What passes for deep thought in Tuscaloosa

Shot.

Sophie’s Choice here if you’re UGA’s administration:

Say it’s about the money, so you don’t have to admit Georgia wants to be insulated from playing a decent schedule. https://t.co/fEawmB598Y

— Roll ‘Bama Roll (@rollbamaroll) May 26, 2023

Chaser.

Georgia in the past few years has scheduled home-and-homes with Ohio State, Clemson, Florida State, UCLA, Notre Dame, Louisville, Oklahoma and Texas, and neutral site games against Oregon and Clemson, in addition to the annual game with Georgia Tech. https://t.co/CT9mRU2pJ4

— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) May 26, 2023

RBR, y’all ain’t even trying any more.  Sad.

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Erik Evans recalibrates.

You may have thought whether we’ve reached the end of the ‘Bama dynasty run is something of a here and now question, but Mr. Evans is here to tell us that particular horse left the barn a few seasons ago.

… Alabama is a very good team, occasionally even piecing together dominant teams, dominant games, and — in one memorable 2020 — an entire dominant season.

But the time of figuring on winning the Big Game are over.

Alabama required an SECCG game of their life to even advance to the playoffs 2021 — and then lost a rematch; it did not do so in 2022; defensive collapses and injuries cost ‘Bama a chance in 2019 and a title 2016; in 2018 team-wide coaching dysfunction slayed them…Two titles in seven years is modest by “dynasty” standards, and yet, in three of those playoffs, Georgia has taken two of them. Clemson has pocketed two more.

Alabama is “just” another elite team. The dynasty occurred in 2009-2015.

Gee, I wonder what happened after 2015.

Anyway, he’s certainly lowered his expectations for the coming season.

We can begin by adjusting them this year — I am. I think clinching the West will be a good year; winning the SEC and/or making the playoffs will be wildly exceeding expectations; and anything beyond that is deranged optimism and taking Saban into COTY territory.

Somebody got a Kleenex they can pass him?  Sounds like he needs one.

Still crazy after all these years

At Roll Bama Roll, there’s a certain flame that will never burn out.

However when Kirby Smart made his classless exit from Tuscaloosa while photographing the recruiting board, he also stole a few Bama rising star staff members including Schumann. After a couple years as inside linebacker coach, he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator along with another former Bama staffer Dan Lanning (also pilfered).  Those two built the best defenses in the nation.

Butt still hurts, does it?

(Schumann) has proven his worth. He knows the system. He can recruit. He is an Alabama man. And taking a guy back from Kirby would be so satisfying.

I’m beginning to think they want Schumann more for sticking it to Kirby than for his coaching ability.

Erik Evans has a dream.

My man gets the rare twofer today.  This take on the possibility of Jim Harbaugh returning to the NFL  is practically demented.

If you’re Michigan you at least call Jimmy Sexton and make Dabo and Kirby say no, right? They’re both under 55, in their prime coaching years; both have won a pair of titles; both recruit at a high level; both are used to kicking the hell out of bad teams in a soft division to retain national attention. Hell, maybe even Saban for a final jewel in his crown; the vanity project of all vanity projects?

What’s a national title or two, and the prospect of a dynasty, worth to the Wolverines? Twelve million? Fifteen million a year? Complete control over football ops? All of the above?

Dude wants Kirby out of Athens so bad he can taste it.

Ohio State survey sez…

Land Grant Holy Land polled its readers on what worries them the most about their team facing Georgia.  Results:

We have seen that Stroud has been fairly adept this season at escaping pressure and moving the pocket, but he has struggled when he has had rushers in his face, often defaultign to throwing off of his back foot. Of course, this is also partially the same as the third most popular pick for this question. No matter what Todd McShay thinks about his character, Jalen Carter is an absolute beast, and the OSU offensive line will need to figure out a way to keep him at bay on NYE.

Who am I to argue?

Moar film study from the enemy

From Land-Grant Holy Land, a look at Georgia’s passing game, focusing on Stetson Bennett:

The Georgia Bulldogs are a team built on the backs of five-star recruits, making them incredibly hard to underestimate. At one key position though, they have a constantly overlooked star who is the engine of the entire Georgia offense. That player is Stetson Bennett IV, the quarterback whose story has been told time and time again since he became entrenched as a starter.

Bennett’s pathway to get to where he’s at is part of why opposing fans still overlook the undersized signal-caller. Coming in at a generous 5-foot-11 and an even more generous 195 pounds. His size is not ideal. But he makes up for it with a natural ability to extend plays as well as surprising arm strength.

Georgia’s passing offense is not solely reliant on their unheralded quarterback. They have dynamic tight ends and receivers who do their job well. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has knack for drawing his players open with horizontal crosses and a play-action passing game. Once the group lulls opponents to sleep, they take shots downfield.

For Ohio State to limit the Bulldogs’ offense, containing Bennett to the pocket is the first place to start. If pressure is brought, making sure rush lanes are maintained is key. If the coverage downfield breaks down and the rush doesn’t get home – which has been a problem for the Buckeyes – Bennett has all the talent to beat them.

One thing I like about that post in particular is that it highlights Georgia’s performance in the Tennessee game, given that UT is the SEC team most like OSU.

They conclude by noting that they didn’t discuss the tight ends, because no one underestimates Georgia’s tight ends.  If you’re looking for something to fill in that particular gap, this Eleven Warriors post should do the trick.

The versatility of these two all-conference tight ends is the foundation of the 2022 Georgia offense. Coordinator Todd Monken keeps both on the field on most occasions and moves the two all over the field.

That movement is often dynamic as well, as the Bulldogs use pre-snap shifts, trades, and motions on nearly every single play. Very often, they will line up in one formation before shifting to another and quickly snapping the ball.

As a former NFL assistant, Monken rarely speaks publicly about his scheme, either to the media or at coaching clinics. However, it’s apparent that the goal of all this pre-snap movement is to force defenses into thinking and communicating, rather than just lining up and reacting.

Lots of good stuff in both posts.  Take a look.

Still burns

Well, it’s been a couple of days since the CFP field was selected.  Maybe I should check in on the crowd at Roll Bama Roll to see if they’ve come to grips with reality…

Despite two of the top four teams losing their conference championship games, the CFP Committee bent to the will of the Twitter rage mob. In the first seven years of the playoff, the committee would thumb their nose at the critics. Now, we have a bunch of weak-willed wimps who are more concerned about handing out participation trophies over what is supposed to be “the four best teams”.

Uh, never mind.

I know it’s rude to gloat in public…

… but, damn, this is too pathetic not to share.

After weeks of whining about the unfairness of conference title games by the access sports media — desperate to cover new teams in the playoffs rather than good ones — followed by “upsets” abounding over the weekend, those tasked with writing about the sports news rather than attempting to create it finally had their way: The conference title games were rendered absolutely useless. And their pathetic simpering trickled upwards to those who appointed themselves as sole arbiters of postseason fortunes.

It all culminated in a CFP Selection that was more about optics than data; geographic inclusivity than strength of schedule; human interest over quality.

The CFP Committee in essence signaled that quality wins are meaningless, that stepping outside of an average conference to schedule quality games is irrelevant, that not getting the shit kicked of you is unimportant. And, in just a few short weeks of inconsistent talking points and indefensible analysis, the Exalted rendered almost a decade of all prior CFP “rationale” moot.

I’m so glad we destroyed college football for this.

And I shan’t be watching a second of it, despite my disgust, frustration, and even disinterest with this iteration of the Alabama Crimson Tide. It really is about selecting the four best teams; the rightness of the cause. And there is no actuarial or analytical case that can be made for TCU’s inclusion.

They should put “not getting the shit kicked out of you is unimportant” on an Alabama t-shirt, my man.

And you know Kirby is going to be crushed to hear this from Mr. Evans:

Georgia is so bored with this season. And I honestly don’t think anyone in the playoffs will put up enough of a tussle to breakthrough that ennui. Enjoy your second ring, Kirby. I won’t be watching a second of this shit.

We’re all K-State fans now, aren’t we?

The SECCG preview you probably weren’t expecting.

It’s from Erik Evans and it’s about as all in on Georgia as you could get.

From start…

Yawn. Georgia doing Georgia things to one of the biggest frauds in recent SEC history.

Georgia gets to eviscerate another also-ran, claiming Kirby’s second SEC title, and most probably another CFP Title. They’re the best team in the country, have been most of the year, and the only thing that has hindered them is their own inattention and/or boredom. Admittedly, they do play a bit ragged away from Athens, but it’s not as though Atlanta is exactly a true road trip.

… to finish.

Georgia is going to drown LSU in the bathtub, in an outcome that is not apt to be remotely as close as the final score. Have fun in the Outback Bowl, coonasses.

I could be wrong, but I don’t get the impression this has been a fun year for Erik.

Deal with it

Our buddy Erik Evans is having trouble with Georgia’s continued excellence and I am all here for it.

And, yeah, Georgia is repeating this year. They’re going to kick the shit out of the field in January. I wouldn’t even play starters vs. LSU this week: Just rest up and start gameplanning. I’m going to puke watching that dude Clemson his way to another ring.

Damn, that sounds like it sucks.

********************************************************************

UPDATE:  More RBR analysis…

Georgia 37 Georgia Tech 14 – Once again, the Bulldogs struggled to get going against an underwhelming opponent. UGA led by only 10-7 at the half. In the third quarter, the Yeller Jackets’ punter muffed the snap and UGA took over at the 17. It would take Georgia 7 plays to move the ball 16 yards. After Old Man Bennett is stopped twice at the goal line, the QB underthrew a pass to Brock Bowers on 4th & goal that 99 times out of 100 would have been ruled that it touched the ground. But it was Brock Bowers and it is Georgia and it was ruled a touchdown. This “catch” shifted momentum and the Dwags took over from there.

Man, the way those folks have ramped up the butthurt this season is impressive.  I mean, “Dwags”?  Seriously?