Same Old Georgia?

It's been a while, but it's time for me to come back. Not because I'm going to be here everyday pumping out content, but because I need to get things right in my head. This helps me do that.

So, Georgia lost to Oklahoma State 24-10. Oklahoma State and the Big XII will get a lot of play from this win, but the team Georgia trotted out on Saturday is not a bowl team, much less a contender in the SEC. There's only so much that can be gleaned from that game as far as a national perspective, but there are some question marks that are probably all too obvious to even remotely knowledgeable Georgia fans.

1. Joe Cox is not a D1-A quarterback. I understand that leadership and having an extensive knowledge of the playbook are desirable things in a quarterback, but talent is also pretty crucial... particularly if you want to play and achieve at an elite level. Joe Cox may have the smarts, the poise, and the leadership ability, but he does not have the arm. Bobo couldn't stretch the field because Cox couldn't stretch the field. Joe made one good throw on the opening drive to AJ, and every throw after that was either a screen, a 3-yard crossing route, or poor. He had AJ wide open on a post, but he put so much air under it, NASA considered adding it to its tracked satellites. The pass to Orson Charles took 8.5 seconds to reach him, and it was only 15 yards down the field. I exaggerate, but not by much. To me, the way the rest of the team played, this game was lost on Joe Cox's lack of an arm. Stafford would have won this game. Shockley would have won this game. Greene would have won this game. I even think Cory Phillips would have won this game.
   
   So what of it? As long as Joe is the quarterback, Georgia will struggle to score points. Defenses will not have to respect the deep ball (and, I'm not talking about 50 yard bombs... I'm talking intermediate throws 15-20 yards down field), they can cram the line of scrimmage, and Georgia will struggle to win six games. If Richt and Bobo look at the quarterback play of the rest of the guys and still think Joe is the best option, then what does that say about the rest of them? Seeing Logan on punt return must mean that he's not the #2, so who is? I think we'll see Murray this year before all is said and done. A loss to Carolina, and the season is lost. You'll also lose to Arkansas, Tennessee, and you'll struggle with Auburn, Kentucky, and Vandy. You might as well throw the kid to the fire to see what he's really got. That way, 2010 won't be lost as well.


2. So it wasn't Willie? The defense, on the whole, played the best I've seen in a long time. Say what you will about dialing up blitzes or whatever, but the guys played really well. The defensive tackles were hardly disruptive and the defensive ends were practically non-existent, but the linebackers and the secondary played really well. There was certainly a blown coverage here and missed opportunities there, but when your offense is playing that poorly, and you're on the field half a quarter longer than your opposition, and the only points you give up are because of turnovers and a blown kickoff coverage... you've done a really good job. Kudos to Willie and the crew. There are things that need to be tightened up, but if those bolts are tightened, this defense will be one of the best in the conference.


3. Scared to challenge? I don't know what was up with this. The goalline stop that wasn't, or might have been, or could have been, whatever. If the defense was sooo adamant that they stopped him and the spot was bad and the play should have been reviewed, Mark Richt owed it to his players to challenge the spot of the ball. It only costs you a timeout, and it shows that you believe in your players. And, personally, I thought his leg hit the ground early and the spot might have been overturned... especially considering he got the first down by the nose of the football. Either way, you are conceding a touchdown by not challenging to save a timeout that was not needed. That's a terrible trade-off.


4. Is this flag football now? I know everyone saw the hit that Reshad put on that receiver. It was a perfectly legal hit that was flagged by no less than four(!) separate officials. He hit the receiver in the chest with his shoulder... and got flagged for unnecessary roughness. NCAA rule changes = FAIL. I had no doubt that this rule change would negatively impact Georgia at some point this year. Stupid ass rule changes always do. This one, however, takes the cake.
   
   First of all, when safeties hit receivers, the collision is generally violent. That's the nature of the beast. As a receiver, you hope your quarterback won't lead you into the path of a headhunter, but it's part of the game. If a safety cannot legally hit a receiver (with his shoulder, in the receiver's chest... not with his head or in the receiver's head) to dislodge the ball because it looks too violent, then why not go ahead and put flags on and play co-ed? Second, this call put the game away for the Pokes. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure the game was over by that point anyway, but instead of a 3rd & 11 at the 33, it was 1st & 10 at the 18. Georgia could have held OSU to a field goal attempt, and might have stuck within a score. Instead, that call took whatever wind was still in the D's sails and the game was essentially over. Third, nice make-up call with four minutes to go, refs.



5. Kickoff coverage? Oh, you mean kickoff coverage... No we didn't address that. After an offseason where this was issue number one seemingly at every turn, I find it near impossible to believe that two kicks landed on the ten, and the lone big kickoff (to the goalline) was returned 74 yards to open the second half. I don't know about you, but this wasn't exactly the level of improvement I was hoping for. Georgia's special teams are well, special... just like they were last year. I thought all the attention on it would spark some sort of interest in improving it... apparently, not so much.

What's next? I don't have the slightest. Personally, I'm glad we played a tough team to open the season. Now, at least, I know what Georgia has, and I won't be faced with the disappointment of losing next weekend. I'll know that the highlight of the day will be tailgating my ass off, and the game will be the after party where everyone sobers up for the drive home. Regardless, I hope to see you there. Get there early to cheer on the Dawgs. You know they'll need it.

Go Dawgs!!!

There's more, masochist...

Look Ma, Two Posts in Two Days

Aren't you lucky? And by you, I mean me, because I'm the only one reading the blog.

1) Mel Kiper doesn't like college overtime. This was posted on Tuesday, so you may have already read it.

"When college football games go to overtime, what does Mel Kiper do? "I turn games off when games go to overtime in college -- turn 'em off!" He said college overtime rules are a "J-O-K-E," and yes, he did spell it out."

A joke? That's a little harsh. Do you really mean that?

"Oh, and if you still think NFL overtime should be like college football's overtime, this is what Kiper has to say to you: "If you think like a loser, you will be for the overtime being extended. If you think like a winner, you're satisfied with the system.""

I guess so. I agree with his sentiment about starting the overtime possession in field goal position. I think it would be wise to make the teams start at maybe the 35 or 40. Make them pick up a first down or kick a really long field goal. I think that might actually enhance the overtime and also help to prevent marathon multiple-OT games. But, the NFL's system is hardly equitable. If a team wins the toss, they usually win the OT. They can take possession around the 35 after a kickoff return, move the ball 30 yards and be in position to win the game. If they stall out, they can punt the ball away, pinning the other team back into its own territory. The coin flip dramatically affects the advantage going into OT. If you want to play in a sudden death format, why not just extend OT as a 5th quarter. Play continues in the 5th quarter as it ended in the 4th. Whoever had possession keeps possession where the quarter ended.

2) Yesterday I mentioned beer pong with the 'rents. The same weekend, we had a discussion about the prevalence of the F word. It's like F'n everywhere. F this, F that. The word has become incredibly commonplace in many people's vernaculars. You can feel free to hate the word, think it and anyone who uses it is completely disgusting, and overall despise even the insinuation of the word. I like to take a more liberal approach, and by liberal, I mean I don't give a F what you say, write, read, or listen to. Cartman, who has done more for social commentary than Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly combined, explains it thusly (Use EXTREEEEME caution when playing this clip. It is not safe for kids, those who are pregnant, or those who may become pregnant. It sure as F is not safe for work without headphones... unless you work in a really progressive workplace.):





This clip, of course, is from South Park the Movie. Consume, masses. My favorite line from the whole movie, and one I use as often as the occasion allows, actually doesn't even contain the F word at all:

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What I said was, 'How would you like to suck my balls?' Mr. Garrison."

That line has me rolling. Combine that with

"Did you just say the F word?"
"Jew?"

and you have one of the best 39-second clips in movie making history (okay, maybe not). It might make me a bad person, but them's the breaks.

Getting back to the point, I believe we the people have, as a whole, become desensitized, at least in the generation that I am a part of and younger. The music we grew up listening to used the F word as often as they used any other part of speech, and parents kept buying the CD's despite explicit content warnings. My view on foul language is clearly not the accepted social norm... especially in these parts. And, I'm sure my view will change substantially when I have kids of my own. But, as Cartman points out, what's the big F'n deal? It doesn't hurt anybody. What exactly about hearing that word or this word irreparably harms someone? It's just a word. When someone overhears my overactive use of poor language, the look they give me is equivalent to me stabbing them in the eye with a rusty spoon. It's like I've kicked their children and run over their dog. Is it really that big of a deal? If it is, then I really need someone to set me straight. Feel free to do so in the comments or through e-mail. I can be found at imarealist of the gmail variety. Thoroughly reasoned e-mails may be replicated on this site as a difference of opinion, unless you request them not to be.

3) Your timewaster of the day is brought to you by kdice. It's like risk, but easier to jump in and play. As a warning, this game is highly addictive. It's internet crack. Enjoy.

There's more, masochist...

Time to Refresh

I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I have completely reformed from my dastardly ways of negativity and pessimism. Why? Because it won't get me anywhere. I do have random quips that I'll like to throw out every now and again. And this space seems as good a place as any.

1) Beer pong has become my favorite pasttime. This past weekend, I got my parents to play beer pong. For first timers, they were pretty good, but I could tell my mother was just humoring me. That's her job, right? I created my table by hand, which explains why it isn't exactly stable. Still, it's my greatest accomplishment thus far, and you can't take that away from me. Any beer pongers out there?

2) Georgia baseball is the hotness. Starting the season 14-0, averaging 11.7 runs per game, and holding opponents to two runs or less six times including three shutouts is always a good way to draw some attention to your program. That David Perno character can recruit. There is no denying that. The freshmen look sensational, and this team ought to make some noise in the SEC. Here's to hoping they don't run into another Steve F'n Detwiler.

3) I'm busy as hell. I'm studying for the CPA exam, which literally consumes my very being. If I studied half as hard in college, I would have probably raised my GPA half a point. That, along with much better reading and commentary being found elsewhere, is a major reason why I have not pontificated in this space much... like at all. I'll try to do better, if for no other reason, than to stroke my ego.

4) I'll leave you with a classic... sort of. Probably NSFW...





Buy their CD. The future of comedy depends on it.

There's more, masochist...

thoughts on tubberville and the next auburn coach

According to Jay Jacobs (Auburn Athletic Director), Tommy Tubberville was not pressured to resign, and he begged him to stay as coach. Also, Jacobs and the University's president elected to pay Tubberville his $5.1 million because they felt "it was the right thing to do".

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a giant steaming pile of tiger shit. Even if you are getting an extra $15 million from the new tv deal, it still doesn't make sense that Auburn would give Tubbs a going away present like that. In my experience, the only time you get a severance package when you leave a job is when you are asked to leave involuntarily. If it's true that they are giving him $5.1 million for his service to the university over the past 10 years, then the Christmas spirit if flowing as freely as bourbon in Toomers Corner on game day..

To me, this sounds like a case of the spin-doctors to deflect a lot of the bad pub Auburn's been getting all day today on ESPN and on the 'net. Think about it....when everyone is talking about how stupid you are to fire a coach that averaged 8.5 wins per year, won a bunch of bowl games, owned the in-state arch rival, and, oh, had an undefeated season (after an unsuccessful booster coup)...it might f-up your coaching search. I bet a lot of coaches today that might be on Auburn's are thinking they don't want to go to a place that will whack you for one bad season out of ten.

The interesting question is where does Auburn go now. Yesterday, I thought that Tubbs may have gotten fired over the "spread eagle" experiment, and that the University wanted to go back to "Auburn football". However, when I went back and read a lot of the coverage after the bus ran over Franklin, it appears that Tubberville himself wanted to go back to a run-oriented offense. Which makes me wonder if Tubberville's plan (which he presented to Jacobs) outlined a plan to get back to power football. It's very possible that with the success of varying types of wide-open offenses (Florida, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas...hell, even Utah and Boise State) that Jacobs wanted a move to a more trendy, wide-open offense....and Tubbs refused knowing it would cause him to have to part with many of his loyal assistants.

I can't see Mike Leach going to Auburn for the same reasons I couldn't see him going to Tennessee; he's just a little too far out there for a deep-south school. Besides, from a spread perspective, the cupboard is bare at Auburn; it would take him several years to get Auburn where Texas Tech is today. If Leach isn't available, then I'm not sure where Auburn turns if they want to run the spread. Chris Peterson from Boise State would be an interesting choice, but I think Auburn is looking for a bigger name than a WAC coach (undefeated or not).

I'd be curious to see if Auburn pulls an Ole Miss and snaps up an under appreciated (and recently fired) SEC coach. Remember last year when Ole Miss hired Houston Nutt shortly after he was fired @ Arkansas? It worked out pretty well for them, didn't it? Wouldn't it be interesting if Auburn asked Phil Fulmer if he was interested in wearing a different shade of orange? Think about it...none of his assistants have found jobs yet (while it's rumored Chavis is interviewing for the Clemson DC position). I'm sure that Chavis and his group would follow Fulmer to the Plains, which would strengthen that side of the ball for Auburn. While Fulmer is most comfortable running an "Auburn" style offense, I think he could successfully add some "spread principles" to the offense rather easily; while the Dave Clawson experiment didn't work out, he could place a call to Trooper Taylor. Taylor, you may recall left UT to become the co-offensive coodinator at Oklahoma State where he's received a pretty good education under Mike Gundy. I could see Taylor re-joining Fulmer in an OC role (one of the reasons that Taylor left UT was that he wasn't sure if we would be selected for the OC job eventhough he was under consideration).

As a Georgia fan, I'm not sure who I'd rather see at Auburn. In my opinion, a hire of Fulmer or Peterson would scare me a lot more than Leach. Fulmer has something to prove, and knows the SEC t0o well (and would probably jump at a job that would give him a chance to kick Lane Kiffin's ass on a regular basis). Peterson has done an excellent job in getting the most out of his players at Boise State. While Leach has done a great job putting together offenses with the sloppy seconds of the Big 12, has never been able to put together an all world defense. I don't think the great offense, sucky defense thing will play well in the SEC (remember how well it worked for Florida last year).

In the end, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I think Auburn is going to have to move quickly if they want to salvage the recruiting class. The more pressure they fell, the higher the odds they will throw a lot of money at somebody, anybody (that has a big name) and make a bad hire. Let's go ahead and set the alarm 3 years from now and get ready to talk about the next Auburn coaching search! There's more, masochist...

maybe it wasn't the oc's fault after all

Breaking News: Tubb's is a goner!

According to the websites of the ajc & sports illustrated, a few auburn blogs, and UGA uber-blogger PWD, Tubberville has been fired at Auburn after ten years on the job.

It was believed that after his meeting with the AD yesterday, Tubb's would be given a chance to present a plan to right the program (i.e. the offense). It appears as if he either (a) wasn't given the opportunity to present the plan, or (b) the plan sucked.

PWD has some great analysis in an earlier post today. I have to wonder if Tubberville was fired to avoid having recruiting impacted by the appearance of a lame-duck coach. I can imagine some recruits would have issue commiting to play for a coach that seems to be on the hot seat every year.

In the next few days I'll put up some analysis of how Tubberville "ranked" against his peers in the SEC during his tenure, and who could potentially be on the list to replace him. I have to think that even if Mike Leach were available, the nightmare Auburn endured running the "pseudo-spread" this year would discount his chances. There's more, masochist...

Random Quick Hitters

Here are some random thoughts for your Monday:

1) I completely anticipated Oklahoma giving Texas Tech a major beatdown. I told the wife as much. Why? Texas Tech is greatly overrated, buoyed by a win versus an overrated Oklahoma State team, and the annual WTF? Texas loss. The entire Big XII has been overrated this year due to the scheduling of the non-conference games. The big boys (if not everybody) play their non-conference slate the first four games of the season. If these teams weren't all 4-0, then there were some major problems. Look at the rankings in Week 5: Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, and Texas Tech were all ranked in the top ten at 4-0.

Texas Tech got there by playing Eastern Washington, Nevada, SMU, and UMass. Oklahoma State got to #22 by beating Washington State, Houston, Missouri State, and Troy. Missouri was #3 behind the strength of wins against Illinois (that win lost a little luster, no?), Southeast Missouri State, Nevada, and Buffalo. Texas got there by beating Florida Atlantic, UTEP, Rice, and Arkansas. Oklahoma has the only decent wins non-conference with wins against Cincinnati and TCU, with Chattanooga and Washington scattered in there for good measure.

My point? The Big XII had some puffed up values by the time they all started playing each other, which has the unintended(?) consequence of overvaluing in-conference wins against each other. I'm not saying the Big XII is not a strong conference this year (it is... at least in the South). I'm not saying the SEC is stronger (it's not). I'm saying Texas Tech was overvalued due to wins against other overvalued teams who were overvalued due to wins against other overvalued teams and cupcakes that make the Citadel look like a reasonable matchup. Oklahoma was not overvalued. They had proven themselves worthy with big non-conference wins, and the only blemish on the record was a 10-point loss in a neutral site game that could have easily gone the other way. I still believe Texas Tech will beat Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl (barring them going to the Holiday), but I knew they were not #2 in the country, and the results seem to have proven me correct. Hindsight's pretty nice, you know?

2) Michigan really is that bad. It's shocking.

3) Speaking of bad, I wonder if the LSU faithful are handling the rapid decline this year well... surprisingly, yes. I suppose two national titles in five years will do that.

4) Congrats to the Nittany Lions. You managed to win the Big Ten in convincing fashion. Your reward? The Rose Bowl against a team you already beat by 31. If there is justice in the world, Oregon State will go to the Rose Bowl. Because, justice = funny, and funny = egg on Rose Bowl's face for back-to-back stupefyingly bad matchups. It's about the parade, anyway.

5) Georgia's fanbase seems to be rather scared, no... that's not the word... I'm not sure there is a word... let's try horrifraidypantywaistedaghastmentness'd, of Georgia Tech. This is a response that, quite frankly stuns me. It's almost like losing to Tech would validate the feeling of it all slipping away. Maybe those feelings are justified to some degree. I wonder if in some small nook in the very back of Mark Richt's mind, he's thinking the same thing? There's more, masochist...