Mixed feelings

When it comes to Georgia football, our man Erik Evans is the master of passive-aggressive analysis.  Take, for example, his look at whether wagering on the Dawgs to win the SEC this season — saucily subtitled “Georgia is favored again, but should they be?” — is a sensible play.

First, start with a little Dawgrading:

Despite an exodus of talent in 2022, everyone figured the ‘Dawgs would be hell on wheels again — if for no reason, the offense and interior alone. That was a prescient prediction, as it happens. The offense would finish as the most efficient in the nation, and the lines dominated teams on both sides of the ball. When you couple a solid defensive scheme Kirby stole from Alabama, and Monken’s eclectic offense that doesn’t ask too much from the quarterbacks besides distributing to mismatch nightmares, and a punishing deep ground game, and another Sisters of the Poor schedule in a trash division, well you have yourself a national title contender.

Shit, maybe they should return the trophy.  But I digress from the main mission.  Here’s his take on this season:

However, this year there is a lot of pressure on the ‘Dawgs, and some difficult-to-replicate factors no longer weigh in their favor: The team has now lost 37 players to the portal and the NFL in two seasons, including 10 defensive starters from the team Alabama faced just 17 months ago. UGA lost one of the best offensive minds in the game to the NFL, as well as their DC, in the space of 13 months. The Dawgs lost a 25-year-old Super Senior QB with three years of starts under his belt. And, UGA has now turned over 60% of its offensive line. The talent will be stockpiled, and Searcy for sure is better at his job than anyone in the country, but a new QB, a new front seven, a thin offensive line (for now), Road Kirby’s continuous near-misses, and a bit of a tougher conference schedule that sees more heavy lifting done away from Athens is a big, big hurdle to overcome.

Sounds grim.  But Erik’s not about to jump off the ledge.

They’ll be in Atlanta — no one else in the East is close to them yet. But I doubt they get there undefeated. Still, if I’m a betting man, given the state of the SEC, this is the most talented and stable program left remaining, with the best intact coaching staff. They won’t be a buzzsaw in 2023, but UGA is going to leave the Mercedes Dome with the crown.

Sure, -110 isn’t a great moneymaker, but it is practically free money: Take Georgia.

Like I said, nobody does it better.

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Herbie the handicapper

Kirk Herbstreit boldly warns us not to sleep on Alabama this season.

“If you’re going to Vegas… that would be a team that I would not want to question,” Herbstreit said. “Whenever they have a few losses or whenever they don’t quite chase their goals the previous year. And whenever, ‘Oh, they’ve got a new this and a new that.’ It’s like, ‘Oh boy, Nick Saban’s in trouble.’ … I’m telling you, he’s got the same energy that he’s had since 2009 when he won his first title against Texas. He’s got great players like he had in ’09, maybe better. He’s got a team that’s going to be upset, with a chip on their shoulder. As we sit here, May 31, it’s hard for me to not lean towards Alabama in the SEC.”

Pardon me while I yawn.  If we’re supposed to look out for ‘Bama after seasons when they don’t quite chase their goals, how to explain 2022?

Meanwhile, about Georgia…

“Now you’ve got LSU, who made incredible strides in their first year with Brian Kelly. You’ve got a lot coming back from that team that beat Bama last year. They’ve gotta go to Tuscaloosa,” Herbstreit said. “So those three [Georgia, Alabama and LSU] are going to be everybody’s three. As we sit here right now, I’m going to wait and see where we are in August. But I would [have] Bama and LSU just a little bit ahead of Georgia as we get into those summer months.”  [Emphasis added.]

Third best in the conference?  Now there’s a disrepect card Kirby Smart can sink his teeth into.

Georgia, best bet?

Looking at Caesars Sportsbook’s odds for the SEC title, Barrett Sallee thinks so.

Best bet — Georgia (-110): Sure, it’d be easy to say that the price for Georgia makes this a risky bet. After all, the Bulldogs are replacing star quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, running back Kenny McIntosh, both starting offensive tackles and a ton on defense.

Let’s not out-think the room, though. The quarterback room is loaded with talent no matter who succeeds Bennett and Georgia’s defense playing at an elite level is as predictable as the sunrise. Additionally, tight end Brock Bowers — one of the best players in the country — is back, and coach Kirby Smart brought in a pair of big-time wide receivers in Dominic Lovett and RaRa Thomas.

Georgia’s pedigree of success, combined with some questions facing the other top contenders, makes it the correct bet even if it comes at a less-than-desirable price.

For what it’s worth, I’ve been thinking lately that the addition of Lovett has kind of flown under the radar so far this offseason.  He’s got all the makings of being a big contributor this season.

Anyway, your thoughts on the bet?

One nooner down, one nooner to go

Could be worse…

Two more kickoff times: UT-Martin at Georgia, 6 p.m. on Sept. 2 on ESPN+ and SEC Network+ and Ball State at Georgia on Sept. 9 at 12 p.m. on SEC Network

— Marc Weiszer (@marcweiszer) May 31, 2023

TFW you don’t have time for that traditional shit

Gotta tell you, this off the cuff comment from Smart didn’t sit well with me.

Kirby Smart on the 8- vs. 9-game debate in SEC: "Most overrated conversation there ever was. … It's just not that big of a deal to me."

Still gonna play everybody every four years, no matter the model.

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) May 30, 2023

Yeah, losing a 100+ year old tradition game is no big deal.

I think even he realized he overshot the mark with that, as he tried to play the nuance game later ($$).

That schedule variance is carrying the day here, even if it’s at the expense of traditional rivalries. Auburn-Georgia, for instance, would be reduced to twice every four years in the eight-game format, which Smart agreed “would be tough.” But not so tough that Smart is using it to publicly lobby for the nine-game format.

“There’s so many people that want that historic rivalry, including me. I grew up with it; it’s one of the best there is,” Smart said. “But it’s one of the costs of progress, bringing two more teams in. One of the costs of scheduling and getting more balance, getting to play everybody.”

In Kirby’s world, the only tradition that matters is making the CFP.  Everything else is maleable.

Georgia offense, you’ve come a long way, baby.

Never thought the day would come when I’d read something like this ($$):

With Roman now gone, the Ravens hope they can take the next step with their new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, who has roots in the air raid offense. Monken was an offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers and Browns before enjoying a wildly successful two-year stint at the University of Georgia…

There are a lot of concepts from Monken’s Georgia offense that should translate to the Ravens.

Let’s just hope we’re saying the same thing about translating to Bobo’s Georgia offense.

By the way, there’s a ton of good stuff in the linked article, so take a look, if you can.

Measure this

The ultimate point to the scoreboard shade here:

Georgia's Kirby Smart asked about idea Georgia has surpassed Alabama as college football's elite program. "I don't measure our program based on their program. Our success is based on how we perform. I have the utmost respect for Nick & the Alabama program"

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 30, 2023

There’s only room for one two-time defending champ in this sport, boys.

Inside the sausage factory

Expect to hear more of this ($$):

Georgia football players arrested this year for speeding are being punished, coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday, but he declined to announce what that punishment entails.

“Everybody wants to know what the punishment is. Well, the players know what the punishment is,” Smart said while attending SEC spring meetings. “And that’s important for our guys to acknowledge that and understand it. But I want to educate further, I want to make sure they understand.”

He’s right, you know.  I don’t care what the punishment is.  I just care whether it works.

CBS’ farewell tour

They’re not gonna miss Georgia this season, if they can help it.

South Carolina vs. Georgia.

📅: September 16
🕞: 3:30 PM ET
📺: SEC on CBS#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/FzTOtKllL4

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) May 30, 2023

They chose that over the Florida-Tennessee meteor game, which is their usual staple.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The next motto?

Kirby Smart with an interesting response when asked about the challenge of dealing with CFB's recruiting calendar while his team is in the middle of a championship run:

"(The SEC coaches) got mad at me in Birmingham and (Mark) Stoops told me, 'There's no crying from the yacht,'…

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) May 30, 2023

“There’s no crying from the yacht” has a ring to it, admittedly, although I doubt it’s the vibe Kirby’s looking for.