Thanks for a great season!
Wow! It seems like a lifetime ago that Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount threw the right cross to Boise State’s Byron Hout. That’s how our 2009 college football season got started. Here we are, three months later. So where are we now?
**–Oregon is going to the Rose Bowl for the first time since Rich Brooks was head coach (1994). Blount, who was first kicked off the Oregon team for the season, has been reinstated and will be a force in the game against Ohio State.
**–Georgia Tech has won the ACC championship, its first since 1990, and is headed to the Orange Bowl for the first time since Jan. 1, 1967. It was Bobby Dodd’s last game as head coach.
**–After a 7-5 season, Georgia has fired three assistant coaches. After being ranked No. 1 prior to the 2008 season, Georgia is headed to Shreveport. The Bulldog Nation is a little nervous about the future.
**–Alabama has won its 23rd SEC championship and on Jan. 7 will play for (by its count) the 13th national championship in its storied football history.
**–Saturday night in New York sophomore running back Mark Ingram may become the first Alabama player ever to win the Heisman Trophy.
**–After being left out of the BCS championship game last season because it lost to Texas Tech with one second remaining, Texas vowed to be “One Second Better” this season. Boy did that turn out to be true! Texas needed a second to (correctly) be put back on the clock to beat Nebraska and advance to the BCS championship game.
**–Both LSU and Tennessee enter the Holiday season under investigation by the NCAA. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive cannot be a happy camper about that. A coach at LSU has already resigned, so that sounds serious. I’m getting the feeling that the Tennessee investigation won’t turn out to be serious. But I could be wrong.
**–Kentucky has been playing college football since 1888 but no coach in its history—not even Bear Bryant—has ever won four straight bowl games. If Kentucky beats Clemson in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 27, Rich Brooks will win his fourth straight game as the Wildcats’ head coach.
**–Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, who looked like he would coach forever, was forced to retire after a 6-6 season, his 44th as a head coach. Bowden will coach his last game on Jan. 1 against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. Here’s hoping the Seminoles will send him, and defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews, out with a win.
**–I’ve been fortunate enough to cover some of the very best college football players who ever lived. But there has never been anyone quite like Florida’s Tim Tebow. Tebow was denied a chance at his third national championship by a great performance by Alabama in the SEC championship game. He will play his final college game in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 against Cincinnati. Here’s hoping Tebow goes out a winner.
**–Notre Dame finished 6-6 and decided not to go to a bowl. The school fired Charlie Weis, who heads back to the NFL with a boatload of cash. Now Brian Kelly, who took Cincinnati to a pair of BCS bowls, will try to return the Fighting Irish to their former glory. It’s a tall order unless he gets some help on the academic side of the university.
**–There was a time when teams from the five coalition (non-BCS) conferences (Conference USA, MAC, WAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt) could not get into a BCS game. Now two schools from those leagues (TCU, Boise State) are among the 10 teams playing in the five big games.
I’m sure I’ve left out a 100 more storylines that are near and dear to your heart. The point is a lot of stuff happened this season. It always does. That’s why, with all due respect to my friends who love the NFL, college football is the best game in the world. And it’s not even close.
At this point your humble correspondent will take a break for Christmas. It has been a long season but a good one. It is time for me to get reacquainted with my family.
I again want thank you for your support of this daily effort. As I have told you in the past, the followers of Mr. CFB are the smartest, most knowledgeable college football fans in the country. We don’t always agree but that’s okay. It’s no fun if we don’t disagree. You bring your passion to the table and you bring it every day. And I appreciate it.
I’ll be back on Monday, Dec. 28 as we start getting ready for the home stretch of the bowl season and the BCS championship game. If something wild happens, and it usually does this time of year, I’ll jump back on and we’ll talk about it.
Until then, I hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas.
TB
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517 comments Add your comment
2010 Another Banner Recruiting Year for UGA
December 15th, 2009
10:46 pm
Yeah, you heard it before, good memory, that was back in 2006 the last time when Richt got a #4 ranking of a recruting class by espn, and finished #2 in the country in 2007 the next year.
#1 BAMA FAN
December 16th, 2009
9:15 am
Happy Holidays to all of the college football fans and good luck in your bowl games. I thing BAMA will be better next year, I have seen the players that have not yet reached the field. BAMA will bring a MMA approach to Pasadena “ground and pound”. RTR
Clint
December 16th, 2009
10:33 am
http://harleyinthehuddle.blogspot.com/2009/12/war-of-roses-oregon-battle-plan.html
Decent take here on what Oregon’s battle plan will be in the War of Roses. As a Buckeye fan I am excited for this game but I fear it’s going to get ugly.
Santa Claws
December 16th, 2009
2:40 pm
Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of rum to you Barnhart…keep up the good work!
Tebow Homer
December 16th, 2009
8:09 pm
Tony-
I’d love to see you write an article about ALL the individuaL career QB stats Tebow set during his amazing career. No one seems to be able to find 1 single inidividual QB record Tebow holds. I’m sure there are dozens sonce guys like you worship the guy. Enlighten us all with some proof and some stats.
Tebow Homer
December 16th, 2009
8:17 pm
By the way, the year Tebow won his Hesiman was his BEST year, and he finished in the 60’s in rushing, and #23 in passing. Never the best at any QB stuff, never the best at any RB stuff. He’s an average guy, on a good team, with Harvin, Demps, and the #1 ranked defense in the country.
Tebow Has Left the Room
December 17th, 2009
12:21 am
He didn’t win the Heisman. He didn’t win the National Championship. He’s a Senior. He won’t come back and haunt you in your sleep.
So, can you just STFU already?
Tebow Homer
December 17th, 2009
9:58 am
Tebow…haunting…..uh, 85 passer rating, 12 completions, 0 TD’s, 2 INT’s…against Miss St……..Tebow doesn’t haunt anyone but Urban who calls 70% running plays to avoid more Tebow nightmares……
The Fall of Tim Tebow in 2009
December 17th, 2009
10:09 am
What happened to Tebow’s “leadership” skills in the SEC Championship? I always knew he couldn’t play QB, but I thought his leadership skills would AT LEAST be equal to Chris Leak’s? Not so much. Leak did better than Tebow in 2009. What a story, Tebow got worse for the 3rd straight year in a row even with Tom Brady’s QB Coach.
dawg11
December 17th, 2009
11:13 am
I am glad the Georgia game didn’t mean much to Tech as Comparing GT to Ga says above. It is funny that when Tech wins a GA-GA Tech game it is very big, so big that they put it on their rings. When Tech loses, then the game doesn’t mean much. Tech losing to Georgia this year is really eating at all you Tech fans, but you try to convince us that it doesn’t mean much.
You finally had a good season and are going to a BCS game, and all I can say is it’s about time. In the 2000’s Tech has played in the Emerald Bowl, Gator Bowl (2), Peach-Chic-fil-A (2), Seattle Bowl, Silicon Valley Bowl, Champs Bowl and Humanitarian Bowl (2), and their record is 3-7. Tech has beaten Stanford, Syracuse and Tulsa. The only bowl game you have played with Johnson coaching was LSU last year, and they destroyed you.
Georgia has played in the Sugar Bowl (3), Capital One Bowl (2), Outback, Chic-fil-A, Oahu, and Music City with a bowl recond of 7-2. Georgia has beaten Virginia, FSU, Purdue, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Hawaii, and Michigan State.
Who has the brightest future? Only time will tell.
bud
December 17th, 2009
1:17 pm
ga has young playmakers? they have no qb, caleb king will be a senior. one receiver. no dc bama will be as good or better than this year. fl is loaded by the way fl waxed ga it was bama that beat fl not ga ga still has thugs and a iffy hc get a grip the dogs will be down next year too
Buzz
December 17th, 2009
3:58 pm
I’m a huge Tech fan and I would trade all 11 wins this year for a rematch or a win vs. Georgia!!! You Tech bloggers must be crazy saying that an ACC championship and BCS bowl are better. If your saying that you must be a closet Tech fan!!! A GEORGIA win is a must every year in order to consider the year a success!!!!! ENOUGH SAID!!!!
Lindsay
December 17th, 2009
5:25 pm
To Georgia fans:
There is nothing we can do about the fact the we are not in the SEC anymore. We left because of Bear Bryant, and when we tried to re-enter the SEC, Georgia blocked our entrance. You are a mediocre SEC team and we are a good ACC team. Everyone knows that the SEC is better than the ACC. We’re fully aware of it. But we are unable to join the SEC. Even if we did, you would find something else to ridicule us about.
I was at the game against the Dawgs this year (and every other home game), and I will very willingly admit that the Dawgs played better than the Jackets. You beat us. We know. Congratulations. But even if we were in the SEC and beat you, you would still find SOMETHING ELSE to call us out on. You say that it’s not even a rivalry anymore. Well, I wish it could be, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
I am going to be a fan of the university that I attend, through and through. I am not a fair-weather fan like you say us Tech fans are. I am looking forward to the Orange Bowl and next season, and I’m looking forward to screaming my lungs out EVERY SINGLE GAME next year.
Good luck at the Independence Bowl.
snapshot
December 18th, 2009
7:08 am
7 and 5 = Toilet Bowl in lower LA.
SAM
December 18th, 2009
10:35 am
I love seeing comments of people questioning the Tides 12 Titles.Even Mr.Football says its 12 by “our”count.Well its 17 by NCAA Official records.But Bama recognizes only the retro ones they won on the field.You know,by winning the Rose Bowl.Something Notre Dame did’nt have to do.These same people who question those titles have knoe problem with Yale’s title,or Princeton,or Army.Lets see you wrestle that trophy away from the Cadets you melee mouth little puke.The fact is your team is’nt very good.They have no title…..or a 1/2 a title.Just keep telling yourself whatever you have to to make yourself feel like your somebody.Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer !
Quagmire
December 18th, 2009
2:20 pm
Giggity giggity!
Coe Cola
December 18th, 2009
2:22 pm
SAM, do the rest of us ‘Bama fans a favor and NEVER post on this message board again. Your horrible spelling and grammar are an embarrassment to those ‘Bama fans who actually know how to write.
Bama fan
December 18th, 2009
2:58 pm
The 1941 title is questionable.Throw it out. And at least 2 of our national titles 64 and 73 we lost our bowl game after being proclaimed national titles. Fine. We still have 9 legitimate titles.
But if we are going to arbitrarily throw out national titles than lets looked at the 3 years where bama got screwed out of a national title.
1945- Army and Navy were placed 1 and 2 and undefeated Bama 3rd. This was in deference to the war effort and is well known. How else does a team with a tie get placed ahead of Bama?
1966- 2 time defending national champion Bama starts out ranked 3rd behind Michigan state and ND which were 1 and 2 and ultimately played to a 10-10 tie. Both stayed home from bowls while bama thrashed no. 5 Nebraska 38-7 in the sugar bowl. Undefeated bama, which was a statistically far more dominating team than ND or MSU, was denied the national title. This was Bear Bryant’s best and favorite team of all time. Not one but several books were written about Bama getting screwed on this one.
1977- Bama pounds 6th ranked Ohio state 35-6 but is leapfrogged all the way by 5th ranked ND which upset Texas 38-10 in a game in which Texas committed 9 turnovers included 7 lost fumbles. This was an ND team that lost to Ole Miss by a td while Bama beat Ole Miss by 3 tds. ND also had several close calls that year while Bama beat no. 1 usc and a top 5 ranked Nebraska team earlier in the season. Any objective person should know we got screwed on this one.
Bottom line: If you’re going to arbitrarily decide that Bama doesn’t deserve some of their national titles then you should also be fair and have the decency to recognize the years in which Bama got screwed out of a national title of which there were at least 3 years with 1966 being the worst.
As for the titles in 1925.1926, 1934, etc. I looked up those seasons. Bama finished unbeaten in all, completed dominated in statistical terms, and defeated supposedly the best other team in the country each year in the Rose Bowl which was the de facto big bowl in the country. There is no disputing those titles as well as a couple other titles like the 1961 title.
Grant Field
December 18th, 2009
6:52 pm
I sure am glad it will be freezing tonight so the swelling will go down at the 50 yard line from all the UGA players stomping on my face at the end of the game. OUCH, that 30-24 beat down really hurt me. Also, please be cautious all students because my campus is unfortunately overrun with criminals who like to prey on nerds with money.
onefer2
December 18th, 2009
7:54 pm
Dan, me thinks you have miles to go to become an intelligent human being!!
onefer2
December 18th, 2009
7:56 pm
But not as far as Grant Field!!
Epiminondas
December 18th, 2009
9:07 pm
How many UGA fans will be rooting for Florida in the Sugar Bowl? I didn’t think so. Off to buy that Cincinnati jersey…
Coach O
December 19th, 2009
10:11 am
I guess Tony won’t write another blog this season, so will this become the “official” bowl game blog?
Enjoy the holidays and the ball games football fans!
And to all of you fruitcakes hating on Bama and Tebow, I hope you get some extra meds to get you through Christmas. Then you won’t have to come on this blog to complain about the statistical deficiencies of Santa Claus, or argue that he doesn’t really deserve his title as “Mythical Father Christmas”.
11-2 GEORGIA TECH in ORANGE BOWL
December 20th, 2009
4:50 pm
Thanks for a GREAT season,
……………………………………
2009 ACC Champs !
11-2 couldn't beat 7-5
December 21st, 2009
3:16 pm
sucks to be the Joke by Coke!!
Yechers are cowards
December 21st, 2009
3:19 pm
The Yechers ran out of the SEC because Bear Bryant owned that a$$!!! If Yech could relocate their pathetic institute to avoid getting prisonraped by UGA every year, they’d do that as well!
11-2 GEORGIA TECH in ORANGE BOWL
December 21st, 2009
4:41 pm
Enter your Shreveport Weed-Whacker Bowl comments here:
Not Impressed
December 21st, 2009
6:55 pm
Enter your Miami Wank-Whacker Bowl comments here:
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:31 pm
You can’t spell Shreveport without
Samuel
Hebron
Richt
Ealey
Vance
Evans
Pugh
Owens
Rambo
Troupe
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:33 pm
Hahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can’t spell Shreveport without
S—amuel
H—ebron
R—icht
E—aley
V—ance
E—vans
P—ugh
O—wens
R—ambo
T—roupe
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:35 pm
((((( Shreveport )))))
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:37 pm
S
H
R
E
V
E
P
O
R
T
IS FOR THE BIG BAD GEORGIA BULLDOGS. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:38 pm
7-5 and a Shreveport bowl with 4 straight top 10 recruiting classes. Priceless!
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:40 pm
30-24 = georgias signature game for 2008 and 2009. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Next year maybe it will be Kentucky, Vandy and Tennessee frikein Tech. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:41 pm
Shreveport = number EIGHT SEC tie in.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:44 pm
Why did Outback take Auburn over georgia? Auburn fans would NEVER, and I mean NEVER, pack up and leave with their team down by 6 points in the 4th quarter. Think about that over the next 10 years idiotic dog nation. Think about that when you get passed over in the bowls and polls. You can’t fix stupid and you guys are incredibly STUPID!!!!
$1.4 million vs. our $14 million bowl
December 22nd, 2009
8:45 pm
YOU DESERVE SHREVEPORT AND PAPA JOHNS THE NEXT 10 YEARS!
Georgia
December 22nd, 2009
10:34 pm
At least we won our state …
messin with sasquatch
December 23rd, 2009
12:51 am
i refuse to discuss doggs mediocre football team and their non-achieving season, with their trip to shreveport as a reward. i just refuse to bring it up, as I would sound like the doggs who have nothing new to talk about and continually repeat their mindless drivel about their losuy season that seemed like it would never end. it just ewent on and on and on and now they get to meet the great aggies in shreveport. oh boy. bring them on.
messin with sasquatch
December 23rd, 2009
12:53 am
they could be byu and go to las vegas every year – that would be special.
Georgia
December 23rd, 2009
9:12 am
Considering the history and tradition of Georgia football, this has certainly not been a season to remember. That said, many programs would be proud to consider such a result as a “down year”.
It is amusing to see Tech fans gloat over the meaningless Orange Bowl game as proof that their loss to Georgia this season was not devastating for them. The only bowl game that means anything (beyond money and additional practice time) features an SEC team — as usual. If you ain’t Number One – then you’re just another loser.
Pearly Erps
December 23rd, 2009
10:01 am
Just to let yall know that Bryce and me is spending Christmas together and then going to the big game. yALL IS JIST JEALOUS!!!
Can You Dig It
December 23rd, 2009
12:36 pm
Please everyone..go back to page three and read Gator in the Hooches blogs…I’m still laughing…he’s got more excuses for coaches bailing out of Gainesville than a hooker that comes down with aids. Floridas losing coaches because they see the future and its not pretty. Florida is on its way down and fast. The only reason they stayed as long as they did is because as long as Tebow was around he made them look good and increased their job prospects after he graduated. If hooch thinks they stuck around becaused they like Meyer..I got news for him ..nobody likes Meyer. He’s a self absorbed horses ass that took all the credit and gave none to his coaches. Florida will be lucky to finish higher than third in the SEC East next year after all their juniors leave. Its going to be fun watching all their fans leave games early when they start losing.I can’t wait to watch Meyer cry on TV and blame the refs for losses….All those jeans wearing, mullett headed Florida fans won’t know what to do with themselves. I can’t wait…Can You Dig It!
Go jackets
December 23rd, 2009
2:55 pm
really? who takes turf o thats right little puppies that lick their nuts but wait they dont have any! haha georgia fans are so stupid
Go jackets
December 23rd, 2009
2:58 pm
SUCK IT PUPNATION!
Go jackets
December 23rd, 2009
3:14 pm
which do you want? past or present? past:GT: 3 owned national titles with 2 shared 16 conference titles UGA: 1 owned 1 shared and 12 conference titles or present: orange bowl for gt and a independence bowl for Ga I WOULD SAY DO THE MATH BUT YALL ARE TO STUPID!
Its a Gator World
December 23rd, 2009
4:38 pm
Georgia,
A team like Georgia with its rich tradition and history? What you say? If you were Bama bragging about their program’s tradition and history I could understand. At least they really are one of the heavyweight traditions in college football. But Georgia? You guys are just too dang funny.
And as for the rest of you talking smack about how the gators are gonna fall I say STFU! We lost one big game against a great Alabama team and all of a sudden you think a team that has won 2 of the last 3 national titles is just going to fall off the map? Keep hoping you fools.
I’ll admit that we will have a hard time in the future against a Bama program that looks to keep getting stronger and stronger. But other than Bama there aint no one in the conference that’s in our class and especially in the east. Face it beyotches. We own that division and everyone in it. Go gators.
Its a Gator World
December 23rd, 2009
4:39 pm
And it aint just us. Dogs may have up and upset Tech but going forward Tech is still going to win the majority of those games against Georgia as long as Paul Johnson is there. Get used to it dogs.
11-2 GEORGIA TECH in ORANGE BOWL
December 23rd, 2009
9:27 pm
THANKS FOR A GREAT SEASON
……………………ACC CHAMPS
Yo "Gator's world"
December 24th, 2009
1:08 am
Fool! Show the “histoire” prior to ‘90 & go shut up. If UGA doesn’t have a great history in the SEC NO ONE does!!! Has ‘Bama had a great history? Of course– but that “got twelve” $-hit is laughable—about as laughable as pre-1990 UF history. Dumbass. If it’s a “Gator World” it sucks indeed. ‘Bout as bad as you do.