So far I have tried to cover 5 different topics every week on college football, but this week it’s all Georgia.
For Dawg fans last Saturday was utterly awful. The weather was absolutely dreadful all day and the game didn’t help matters. I foolishly operate a large tailgate for all the home games, and we hosted over a 100 people in the pouring rain last Saturday. To speak frankly, the tailgate was a huge pain in the A#$ last week. It poured on our spot from setup at 7am to take down at 9pm. Regardless, I saw a bunch of true, and dedicated Bulldogs come out to brave the weather and support the Dawgs. But that was about the only good thing I saw all day. Here are my thoughts on the whole debacle.
The Game Overall– I called for UGA to win this game in the preseason but then flip flopped last week. Therefore, I was not surprised that Georgia loss but still disappointed. What’s so frustrating is the way they lost which has become the rule and not the exception. Georgia will lay an egg and get humiliated at least once a year. You can set your damn watch by it. Well here we are again. Georgia has been humiliated which means it must be time for the leaves to change color. Losing the game would not have bothered me that much if we made it competitive. I guess I could say it was competitive for about a quarter and a half. After that, the same ole shenanigans occurred. Special team blunders always lead the charge in this department. By halftime there was not much hope left for Dawg fans. But there was at least some, and I was one of the few staying positive. I tried to explain that it wasn’t over and all we needed was a stop and a score. Well those hopes faded quickly when our back up QB started the 2nd half with pick six. At that point, it was officially over.
The Quarterback– This is a sore subject for me right now. I will pull for whoever they play at QB, but I do not understand why Brice Ramsey played. I know that Lambert did not look good in the first half. But he didn’t against Vanderbilt either and look what happened. I am huge believer in picking your guy at quarterback and sticking with him. Maybe I am wrong here, but how can you ask your offense to follow the quarterback if you show no confidence in him. I felt that Lambert was pulled to early and that decision may affect the rest of Georgia’s season. They went into the game without any controversy but left with uncertainty at the position. That was not Lambert’s fault but the coaches. It was the wrong call.
All is Not Lost– I said it before the season and again last week. Losing this game does not have to be the end of Georgia’s season. Georgia is still in control of their destiny in the SEC East. Win out and you are in Atlanta. This week will tell us a lot more about our team than last week. How do they respond? Are they still hungry? Can they get up off the mat and hit back? Well they better because Tennessee and Butch Jones are going to be ready in Knoxville. This week’s game was circled as a lost by me since August. Well I am going to flip flop again. I think the Dawgs will rebound and get the win in Tennessee. Because if they don’t the season is over.
Recruiting is the Difference- If you want to know why Georgia lost this game, just look back to the Georgia recruiting classes since 2012. Too many kids didn’t pan out and there weren’t enough big lineman taken on either side of the ball. Hell, half of the 2013 class isn’t even on campus anymore. There is a reason why Alabama is ranked #1 or #2 every year and it’s because of recruiting. They rank 1st or 2nd every year there too. They don’t have bad years at recruiting. They bring in top notch kids every year. And yes, Georgia does recruit well. But not as good as Alabama. For example, Georgia is almost always in the Top 10 nationally with recruiting. Sounds pretty good right? Well it’s not great when 4 to 5 teams in the SEC are usually ranked in front of them. Georgia seems to be doing better in this area now, but they have to keep it up. That means big time lineman year end and year out. UGA has no problems attracting skill players but they absolutely have to get more depth and size on the ball. Only time can fix it.
The Delusion Continues for Now- I was born on March 25th, 1981 in Valdosta, GA. At that moment, Georgia was at the top of the college football world. They beat Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl almost 3 full months prior and won the national title. In fact, it looked like UGA may stay there for a while since Herschel was only a freshman. Well the Bulldogs did win a string of SEC Championships in the 80s, but they came up short in the national championship department. It has been 34 long years since 1980 which is almost the entire span of my life. Saturday night I referred to it as 34 years of delusion. At that point, I was very frustrated, very wet, very mad, and slightly over served. Georgia can still have a great year and maybe they will. But if not, no biggie. There is always next year. Thankfully, I do not gather my self-esteem from Georgia’s championships. Win or lose I am a Dawg fan, and I hope you will be too. Our day will come and when it does we may just burn Atlanta down again. To Hell with Rocky Top! Go Dawgs!