Danielson: Georgia will be the surprise team of SEC
New York-I’m in the Big Apple today shooting a preseason college football show for CBS with Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman and Gary Danielson. The show will run at 1 p.m. on Saturday, just before coverage of the PGA Championship.
Danielson, the former Purdue and NFL quarterback, left ESPN in 2006 to become the analyst with play-by-play veteran Verne Lundquist on the SEC’s game of the week on CBS. It has been one of the best moves Danielson has made in a very successful broadcast career.
The SEC has won three straight BCS national championships (2006, Florida; 2007, LSU; 2008 , Florida) so Danielson has been busy. And with Florida a prohibitive preseason No. 1 and favored to repeat, and with four SEC teams (Florida, Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss) in the preseason Top 10, he is looking forward to another challenging season.
We took a few minutes at dinner last night and I asked him to give me his top five story lines/questions in the SEC as we head into the 2009 season:
Can Florida handle the hype? “The main storyline going into the season for me is the unbelievable expectations that Florida will face this year. They basically have the trophy cabinet already built and anything less than a national championship is going to be a disappointment. It’s a great team and they have everybody back. But are they better than the Miami team of 2002? I think they had 11 NFL players on that team. Are they better than USC in 2005? That team had Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Neither of those teams could repeat.
“And here is something that is really important. I think the competition that Florida is playing in this league (SEC) right now is superior to any competition that any team has ever faced trying to repeat.
“It is just so hard to win a national championship. Remember this. (Tim) Tebow had to go 7-for-7 in the fourth quarter against Alabama (in the SEC championship game) and 7-for-7 against Oklahoma in the fourth quarter (in the BCS championship game) for Florida to win the national title. It’s just hard to do.
“Can those expectations be met? To me that is the story of the year.”
“I think Georgia is going to be the surprise of the conference. I think their quarterback play will be good enough and Mark Richt will go back to doing some of the things he likes to do-solid quarterback play, running back by committee, a defense that runs to the ball. I don’t think they can play worse defense so it is given they’ll be better on defense. They got humbled last year but that’s the way it happens sometimes. But you have to understand that they have a tough schedule so they may not win as many games. They lost the No. 1 pick in the draft (quarterback Matthew Stafford) and one of the best running backs (Knowshon Moreno) that they’ve had in a long time. But they will have a quarterback (Joe Cox) who gets the job done. He’s not a star but he’s like David Greene was when they won the championship (in 2002). They will be a much tougher out this year because of those five offensive linemen (who return).”
Can Alabama repeat in the SEC West? “I thought they were ahead of schedule last season. I know Nick (Saban) thought that. Nick is really good at identifying what his teams need to do and then taking advantage of what they have. Last year he saw what he had and made the most of it. Some things broke well for them last year. It was a down year for quarterback play in the SEC which led him to have the advantage of defense. There just weren’t a lot of people in the league who were able to take advantage of his defense. So he just dominated games with strategy and strength. They controlled the offensive line of scrimmage with two great tight ends and tackles. It was like having four tackles out there. This season things won’t be as comfortable because they lost three starters on the offensive line. But defense gives them a chance every time they play.”
Are you on the Ole Miss bandwagon? I’m not sure there deserves to be an Ole Miss bandwagon until they show us it’s worth climbing aboard. They have a lot of potential but they are also one of the teams in this league that is not used to handing the fanfare. The Alabama kids are used to it. The Florida kids are used to it. The LSU kids are used to it. This will be a whole new deal for Ole Miss. It will be different and honestly Houston (head coach Houston Nutt) is not used to it either. He has always been more comfortable being the underdog. I do think Ole Miss will miss their two interior people more than Houston thinks. (Defensive tackle) Peria Jerry was a monster. (Offensive tackle) Michael Oher was solid on the left side. Those were two really good football players.
The SEC has won three straight BCS national championships and four out of the last six. The league has just signed two unprecedented television contracts worth $3 billion over the next 15 years. Is the SEC starting to separate itself from the rest of college football?
“I don’t think there is any doubt that it is separating itself because it will attract great players for the foreseeable future. But here is the danger and I started saying this three years ago. The future challenge for this league is that if the rules don’t change for playing for the national championship (only the top two in the BCS standings get in) it is going be more difficult for the SEC to keep winning national titles. These teams are going to be so good. Ole Miss is improving. Arkansas is improving. Auburn is going to come back. Tennessee is going to come back. Florida, Alabama, LSU, and Georgia are great programs. You’re going to have a bunch of teams with two losses and people are going to start thinking this is an average league. They would be wrong, but that will be the perception.
Right now the SEC has the benefit of everything going their way. They are going to win all tiebreakers. Their teams will be ranked higher at the beginning of the year and deservedly so. But does a one-loss SEC team jump ahead of an undefeated Big Ten team? As we move forward there is going to be tremendous pressure to put the undefeated teams in.
Things changed for the SEC when (No. 4) Florida jumped over (No. 3) Michigan in 2006 and played Ohio State for the national championship and won. Could they change again because the SEC gets so tough and really starts beating each other up? That’s the danger I see down the road.”
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304 comments Add your comment
JoeFann
August 11th, 2009
7:44 am
Thanks, Tony. 25 days!
Go Dawgs!
45-42, bleah
August 11th, 2009
7:44 am
Danielson also is a believer in a playoff system. Let the SEC start being on the outside looking in for the BCS Championship and I think we’ll finally see the playoff happen.
Spike
August 11th, 2009
7:44 am
Nice job, Tony. Looking forward to the show on Saturday. Danielson does a good job on TV. And when he is right, he’s right. This time he is right!
SomewhereinGA
August 11th, 2009
7:45 am
Where’s Saint Simons?
gte268p
August 11th, 2009
7:49 am
hahahaha, no, they won’t!
GW
August 11th, 2009
7:50 am
Don’t you know Saint Simons is really Bill King.
Dawg Fan
August 11th, 2009
7:53 am
Great read.
BTW: Saint Simmons please keep it up. Remember “Clean Old Fashion Hate” is good for the soul. Besides it just adds more motivation for the Dawgs this year!
JesupDawg
August 11th, 2009
7:53 am
I’d like to think the Dawgs will be a surprise but the biggest surprise from them lately is overly disappointing. How soon can Urban take the ND job?
Technically speaking
August 11th, 2009
7:58 am
The only surprise will be if GT doesn’t beat the piss out of UGA this year.
mitch
August 11th, 2009
8:02 am
Dear Mr. CF–it might, it might not. Your pal, Mitch
Saint Simons
August 11th, 2009
8:10 am
Forbes ranks Tech #501 – UGA #177 – hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
PT
August 11th, 2009
8:14 am
The Keys to successful teams are teams that have great O Lines or a lot of seniors. Its always the case. Every so often to get teams like UF that are just so athletic and fast they just simply are better. That is rare and doesnt last more than a year or 2. Georgia will be better than last year, but so will Florida and LSU. I say we split those games though and lose to Arkansas. I just think we are wore out on the road at night. It will be a hornets nest, but we will grow up. The good news is that the loaded Florida team will come back to earth as we roll into 2010 with most players intact and all on the o Line.
MiltonDawg
August 11th, 2009
8:15 am
Dawgs will be the surprise team of the year and the SEC will continue to dominate in OOC games. Hate to say but UF with their very, very weak schedule (only challenges @ LSU and against UGA) should make them the favorite obviously. Look for another SEC team to win the BCS.
Bring back Blackledge
August 11th, 2009
8:19 am
Gary Danielson is like a bad rash that just won’t go away. He only knows how to say Tebow this & Tebow that.
Arkansas will be the surprise team in the west.
GatorMan
August 11th, 2009
8:20 am
Idiot Tech fans win one game out of 8 against there arch rival and against the worst team in the SEC and they are experts. For your info the SEC is on record for wanting a playoff, including Florida and Georgia. I bet all the bumper stickers disappear when Georgia wrecks the WRECK again this year. Loser!!!!!!!!
AMG
August 11th, 2009
8:20 am
Georgia will lose 5 games thi year. Get real and look at there schedule….
Blue
August 11th, 2009
8:22 am
The only way GA will suprise me is if they don’t have at LEAST three losses this year (OK State, FL and Alabama).
SuperB
August 11th, 2009
8:23 am
CFB needs a playoff. Include the top 16 teams and play the first round and quarterfinals at the site of the highest-seeded team. The first round and quarterfinals to be played before Christmas, with the semifinals on New Year’s Day and the title game about two weeks later. The semifinals could be played in the major bowls: Sugar, Orange, Rose, Fiesta. Then play the title game in a different “super” bowl location each season, the same as does the NFL. As for all of those car parts and dot.com bowls– see ya! Only 16 teams would play after the conference championship games and all those 7-5 and 6-6 teams would look forward to next season,
Saint Simons
August 11th, 2009
8:25 am
I am late getting here today. I am too busy sleeping in this morning. AMG and Blue are in bed with me because they like men. And because I like men.
KNelson
August 11th, 2009
8:25 am
I will be surprised if Georgia doesnt lose 4 games!
Blue read a schedule
August 11th, 2009
8:26 am
Blue
Georgia doesn’t play Alabama, do you know much about football?
KR
August 11th, 2009
8:31 am
I dislike Danielson. I’d rather not watch a game than have to listen to him. It’s too bad, because I like Verne Lundquist.
His comments are just like his performances in the booth. A lot of rambling without ever really saying anything of substance. He leans towards the traditional favorites and has an almost creepy fascination with Tim Tebow and Mark Richt.
Several of the regular posters to this blog have provided far more insightful commentary over the last few weeks.
SecIsFootball
August 11th, 2009
8:31 am
I am just impressed Danielson didnt mention Tebow when talking about teams other than UF. He seemed to throw his name around about 25 times a game last season…And I am talking about games that didn’t involve Florida!!
Time for some college football. ROLL TIDE!!!
Big Ed
August 11th, 2009
8:32 am
I too think Georgia will be the surprise of the SEC. They could possibly start out at 0-6 and with a big loss to Georgia Tech have a losing season. No matter how good the offensive line is or may be, they have to have great production in the skill positions. There is no proven star at quarterback or running back. Green at wide receiver is excellent. The big but is the defense! Can the defense hold the scores down low enough to keep the games close? That remains to be seen and has all the potential for disaster.
bamafan
August 11th, 2009
8:35 am
Dear Blue – I guess you will be surprised since UGA will not lose to Bama this year. They don’t play.
Seriously?
August 11th, 2009
8:35 am
Im so sick of hearing about the “SEC beating up on each other”. UT and AU will come back??? When? About the time FSU and Miami come back?? How about Texas A&M and Nebraska? Can the same thing not be said for ACC (and EVERY other conference in August, before they go out and lose to WYOMING)! Cheezit and Kitty are both a$$ clowns that are anything BUT proven head coaches. The SEC is the premier league, but only by a small margin.
Blue
August 11th, 2009
8:37 am
Milton Dawg; as a big 10 guy, I will readily admit to the SEC’s strength; definitely toughest conference. But PLEASE cease with the OOC stuff. I did this exercise last year; go to the SEC teams schedules from last year and look at the lineup of OOC games. Excluding bowl games (where you DEFINITELY redeemed yourselves); 47 non conference games with 36 at HOME, 11 AWAY. Of the 11 away games, 3 wins (Miami OH, Louisville and AZ State). Losses away to La Tech, UCLA, Wake Forest, GA Tech (twice), Texas, Clemson and West Virginia and Wake again.
Wins (against other BCS or ’significant’ programs…and some of them are not real significant: NC State, Memphis, Louisville and Arizona State (all teams with 6 losses), Clemson, Miami and Hawaii (all teams with 5 losses) and Florida State (assuming Florida will beat them, because Florida is GOOD). So your record against other ’significant’ programs is 8-10…with seven wins coming against teams with about a 55% win percentage for the year. At least you had a winning record against the Big East.
What the facts say here is that of all of your non-conference games, you play mostly tier two programs…and over 80% of your non-conference games are at home. Of the non conference games, you went to the midwest once (Miami OH…way to go out on a limb), West twice (AZ State and UCLA), and to SW once (Texas). SEC likes to play at HOME or not travel very far. And for the non-conference games, most of these games happened early in the year, so the age old SEC argument that I read AGAIN in the paper the other day that “the SEC teams beat each other up until they have no players left” doesn’t really ring true.
Again, you guys are the best conference as evidenced by three consecutive NC’s (and probably a fourth coming). But please…don’t brag about out of conference. You…don’t…travel…or…play…anybody!
dagnabit
August 11th, 2009
8:38 am
Let’s just play the game. And enjoy it.
Gen Neyland
August 11th, 2009
8:39 am
Seriously? : Give CBS a phone call. I mean, what does a guy like Danielson have on a football mind like yours..?
Seriously?
August 11th, 2009
8:44 am
Whoa there Blue, watch out now. They don’t travel far because then they don’t want to come back to their murderous SEC schedule where they beat up on each other. Those travel days will give them less time to recover for those SEC games…..These guys will go round and round all day about SEC schedule, and now that ESPiN is on the bandwagon, they will just perpetuate all this garbage.
Morning Notes From Around The SEC | MrSEC.com
August 11th, 2009
8:47 am
[...] Tony Barnhart of The AJC posts a Q&A with CBS color analyst Gary Danielson today. You can check here to read the responses, but here are the questions fired at the former NFL quarterback:1. Can Florida handle the [...]
Seriously?
August 11th, 2009
8:47 am
Gen –
No really, I want to know how come UT and AU are “bound” to come back, yet FSU & Miami have just fallen from grace the past few years, and everyone has pretty much given up on them “rebounding” (except for their delusional fan bases…cough..cough…Miami…cough). B/c UT and AU are in the SEC, the strength of their premier teams is going to make them better? Is that it?
Saint Simons
August 11th, 2009
8:49 am
dogs lose 6 games this yr. !!!!!!!!!hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Ron Mexico
August 11th, 2009
8:50 am
Are there any teams (any traditional teams) that *aren’t* expecting to improve this year? With the exception of Boston College (coaching, personnel issues), Texas Tech (losses to NFL) and Connecticut (NFL) I can’t think of many teams that don’t expect to be better than last year throughout the NCAAs. It’s not just an SEC thang. Even Duke is optimistic at this point.
RAMBLE ON!!!
August 11th, 2009
8:55 am
Nice Mr. SEC Football….err, Mr. College Football can’t help but mention the SEC has won the last 3 BCS….TWICE in the same article.
“Right now the SEC has the benefit of everything going their way. They are going to win all tiebreakers. Their teams will be ranked higher at the beginning of the year and deservedly so.”
No homer here….er, no bias here, ARGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!
…never mind.
RAMBLE ON!!!
August 11th, 2009
8:57 am
Hey Tony, here’s an idea for tomorrow’s blog.
How about moving the UGAg UF game?
Trade School Junkie
August 11th, 2009
9:01 am
I respect Danielson, but…GA, the surprise team of the SEC?
I disagree. The only surprise GA wil show will be to the downside.
The 2 surprise teams will be Ark & Tenn.
Petrino is an Offensive mastermind, and Monte Kiffin is a Defensive mastermind. These two guys are SIGINIFICANTLY better gameday coaches on the Offense(Petrino) and the Defense(Kiffin) than anyone else in the SEC. That is gonna make a HUUUUUUGE difference during the season. Not only do I see Ark beating GA, but Ark has the chance to pull a huge upset against Ole Miss, LSU, or both. In 2008, a lesser Ark team beat a better LSU team. In 2009, Ark will be even better. As for Tenn, I think Tenn has a shot at what would clealry be the upset of the year, beating UF in the Swamp. Why? No SEC team has ever faced Monte Kiffin’s SUPER BOWL WINNING Tampa-2 defense. UF will be the first SEC team to face it. With UF OC Dan Mullen gone, offenseive adjustment to a killer D is gonna be difficult. I think that gives Tenn a shot at the “impossible.” Dont think it cant happen. NOBODY thought Ole Miss could beat UF in the Swamp, either. And, if Tenn upsets UF, then beating GA will be slam-dunk for Tenn.
As for Barnhart’s question: Is the SEC starting to separate itself from the rest of college football?
Folks, the MAIN thing the SEC is gonna be doing the next few years is…Separating SEC fans from their money. That $3 Billion isnt gonna come from ESPN, its gonna come from the fans wallets. Dont expect Barnhart to make that clear to SEC fans.
Mike
August 11th, 2009
9:04 am
Tony is a joke. A sec homer. Ga is going to have a crap year. You’ll see how bad it’s going to be in less than a month. 7-5 with a crappy bowl game. Enjoy all the hype now. Tony has to keep you sucked in for now.
johnny reb
August 11th, 2009
9:19 am
LSU did a great job handling pressure!!! Just like Georgia.
Lou Vales
August 11th, 2009
9:21 am
Tony. Tony. Tony. Georgia will finish 2nd in the SEC East. They are projected to finish 2nd in the SEC East. You know they are not finishing ahead of Florida. You know they will not finish behind the GARBAGE that is Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky. Not going to call Vandy garbage because of quality of the school, but in football Georgia is finishing ahead of them. Tony, YOU KNOW all this true. Where is the SURPRISE!!!
Georgia HAS NOT won a National Championship since last year of Billy Carter’s brother’s Presidency. For an ELITE football power that is bordering on being IRRELEVANT. Think of the football ELITES–which won goes 30 years without a National Championship??
archangeladidas
August 11th, 2009
9:29 am
“UF has a weak schedule”………..yeah thats because we have uga on it! Certain things only happen every once in a while. Winning back to back titles in football is one of them. You have to have the right elements in place to do so. I honestly believe UF has that. ALL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS ARE RETURNING, ALL OF THEM! You can’t compare this team to other teams because of the time frames. What happen five years ago is irrevelent. Lock of the year………UF will beat lsu easily! Then what?
Gravy Train
August 11th, 2009
9:34 am
Now that’s funny, a Big Ten fan named Blue, who thinks the SEC plays soft schedules. There is only one team in the entire Big Ten that is anywhere close to being as good as the fourth best team in the SEC, the Blowhio State Suckeyes. Even they haven’t beaten an SEC team in my lifetime.
Let’s examine the brutal Big 10 line up.
Michigan. The 1-AA door mat.
Michigan State. Stuck in mediocrity.
Penn State. Riding the coat tails of a geriatric has been.
Minnesota. They have a football team?
Indiana. Fat yankees love cupcakes.
Illinois. Ron Zook, enough said.
Perdue. Tiller finally gave up.
Wisconson. Below average compared to the SEC.
Ohio State. Sweater vested male baton twirlers.
Northwestern. The 90’s one hit wonder.
Iowa. Never can put it together.
There isn’t one team in this sorry excuse for a conference that could win an SEC schedule, let alone be competitive.
You Big Ten and Pac Ten spooners don’t want a playoff because then you have zero chance at winning a national title. So keep the rose bowl “tradition” and leave the real football to the real teams.
Yes Blue, your bum is still sore from Appy State. Hate on the weakness of your program and conference instead of the conference of champions that is the SEC.
Fast Eddie
August 11th, 2009
9:36 am
Milton Dawg, why don’t you just pray for another team to win the SEC instead of “look for another team to win the SEC”? You’re turning green with envy of the Gators!
Lou Vales
August 11th, 2009
9:38 am
I just realized that 30 years is a veryyyyyyy long time. Reagan had not started his Presidency, Berlin Wall was intact, Soviet Union was intact, Chipper Jones was 7, No internet, Nobody knew Bill Clinton,Sadat was alive, A-Rod was 2,The ONLY Bush anyone cared about was the War Hero Bush, No ESPN, Was there a CNN??. Man!!!! 30 years is a very long time for an “elite” football program to go without even playing–let alone winning–for a National Championship. Shouldn’t it be about time??
All over but the shouting « Get The Picture
August 11th, 2009
9:38 am
[...] On the flip side, Gary Danielson tells Tony Barnhart a few different things about Georgia and Alabama. “I think Georgia is going to be the surprise of [...]
Dog In Daytona
August 11th, 2009
9:42 am
If Richt concentrated as much on disciplining his football players and making them tougher as he does planning his next mission trip, Georgia might actually beat Florida and shut these people up. I would love Richt as a neighbor, if I want one of those nice big trophies and a tingling celebration on the national stage, I’ll take the nasty guy at Florida.
BurningRedBleedingBlack
August 11th, 2009
9:48 am
Is it just me or am i the only one who skips all the tech posts, hahah GO DAWGS!!!
Joe D.
August 11th, 2009
9:49 am
Georgia is going to suprise alright….just not in a successful way.
Saint Simons
August 11th, 2009
9:49 am
(((((45-42)))))hahaha and we had a Tickle Pile on Herty Field!!!!!
Will
August 11th, 2009
9:54 am
Let me start by saying Blue is an idiot for his thoughtless post about UGA getting beat by Bama this season. Please get off this blog, you are bringing it down!
Now I agree that UF is the class of the conference, I think Bama is a distant second as of right now. But let me say this Tony, I think UGA is not only the surprise team in the SEC but the surprise team in the entire nation! We have talent galore at LB and our revamped secondary is much improved. UGA nation will soon find out who Sanders Commings is and will be impressed. Marcus Washington and Montez Robinson will come off the edge and bring pressure while our D- Line will be the country’s best. And yes, better than UF.
My only concern for the season is how in the hell I’m going to explain to the wife how i would rather be at the UGA-UF game instead of trick-or-treating with the fam on 10-31! Now that’s a problem.
Saint Simons
August 11th, 2009
9:55 am
Dogs will lose every game this year and I will still be a flaming crossdresser living in my mom’s basement.
Gen Neyland
August 11th, 2009
10:00 am
Seriously? : Danielson has an opinion. In the case of his opinion, one should look at it as more an educated guess seeing how he’s been a part of the college game in many ways for many years. For him it’s a job, for most of us, it’s a release. I could crack a snide remark and say the reason Miami and FSU will struggle forever can be summed up like this : ACC…That’s not fair to them. I really put a lot of emphasis on coaching. Sure, the jury hasn’t been seated in Tennessee’s or Auburn’s cases, and in fairness, it’ll take 2-3, maybe 4 years to see if the coaching changes bear fruit. In UT’s case, a top recruiting class for a HC yet to prowl the sidelines in the SEC is remarkable. It says Tennessee is still on recruits radar mostly in part due to the coaching changes. One could ask, ‘ When will Michigan rebound, will UCLA win the PAC again and play for a NC, can Miami regain the swagger of the 80’s and can FSU ever dominate the state of Florida again..? Truthfully, I don’t know but what I do know is that programs that have been successful in the past want to succeed again. Believe it or not, one day The University of Florida, Oklahoma and Texas will all give way. Sooner or later, it’s gonna happen…Shoot, you could toss Nebraska into your question above and from what I know about Nebraska, they kind of liked being on top…
UGAsRuffYear
August 11th, 2009
10:03 am
Georgia will surprise…5 losses will shock a lot of folks over here in Dawg nation. Get rid of Martinez! Play one of the young QB’s to get ready for 2010! If we open with an L to OSU….we lose at least 5 this year.
DirtyDawg
August 11th, 2009
10:04 am
Let me see now…name another ‘elite’ program that goes thirty years without winning a National Championship? Hmmmmm…oh, I got one – in fact I’ve got one that did it three times – the University of Florida went 90 years before it won it’s first NC. Now for those UF fans that believe history began with Steve Superior, that’s throwing a lot of Bull Gators under the bus, don’t you think?
Keep believing that the Gators are a lock. It’ll be a pleasure hearing you whine when the wheels come off.
GTinNashville
August 11th, 2009
10:05 am
I think college football made a very big move that I would expoect people like Gary Danielson to point out. The NCAA made a big move when the renamed 1-A and 1-AA to FBS and FCS respectively. No longer is it implied that the championship subdivision is below the bowl subdivision. They are both in Division 1. So my question is this: If the SEC decides the BCS is no longer in their favor, why doesn’t the league vote to move from the FBS to the FCS division?
Everyone including myself makes fun of the name change, but by changing names this is giving every 1-A team that complains about the bowls an opportunity to change it with a simple vote. One team going to FCS isn’t going to make a difference, but if you have an entire league as powerful as the SEC make this change, then you will see an end to national championships decided by writers.
I think in the end what you’ll find is while coaches say they want a playoff, they aren’t willing to give up the bowl money. You might have 2 SEC teams make a playoff, but right now you might have 9 go to bowl games and bring in big money.
YardDawg
August 11th, 2009
10:07 am
hey saint simons…cant you insects count? for the last three weeks I have driven by that trade school on i-75 though Atlanta and their sign boost “HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE!!! 7 HOME GAMES!” well this week it says the same thing only they have reduced the number to 6….did tech play a game already or did they count a scrimage?
Hadley Meinders
August 11th, 2009
10:14 am
Arkansas will never beat Ole Miss as long as Houston Nutt is Ole Miss coach. The hawgs were nuts to let him go.
dog hog
August 11th, 2009
10:20 am
Dear Hadley, You’re Nutts! Houston Nutt is all smoke and mirrors. He’s winning with Ogeron’s players. Wait until he gets “his” players in there, and Ole Miss will go back to being mediocre. You ought to see Petrino trying to make something out of what Nutt left in Fayetteville. With that said, Petrino’s team may surprise some people, most likely UGA in September.
tenn.DAWG
August 11th, 2009
10:20 am
Hey Blue,everyone of those OOC teams you named would have beat all of the big 10 teams with the exceptions of os and p.st.last year.It has to really take a lot of time and drink to muster the courage to come on an SEC board and spew that garbage.Maybe you thought you were on a pac 10 board.
the real Old Gold
August 11th, 2009
10:22 am
I think they “surprised” the conference last season already. THWG!
NegNews
August 11th, 2009
10:23 am
Gary Danielson is a good broadcaster, but Vern is an idiot. Please get rid of Vern and all will be good in the broadcast booth for SEC games.
Go Dawgs!
Miles
August 11th, 2009
10:24 am
The SEC on CBS…awesome!
Kid Ray
August 11th, 2009
10:24 am
Good article TB – Danielson is usually spot on with his analysis. Im a Big East (Rutgers) guy and even I appreciate the SEC. I agree UGa is the surprise team in the East and Ark in the West. I think SC and Aub are the surprise teams moving in the other direction.
Phoneguy
August 11th, 2009
10:25 am
Seriously… all you delusional doomsday people and haters: Georgia COULD have a very good year (skies the limit), OR they could have a down year (maybe lose 3). Thats a pretty damn good situation to have as a program. To be able to consider 3 losses for an SEC team as a down year. Perspective people. Perspective! AND THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!!! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
Hadley
August 11th, 2009
10:25 am
Arkansas can’t keep from losing home state players to Oklahoma and texas!
ReptilesRule
August 11th, 2009
10:29 am
For Georgia, that first game will tell you alot about the season. If UGA comes out on top then they could surely surprise. If not, look for 8-4 that alot of people are thinking. As for Florida, look for them to follow the example of the basketball championship team of a couple of years ago…
ATL Native
August 11th, 2009
10:31 am
Hey St Simons, your Dawg just crapped on the beach again so you know “THE DRILL”. Go get your little “POOPIE BAG” and clean it up. It’s the law!!!
JD
August 11th, 2009
10:36 am
my hip hurts
Ryan
August 11th, 2009
10:38 am
Tech Haters all over the UGA blogs. What a joke!! Go to your Tech Blogs….Oh that’s right, no one cares about your loser program. 7 out of 8 dorks! We own you!
DawgPound
August 11th, 2009
10:38 am
The Dawgs will upset Florida in Jax this year, ruining their season and sending them to a minor bowl! Mark it down. Dawgs pull the upset and win the SEC over Bama!!! Ga 30 Fla—the dawg D will be the best in the SEC!!
Saint Nick
August 11th, 2009
10:38 am
Please no “BLACKOUTS”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mark
August 11th, 2009
10:39 am
Blue- your argument doesn’t hold water. Playing the Clemsons, and the ASU of the world are still better than playing 1-AA teams. “Tier two program”??? There just aren’t that many Tier 1 programs!! You think UGA or FLorida should play Texas or Oklahoma on the second Saturday of the season?!?!?! The “tier two programs” that the SEC teams play are still better than the majority of the teams that USC, OSU, and Notre Lame play.
T.O
August 11th, 2009
10:39 am
SEC=last 3 BCS champs. 4 teams in the top 10 preseason. ACC=CHUMPS!!!HAHAHAAH!!!
Johnny DangerDawg
August 11th, 2009
10:45 am
Why does everybody say Alabama was “ahead of schedule” last year? Coach Shula had recruited some pretty good players. And their QB was a senior with lots of experience. If anything, Saban’s squad underachieved in his first year (2007) because Shula had left behind some ripe talent. I think Saban is a good coach who can win titles, but so far, his teams have NOT overachieved.
BankerDawg
August 11th, 2009
10:49 am
Almost every expert has alluded to our defense being better “because it just can’t be as bad as last year”, and even in this article, Danielson says the very same thing.
I hope this is shown to be true.
I think the lines will be great. I think our QB/RB positions will work themselves out because of the talent we have at both.
My only concern is relying on a defense that frankly just was not very sound last year.
Hopefully with another year of maturity, our guys will realize they have to bring it every time they are out there. Most times last year, it looked as if they were disinterested.
If we do grow up on D, then I think we certainly can achieve a high level of success this year.
GO DAWGS!
Suck it Nerd
August 11th, 2009
10:49 am
IMO:
SEC pecking order:
Florida
BAMA
LSU
UGA
Arkansas – I think they surprise everyone.
Ole Miss
UT
SC
and then everybody else.
Todd
August 11th, 2009
10:51 am
I’m a big UGA fan and will rot for any Georgia team, so I am behind GT EXCEPT when they play UGA
… Whther when agreen with Danielson or not, he has a few good points: It will become difficult for an SEC team to play for the BCS, because most will hae 1 ot 2 losses as teams get better. My thought is that it will take care of itself. Yo just cannot deny the strength of the SEC; but that thought is really just inside the SEC. Other conferences feel that they are the best. We all know thats just not true, but thats what they say (not that they really believe it). Also, whether he mentions Tebow or not, Tim Tebow is a force and thats from a UGA fan. I hae the Gators but as a fan of the game, they (Gators) won it and beat UGA. As the SEC gets better, I am hoping for a playoff system (Tope 8 teams), but limit the regular season shedule to 11 Games at a max, to end by the 1st week of December, thus taking care of th ‘missing school’ thing everyone seem to have an issue with. Corporate sponsorship to take care of the money thing…
UGA. lets just win the SEC and play for the BCS this year.
Captain
August 11th, 2009
10:52 am
Blue – you call the SEC’s OOC schedule mediocre? Who the heck does the Big 10 play OOC? Oh yeah, Mich plays App St, Utah and Toledo all losses; Ohio St plays S Cal – a blowout; Wisc plays who? Fresno? and the list goes on and on. The day Mich, Ohio St, Penn St agree to home and home with SEC programs is the day the Big 10 starts to turnaround. BTW – Mich turned down the chance to play a home and home with Georgia, they scheduled App St instead, that turned out really well for them didn’t it? Gotta give Ohio St credit, they will play tough OOC games but the other 10 programs are evidently afraid of competition and prefer to take on the MAC and D-1AA.
AWJ
August 11th, 2009
10:54 am
Seriously — Are you serious??
Auburn and UT are bound to come back because they have been outstanding programs over the last 15 or so years and have stumbled the last couple. FSU has not been consistently good since Amato and Richt left, and Miami has not been good since about that same time when they played OSU in the BCS CG. UT played for SECC in 2007 and Auburn went undefeated in 2004. There is a difference in having a couple of bad seasons with undefeated and division winner seasons mixed in VS. being very mediocre for the last 6 or 7 years, which is enough time to “turn it around” and FSU and Miami have not done that…
See where Auburn and UT are in 4 or 5 years and if they are still “re-building”, then we can put them with the FSUs and Miamis of the last 4 or 5 years….
TampaGator
August 11th, 2009
10:54 am
DawgPound…I love bloggers that rely strickly on emotion to make posts, with very little or no logic or supporting information. Even in middle school I learned to write my thesis with supporting details….like providing details on why you think the Dawgs are going to beat Florida and send them to a minor bowl. You defense is not better than the Gator defense. Your offense is not better than the Gator offense. Your special teams are not better than the Gators special teams…and, to this date, Florida’s coaching has been better. So, exactly what will the Dawgs do to upset the Gators and send the Gators off to the Independence Bowl?
sec
August 11th, 2009
10:55 am
The best way for the SEC, or any conference for that matter, to separate itself from the others, would be to schedule ALL non-conference games with BSC teams ONLY. Get away from playing “patsies” they serve no purpose. If you are good…prove it!
TampaGator
August 11th, 2009
10:56 am
JD…take an asprin and call me in the morning!
m
August 11th, 2009
10:59 am
Tony…do you ever get tired of your constant sec over-hyped drivel.
The ACC beat the sec head up last year 6-4 in the regular season. This year there are 7 games between the ACC and the sec. And there is no doubt that the ACC will kick the sec’s arse again.
The sec is the chan gomer gailey of conferences.
m selectively funny!
August 11th, 2009
11:01 am
m
38-3!
38-3 it NEVER gets old!
CharlotteGator
August 11th, 2009
11:03 am
BankerDawg,
I think that’s a very accurate analysis. LB’s will be the strength on the D and line will be pretty good up the middle. Biggest question marks in my opinion would have to be what the DE’s give you as well as the secondary. Losing Asher Allen probably hurts, and I might be biased, but Prince Miller doesn’t strike me as a shutdown corner to be feared. R. Jones has the tools but hasn’t put it together yet. If he does this year and, the secondary holds up, and DE’s generate a marginal amount of pressure, then look out the UGA D will be a force.
I totally agree that UGA can/will be the surprise team this year. A couple early season wins will give the team a TON of confidence and momentum heading into the SEC slate. They’re set up well to take UF down this year and after that, it’s just a matter of handling business. If they can perform well and catch a few breaks, this could definitely be a great season for UGA. And yes, I hate typing that.
Of course, similar to UF, this season is high risk, high reward. UGA has some big games early. Lose them and it could be a downward spiral. Win them, and all bets our off, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. For UF, all the hype and expectations mean any loss and potentially even a bad performance will be news and reasons to tear them down and eventually lead to ‘disappointment’. Live up to the hype and perform at the level they’re capable of and watch out, it will be a piece of CF history. This is going to be a great college football season. Can’t wait!!
SEC Superior
August 11th, 2009
11:03 am
The NCAA will have a problem with a playoff system though, because the reality is, if there had been a playoffs system in place the SEC would have won 6 of the last 6 national championships. They have more money, better facilities, a talent rich recruiting base, and more national exposure. Other conferences really can’t compete.
In a playoff system you might end up with 2 SEC schools squaring off on a regular basis and knocking the other conferences completely out of the discussion.
If USC, OSU or OU had to run the gauntlet that is the SEC, they wouldn’t have unblemished records. The NCAA has to maintain the illusion that the other conferences are relevant. I believe this is the REAL reason they don’t want a playoff.
Newton Co. Dawg
August 11th, 2009
11:04 am
Another great post Will. Tell us more about practice sessions if you see any. Thanks.
Got 12?
August 11th, 2009
11:06 am
Inflammatory article by Birmingham News’s Kevin Scarbinsky:
http://blog.al.com/kevin-scarbinsky/2009/08/scarbinsky_what_do_womens_unde.html
TampaGator
August 11th, 2009
11:09 am
TRADE SCHOOL JUNKIE…if Kiffin runs the Tampa2 against the Gators offensive scheme, the score will be 70-0. The Tampa2 is designed to stop and down the field passing game, especially the mid and long deep in the middle of the field. The weakness of the Tampa2 is out and sideline pattens…guess what Florida runs all the time…short middle of the field and out cut sideline patterns with a TE and slot receiver then coming back across the short middle. How will a Tampa2 defense stop that? Kiffin better get his mind out of the NFL and the Tampa2 when he plays the Gators in the Swamp. He better play a lot of man and combination man/zones if he wants to beat the Gators. But, that is not going to happen my friend. It is going to be a “foul” beginning for the two Kiffins and the Vols in The Swamp. This one has been marked on the Gator calendar for a while now. The Gators are going to hit Tennessee with everything they have both offensively and defensively…and score at least twice on special teams.
Ma Barker
August 11th, 2009
11:12 am
Is Larry Munson still on this side of the ground? Or is he with Strom Thurmond muttering something incomprehensible?
I understand most of the dissappointment last year was due to the fact that the new UGA is gay. If larry’s still out there maybe we can get a comment on it, or from one of the other senile sideline reporters from the UGA broadcasts…
johnnyboy
August 11th, 2009
11:13 am
TampaGator….I’m not disputing your points. I think Georgia has a lot to prove before we can start talking trash. But it will be interesting to see Tebow at quarterback this year. With the new quarterback coach, my guess is that he will try to throw more to transition towards the NFL. I’m wondering if the offense will completely adjust in time.
Honest question...
August 11th, 2009
11:14 am
From a gt fan. How is uga going to surprise when they are already picked to finish 2nd behind UF in the east and ranked 13th in the coaches. What is the upside? Should have asked that of Gary. Just sayin’
TampaGator
August 11th, 2009
11:20 am
DawgPound…let me write your Dawgs upset the Gators thesis for you. (1) Georgia comes out not overly emotional and very focused. (2) They realize that the only way they upset the Gators is to control the ball with a dominating run oriented, play action offense and their offensive line plays the best game ever (and no one has been lost to injury previous to the game).(3) The Bulldogs get some turnovers deep in Gator country and therefore shorten the field of play against perhaps one of the best defensive teams ever. (4) The Georgia kicker does not miss two easy field goals that could shift the momentum to the Dawgs. (5) The Georgia QB does not make too many long pass attempts agains the Gators and relys on play action, short passes to maintain ball control on the Gators. (6) The defense contains the Florida running game which will be key to upsetting the Gators, not controlling the passing game. (7) Georgia keeps the game close and makes a big special teams play in the 4th quarter (punt return or blocked punt). Even with all these elements, the game will be very close and could go either way. If Georgia fails on 2 or more of these points, the game will not be close. Florida simply has better and deeper talent (and more experienced talent) and Georgia will have to play the game of their lives to win. They are more than capable of doing so, but I don’t think it will happen in ‘09…maybe in ‘10, but that will be a similar challenge as well.
Georgia Will Be the Surprise of the SEC | Hard Knox Sports
August 11th, 2009
11:23 am
[...] former Georgia quarterback David Green when the Bulldogs won won the SEC Championship in 2002. [AJC] I do not agree with this pick, but if Cox has a good season at Georgia, the Bulldogs will have be [...]
Old Dawg
August 11th, 2009
11:23 am
I agree with Danielson on the losses inside the SEC. LSU was extremely lucky to make the championship game two years ago, especially after losing to Kentucky in OT. The Big 10 and Pac 10 won’t join the play-off bandwagon because of the Rose Bowl connection, which really steams me when I review the overall competition on both conferences. It doesn’t help any when ESPN always goes on and on about the Big 10, only to see their teams flop in championship games.
As for UGA surprising people, it’s a possibility. A very real possibility. If a running back steps up and takes some pressure off Joe Cox for play-action passes the offense has the ability to light it up. The defense has to be better … it couldn’t get any worse!
Who Cares?
August 11th, 2009
11:26 am
Who cares!
Saint Simons
August 11th, 2009
11:26 am
I want Lou Vales’ sausage
AWJ
August 11th, 2009
11:27 am
The ACC vs. SEC matchups look pretty even top to bottom so this should be a good year for comparrison..
Alabama vs. VA Tech – Great matchup. A couple of the best teams in their conference.
USC @ NC State – very mediocre teams. Not as sure about NC State, but appears to be a match-up of bottom half teams in their respective conferences.
GT @ MSU — not a very good “predictor” match up. GT is better and should win. A match up of one of the best ACC teams vs. one of the worst SEC teams.
FSU @ Florida — similar to above, although FSU is not as bad as MSU and Florida is better than Tech. Does have the rivalry component.
UGA @ GT – Similar to Bama vs. Tech in that this is an evenly matched game consisting of 2 of the better teams in their conferences. Rivalry factor also. Good indicator.
Clemson @ USC — Clemson preseason 36 and USC preseason 37 in USA Today. Should be an even matchup, but not sure it is indicative of conference strength.
To me the best 2 match-ups for SEC vs. ACC is Bama vs. VA Tech and UGA @ GT……
TampaGator
August 11th, 2009
11:30 am
Johnny Boy…the new QB coach has focused most of his time helping Tebow improve his passing techniques which will be key to him making it in the pros and not taking snaps from the center. Tebow will get some I-formation plays this year, but I think most of those plays will be short, play action passes (when they do pass) and run plays. And I think most of the I-formation will be run when John Brantley comes into the game (and wait until you see this kid play…he is special) to help prepare him for next year. When Tebow is in the game, you will see an improved passer but mostly the same offense the Gators have run for the past two years. Next years offense will be different to accommodate more of what Brantley does, which is throwing the ball with uncanny accuracy.
Tide Rising
August 11th, 2009
11:32 am
Danielson is dead on about a lot of things and especially about the dawgs.
Georgia has the exact same ingredients Bama had in our run last year. They have a veteran, talented O-line returning healthy and a veteran front 7 on D that is anchored by 2 bedrock D tackles. They will be much more physical and hence much better than people think. Whether or not that will be enough to take down the gators remains to be seen. Interesting though that the unbiased congrove computer system has the dogs going 7-1 in sec play this year.
Blue, you really ought to take a look at the bevy of lightweights that the big 10 plays out of conference. Its filled with MAC, Sunbelt, and other 2nd tier conference teams. Playing ND which has been bad for awhile doesn’t count.
Ohio State follows the same recipe that Bama and some other teams do. They play one true heavyweight a year like USC or Texas, then 3 creampuffs, then their conference schedule. Same as Bama(VT this year and Penn State next year) and a lot of teams in general.
Georgia is a little different in that they don’t play a true heavyweight this year but they play 2 very good teams in GT and Ok St. and an ASU team that is a bad team but in years past has had good years in the PAC 10.