1) Is it possible that Georgia could have both the Offensive and Defensive Freshmen of the Year in the SEC? Who's better than Knowshon Moreno and Rennie Curran at each respective slot?
2) I'm sure the SEC coach of the year will be Croom, but might the psychological work done by Richt this year be his best work? I'm not sure if any other coach in the league could've gotten this team to this record, especially after the UT game. This year was Richt's best head coaching season, and it so happens to be the year he handed off the playcalling duties full-time.
3) If UK beats UT, Georgia controls their destiny for the BCS. If UT beats UK, a Georgia win almost certainly clinches a BCS at-large slot (regardless of who wins the SEC). Not a bad consolation prize.
4) Alabama's loss to UL-M was a TERRIBLE result for Georgia. Schadenfreude aside, that loss will affect Georgia's computer rankings - and it makes the SEC look bad. In fact, Alabama owns the two worst OOC results in the SEC this year (all other SEC OOC losses were by underdog SEC teams to probably better opponents, except maybe UT-Cal). The Tide's losses to FSU and UL-M are inexcusable and makes the entire conference look bad. Nice work, $4 Million Man.
5) The officiating in the Georgia-Kentucky game was eleventy-brazillian times better than the officiating in the Georgia-Auburn game. Good thing the SEC sends the best team to do the JP Sports game, rather than the biggest game of the weekend. Ass faces.
6) Coutu's FG in the 4th quarter yesterday won't be as memorable as the Vandy kick, or any other which would be closer to time expiring. But don't let that fool you. It was a huge, clutch kick. 46 yards on a day when winds were fluky and swirly, into the open end of the stadium, to make the game 2 possessions (against a team that had been simply chewing up yards when in a no-huddle offense). Awesome kick.
7) Kelin Johnson's got himself a pretty nice highlight reel this year over the last couple of games, doesn't he?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Thoughts on Georgia
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11 comments:
Knowshon is a lock. Rennie will probably be overlooked since he didn't come on strong until the last few games. I'd think Major Wright at Florida and the LB at Bama, McClain, would get strong consideration there. But I would bet on Rennie making first-team All-SEC next year...he is a helluva player.
Agree on Richt's coaching job, and I wonder how last season might have gone if he had been focused on something other than play-calling for the whole season. He'll have his work cut out for him next year managing a brutal schedule and very high expectations...if we get to a BCS bowl, as SEC champs or an at-large team, we'll probably start next season in the top 5. Maybe higher, given the national exposure Knowshon and Stafford have received.
Also, a question: As great as it would be to get to the SECCG, beat LSU, and get in the Sugar Bowl through the front door, might we gain more in national perception -- which, as you often point out, has a huge impact on realities such as polls and bowls -- by getting an at-large bid? That says something about your repuation and attractiveness as a program which complements the ability to win your conference -- a purely objective standard. We've done that twice under Richt; an at-large bid could sort of round out the program in a nice way, don't you think? (For the record, I'd still rather win the conference.)
I suspect Eric Berry will be named defensive freshman of the year in the SEC.
kyle w, I strongly agree with your last point. Much like LSU getting an at-large Sugar Bowl bid last year, the same for Georgia this year would likely propel us to a top 3 preseason ranking next year if we win the game.
I forgot about Berry. Good call.
Before you get all excited about a BCS nod, think about the politics of the SEC. The commissioner is on record as being "concerned" that the loser of the tilt in Atlanta being denied a good bowl game. Assuming that is UT, who beat y'alls' mugs into the turf at will, it's not a done deal they will be bypassed.
A little known codicile in the BCS rules allows for a change that makes the requirement a top 18 finish, not a top 14 finish. Chris Dufresne reported on Sunday in the L.A. Times that just such a change is in the works.
I think UK takes care of this problem, but if they don't, please don't assume a trip to the French Quarter is in the cards.
There is no way that a 4 loss, barely-scraping-the-top-25 Tennessee team gets a BCS bid over a 2 loss, top-5 ranked Georgia team, no matter who won on the field.
The SEC commissioner's concern is that the Capital One, Outback, Cotton and Chick-fil-a Bowls would pass over Tennessee, not the BCS. They don't want the scenario where LSU pounds UT in the title game, and every bowl runs scared from them (because they know the fans probably won't travel after such a bad loss).
If Georgia doesn't get an automatic BCS at-large bid (as #4 in the BCS, a distinct possibility), the concern isn't that Tennessee gets that bid - it's that the Missouri-Kansas loser, Texas, the Pac-10 runner up, or even Illinois gets one instead.
ed,
That 14->18 change only comes about if the top 14 in the BCS rankings don't produce 10 eligible teams. This isn't likely to happen; it's just a contingency plan (something I applaud the BCS folks for, seeing as they have a history of being reactive instead of proactive).
Another fear is that UT beats LSU in the SECG a way that doesn't make LSU look too bad {overtime, injury, other weird factors that could be 'explained' away by people who are wont to do so}, which would put UT in the Sugar and the choice of LSU or UGA as an SEC at large, which wouldn't even be a guarantee depending on how the Big XII and PAC10 shake out.
I say forget any and all speculation, and let's focus on beating Tech, then let the cards fall where they may.
Good news, everyone! Kanu is still around! I thought Arsenal's success must've caused the rapture or something.
Ahhhh, LD, you've got it backwards mate. It would be Spurs success that would cause the rapture, not a team that's won 5 league titles and 4 FA cups since 1989...
The true test for Arsenal will be from now until March, as the weather in England is about to turn to shit, which traditionally gives them troubles given their style.
ManUtd still big favorites to win the title in my opinion, but you never know...
Who knows, might even have a Thomas Brown piece in me this week.
Shit- that would be the rapture, me having time during the day to blog again.
Take care & be well LD.
I'm off on my apocalypse metaphors...
Meant that you'd been so elated by Arsenal success that you were taken away.
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