As good as Georgia was on Saturday — check out the Massey Composite for confirmation of that — Alabama was better. How much better? Let Bill Connelly spell it out for you ($$).
The fire hose that was Week 1 of the college football season saw stirring upsets, loads of surprises … and one team, Nick Saban’s Alabama, clearly standing out ahead of the pack. The numbers very much reflect that. While this week’s SP+ ratings see teams bunched together from top to bottom (the No. 5 and No. 12 teams are separated by a minuscule 1.6 points, No. 29 and No. 43 by only 2.8, etc.), No. 1 is miles ahead of the pack.
At 32.9 adjusted points per game, Alabama is 8.1 points ahead of No. 2 Georgia, meaning Bama would be projected favorite of 8.1 points on a neutral field; that’s nearly the same distance separating UGA and No. 17 UCLA.
Now there’s many a mile between Week One and the SECCG, so that isn’t dispositive of the 2021 season, but Georgia’s got its work cut out for it. I suspect that will make a good motivational tool for Kirby when the time comes.
Get The Picture 
So far I’m enjoying this season. December 4th will get here soon enough. Meanwhile I’m looking forward to some epic beatdowns of old rivals and steady improvement of the O. Unlike some of the boys I’m not writing off a loss before it happens. These Dawgs are capable of beating any team out there.
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Wellllllll, from what I gather, “Nobody can beat our Cocks!!!”
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“…looking forward to some epic beatdowns of old rivals…”
For the first time ever, I am looking forward to the Vandy game with eager anticipation.
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Oh you bet your ass, Mark. Those candy ass sissies cost the Dawgs more than a share of the SEC East. Senior night specifically.
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Ziskey rates the Commodores. “They’re pussies!”
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That bunch of pussies deserve to have a whole hundred hung on ’em! Fifty for each cancellation last season. They need to bend over and take it like the Commiewhores that they are!!!!!!!!
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Man, I did some unholy things to commiwhores back in the day…I took out many a euro-trash …glory days
I bet ol RR went down that bumpy road a few times too
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That’s right, FD. I wasn’t looking for meaningful conversation or even proper hygiene back in those days. Damn sure didn’t encounter either from those narrow minded, sloppy skanks.
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At this point of the season I really don’t care about a possible point spread of a game in December. Bill needs clicks and yes Bama looked unbeatable game one.
Stay healthy win every game on the current schedule winning the East earning the right to play in the SECCG. Then I’ll worry about beating Bama.
In its last two games Georgia is 2-0 both against top ten ranked teams. I could learn to live in that neighborhood happily.
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Stay healthy and get healthy. We’re throwing to guys who don’t fill out their pants.
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Yes yes Bama is good but why you want to bring that up in here?
Talk about something nice like: hey I watched the tech game on tape last night and they suuuuccckkkk.
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I realize it is week one, but the ACC appears to be coughing up blood.
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Great characterization! We’ll done!
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Well….I hate spellcheck
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I’d like to think the injury list was a major factor in our lack of points. We get most everybody back, J.T. Daniels starts looking better.
On another subject, Zamir White looked like Ole No. 34 running over guys on that last run.
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I’m certainly not here to throw shade at Bama, but they were playing with a healthy roster of offensive weapons. And Miami is probably a mediocre team at best.
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Miami is bad. Diaz looks lost on the sidelines.
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A close, ugly win over #3 Clemson is, at the bare minimum, no less prestigious than a comprehensive beatdown of #14 Miami. The Canes’ defense got rolled last year by pretty much every opponent with a pulse, and they were never going to instantly get instantly better just because Diaz made himself the DC.
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Alabama was dominant, but it’s also clear Miami has no OL or DL. They are going to get drubbed by anyone in the top 5. It’s just not a fair fight in the trenches.
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The highlight plays I saw the qb had forever to throw and the receivers were wide, as in no db 5 yards or more around, open. They should be number one, but that game was more a sign of how bad Miami was.
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Is Alabama a better team right now than Georgia? Yes. Is Georgia better than every team currently on the schedule? Yes.
Let’s start worrying about Alabama when it’s apparent they are going to be on the schedule. In the meantime, let’s get healthy on offense and steadily improve.
Let’s not stub our toe and remove our playoff margin for error. Let’s beat the living hell out of our traditional rivals.
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Stop making sense!
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Alabama is simply better than everyone else, including the Dawgs. This is neither hateful towards the Georgia program nor insulting Kirby, but rather a tip of the cap to one of the greatest coaches ever. Saban constantly loses assistants, coordinators, Heisman finalists, Heisman winners, Outland winners, All Americans, yet his program continues to makes strides forward. That is not even close to where we are as a program. If we are being honest with ourselves, Saturday night told us we are not a playoff team this year, much less a national title team. Our offense is weak at so many spots this year and will eventually cost us a game or 3. Sure, injuries play a part in this, but you have to dance with the one who brung ya and our dance partner ain’t so hot. This team is in deep trouble.
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Who on our schedule is better than clemson?
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Skeptic, would you have rather won 35-28? Same scoring margin but more points. That would be the only difference. You would be saying, “Our defense sucks. Therefore, we aren’t a playoff team. We’ll lose 3 this year.” You started with talking about Alabama and then doing what you always do … run down the Dawgs.
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EE, is it asking too much for the Dawgs to put together a great defense AND a functional offense in the same year? As I pointed out, Saban manages massive losses to personnel and staff year after year, yet his teams rarely miss a beat. My point in the original post was twofold…1). We are nowhere close to being in the same category as Alabama and 2). Our offense is in deep trouble.
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I have said I’m reserving judgment on the offense until some of our best players get back (not including Pickens or Gilbert – I’m not banking on either of them playing this year). We’ve had multiple players down in the same personnel group.
It seems the only way you would be happy would be if we had beaten Clemson as soundly as Bama beat Miami.
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Reality: Just held one of the 2 premier football programs of the last decade to 3 points and levels of offensive ineptitude they haven’t seen in 13 years. Your take: We’re in deep trouble.
Step away from the ledge brother. If we don’t reach 30 vs. UAB Saturday, then I’d say you can start to panic about the O. With our D and stable of veteran backs, this team reminds me alot of the one in 2017. That was a fun year. Football season is short. Try to enjoy it.
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“Football season is short. Try to enjoy it.”
DAMMITBMAC! I will do my best to heed that advice. Great attitude.
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To paraphrase Warren Zevon, “Enjoy every chicken wing.”
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We wander aimlessly for what seems like an eternity through the oppressive sweltering breath of Satan himself for 4 months to get to that first kickoff, Stress like hell over first world football problems, blink our eyes and Santa Claus is coming. I’m trying to heed it too brother. One week at a time and enjoy the hell out of each sweet victory cigar.
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Nice to hear from you, Eyeore.
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Skeptic, you need to take your trolling skills else where. Go back to your pathetic team you support, cause it sure as shit ain’t the Dawgs!
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Maybe try snorting that Wellbutrin of yours, maybe it’ll hit harder.
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Here’s my dumbass perspective…I’d rather be dealing with all our injuries now rather than late in the season…let’s see where both the Dawgs and Bama are at that point, and then fight like hayell in Atlanta
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Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee we aren’t dealing with injuries in December.
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Fortunately the games are played on the field and not on a computer. Winners are not decided by a blog. If that were the case, LSU would be 1-0 as would NC. Tech on the other had would probably still be 0-1
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Good grief.
We’re ranked number two.
We have a favorable schedule.
We just beat a top five team.
We have the walking wounded coming back.
And we have people standing out on the ledge because Alabama looked great against an ACC team.
Where some see a challenging opportunity, other’s see hopelessness.
Count your blessings, Dawg fans.
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Abso-freaking-lutely, well typed
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Slight correction
“And we have people standing out on the ledge because Alabama looked great against a SECOND TIER ACC team.”
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Goodness gracious, it’s not like we don’t get a lot of Dawggrading from our opponents our own “fans” are always a cups empty group. Be like the damn team and take it one game at a time. Don’t worry about Bama until we get to play them. I thought I was the voice of Munson but you guys are Munson on steroids.
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