I couldn't consider myself a part of the "blogging community" if I didn't point out a couple of milestones for some well deserving folks.

• Today is the 1-year anniversary of Get The Picture. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you're not reading The Good Senator, then you're missing out. One beer in your honor, sir.
• Also, PWD and the team over at the Georgia Sports Blog just celebrated their 3 millionth page view, and their biggest month on record. I've had the pleasure of meeting PWD and Dawgnoxious twice now and I have to say such an accomplishment couldn't be more well deserved.

If you would, take the time to go check out their sites and drop them a congrats or two. I've been doing this for nearly three years and just rolled over my 100,000 page hit not too long ago, so let me tell you, those are accomplishments to be celebrated.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: The Blogosphere

First of all, sorry the posting has been light this week. It's partly because the holidays make work a mess and secondly because I'm flat out exhausted. Anyway, here's the last post on the Tech win. Hope you enjoy it!


Nerds, nerds, nerds. I told you guys that you couldn’t do it, didn’t I? I tried to warn y’all that we were superior and to stop all the trash talking because it was going to come back to haunt you. Now, we’ve finished off the regular season and I have over a month to rub this debacle in your face. Oh how sweet it is, indeed.

We’ve already talked X’s and O’s. Dawg fans already know that you’re going to lick your wounds with tongues screaming “poor officiating.” I’ve already heard enough of that from the people I work with and to be honest, if you want to cry about officiating, you’re doing it to the wrong team. We’ve had two games this year where we were hosed by the officiating crew, and still managed to win both. Besides, does anyone really want to revisit 1999 and the “fumble?” I didn’t think so.

What’s really getting me right now is that after a whole week of the banter on this site regarding “class,” you losers find it necessary to have urinal splash guards saying “Piss on The Dawgs” or “Piss on Georgia.” Then, you top it off with putting “To Hell With Georgia” on your scoreboard. I understand it’s one of your sayings because we do the same thing towards you in some of our cheers, but come on. I can poke fun at your school all day, but I would be absolutely ashamed if our athletic department pulled that kind of stunt. Trash talk is trash talk, but does your administration feel the pressure of being insignificant as well? Looks like we’ve gotten to you guys in a way that even I didn’t think was possible.

Seriously, SHOW some class, stop TALKING about it. At least our smack talk is not school endorsed. Not that you needed that much help, but if you want to take the extra steps to put any reputation you had in the trash, then go ahead. You won’t expect that kind of behavior from us next year when the game’s in Athens. You won’t see slogans damning your team on our scoreboard for your kids to see. To quote a great man, “We don’t do that at Georgia.”

You know another thing we don’t do at Georgia? Order code reds. That’s right. We might throw a late hit here or there (no one’s claiming to be sparklingly clean, or anything), but nothing like this:



This guy was ejected NOT for dirty play but because someone in Red and Black was going to get medieval on his ass for sure. He’s like a mobster who just ratted out the Family…jail is the only safe place for him.

Moving on, you’ve now gone and disgraced your school AND fired your coach. Hey, I quasi-agree with the move of canning Gailey. He couldn’t beat UGA, couldn’t win the ACC, and (most importantly) couldn’t develop a QB. With all the talent around him *cough* Calvin Johnson *cough*, you have to find a QB who can feed the ball to your playmakers. If that guy can’t count to four, then you’ve failed.

In Gailey’s defense however, he never missed a bowl (blue turf and nut bowls count…albeit not for much) and never recorded a losing season at Tech. It’s tough to recruit against UGA for the other SEC schools with better facilities and better (or at least the presence of) girls, so think about how tough of a job Gailey had in front of him. What? You don’t believe me? You have to sell tickets in combo packs just to get asses in seats. UGA doesn’t have that problem. Your issues dig a lot deeper than an overrated former NFL offensive coordinator.

Now is a poor time to fire a head coach. I highly doubt you are going to want to throw the big time money to find a proven coach, so you’ll be taking another shot in the dark. You can go get Coach Edsall at UConn, keep Tenuta around, throw some cash at Paul Johnson, or even try to get Will “Boom Mother F*cker!” Muschamp, but are you really going to throw the scads of cash needed to get someone proven? I wouldn’t think you would. You’d rather spend the money on splash guards for urinals. It gives new meaning to “pissing away money” doesn’t it?

The truth is you Tech fans are UGA fans from ’96 – ’00. You got a guy that could recruit, but couldn’t coach the talent, and couldn’t beat a hated rival. We’re the Florida to your UGA. Trust me, it’s a tough position to be in. I’d be frustrated too.

I still don’t like you Tech. In fact, I still hate your guts, but individually I guess you can be OK sometimes. I mean N@talie, though misguided, is not a bad person. Again, SEVERELY misguided, but an "OK" human being in general. So think of today as a brand new day. You have no coach, no direction, and the future looks bleak. It’s like more of the same, but now without a person to blame it on.

If you want to disagree with me, I’ll be over here discussing our Top 4 ranking, upcoming BCS Bowl appearance, SEC Eastern Division Champion and Co-Champion titles four out of the past seven seasons, and our dominance over you for seven years and counting. Feel free to interrupt me at any time unless you’re going to say “wait until next year.”

We’ve all heard that enough haven’t we?




Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: Tuck Fech, UGA Football, Video Evidence Confirms...

Ugh, Saturday’s contest sure was ugly wasn’t it? It’s going to make doing a recap tough, but let’s hit up the X’s and O’s and save the Gloat Fest 2007 for another post. In other words, expect this to be short. I can’t wait to brag.




The Stats Say:

Lies! All of them! From the stats it looks like Georgia had a dominating offensive performance (420+ yards and 30+ points scored), but the game was actually much closer than that. There are really only two things you can point out for sure:

• Tech did, in fact, keep Knowshon Moreno in check, but still surrendered numerous yards on the ground to Thomas Brown.

• Tech’s sack-happy defense had could did not have enough time to get to Matt Stafford. The team that leads the nation in sacks only had one against the Dawgs, which you can attribute to solid offensive game-planning, and the superb job that Stacy Searels has done with this young unit.

The Good:

Thomas Brown – Tech’s Defense worried so much about Knowshon that they forgot Brown could run. When you scamper for 130+ yards against the seventh ranked defense in the nation, you had a good day. His efforts helped set up the play action pass and his late touchdown run put the game away. All in all, it was a great way for the Senior to go out.

Matt Stafford – Again, Stafford proves himself to be a “big down” quarterback, but not the “every down” quarterback. Some of his throws will ill-advised, but the passes to Bailey and Mo Mass were things of beauty. He is really learning to put touch on the deep ball. Whoever we play in the bowl game better have a strong secondary or we’re going to torch the mess out of them.

WR Corps – These guys are doing a lot of things right. I have yet to see them crocodile arm any passes out of fear of getting hit, drop balls that were perfectly placed, or drop key blocks. These guys are doing nearly everything right and are coming up in big ways when the team needs them to. I have not been a huge fan of John Eason, but whatever he’s done with this group has been huge. Mo Mass and Sean Bailey both had solid games and seven different receivers caught passes on Saturday.

The Entire Defense – Our LBs are still ball hawking, we’re still getting pressure with the D-line, and the Secondary is playing the pass better than they have all year. There were still some weak spots regarding tackling and we were burnt deep a few times and just got lucky that Tech didn’t convert, but all in all it was a good effort by the entire group. Tashard Choice is a good running back and aside from that one drive where he was unstoppable, we did a pretty good job of keeping him contained.

Ball Control – Part of this can be attributed to Georgia Tech’s atrocious offense not being able to stay on the field, but our offense again showed amazing balance and sustained a few clock-eating drives. The key to Tenuta’s defense is for all their legs to stay fresh for the blitz and you could tell by the end of the game that we had just worn them slap out.



The Bad:

Sloppy Play – Both the Dawgs and the Jackets had poor showings on either side of the ball by surrendering big yards at certain times, as well as not taking care of the ball on offense. The turnover margin went in the Dawgs’ favor, and a case (though not a strong one) could be made that the Dawgs got a call or two here and there. However, Tech shot themselves in the foot, and if you want to bitch about officiating, then we can revisit the 1999 game and count that as a win for the Dawgs.

Flat Openings – I’m not sure if we just thought we were going to cake-walk Tech or what, but we started flat on the road again. I think part of the problem is that none of these kids have lost to Tech (but can you really consider that a problem?), and therefore they just don’t know what it’s like to lose to the Yellow Jackets. If they knew how much heck they’d receive for losing, then we probably would’ve come out and destroyed them from the start. Maybe they just didn’t come out playing with enough emotion, or HEART. Yeah, that previous sentence is meant to be sarcastic.




Overall:

I think Dawg fans will look at the “W” and be satisfied, and ultimately, that’s how they should take it. In my mind, it’s always nice to walk away with a win, but I wish we could’ve played a little bit more solid ball and hung about 50 on the Jackets. Let’s not forget that the Dawgs were driving and could have scored one more time to further the embarrassment, but Mark Richt is not that kind of guy, and to be fair, Chan Gailey doesn’t deserve it anyway. He’s down right now and there’s no reason to kick him.

More on this later during the Gloat Fest that is coming, but Georgia Tech just isn’t Georgia. Plain and simple. If they would have won, it would’ve been because Georgia shot themselves in the foot (which we tried to do a few times), and not because Tech has better players, better coaching, or anything like that. They just don’t. End of story.

Gloat Fest up next.



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Game Recaps, Tuck Fech, UGA Football

This video blows me away. Yes, that is your Redcoat Band playing "Soulja Boy" after the game and yes, those are our players dancing to it.

Props to whoever thought "I should write the music to Soulja Boy and teach it to the Redcoats." Genius move to find something that motivates our players and lets them have a little fun. Also, good on the players for spending some quality time with the RCB this year. The players, the fans, the students, the RCB; EVERYONE is having a good time right now.

From Kelin's dream of conducting the Band to the RCB learning "Soulja Boy," I'm very VERY envious that I had to quit marching after I graduated. This would have been one fun year to be a Redcoat.

Game Recap (aka "Gloat Fest") coming soon. I'm a little hungover today.



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: Ain't nothin' finer in the land than the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band, Tuck Fech, UGA Football, Video Evidence Confirms...

Dear Georgia Tech,

I told you that we were superior to you. Yet again (for the seven straight time, in fact) we prove it on the field and give you more chances to say "wait 'til next year." For once, I agree with you. I can't WAIT until we can do this again next year.

Until then, eat shit.


Love,

Kit

Labels: College Football, Tuck Fech, UGA Football

To those reading,

This is the final post regarding "Clean Old Fashioned Hate Week 2007." It is laced with profanity. So be warned. Thanks for reading this week and I hope you find yourself as absolutely disgusted with Georgia Tech as I do. Go Dawgs and Tuck Fech.




I hate Georgia Tech.

Sorry, I said that wrong.

I HATE Georgia Tech.

Look, there's no rational basis for why I despise them so much. The only things I can base it off of are my previous experiences when we took losses ('99 and '00) and just had to deal with the Nerds after a UGA victory at Tech ('01 and '03). Losing to these clowns lights a fire in your stomach that burns the bile you feel when you hear the term "Yellow Jacket." It's an ever-flickering flame; waiting for someone to throw gasoline on it so it can become the napalm hammer it yearns to be.

Talking about Georgia Tech makes me feel like I seriously need anger management classes. I can't stand them. I have friends that are Tech fans, but I seriously devalue their opinions just because they cheer for the Jackets. Merely saying "Go Jackets" will confirm my suspicion that you, in fact, don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

I can throw words like wretched, disgusting, worthless, pointless, etc. at you when discussing the Georgia Tech athletic program, but it won't even come close to the absolute disdain for existence that I have regarding them. I'm sure academically they serve some purpose to society. They are a school of higher learning, after all, and some students will probably come out of there and have successful careers and be productive humans in society.

Then again, some will become terrorists.


I'm just sayin'...


Make no mistake. This is not a rant. This is how I feel. I'm not throwing hate words out there to rile up the Dawg Nation and get them ready for the war I expect on Saturday. Tech is going to give us their best effort because it very well might save Chan Gailey's job, and give them some pride on yet another disappointing season. Remember at the beginning of the year when Tech looked so impressive against Notre Dame? Well later we found out that both Notre Dame and Tech were not good, but remember what it felt like initially? The blitz packages were complex, perfectly timed, and downright destructive. We're going to get THAT team on Saturday. Mark my words.

But whether we win or lose the game, I'm still going to feel the same way about Georgia Tech. The only thing that will change will be whether or not I have the bragging rights to boot.

Year after year, when I go to the WLOCP I see Gator Girls wearing shirts that say "At least we're not snobs" across the front. Seriously? Is that how you rivals picture UGA? Well, Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech, you guys need to take notice. We ARE better than you. Not just in football. Not just in athletics in general, but OVERALL. From the top to the bottom, we are superior. Call it being snobby if you so choose, but we tend to call it "fact."

Let's just compare Tech to UGA briefly..ok, done. See how quickly I did that? UGA invents things, we cure things, we have Rhodes Scholars (two in fact!!!), we're pretty, we win in athletics, and we don't pretend to be something we're not (like you Tech people considering yourselves "winners"). We are better than you. Period. End of discussion.

We wouldn't have recruited Calvin Johnson only to let his ungodly talent go to waste while Reggie "C'mon Dog" Ball found ways to NOT get him the ball. I would've suited up the fucking band before I kept letting that kid run my best player into the ground. Who in their right mind does that?




This guy does. Yes, Mr. "Off-Tackle Left" himself is just every bit of the ofencive geeniz he was made out to be. I guess the offense is so mind-blowing that people have to talk about the defense so much just to balance out the awesomeness. I mean watching Gailey offensive football is like looking into the sun for an extended period of time. You can do it, but it's not recommended.

Look, let's just finish this thing off properly OK? This post (and many others related to it) will take any journalistic credibility I might have and shoot it on a frozen rope right out of this world. There is no doubt I'm a homer and my rotund figure indicates that I might just be chop full of bullshit. However, I dare you to find instances where I'm wrong about Georgia Tech.

So Tech, if you're listening to me, prove me wrong. Go take a look at the first degree you were ever issued (you can find it in your alumni house) and tell me that it doesn't read "Presented by The University of Georgia." (shout out: Russ)

You are the little brother we never wanted. The fat policeman that no detective wants as a partner. The last kid picked in kickball...even if Steven Hawkins is still available. You're the kid who really thinks it feels like warm apple pie or a bag of sand. You are what I want my kids NOT to grow up to be...right above "Florida fans." You are the moron who thinks your mom WASN'T hitting on me. You are the idiots who don't insure your most valuable possession...and then let another idiot drive it. You...have...Flag...Boys.


"Reggie Ball was my roommate."

So go ahead and win the game on Saturday, Tech. It'll only bother me for a little while. The rest of the time, I'll be reading the paragraph above and realizing that no matter what the score ends up being this weekend, it'll still feel great to be a Georgia Bulldog Saturday night. Why, you ask?

It'd be easier for you to put a short list together asking "Why NOT?"




Until next time kids.

Be safe (for GT people, that means "wear condoms." Can't have you folks procreating.)

Labels: Tuck Fech

There's not much to say here. I'll make some key points and a prediction, but there's nothing I could come up with that would top the work The Good Senator has accomplished in breaking down the game. His analysis of the stats is spot on and I have to agree with most, if not all, of his prognostications. Definitely give him a look when you have the chance.



When Georgia Tech has the ball:

It's all about Tashard Choice. The NATS knows that he's their bread and butter. What Coach Martinez should know is that Tech can't pass. Taylor Bennett is as dangerous as Reggie Ball on vicodin. The Chantastic Offense could be used as a euthanasia technique in nursing homes across the nation, so don't expect them to do anything other than hand the ball to Choice and ride him for all he's worth.

We need to stuff as many in the box as possible and dare them to throw. I think if we do that and it sets up some passing situations, I expect our Secondary to play up to the level they've played lately and then hopefully create some turnovers.



When UGA has the ball:

Do what Tech does, but pass better. Tech has a really good Defense, regardless of the level of competition they have played, so if we can run the ball, it will really open up the passing game. We're going to see a lot of blitzing and they will stuff plenty in the box early to stop Knowshon. If he can't get off to a fast start, we need to run some quick screens and soften up the Defense before returning to the run.

Remember when we ran so many screens against OSU that their D-linemen didn't know whether or not to pass rush? Yeah, we need to do something like that. Also, don't forget that we have some great WRs that can make some big plays. We need to use all our weapons and run to set up the pass.



Overall:

I hate to say this, but I expect a blowout. I'm not tyring to jinx us at all, but Tech doesn't seem like a very focused team right now and even though I think we're going to get their best effort, I just don't seem them playing disciplined enough to really cause a lot of trouble for us.

The real key is how focused our team is going to be. I think our guys are as ready to play this game as they ever will be, and if I am correct in that assumption, we should have no problems on Saturday.

UGA: 45
GT: 13



Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, Tuck Fech, UGA Football

This List took a little longer, so I apologize for the (again) late Tuesday posting.

To get ourselves in the spirit of what it really means to hate Georgia Tech, I have turned to MoBuck.com, and created 10 motivational posters to get you ready for the rest of the week.

Enjoy!























Well, there you have today's list. Enjoy!!!!!



Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Tuck Fech).

Labels: Tuck Fech

Every year, we kick off Clean Old Fashioned Hate Week (aka Hate Week 2007 Part II) with an homage to one of my favorite posts. It's more of a rant than anything, but it's tradition, and from 2001 -- 2006, TRADITION WINS DAMN IT.



So, to kick off the HATE, we're reposting. Enjoy!!!!





------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



So here's the heart of why I hate Georgia Tech so much (now mentioned just as Tech). All the stories are good feeders to the flame, but are lacking the "it" factor to create a truly hated rival. The good news is I've found that "it" factor and I'm proud to say that it's the people.

Individually, they might be ok. As one, they're shit.

Awwww. Don't like what I say? Prove me wrong. My entire life I've met only a handful of Tech fans that were worth keeping. I work with one, I'm related to the other one....past that, I'm just overestimating in case I'm forgetting anyone.

Tech fans whine. Jesus Cristo they whine and whine and whine. While they whine, they're not doing anything else. They talk about how great they are, but yet they can't prove anything other than they're a bunch of geeks who spread terrorism so rapidly, it gives new meaning to the term "long division."


Gailey, I wouldn't run "Off Tackle Left" again if I were you.

They should at least win something. Cure something. DO SOMETHING. Tech is never in the news for being at the forefront of anything. Anyone else ever notice that?

Sure, UGA could field felons and go 7-4, but we don't want to. We'd rather our criminal talent do something that justifies their troubled history. Something like...WINNING...or getting into the NFL.


Photo: "Oh-Hell" Odell in full GATA mode after he hears Brady call him a "Goody-goody Tech Grad."

I mean lets all face it. Terrance Moore's column didn't put a single Tech fan down. All it did was bring to light the ugly truth that is Tech football and that truth is YOU GUYS SUCK ALL AROUND.

And to quote a good friend, "Nobody likes you."

Every year that we play Tech I get this "bile in the back of my throat" feeling that won't go away. I guess it could be worse, though. When I was in Redcoats, I had to stand on the sideline while that joke of a band ran around with a flag boy, marched without sunglasses, and then "walked the 'T' off the field."

By the way, the whole obsession with the "T" is beyond me. It's on a building and people try to steal it. OK. It's on the field and the bandies walk it off on a whim. OK. It's fucking pointless but, OK...not impressive. You know what is impressive to do? March off the field with Notre Dame's band in 1980 after a patriotic show and turning USA into UGA. THAT takes balls and talent. A "T" is a fucking "T." Ask Tennessee...they know all about it.


Photo: In 2003, Phil Fulmer proves there's no "T" in Krispy Kreme, but there is in "doughnuts."

I could go on and on for hours, but that wouldn't make for a very readable blog. Just understand that when it comes to all schools in all states all across this great nation, there is no other thing I'd personally rather see than Tech be no more. It's not even fun beating them anyway.

In closing, here are the pros and cons of Tech in America...

Pros:
1) Thursday night football -- Where else can a complete meltdown hit so close to home, but not affect your team?
2) The Varsity in Atlanta -- Sure it's all GT all the time, but it kind of has that "it's like The Varsity in Athens, but not" feel to it.
3) A win on the schedule -- 'Nuff said.

Cons:
1) Fans are idiots -- I have video proof. Apparently "cutting" has no mathematical equation.



2) Fans are ugly -- I'd say Tech girls love it Doggy Style, but since they are without any, it's pointless.
3) Everything else -- There's too much to list.



Oh well, we can always hope for a better tomorrow...or we could just elect this guy as President.





Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- Tuck Fech.

Labels: Tuck Fech

FINALLY! We're done with the SEC season, Co-Champs of the Eastern Division, and can sit and wait for Kentucky to knock Tennessee off and send the real team of the SEC East to the Championship game.

Or do we really want that to happen? I mean right now all we have to do is beat Tech and we're pretty much guaranteed a BCS Bowl berth. Do we really want to play LSU in the SECC game?

I do. I think this team is probably playing at the highest level of any team in the nation and I'd pit us against ANYONE right now.

Anyway, back to Saturday. I have to kick off Hate Week 2007 Part II shortly, so I'll keep this brief.



The Stats Say:

That we couldn't pass the ball at all. Stafford got rattled early somehow and we were not clicking on any cylinders for most of the first half. After four quarters were played, we only racked up 99 yards of passing and I believe three interceptions. Not a good day for the sophomore signal caller, but Bobo stuck with the running game, found what worked, and used it effectively.



The Good:

1. Knowshon Moreno -- PWD did a great job on this, but I thought I'd throw my $.02 in as well. I wasn't fortunate enough to listen to the post game show, but if you watch the replay of the game, you'll see many instances where Knowshon took himself out of the game (which was basically any time he tapped his helmet). I'm giving him props for this because it takes a mature young competitor to realize when he needs a breather and how to keep his legs fresh when the team needs him to go 100%. His performance was solid as usual, but the maturity of this kid to understand how the game flows just knocks me right out of the water. He's by far a special type of Dawg.

2. Rennie Curran -- Another fabulous freshman that is every bit of the ball hawk the scouts made him out to be. Man, if he sticks around for another three years (I'm giving him two at best if he keeps playing like this), he's going to anchor a very talented Defense and LB corps. Just think about next year when you have him, Ellerbe, Dent, Hebron, Dewberry, and Washington. Watching him make SOLO plays and tackle like his brain is on fire is a breath of fresh air on a Defense that earlier this year couldn't have tackled an old lady.

3. The team's determination -- By far the best thing that came out of Athens on Saturday was knowing that against a high-powered Offense and a Defense that had us figured out, we still can claw our way back into being competitive. Kentucky got 60 minutes of Dawg football and they just couldn't match up with our talent. Rich Brooks has done an impressive job with that team this year (and last for that matter), but we gave them all we could. Glad it worked out for us. Kudos to the team for not quitting when it looked like we couldn't do anything right and winning one more for the Seniors.



The Bad:

1. The last Sanford game for the Seniors -- All groups of Seniors are special, but this one in particular means a lot to me. Unlike anyone from 2002 -- 2005, this group tasted ups and downs, QB controversies, booing from the "fans," an SEC Championship, and almost an entirely new coach in Mark Richt. Throughout all this, they stuck with it, kept pushing, and still have the opportunity to leave with one more SECC ring.

2. Matt Stafford -- The kid had a bad day of passing. Nothing more to say. Sh*t happens.

3. Turnovers -- We're still doing well in this category overall, but we cannot have this same kind of turnover-laden performance against Tech. If that happens, we WILL lose. Period.



Overall:

It was a good day to send the Seniors out on. The weather was nice, the fans showed up in force again, and we came away with a "W" against a highly competitive team. I'm proud of our guys, and even though I'm sad to see the season wind down, I'm happy that the SEC gauntlet is over with.

It was a tough year all around in this league and I'm very happy we came away with a 6-2 overall record with wins over Florida, Alabama and Auburn. If you would've told me we were going to do that at the beginning of this year, I would have told you that you were crazy as hell. Glad to see that Richt is still Richt and this team should still be considered one that "reloads" instead of "rebuilds."

Now, let's get to some Nerd Hatin'.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Game Recaps, UGA Football

We're on the cusp of beginning "Hate Week 2007 Part II" and teh internetz are "buzzing" with opportunities to take shots at Jackets any which way possible.

Most of you guys that check out the site have been coming on throughout the course of this year, so you missed this post that riled up one Tech fan in particular. Her name is N@talie H@ll and after the "altercation" on the site, we kept up with one another through Facebook to talk sh*t back and forth whenever possible. All in all, she's a nice girl; even for a Tech student.

Anyway, getting back to the title. You see, Facebook is absolutely amazing. I'm no where near addicted like some people, but every now and then you find a diamond in the rough. Imagine my surprise when I found out that The Dawg-gone Blog's favorite mortal enemy was actually on "Celebrity Fit Club" boxing Bizarre from rap group D-12.


"Bring it on, Nerd."



"Eat sh*t Biz. Do you carry Eminem's bags for him on tour?"


Our little N@talie held up well and actually kicked his ass from the tale of the tape. Apparently, "The Ninja" has a quick jab and moves briskly around the ring. You can see for yourself here.

So, as we kick off Hate Week 2007 Part II, remember that there is one Tech student out there that might be able to kick our asses after this is all said and done.

UK thoughts later and then the real fun begins.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: General "Kit" stuff, Photo Hunt, Tuck Fech, Video Evidence Confirms...

I have sat at this computer four times this week to write this post. Twice tonight, even. I just don't know what to say. I want to break this game down, I really do, but I just don't know if I understand what we need to to do win. You might think I'm crazy as hell, but truthfully, I really don't know.

Anyway, I'm going to give it a shot. Please feel free to disagree with me if you think I'm way off base.



When Kentucky has the ball:

What a difference a year makes, huh? Instead of fighting Vandy this year to be the bottom dweller of the SEC, Kentucky has made a very impressive jump to become a team to be respected if you're an offensive player, and damn near feared if you happen to be on defense. Their QB, Andre Woodson, is a great one and even though I find him to lack a bit of toughness, he has the brain to eat your zone alive if you give him time to throw.

As The Good Senator points out, their running game is effective against middle-of-the-road to crappy teams and is only mildly effective against opponents with a winning record. Their playmaker with the ball in his hands absolutely has to be Rafael Little, who scoots and scats his way all across the field and eventually over the goal line.

One thing Kentucky uses a lot is their second and third check-down receivers. Woodson is nearly NFL ready at being able to see when his first option is covered and then move his mindset to his second and third targets. The only time I haven't seen him be able to do this effectively was against USC earlier this year, but other than that, he's done very well at finding the people he needs to find when his first option is covered.

Part of his ability to run the offense the way he has is his elusiveness. Not necessarily like D.J. Shockley elusive, but he has great pocket awareness and can buy some time with his feet to allow one of his WRs, TEs, or RBs to find a soft spot in a zone, sit in it, and wait on the ball.

So how do we stop this offense? Well, to me, it's not necessarily pressure more than it is confusion. When USC and MSU beat Kentucky, they were so deep in ole A-Dub's head that they probably knew how he liked his eggs in the morning. We have to create that same kind of chaos. We need to allow him to form a nice pocket from our rush and then bring a LB or Safety up on a delayed blitz. It also wouldn't hurt to bring six to the line and only rush three.

We have to get pressure up front, though for anything to be effective. If he has time to pass, we'll play more nickel, which will open up the running game. I don't buy it that Rafael Little is hurt, and I expect him to see plenty of minutes this Saturday. Some have said we need to shut down the run first and then work on the pass, but I disagree. I don't think UK's rushing attack is good enough for them to rely heavily on it, but their QB is good enough to put the game on his shoulders to win.

Basically, if I'm talking to the Defense before they go out, all I'm saying is "He's just like Brandon Cox...but a better QB."



When UGA has the ball:

More of the same, more of the same, more of the same. PLEASE!!! We learned last week what an impressively balanced attack can do against a stellar Defense, but this time around, UK is not the same Defense Auburn is. They tend to give up lots of ground yardage to teams who rush effectively and don't suck (see: Arkansas). If you need any proof, read that UK boasts the 97th best rushing Defense in the nation.

This is another game where we could easily run to set up the pass, but I still think Bobo has it in him to let Stafford make the call. If Stafford gets out there and on the first play he think's they're going to put eight in the box, then buddy you can believe we're going deep. This is Stafford's Offense now and he is going to run it how he pleases.

Not only is it Stafford's Offense, but it might as well be his revenge game. UK lit him up mightily last year in the facial area and did some damage that I'm sure only beer could cure. Thankfully, he found some in Talladega, and he's all better now. Anyway, in order for us to win this game, he has to consistently throw the ball effectively and win the game on first and second downs. If we stay ahead of the chains by rushing well, and then passing for 10+ yards at a time, I think we cruise to a pretty impressive victory.



Special Teams:

Us...you know about us. We're good.

Them...Well, they're the 37th best punting team in the nation (UGA is 18th), so they're averaging only about 38 yards a kick. It's not amazing, but it's not horrible either. They also rank 66th in punt returns (UGA ranks 16th), so it's not like they're running it back every time they touch the ball. I say the gameplan is to kick it deep and see what happens.



What I think will happen:

Well, I think it's up to the fans. Will they show up early? Will they be in their seats in time for Senior Day? I hope so and my gut tells me they will. These last three UGA games have been something different for this team. It's not a damn dance, or a gimmicky trick to sell black clothing, it's something different. It's a feeling that has come over Athens lately that basically says, "this team loves to play football, and damn it, that's what it's going to do."

I say UGA busts out to an early lead, only to ease up some and possibly lose a turnover or two to let UK get a couple of scores on the board. However, the crowd and the fans all know what's at stake and they won't let the players get down. I don't see this being our best day of football, but I don't see this being a repeat of UT from earlier this year. Past this game, there's nothing more to focus on except beating the hell out of the Jackets. Everything else will fall into place in the SEC race. We just have to take care of our business first. Like I said, I think we struggle some, but not too badly. It's just tough to recreate the same kind of hype and energy after last week's game.

All in all, Dawgs win, but Kentucky gets more points than they probably should.

UGA: 42
Kentucky: 30



Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, UGA Football

Sorry again for the List being late this week. Been sick all day and just haven't felt like putting this up.

With all the Blackout talk, I figured it seemed only appropriate to base this week’s List around it. Tomorrow, we focus on Kentucky. The Blackout will be put behind us.



The Ten Things the Blackout Did for UGA:

10. It showed the fans what they were capable of – UT 2000, LSU 2004, and Auburn 2003 are all times where the fans were really into the game and I believe had a direct effect on the outcome. However, what happened on Saturday showed them all what they really can do, and I think it surprised them to know they could be that effective.

9. It showed the team that we do have their back after all – The “boo birds” have plagued this team like something given to you after a romp with Britney Spears: it’s annoying, but probably won’t kill you. This team sat back and listened to the likes of “holier than thou” alumni boo them after making a mistake, yet kept playing their hearts out and improving weekly. After Saturday, at least they know that when they ask for a favor, they’re going to get it.

8. It gave Mark Richt a chance to give back to the team – You have to admit, this man cares about his football players. They asked for this opportunity and he saw a chance to say “What the heck? If they want it and have earned it, they deserve it.” Kudos to him for letting them have a little fun.

7. It created some national attention – We absolutely dominated the Florida game but really didn’t get the hype we deserved from it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine by me to fly under the radar, but at least the Blackout created a little bit of drama on top of the extremely solid play of the team.

6. It got the recruits fired up – The Blackout game might go down as our best day of recruiting ever. Not only did we impress nearly every kid that watched the game, we did it in a fashion no other team we’re competing against could. One of the top O-linemen in the country, Zebrie Sanders, seems like a lock to be a Dawg and will make his decision in early December, a five-star DB de-committed to Miami (FL) and completely eliminated them while placing the Dawgs in his top four, and uber recruit A.J. Harmon was spotted at UGA AGAIN dressed in Red and Black and was enjoying himself to the fullest extent.

5. It gave the team swagger – Yes, it’s going to be a challenge to recreate this kind of emotion, will to win, hype, etc. after every game like this, but the team you watch take the field next Saturday will be one that expects to win and have fun doing it. With this week being senior week and the week following being the game against Tech, I don’t see us having trouble getting motivated to take it the distance. If we do, though, it’s going to be a rough next couple of weeks.

4. It raised the bar for 2008 and 2009 – I think it’s fine to want to win SEC Championships, but with the talent we have and will return for both of those years, we need to set the bar higher. If we’re not talking about a Nat’l Championship by 2009, I’ll be severely disappointed.

3. It silenced the “pundits” – Anyone calling for Willie Martinez’s head today? What about Muschamp to Georgia? I turned the corner a week or two ago when I noticed Slick Willie was scheming more aggressively, citing that at least he was TRYING to do something different. Our team responded to the added challenge of a pressure Defense and has shown great resolve the past three games. We’ll see how it works the next two weeks, but if things keep going this way, then maybe Martinez isn’t so bad after all…

2. It silenced the boosters – “Dear Dink, I don’t believe I need $6 million a year because I own the entire state of Alabama as well as the right side of Florida. Love, CMR”

1. It’s something to look forward to again – Unlike what I previously thought, I’m not sure this black jersey thing is a one trick pony. The players love it and the fans REALLY loved it. I believe there might be a new tradition of one Blackout game per year. Can anyone say UT 2008?



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, The List, UGA Football

There’s too much to write about The Blackout. It was too good of a day. I’ll never be able to put into words how much I enjoyed that game, the experience, and being a Bulldog on a Saturday night. Days like last Saturday yearn for Lewis Grizzard in a way that is unbearable.

While I’ll never claim to be a journalist or esteemed writer, I try to write with the same passion and fervor that I experience. Sometimes it comes easy, and sometimes it’s incredibly tough. What happened to me on Saturday borderlines on an unconscious state of nirvana that Buddha himself would have a hard time achieving.

Usually about mid-week before a game, I get a feeling of whether or not we’re going to win the contest the upcoming weekend. This week, leading up until game time, I had no idea what was going to happen on Saturday. I wore my red shirt with my black fleece over it and as I walked around campus, I was quite surprised at the sea of BLACK surrounding me. The fans had indeed bought into the hype and were as excited about the game as the message boards indicated.

To those fans who sit on the South Side of the stadium, I almost feel sorry for you. Not because you’re bad people, and not because you don’t care about the team. As Dawg fans you are automatically “OK” in my book and I know you care about the team because you’re there. However, there is nothing, NOTHING, like sitting wedged in between the students and the Redcoat Band. It is a drug that I haven’t been able to quit since I left the stadium, face flustered and streaked with tears, wearing my Redcoat uniform for the last time against Auburn in 2003.

When the students and fans started filing in more than an hour before kickoff, I knew this was going to be a special day. The air was warm, but not hot; the fans were excited, but not stupid; and the feeling was “ready,” not “overconfident.” Everyone knew this was going to be a fight and they were ready to punch back however they could.

It was the best Pregame I can remember. The only other memory that I could compare it to would be Senior Day 2002 when David Jacobs suited up and ran out onto the field. This past Saturday was just like that. It was emotional. It was unified. It was how it should be.

When the team stood in the tunnel before running out on the field, you could literally feel the unrest in the crowd. These Dawg fans were hungry and I would guarantee you that 75% of them would have strapped on pads if the team needed them to. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen. The “fair-weather” syndrome that has plagued us for so long was vaccinated by the hype, and that crowd was clamoring to see their beloved team.

They were loud six minutes before the team come out. The swell of sound grew after Pregame video. When the Redcoats played Krypton, it was deafening.

Then the team ran out and a new era began.

I can’t describe how it felt. I can’t put it into words that make any sense. All I could do was scream, beat up the person next to me, and scream some more. But as soon as they ran through that flag something felt different. This team and those fans were having fun.

The King has already touched on this, but I thought I’d throw my $.02 in. This team and these fans are experiencing something that this program has lacked for many years. Not only do they have the desire to win, but the desire to have a good time doing it. The 2002-2005 teams were good, and in many aspects they were great. However, there was no flash. No swagger than intimidated other teams. We were very businesslike then and, at the time, it worked for us.

Now, there’s a new type of Dawg that dons the Red and Black. It’s the Dawg that dances on the sideline, that wins for seniors, that blocks for freshman, that catches clutch passes with one hand in spite of the boos he heard earlier in the year, that pops up after a 40 yard run and sprints back to the huddle, that throws the best clutch passes of any QB in the game today, that is a part of the hottest team in the nation, that punches back after getting hit in the mouth, that is Rocky Balboa in Red and Black, that is being led by the best (and the smartest) coach in the nation, that opposing teams become so jealous of that they resort to name calling, and finally, that just wins baby.

The game itself was the fight we all expected it to be. It wasn’t until the 4th quarter when we essentially sealed the victory. Auburn gave us fits in some spots. They wanted the win badly, but they just could not match the intensity we showed. It was impossible to do as an opposing team, but they gave it all they could. You can’t fault them for that.

When the clock struck 00:00, the team soaked in a victory that they will never forget. Watching Kelin Johnson direct the band was a thing of beauty and made this old Redcoat’s heart swell with pride. These kids deserved that victory and they deserved the support we showed them. It was the apex of one of the most emotional days I’ve ever had as a fan.

It will take years to see if last Saturday was the beginning of something special. The quickest results will be seen in the next few games and the first few of next year. Can this team consistently recreate the emotion needed to play like they did on Saturday against the cupcakes as well as the elites? What about the middle of the road guys? Can we do this time and time again?

I don’t know the answer to those questions. Right now, the best I can muster is a definitive “maybe.” I do know one thing, however. Last Saturday was the type of day I’m clamoring to tell my children about, should I ever have them.

Well, actually make that two things I’ll have to tell them about. I’ll also have to explain to them why we have pets named “Knowshon,” “Stafford,” “Bailey,” “Kelin,” and “Blackout.”



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Game Recaps, UGA Football

Well, it's been an interesting week hasn't it? Rumors are flying, the message boards are melting servers, and no one seems to know whether or not the team is actually going to wear black jerseys on Saturday.


Black jerseys? Well, as long as they don't look "frumpy."

Did anyone forget there was a game this weekend?

With all the talk of "what not to wear," the severe injury situation has gone under the radar. The biggest news you may not know is that Quinton Banks, Kade Weston, and Donovan Baldwin are all out due to their injuries. Weston and Baldwin are listed as "doubtful" right now, but I don't see that being upgraded. Losing Weston and Banks is big because we're already thin at Safety due to Kelin Johnson's injury, and Weston's big body has really stepped up the past few games and caused a little chaos up front. There are two areas of good news, though. 1) Auburn's offense has not been exactly "mind blowing" in most of their games this season and 2) Thomas Brown should be back.

So let's get to the meat of this matchup and find out what we need to do to win.



When Auburn has the ball:

As The Good Senator points out, Auburn's main offensive weapon has been the clock. Al Borgess has done an amazing job of stringing together drives that eat up tons of time. The Tigplaineagles have been very methodical in their playcalling and in big games they have played even bigger than their offensive talent would indicate. Much like UGA's, the O-line is young, but is getting better week by week. All in all, this is a quasi-balanced Offense that has found it can play bigger than what earlier games would indicate. Their philosophy? Win the game seven yards at a time.

The most important key to this win is not Auburn's Defense. It's ours. Of course it could be said "Well, yeah Kit. If they can't score, they can't win." Well, you'd be right, but I'm going a little more in-depth than that. Auburn will score points on us. It's the TYPE of points that are going to determine whether or not we win. If we can stall a couple of drives, surrender two field goals here, one touchdown there, etc. then I like our chances in winning this game. However, if this turns into a shootout like the Florida game, I don't think we'll walk out with a win.

If their philosophy is to win the game seven yards at a time, it's obviously their goal to control the clock and exhaust our Defense. In contrast, our philosophy should be "3rd and long." This year, Auburn ranks 78th in the nation in 3rd down percentage (UGA, for those wondering, is a very respectable 35th), and that 78th place of the Tigers is just one spot better than the SEC's bottom feeder; Ole Miss.

No particular part of Auburn's Offense is mind-blowing, but we had a recipe for success last year by pressuring as much as possible to rattle Cox. It is very possible to get in this kid's head and make him question his ability. Again, as The Good Senator pointed out, turnovers have proven to be the reason for Auburn's downfall this year, but I have another theory.

Speed kills.

MSU and USF both took it to Auburn as quickly and as physically as possible. If we can speed up the pace of the game, we will rattle him, force him to make mistakes, and possibly create some turnovers. However, our Defense cannot count on turnovers (which we have rarely created this year) to save us on Saturday. What's going to save our asses this weekend is a complex Defense that is going to cause Cox to think. He doesn't strike me as the kind of QB that is going to tear apart a Defense at the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. He's going to do it ONLY if he has the time to do so while the play is already in progress.

We need to put seven on the line and rush three, delay blitz six, etc. etc. in order to be successful this weekend. If we give Cox a lot of looks to where he hesitates after the snap either due to running for his life, or not finding an open man, then we might have ourselves a game reminiscent of last year. Make no mistake, this is an entire effort by all 11 men on the field. We need to play solid in ever facet in order to keep Auburn from scoring effectively.



When UGA has the ball:

Forget what you've heard about Auburn's Defense. Yes they're good. Yes they are intimidating on paper, but we can easily pick this Defense apart if we do the right thing...and that would be to have Matt Stafford take this game over.

I agree with most, if not all, of my fellow bloggers in saying that Knowshon will be the distraction on Saturday. It's Stafford that will do the damage. Will Muschamp has to scheme his Defense to account for Know-Mo's playmaking ability. He has no choice. Moreno is just too dangerous right now. So it's up to Stafford to win the game seven yards at a time. We need to run run run, pass pass, run run, pass, run, play action, yadda yadda yadda until Auburn's coaches and players have no idea what's coming next.

If we allow our Offensive production to be one-sided, we lose this game. I don't care if Stafford rules with his arm, if we can't run, we have no shot and vice versa. We have got to do both, do it effectively, and do it EARLY in order to have a shot

What I'd expect is for us to look stagnant on the first Offensive series. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Bobo got a little tricky and had our first couple of snaps look very vanilla before we opened it up deep down the field. My guess past that is you could see a lot of checks into TEs across the middle, FBs in the flat, and perhaps the occassional go route to mix things up just enough and spread the ball around. At that point, the Know-Mo-Show goes live and rattles off for a 100 or so.

Again, though. This is only possible if we can run and pass early to force Auburn to change their gameplan.



Special Teams:

Auburn boasts one of the best punting games in the nation. They rank 3rd in overall punt yardage (Georgia Tech is first, by the way), but what they have in net punting, they lose in punt return and kick return yardage. They are not all that special in the returning game, but they have the leg to pin you deep if the Defense lets them across the 50.

You know all there is to know about our kicking game. Mimbs is having a great year and I'm still very high on Coutu's ability. The real key to our special teams is to kick it deep as possible and try and keep Auburn from pinning us deep. Another key falls into our Offense's hands where it's their responsibility to drive the field far enough to give us the opportunity to play the field position game when we do actually kick.



What I think will happen:

Is "I don't know" an acceptable answer? I feel good about the game somtimes and then others I keep thinking "man we're going to lose a heartbreaker like in 2005." I can't tell you what you're going to get on Saturday in regards of X's and O's, but here's what I expect:

• I expect our players to come out with fire and emotion.
• I expect the fans to do the same.
• I expect us to be as competitive and driven as we have been all year.

If those three things happen above, then win or lose, I will walk away knowing we gave it everything we had. You can't ask much more than that of a team.

All in all, I've seen good things out of our Defense lately. I've seen the ability to pressure the front line, the ability to give the QB different looks at awkward times, and the ability to jump routes BEFORE the ball is thrown (because we're pretty bad afterwards). I expect the Defense to give us more of the same this Saturday because I think Willie Martinez is actually having a little fun working with these kids. Now that we have some legitimate playmakers, I think he's scheming more aggressively and not bending as much as he was earlier this year.

Offensively, we're a much better team than they are. Again, I know they have this supreme Defense, but it hasn't been THAT great down the stretch because they have allowed many teams back into games that Auburn was winning at the half (and Auburn's led at halftime in every game this season). If we can keep our confidence and determination to play football for 60 minutes, I think we win this game.

All in all, I know one thing for sure...it's going to be an absolute slugfest.

UGA: 24
Auburn: 17



Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, UGA Football

Well it’s no longer news now, so you’re not hearing anything you don’t already know, but apparently the UGA Seniors have asked the fans to blackout the game this Saturday. There were rumors about black uniforms as well, but those have been squashed, resurfaced, squashed again, and are now a solid "who knows."

As far as the blackout goes, I like it, but I will only be participating half-assed. The reason is not because I don’t care about the team, it’s because the new shirt I have is 2-0 and is hot right now. It’s on pace to finish the year strong and I don’t want to f*ck with that mojo. The funny thing is that the shirt I bought is red because I couldn’t find a black one in any stores. Oh sweet irony, how you toy with my emotions. Anyway, I guess I’ll wear my black fleece jacket over the top of my shirt so that I can participate as much as possible without pissing off the gods of stupid superstitions.

Sorry for the digression into my fashion for Saturday. My real take on the blackout is that if the Seniors ask for it, then we should comply. I mean we ask so much of these kids for our own personal entertainment that it’s the least we can do. Besides, if it jacks them up enough to make them play with the same amount of emotion they displayed against Florida, then I’ll do whatever it takes.

As far as the black jerseys go, I’d be all for that too. Look, our jerseys are not “classic.” Our Silver Britches are, but the jerseys have changed designs so much over the years, that it makes no difference to me which ones we wear. If the kids want to wear black, then dang it, let them wear black. Again, whatever gets them in the right frame of mind to win the game.

I think it’s pretty safe to say now that our team recognizes it has a minor problem in establishing a spark before a game. We needed the celebration at Florida, Knowshon to light it up on an 80-yard run against Troy, a fumble at Ole Miss, etc., etc., in order to get things going this year. I think it was a small cheap shot by Ching when he said that he figured winning the SEC East would be motivation enough, but I think it’s actually MATURE for our team to realize they need a little bit more to get motivated and want to do whatever it takes to get it.

All in all, I think this is a good idea. It seems a little Big Ten’ish, but if it’s what the team needs; it’s what the team will get from me. The only true way to see if it’s a good idea is to do one thing:

"Just win baby."



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, UGA Football

First of all, sorry about the late List today. Work's been exhausting lately and it's pushed a lot of my posting behind.

I wish the college football season was year round. I live for Saturdays in the fall and it drives me crazy during the offseason when I don’t have a reason to grill out and get drunk. Besides, there are limitless amounts of drama with upsets, improbable plays, and stories of unbridled victory that just keep things interesting.

However, every season there are plenty of things that I could do without. So, let’s talk about them.



The Ten Things I’m “Over” in Regards to This Season:

10. Notre Dame’s “collapse” – Is anyone outside of South Bend really surprised by this? I mean you take a team that was embarrassed in the two BCS bowls they’ve been to, haven’t had a single marquee victory in nearly 10 years, and you call their inability to win games a surprise? You knew this ship was sinking as soon as Jimmy Clausen stepped out of his stretch Hummer to announce his commitment at the COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. In the business, we call this “irony.”

9. Virginia Tech’s tragedy – I got it. If you root against Virginia Tech, you’re obviously a terrorist worthy of a Jack Bauer-sized beat down. Look, we all know that what happened was horrible. As horrible as it gets. However, it’s time to stop running the story into the ground in order to create drama during a game. It drives me crazy and honestly, I find it disrespectful and condescending to those who passed away.

8. Todd Blackledge’s eating out – This just pisses me off. He gets to go to all these places and eat some of the greasiest, nastiest food you’ve ever seen. I’m just flat out jealous and I’m not going to take it anymore.

7. Tim Tebow's crying -- He's a nice kid. He really is. I really can't hate the guy because he seems like a geniune person. But stop all that bitch-ass crying every time you lose. Sh*t, if he would've went to Georgia Tech, he could've kept us from having this drought.

6. Michigan vs. Appalachian State – Arguably one of the biggest upsets of all time and will be remembered anytime a Div. 1-A team takes the field against a Div. 1-AA team, but as of right now, it’s no longer worth talking about. When this game was played, Michigan had their eyes set on January already and didn’t show up and it ended up costing them a win. There is no more story past that. Put it to bed.

5. Houston Nutt and Arkansas – Nutt is fired after this year, and if he wasn’t, he should leave anyway. That team is in shambles and with the guarantee of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones both declaring for the draft at season’s end, he has nothing left. Nutt is gone, Arkansas fans will still be crazy, and the Razorbacks can go back to being an afterthought.

4. Bill Callahan’s downfall – Was anyone really surprised by this? Anyone? Nebraska fans, are you really shocked? No one? Well consider me surprised *cough, sarcasm, cough*. Seriously, the guy couldn’t coach in the NFL and was so bad that his own team basically kicked him out. There are only three things you have to do to win in college football: Run the ball, Throw the ball, Play defense. If you can’t do any of those three, you lose and get fired. It shouldn’t shock anyone.

3. USC not being in the National Championship – So many people picked the Trojans vs. the Tigers in the national title game that they’re just grasping for straws every time USC does something worthwhile. Look, they got handled by Stanford. They just ain’t as good as you thought this year…get over it.

2. People being shocked that this season is so topsy-turvy – That’s college football. That’s why we all love this sport so much. It’s the way it’s supposed to be. I hate it for all the journalists that have been just flat out wrong every week, but get over it. If you want predictability, watch baseball.

1. Mark May being right – This, more than anything, drives me absolutely crazy. I have been anti-Mark May since the first time I saw him on television and his bias against UGA is mind-numbing, but I keep finding myself agreeing with him over and over again. This year he has been spot on with MOST (but not all) of his analysis and I just can’t take it anymore. Agreeing with him is like finding your sister attractive. It’s possible, but no one considers it a good idea (outside of Alabama of course).



Well, that's all I have for right now. Enjoy!

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, The List

Now, before I go any further, please note that there are so many damn scenarios out there that I'm guessing at best. I have exactly ZERO idea as to how this whole thing is going to shake out, but here's what I'd say if I had to guess...






From the East:

Georgia: Sugar Bowl (if we go to the SEC champ. and lose a close one, or if we win out and UT goes to the SEC champ. and loses, we're in as at at-large)
Florida: Chick-Fil-A
Tennessee: Outback
Kentucky: Music City
South Carolina: Independence
Vanderbilt: Possible at-large




From the West:


LSU: National Championship
Alabama: Cotton
Auburn: Capital One
Arkansas: Liberty
Miss. State: Possible at large
Ole Miss: Not eligible



I have no idea where to fit Miss. State and Vandy. I think the BCS screws themselves if they don't take an SEC team as an at-large if LSU ends up in the Nat'l Championship, and all we basically have to do is be in the top 12 to be considered. With LSU seemingly having a strangle-hold on the rest of the season, I don't see them losing to anyone else.


What really throws a kink into everything is who plays LSU in the SEC. Championship. If UT goes and loses, they'll likely be ranked lower than UGA, and therefore the Dawgs can end up in the Sugar Bowl in LSU's vacated spot. However, if UT or UGA go and win, then do you take LSU as an at-large in the BCS anyway? Most likely they wouldn't fall farther than 5th or 6th, so you would assume so, but if not, then LSU takes up one of the traditional bowls and someone from the SEC (most likely a middle program like Arkansas or South Carolina) gets passed up so a program like Vandy or Miss. State to go in its place.

The next two weeks will determine pretty much what will happen as UGA will have to play Auburn and Kentucky, while UT will have to play Arkansas and Vandy. If both come out unbeaten, then it's up to Kentucky to keep UT out of the title game, while UGA has to beat Tech to hold onto their high ranking and pretty much be guaranteed a BCS shot.

Damn this is a crazy year for college football...






Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, UGA Football

Well, the OTHER Trojans gave the Dawgs a little bit of a run for a few quarters there. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who is surprised by that. Everything I've read basically says "after the win versus Florida, how much more could you expect?" Well, I wish we would've put it away early like Auburn did in their game, and then took the rest of the three quarters off, but Troy ain't Tennessee Tech.

Against a very good offense such as Troy's spread, I think the Dawgs held up fairly well. So, let's get to our recap:




What the Stats Say:

Well, basically that we can run this sh*t out of the ball, but we can't defend the spread. Break it down a little further and you have the same type of numbers we're used to having over the past seven years. We converted on all field goals, we had good kick returns, our punting game was solid, our passing game was effective but not flashy, our running game was good, our Defense played well up front, yadda yadda yadda.

Yeah, we gave up tons through the air, but the score doesn't indicate that. IMO this game is really 47 to 24 if we don't fumble deep in our territory (Troy -3), they don't score against our fourth-team players late in the game (Troy -7), and we don't throw the interception in the third quarter (UGA +3 at worst). All I'm saying is that it ain't as bad as it looks on paper. They didn't dominate us.



The Pros:

1. Kno-Mo makes others look like they're in Slow-Mo -- Aside from the fumble, the kid is the hottest thing going right now at UGA and I swear it seems like the O-line just blocks better when they know he'll get the ball. He reminds me of the first kid chosen in every sport when you played in elementary school. You knew that if you had him, you've already got the biggest edge over everyone. I think he's a Heisman candidate next year and maybe the year after, but that's getting ahead of ourselves, right?


The stunned face of #48 is the kind of comedy that just writes itself.

2. The O-line -- Unlike in the effort vs. Ole Miss, the RBs didn't have to create as much in this game. The holes were big and gaping and dying to be ran through, and there were no sacks on Stafford. Great job by this group this week. It also looks like we're finally a healthy unit with some depth...but not much.

3. LB play -- I still cannot say enough about Dannell Ellerbe and Rennie Curran. Curran is a damned ball hawk if I've ever seen one (Does he remind you of Odel Thurman? He does to me), and Dannell has been a steady playmaker all season. Rennie also got himself a sack.

4. Marcus Howard -- How about a kid playing bigger than his body? The undersized DE has used his speed the past two games to create havoc for QBs. In this game, he had a few pressures, a sack, a forced fumble as well as the recovery, and then damn near scored on it. Hopefully he'll keep it up going down the stretch.


Marcus Howard should guest star on Grey's Anatomy as "McNasty."

5. Asher Allen -- He had a big day on Defense with his interception as well as being the team's lead tackler (7 total), but his biggest impact was felt in the return game where he had three returns for 92 yards. I wish he had a little better moves, but as far as following the blocks, he's doing a fine job.



The Cons:

1. Hitting the snooze alarm -- Seriously, about everything we did wrong happened because we just weren't ready for this game. I could say Stafford was off, we didn't take care of the ball, we had a couple of drops, missed assignments on defense, blah blah blah, but I think it all boils down to our guys just not being focused. I can't be too mad about it, though. I'd rather look like sh*t in this game, than for our guys to dominate and get all big-headed about their play going into this week's contest. UGA always plays better when people are saying, "Did you see that game against 'so-and-so'? The Dawgs ain't got a shot if they play like that." We need to be the underdog this week.

2. Secondary play -- This one could technically go under No. 1 above, but honestly our problems here deserve their own category. We constantly leave men wide open and, as The Song Writer pointed out to me, we cannot defend the ball once it's in the air. We can jump routes like crazy and have been doing a way better job of tackling, but man don't expect us to make a Paul Oliver type play to knock a ball loose. It ain't happening.



Overall:

Again, no one was surprised by this game. I could tell by the amount of people in town, the size of the tailgates, and the enthusiasm of the crowd that we were going to sleepwalk a little. The good news is the Dawgs did a fine job of correcting mistakes early and rattled off 17 points in the second quarter to take command. Once they did that, we all kind of felt that things were in hand.

Granted, I wish we could've performed better in the secondary, but now the media can focus on how UGA can't stop a very talented Auburn team and how the away team has really dominated the home team in this old ass rivalry. While all that's going on, hopefully the coaches and players will have some fire underneath them to try and finish the season strong and push towards an SEC Championship appearance.



Thoughts? Disagreements?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Game Recaps, UGA Football

Well the Blogosphere has been busier than Trinton Sturdivant at a Dance Dance Revolution contest about this whole "celebration" thing. UGA fans are adamantly for the move, Florida fans are adamantly lying when they say it was "classless," and all the while, Troy is hanging out and gaining momentum.

Seriously, this game scares the shit out of me. I want to go. I want to go and watch this game live and see which Dawg team shows up. I know I shouldn't and that I should save the ticket money, because I'm going to need it at Auburn next week. THOSE tickets will not be cheap.

Anyway, this is our biggest trap game of the year. Yes, the win over Alabama was big, but as far as this team finding out who they are and where they're going, the emotional win over Florida was the biggest one since LSU 2004 IMO. Way above the X's and O's (which will work themselves out by executing fundamentals according to CMR), this game is more about focus and the will to win against a very dangerous team.

So let's see what the Dawgs need to do to walk out of Sanford Saturday with a "W."



When Troy has the ball:

It looks like their very dangerous QB Omar Haugabook will not be playing on Saturday since Troy will most likely not want to risk their Sun Belt title by playing the mobile QB against an opponent that they expect to lose to anyway. As many other Blogger folks have pointed out, Troy is a remarkably better team than they were a year ago and their spread offense has given other teams fits all year long.

They are currently riding a 5-game winning streak and they are in contention for a decent bowl bid at the end of the season. Aside from QB Haugabook, they have a RB by the name of Kenny Cattouse, who is pretty familiar to Knowshon Moreno. Thanks to some stats provided to me by Ally, not only was this guy the teammate of Knowshon back in the day on a Pop Warner team, but he was the #2 RB in the state of NJ with Knowshon obviously being the #1. Knowshon nearly broke every record there is to break in NJ, but trust me, the kid that finished #2 wasn't too far behind and actually had more career rushing yards than our Redshirt Freshman hero.

With Haugabook hampered by a hamstring injury, it looks like the two QB backups will spend time at the position in his place. Together they combine for 69 passing yards, but throw that stat out of your mind. You might think I don't feel the stat is important, and you'd be partly right. The 69 passing yard statistic is one that shows they haven't had a lot of playing time this year, but not really due to their inefficiency. They haven't played that much becuase of how well Haugabook has played for them. He is essentially the Tim Tebow of their offense by creating plays with his legs and his arm.

The reason I bring all this up is because you may not know Florida's backup QB, but the system is dangerous if not defended properly. Sure, he's no Tim Tebow, but he's no joke either. If he was, then Urban would go get another capable backup in case Tebow went down. So even though Haugabook is probably sidelined, don't sleep on Troy. Their offense is dangerous enough to give the Dawgs fits if they aren't prepared.

The way to counteract this is to bring complicated blitz packages just like we did against Florida. Let's rush 5-6 at a time, stunt, delay, etc. and force their backups into causing mistakes. Even as well as Haugabook has played, he still has 11 INTs, so he's not the absolute truth. If we can get in the QB's head (no matter who he is) and make him hesitate, he'll eat a big one all day long. They key is the pressure up front. If we can disrupt the O-line, we'll be fine as our DBs should play better with lesser speed against the WR position.



When UGA has the ball:

Give the ball to Knowshon. Troy ranks 101st out of 119 teams in rushing defense. Not a great statistic against a team that has racked up 200 + rushing yards twice this season. With Knowshon being the energizer bunny that he is, I fully expect him to try and run wild regardless of the opponent. We need to run to set up the pass and it wouldn't bother me at all to see him have another 150+ yard day.

Through the air, we need to show the same field-stretching ability we showed against Florida. If we can lock up on some big plays against Troy, there's a good chance we would show Auburn something on film that they would need extra time to prepare for. I'd love for the Tiger coaches to look at film and say, "well UGA can run, pass, and beat you deep. How do we stop that?" I guarantee it's something that will take longer than 4 practices to figure out.

Anyway, back to this game. The last game showed you we can play better on Offense than even the mighty Gators, so what's the key ingredient here? We'll it's emotion. In order to score, we have to want to score...a lot. Enough to make Troy wonder why they even got on the bus at all.

There's been a lot of talk about the "classless" move the Dawgs pulled last weekend against Florida. What's funny is that people expect it to never happen again. It kind of surprises me to see other people say "well that's not what UGA does." Why not? Sure, you can't dance in the endzone after every touchdown and you can't get up emotionally like that for every game, but why can't we play with fire and intensity? I know it's not "classy" to hang 60 on anyone just to do it, but what's classless about waiting to flat out be the boss? Sure, Steve Spurrier or Pete Carrol might not go down as the classiest individuals in the history of the sport, but are you going to question their coaching ability?

I'm just saying we can win and win convincingly.



Special Teams:

Well, you know what we get on our end, but on their end they have the best returner in the nation. Richt mentioned that it's tough to kick it away from him for fear of a shank, but it's even tougher to kick it to him. It will serve us well to kick it away from his ass so he doesn't burn us on a big return. A shank will not kill momentum like a huge return will.

In regards to us, it's the same every week. Nothing new to touch on.



What I think will happen:

UGA is going to be flat in this game. If we weren't going to be, then Richt wouldn't have appealed to the fans so much to show up to the Dawg Walk early to fire up the team. Everyone at UGA understands this is a classic trap game if there ever was one.

What works in our favor is that no one has talked this week about how great we are at playing football. Instead, they've talked about Trinton's dance and Richt's gamble at the WLOCP. This has taken the focus of the media off of our players and put it on the coach. No hype = no disappointment. However, it's up to our team to decide if they want to keep winning and proving people wrong, or struggling and proving everyone else right.

What I think will happen is that we'll come out flat, but will find a spark on our 2nd or 3rd drive. With Troy's offense struggling a little and trying to find their way with a new QB, we'll create some chaos up front and really kill any kind of effectiveness they could have.

As with any UGA game, you can expect the Dawgs to win, but not to cover.

UGA: 30
Troy: 17


Thoughts? Disagreements?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, Game Previews, UGA Football