You can lead a newspaper to troll, but you can’t make it click bait.

Hey, guess what?  Mike Griffith has a warning for us, Dawgnation.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart didn’t come right out and say it, but the Bulldogs have leadership questions to answer this offseason.

Ooh.  Tell us more, Mike.

Veterans Jim Chaney and Mel Tucker provided leadership and expertise Smart’s first three years as head coach, so it makes sense some will speculate on how their departure affects the team.

“Some will”.  In the immortal words of Peggy Noonan, it would be irresponsible not to speculate.  And if there’s one way to characterize Dawgnation — the website, not the fan base — it’s responsible.

Other leadership questions emerged after the arrest of sophomore defensive back Latavious Brini last Thursday night. The reserve defensive back allegedly assaulted an innocent 23-year-old man.

Smart and his players often talk about being player-led, and how teammates watch out for one another and stay focused on the tasks at hand.

Smart issued a statement last week  indicating he will keep Brini on the team.

They’re doomed, I tells ‘ya, doomed.  You heard it there first.  But probably not last.

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UPDATE:  If you want to see a contrast in business models, read Seth Emerson’s ($$) take on the same topic.  Amazing what not having to chase clicks can do for sports journalism.

Also, this is an interesting point:

But now Smart, in his fourth year as a head coach, has banked largely on himself and his younger staff: When Smart took over, he was younger than all but two of his assistant coaches. Now Smart, 43, is older than all but four of them.

I would take that as a sign of man who’s grown more comfortable in his head coaching clothes.  And recruiting, of course.

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One of our schools is missing.

I suppose this is the result of an editorial oversight, because Paul Myerberg is too meticulous to have done it purposefully, but guess which team is omitted from this USA Today spring football preview.

Even as an accident, it feels like a Freudian slip.  National media has to make an effort to ponder Georgia this season, it seems.

Still having trouble breaking through in Montana

Stewart Mandel, in today’s piece about ten spring football story lines he’s following ($$), doesn’t have a word to say about Georgia, but manages to bring up Justin Fields and Jacob Eason in the first two items on his list.

He’s not alone.  SI.com’s SEC spring preview is also silent about Georgia, other than listing the time of its spring game.

Hey, I’m not expecting wall-to-wall coverage of all things Dawgs, but it’s little weird to see the national media taking a top five preseason team expected to contend for an SEC title and a CFP semi-final slot almost for granted this early on.  Should I take that as a compliment?

When you can’t beat ‘Bama, it comes with the territory.

The ESPN spring football preview of Georgia is full of back-handed compliments, and this is easily my favorite:  “But on the whole, Georgia’s offensive line appears to be in pretty good shape.”  Nice of you to say so.

Trollin’, trollin’, trollin’

What in the holy hell is this?

Former Georgia outside linebacker D’Andre Walker generated some attention in a recent interview on the radio station, Atlanta’s Sports X, in which Walker seem to make a comment critical of UGA quarterback Jake Fromm…

Walker, as seen in an Instagram video shared by The Sports X, seemingly questions whether Fromm is a “bad man” — as described by show host and former Georgia Tech quarterback, Joe Hamilton.

If you watch the clip in question (dial it up to the :44 mark), Walker’s not questioning Fromm, he’s giving Hamilton shit in a lighthearted way.  But somehow this is worth mentioning at Dawgnation.  “Some Georgia fans”, my ass.

It’s always a long offseason at the AJ-C.

If we could only see what Mike Griffith sees…

Now this is some Grade A horseshit from Mike Griffith:

If you listen closely to Georgia football coach Kirby Smart — very closely — hints and information on ongoing or upcoming themes are most always there.

Like any successful businessman or leader, Smart has the ability to recognize and stay ahead of trends.

That could explain why the Bulldogs are on board with a recent SEC schedule adjustment.

What kind of trend are we talking about here, Mike?

Smart said earlier this month that Georgia and other elite programs figure to be younger teams moving forward because of more liberal transfer rules and players enrolling and leaving school earlier.

It’s a fact that younger, more inexperienced players need repetitions and experience to grow, so playing key football games in November plays to the Bulldogs’ advantage.

Georgia was at its best in 2018 in November, with several young players evolving into key roles and the team getting into sync.

Indeed, because of the way Smart has recruited, Georgia has more competitive depth than most any team in the nation, giving UGA another advantage in November games.

Georgia’s first goal every season is to win the SEC East Division. So, playing fellow East Division member Tennessee in November — rather than October  — plays to the Bulldogs’ advantage.

That sounds brilliant, until you reflect on the rest of the schedule.

The Bulldogs’ 2020 schedule features a game at Alabama, and some were concerned that Georgia could wind up playing the Tide and Tigers on back-to-back weeks with the flip.

But a quick look at contracted non-conference games for Alabama and Georgia reveals the date is all but locked in for Sept. 19.

I guess those reps for young players are going to be wasted playing Alabama anyway, so might as well get Saban out of the way as soon as possible.

Oh, and it’s true that Georgia won’t play Auburn and Alabama back-to-back.  The Dawgs will have an entire week in between for them.  That changes everything.

And no AJ-C slobberfest would be complete without a little McGarity suck up.

Bulldogs athletic director Greg McGarity, who works in concert with Smart on scheduling, said Monday he understands the passion of his fan base.

“My message is to wait until the schedule is released in its entirety,” McGarity said. “And then, I believe, people will see the whole picture and be able judge for themselves.”

Patience, grasshoppers.  In time, Greg’s true genius will be made apparent to all.

And they say hard hitting journalism is dead.

Dawgs on top

If you liked what Brett McMurphy had to say about Zach Smith/Corch, you’re gonna love his CFP prediction.