Rat poisoned

Well, shit.  Matt Hayes may have signaled the end times for Georgia football.

You can have Nick Saban or Dabo Swinney. Take Ryan Day or Lincoln Riley or any of the other elite coaches who fattened their wallets this offseason.

Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football. That’s right, Kirby Smart.

The coach who couldn’t go a season without some strange, or quirky – or let’s face it, bizarre – in-game coaching decision that baffled the senses.

The coach who could have multiple national championships were it not for some conservative play calling in 2017 and a conservative decision at quarterback that impacted 2018-2020.

That same coach made every right decision last season, lifting Georgia to its first national title since 1980 and making a definitive statement along the way.

If you’re looking for the next Saban, he’s right there in Athens.

“He put that flag in the ground last year,” an SEC coach told me. “You better believe Nick (Saban) is concerned.”

Doomed, I tells ‘ya.  Doomed.

Participation trophy time in Gainesville

Adorable.

The @ChrisDoering I Like to Practice Award

▪ @jshortz10
▪ @donovanmcmillo3
▪ @SappTyreak
▪ @DaejonReynolds pic.twitter.com/9tUdraB30D

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 24, 2022

The Gator Standard, as filtered through Booch.

“There is no three-year plan.”

Just a reminder that the transfer portal doors are scheduled to close after this week:

May 1 marks the day the transfer portal shuts down for this academic year. It closes for three months before reopening Aug. 1, the start of the 2022-23 academic year. Players in the portal by May 1 can still transfer after that date, but the deadline provides a shred of roster certainty amid what has amounted to free agency in college football.

With only one week to go, there is heightened anticipation of a final, dramatic bum rush to transfer freedom before the portal’s doors close.

By May 1, spring practices will largely be over. Position battle losers will have decisions to make. A bottleneck could form. Coaches everywhere are looking forward to exhaling if they can make it through the next week.

Sounds like there’s some roster managing left to do.  It also sounds like there are still plenty of players about to pop in.

More than 10% of the FBS transfer portal entries in April (26 of 252) came last Thursday, according to Susan Peal, who manages the National Letter of Intent for the NCAA.

“Whether we see a spike after this week knowing we’re going into the last week [is unknown],” Peal told CBS Sports.

Oh, I’m pretty sure we know.  The only question is whether they’ll jump or be pushed.

Which brings us to Georgia.  I have to believe Smart’s got a few cards up his sleeve, if only because that’s how things went down with the program last season.  What say y’all?

Keeping Gator expectations on the low down

That was then.

Former coach Dan Mullen didn’t get long before he was being grilled about the importance of the Georgia rivalry. After a 24-17 loss to the Bulldogs in his second season, and with recruiting trailing UGA’s substantially, Mullen was asked how far apart he felt the two programs were.

“Seven points,” he quipped, cutting his reply short.

This is now.

“I think we’re all well aware of the importance of that rivalry,” Napier said, not ducking away from a question about facing Georgia in Jacksonville. “These are the games that make college football special. I do think that we have tremendous respect for that rivalry and the importance of that rivalry.”

“It’s a special game and one that has implications on that side of the divisions and certainly presents a number of challenges,” Napier said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to be game-ready for our team to be competitive in that setting. We’re going to embrace the work that comes with that, the challenges that come with that. We’re excited about the opportunity to compete in this league and certainly playing in that game is a part of that.”

“Of all the special games we play, the Cocktail Party is certainly one of them” isn’t exactly the rallying cry Gator Nation is jonesing for, but it does serve to keep the mockery down.

After Metchie and Williams

This bout of Saban’s ass being kissed makes me wonder about something.

"The rich will get richer from the transfer portal " – Nick Saban

This year:
1. Jermaine Burton WR ( Georgia)
2. Jahmyr Gibbs RB ( Georgia Tech)
3. Eli Ricks CB ( LSU)
4. Tyler Steen OT ( Vandy )
5. Tyler Harrell WR ( Louisville) pic.twitter.com/SjBrZaXVrR

— Roll Tide #18™ 🐘 (@jerrysandersRTR) April 23, 2022

Yes, I know.  He’s the GOAT and everything comes up roses for Alabama because Nick Saban is playing three-dimensional chess while his peers are playing checkers.  I get it.

Except there’s one thing about Saban in the portal I sort of question.  Harrell had 18 catches for Louisville last season.  He’s a blazer and is expected to fill the Jameson Williams spot in Alabama’s offense.  Williams was a transfer, too, so I’ve got to ask — what’s the deal lately with Saban’s recruiting and development of receivers?

On paper, nothing.  In their last two classes, ‘Bama has pulled in something like eight top-80 caliber receivers.  And yet, Saban’s had to bring in one high-profile transfer after another lately because the talent isn’t ready.  So my question is this — how long can you keep bringing in transfers to step over highly regarded recruits before the recruits start getting the message about player development at that position?

I mean, we joke about Metchie and Williams being hurt, but consider the stark contrast between the depth of the ‘Bama receiving corps and that of Georgia’s in the national championship game.  Somebody looked a lot better at developing recruits who could contribute than did the other.

I know, I know… too soon to tell.  Maybe.

Bringing the doom and gloom

If Jack Swarbrick’s vision is correct, things are going to get even uglier.

In a wide-ranging interview with SI, the only athletic director who is part of the College Football Playoff Management Committee said the fracture lines within the 130-member FBS could leave two disparate approaches: schools that still operate athletics within a traditional educational structure, and those who tie sports to the university in name only.

“There’s always been sort of a spectrum—and I want to stress that everything along the spectrum is valid; it’s not a criticism,” Swarbrick said. “On one end of the spectrum, you license the school name and run an independent business that’s engaged in sports. The other end of the spectrum, you’re integrated into the university in terms of decision making and requirements, and some follow that.

“I think both can produce great athletic competition. But it’s really hard to get there given the contractual obligations that already exist.”

… Should the schism come, Notre Dame would be among those that still tied its athletics to the educational mission of the school and answered to its president and academic administration. Others could essentially be spun off while retaining the school name and branding. A theoretical example (not proffered by Swarbrick): Oregon Ducks Athletics, Inc.

Where the 130 schools fall along that spectrum would be up to individual institutional choice.

Honestly, I’m not sure how viable that really is.  Other than, of course, money has already made schools do things I didn’t think would be viable at the time.

In any event, “Oregon Ducks Athletics, Inc.” sure would put the whole “it’s what’s on the front of the jersey that counts” school of thought to the test.  Bless their hearts, but I’ll be long gone before that goes down.

“Five guys in the closet”

Man, I love hearing Dan Lanning talk about how prepared his defense was for the national championship game.

Oregon HC Dan Lanning explaining how they attacked Alabama's condensed formation "Railroad" (Mesh variation) concept & protection scheme with a 3 deep simulated pressure.

You can find Coach Lanning's presentation + replay all the other LFCA sessions here https://t.co/t2vfW1gnXz pic.twitter.com/Joosazoe4h

— James Light (@JamesALight) April 22, 2022

Of course, none of that would have mattered if Metchie and Williams weren’t injured, amirite?

Musical palate cleanser, being fab edition

From, I believe, Australia, during a 1964 world tour…

Quite simply, that is how you rock ‘n’ roll.