the last four years. That’s some squandering he’s got going on there.
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and he’s got 3 trophies from 3 different NY6 bowl, including the elusive Rose Bowl.
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And a pretty good record against Top 10 teams.
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Right. It’s funny how Kirby is suddenly on trial for every year since 1980. Even the dreaded 90s.
The bottom line is that negativity and dog piling is what generates clicks in today’s pseudo-journalist world. Kirby is unfortunately the perfect target.
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Richt had some superior talent at skill spots but he lacked the roster completeness that Kirby has. Will a Championship happen this year? Maybe, maybe not. Will we be in a spot to contend, absolutely. I think this is the most talented, complete roster we’ve ever seen at Georgia. Did some talent get wasted, sure, but that is the nature of the beast. You can’t have a blue-chip laden roster without that happening. Squandering the most talent? Nah.
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Oh Dear Lord… This narrative will never go away until Georgia wins that Natty. Stick to horse racing dude..
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They lost me at “Georgia ranks #5 with 32 players on NFL rosters”.
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One win, one score, and/or one play away in 1982, 1983, 1992, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 from either playing for it all or winning it all.
Is that squandering or is it just maddening?
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Maddening, for sure.
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2017 stands out because we were in the game to win. I know the same is true for 1982 and 1983 but that was before my time and so I didn’t see the games and lack the context re the season. 2002,2007,2012 and 1992 were more indicative of squandering talent-although 2002 was Richts best coaching job in hindsight . We are where Clemson was 5-6 years ago but with my much more hype because of recruiting and being Georgia and not lakeside Auburn. The expanded playoff probably gets all of the above teams in the twelve team field so we likely have more opportunities coming. For me as a fan every metric for success begins with beating our rivals and having a chance at the SEC championship, so being in that game 3 of the past 4 years equals success so as I’ve said before if this is mediocre then I can’t wait until we are as good as we “should” be under Smart.
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82-83 teams were awesome…we just played two damn good teams in the Sugar Bowl…
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In 1983 we went to the Cotton.
I excluded 1981 as we lost to Clemson (the eventual champ) by 10 and then to Pitt.
Who knows what would have happened had Clemson and Pitt lost their bowl games?
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I’d rank the ’81 team right beside this year’s team, in terms of talent. But a turnover filled loss at Clemson and a 4th-down, late game miracle throw by Dan Marino cost us any shot at a Natty. Things like that happen, which is why you can’t expect any team anytime to win a Natty before the season starts.
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Being at the 82 and 83 Sugar bowls. The pass from Marino to the TE. hurt the most. Clarence Kay had just caught the TD pass to put us ahead at the end.
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Texas is so irrelevant that people don’t even bother bagging on them anymore for not winning. Now that’s good squandering if you ask me!
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Exactly. And where is the line to go back to or not back as far? 2005? Then Miami and USC would be right up there.
What about Ohio State with Fields? Basically ended up in the same position with a National Championship game appearance, as UGA with Fromm. And they gave away a Heisman trophy and National Championship winner to boot!
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Screw him. I always like Hawkeye better anyway.
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Went to shit when Trapper John left.
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Oh, that double blind, peer reviewed Twitter poll. Science!
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Damn. This narrative has taken on a life of its own via the Internet and streaming media. It’s growing wearisome and really irritating. Like Spurrier during the Florida years. Only one way to shut them up, and beating Clemson will be a great start to doing so.
Frankly, I don’t blame Saban or use him as an excuse. He faces this kind of pressure every year and always produces. Good on him.
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Mike Farrell is trying to out-idiot Danny Kanell – that’s saying something.
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Sigh. All or nothing, y’all. That’s America these days.
Also, Fuck Bama.
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On the bright side, the world is paying attention to Georgia while not even giving a second thought to Texas, USC, and Michigan.
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Fuck fla. Still the most important game.
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Que Preacher Fartin’ with an “ I told y’all so”.
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Yes it’s baffling to me as well for all of those who wants to bash UGA for squandering talent, has little to say about Michigan. True, we haven’t won it all yet, but Michigan is currently struggling to have winning seasons and we cant get a peep out of the so called “experts” about that.
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I guess Mike Farrell has bought into the “troll UGA to get clickz” world.
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Wonder if this guy put on his clown make up before or after he wrote this.
Either way, I don’t mind this. It’s the opposite of rat poison and were I Kirby, I’d print out every one of these stories and put a copy in every player’s locker.
If we are as good as ‘they say’ we are, the only people that should get in the way of busting the 1980 meme this year are the players.
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Let’s face it in 1980 at the Gator Bowl and in the Sugar Bowl, Vince used up all the luck UGA had to win that Natty. The “fickle finger of fate” has been giving us a bird ever since.
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Squandered aint the word. But we’re pretty well defenseless against this crap till we do win one.
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I like the hole-in-one analogy in golf: If you hit it 3 inches from the cup, that’s skill. If it happens to go in, that’s luck. Kirby is hitting it 3 inches consistently. Now all we need is a little luck.
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This is a hole in one that is pure luck. 😉
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Saban’s a lucky dude.
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“Well, I heard it on the grapevine
I’m about to lose my be-hind,
Baby!”
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Mike, your check is waiting for you at the Gainesville office.
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Farrell’s Take: SHEEEEEEEEIIIIIIITTTTTTT!
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