Investigating a tragedy

The Athletic Department has issued an official statement regarding the fatal crash.  It’s restrained and respectful, given the situation, but it is not without import.

pic.twitter.com/xiy7WYCg3P

— Georgia Bulldogs (@UGAAthletics) January 24, 2023

The key sentence there being “We want to emphasize that these individuals were not engaged in Athletic Department duties around the time of this incident.“, closely followed by “Coach Smart and I are also actively reviewing relevant football policies, and at the conclusion of that review, we will take steps to implement any improvements in our policies and procedures that may be needed.”

To paraphrase a line from Kirk Herbstreit, I’d say they’re determined not to lose control of the matter.  Whether that’s acceptable to the AJ-C, we’ll have to wait to find out.

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TFW you’ve got more money then sense

Damn, Tennessee.  You’re back at it again.

Tennessee's Josh Heupel receives $9 million/year contract extension thru January 2029

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 24, 2023

In going to $9 million per year, @coachjoshheupel now ranks in the upper tier of SEC head football coaches after two seasons at @Vol_Football. Only Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher and Brian Kelly make more. Heupel was hired at $4 million and bumped to $5 million last year.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) January 24, 2023

Of course, Heupel does have that 2017 mythical national title on his resume.  None of those other coaches can make that claim.  Although I’m pretty sure none of them coached teams that gave up 63 points to South Carolina, either.

Get thee to a bookmaker…

… and bet the ranch.

I think Vols beat Georgia this year in Neyland. Not worried about college football. With Heupel I think Tennessee will be consistent top ten over next five years or so. Way more optimistic on Vols than Titans. https://t.co/LEffUq8Arh

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 23, 2023

And then bet your momma’s ranch.

Dream team

Shot.

Alabama OC/QB coach Bill O’Brien has returned to New England and is being named the Patriots offensive coordinator, sources tell @ClowESPN and me. O’Brien was a Patriots’ assistant coach from 2007-2011, and now returns to coach Mac Jones, whom he briefly worked with at Alabama.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2023

Chaser.

Nick Saban needs an offensive and defensive coordinator, huh? pic.twitter.com/vvmeZ3bLFN

— Dayne Young (@dayneyoung) January 24, 2023

We’re probably not worthy, but, damn, would I enjoy that.

Today, in Rashada

Hoo, boy.  These Gator Collective folks sound like real pros.

Great writeup here

To me it sounds like:
▫️Booster & Rashada et al negotiate deal
▫️Deal is miscommunicated for $13M
▫️Contract is written for $13M
▫️Gator Collective signs miscommunicated contract
▫️Mistake realized post-signing
▫️Contract is nuked & Rashada moves on https://t.co/cHE8qeTour

— Joshua "Bud" Davis, PhD (@JBudDavis) January 24, 2023

Er, no they don’t.  Kinda sound like this:

Hey, I’m fine with that.  Keep up the good work, fellas.

It takes a village to scout a child.

I have no idea who this is ($$)…

Andrew Ivins, the director of scouting at 247Sports, was enjoying a margarita by the pool — on one of those rare Saturday afternoons that he wasn’t at a combine or a 7-on-7 tournament — when his phone rang.

A former national coach of the year was calling to find out why one of the high school seniors he’d just signed had slipped down the industry’s composite rankings.

… but I’m pretty sure I know who it isn’t.

“Some recruiting departments are fine-tuned, well-oiled machines,” Ivins said. “Georgia has like 20 staffers in their recruiting department who all have a computer. Other schools don’t have that luxury.

That brings to mind something I wrote when Richt was fired.

If you watched any of the Iron Bowl broadcast this past Saturday, as I did, you might have noticed a discussion Gary and Verne had about the number of staffers Alabama had up in the coaches booth.  Lundquist was certain it was fifteen and damned if it didn’t look like it when the CBS camera panned the booth.  That room was crowded.

I mention this story not in a fit of jealousy, nor to condemn another program’s wasteful spending.  Rather, it’s a perfect example of what the Georgia Way is up against.  Regardless of where you think Richt falls on the performance spectrum, you cannot deny that for the bulk of his time in Athens, he was not allowed the resources to duke it out with Georgia’s main rivals.

That seems like such a quaint concern now, doesn’t it?

A simple question

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 📅#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/infyTABa5I

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) January 23, 2023

What’s the over/under on the number of nooners Georgia plays this coming season?  (Bonus question:  will they all be in the month of September?)

Signs of the offseason

Two of the bigger debates that have cropped up in my Twitter feed over the past week are (1) who is and who isn’t a DGD; and (2) whether Alabama or Oklahoma gets to take credit for Jalen Hurts.

I should probably go back to bed now.