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
Please follow me on Twitter:
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
517 comments Add your comment
Tech Forever
December 11th, 2009
3:58 pm
Second article ina row you print bad info Barnhart. Tech was Co-Champions of the ACC in 1998.
hop
December 11th, 2009
4:05 pm
TONY… Maybe the clowns writing for the ajc might be “big down” on the dawgs,the fans are not!
much of the team is returning and yes, defense began the last half of the year, started putting it back together.
now, i will agee the offense make too many turnovers,especially joe cox but with two outstanding young qb’s returning, the dawgs will be better since we do not have cox back.
Styles
December 11th, 2009
4:05 pm
Festivus for the Rest of us…
TrueCrimson
December 11th, 2009
4:08 pm
Happy Holidays!
RTR!!!
dawgfan
December 11th, 2009
4:08 pm
It is 4:00 PM on December 11, 2009 and Georgia fans could STILL give a flying crap about Tech’s ACC Championship. When will they? I’m thinking pretty much NEVER at this point.
Tony, get with me on the future when Richt hires the new DC and special teams coaches. Make the right moves there and we could be back to the usual 10+ win seasons that we’re all used to. The 2010 schedule looks like a cakewalk compared to the past two seasons. Florida is poised for a rebuilding year. The SEC East may be up for grabs.
Of course, we may see the same uninspired play on defense and mindless bonehead turnovers that we saw this year. Oh well. At least we can still beat Tech.
Not Disappointed
December 11th, 2009
4:15 pm
Merry Christmas to TB, all my Jackets (”Well. let me think on M & Saint Simmon. They are really pushing the lump of coal list!”), to the classy UGA fans. Especially Cuz & 45ACP! Happy Holidays.
I wish we had won the UGA game, but the dawgs came to play and won. I’m just glad, it wasn’t a Gailey lost. LOL!. Nevertheless, Happy Chanukah to my wife and Merry Christmas to my blogging Family. Okay, even you M and Saint Simmon. Ugh!
“Santa, can I have a Orange Bowl win for Christmas?”…………………”Ramblin Wreck!”
Not Disappointed
December 11th, 2009
4:15 pm
Merry Christmas to TB, all my Jackets (”Well. let me think on M & Saint Simmon. They are really pushing the lump of coal list!”), to the classy UGA fans. Especially Cuz & 45ACP! Happy Holidays.
I wish we had won the UGA game, but the dawgs came to play and won. I’m just glad, it wasn’t a Gailey lost. LOL!. Nevertheless, Happy Chanukah to my wife and Merry Christmas to my blogging Family. Okay, even you M and Saint Simmon. Ugh!
“Santa, can I have a Orange Bowl win for Christmas?”…………………”Ramblin Wreck!”
Ed
December 11th, 2009
4:20 pm
I never thought about it, but I guess Texas was “one second better” this year. Talk about an appropriate motto.
I agree we’ve never seen a player like Tebow. I for one hope he gets his rear end handed to him in his final game.
Go Gold
December 11th, 2009
4:22 pm
Poor UGA Fans can’t stand it. They THINK they are a national program but aren’t. Bama, Florida, Vols and LSU are the programs in the SEC. If you were you would be playing in something other than in Shreveport. You were Pre-Season #1 in ‘08 and barely get to 7-5 in ‘09 with Top 5 class?? I’m drinking my ORANGE Juice!!!
Ed
December 11th, 2009
4:22 pm
Is anyone else a little concerned that Georgia hasn’t announced a new defensive coordinator by now? It seems that other schools are busy filling up vacancies in their coaching ranks. Hopefully Georgia has their man and is letting him stay with his current team through the bowl game.
doggs are pathetic
December 11th, 2009
4:22 pm
DOGGS ARE PATHETIC. 5 LOSSES SUCK, DON’T YOU KNOW. ALL CAPS FOR YOU BOOGIEMAN.
Bibble
December 11th, 2009
4:24 pm
Go Gold, that may be true, but…
30-24.
Thirty to Twenty Four
December 11th, 2009
4:30 pm
Go Gold, my name is Thirty to Twenty Four, aka 30-24. You’ve obviously never heard of me, so allow me to introduce myself. Perhaps you just woke up from a coma, found out that Tech is going to the Orange Bowl and that Georgia finished 7-5 and is headed to the Independence Bowl, and just assumed that Tech must have beaten Georgia again this year. Au contraire, my friend.
I’ll be hanging around for the next 350 days or so – I’ll be happy to remind you of my presence from time to time in the coming year.
Coach O
December 11th, 2009
4:50 pm
North Avenue trade-schoolers should be right at home in Miami. Don’t forget to take your Glock.
Mark PRicht
December 11th, 2009
5:08 pm
It’s so funny how the mutt fans talk about how unimportant GT is and how pur game dont matter,but just read back and the trailer trash fans are talking a lot more about the Orange Bowl than they do about Shreveport…wonder why 7 and 5 is good right???
Mark PRicht
December 11th, 2009
5:18 pm
If UGA was playing Osama Bin Laden University in Shreveport I would pull for OSBLU, but it would be funny when CMR sent his team out in black turbins
Sautee Dawg
December 11th, 2009
5:19 pm
GatorG
I think if i remember correctly Spiller threw for 1 touchdown this year. May have been last year but, he does have 1 to his credit.
GatorG i’m not a Teow hater watched him play 4 different times in Jacksonville, 1st year as a backup to Leak, 3 more times as a starter, as I stated in my previous post Fine young man and probably one of the best team leaders of our time but, all those 1 and 2 yard touchdown runs don’t add up to what alot ofother players have accomplished. Darren Mcfadden clearly had the better year during Tebows heisman year and his status with CBS and ESPN won him the award over Mcfadden because of it. Just my opinion.
Good luck in New Orleans in the Sugarbowl GatorG, hope your team along with all the other SEC teams come out with a win.
As for the Tech fans, better hope your coach of the year comes up with a defensive gameplan for Iowa.
Mark PRicht
December 11th, 2009
5:27 pm
Sautee Dawg
Like what….black helmets…If we are unimportant dont worry abot us, Just hope A&M do run the bootleg…roll tide
bugsquacher
December 11th, 2009
5:35 pm
30-24… wha,,wha ha,,,wha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahha
Mark PRicht
December 11th, 2009
5:37 pm
Sautee Dawg
Im not a Tebow hater but……….bla bla bla…
typical mutt…we all gave Herchel his credit. Tebow is a beast and you all hate him
Mark PRicht
December 11th, 2009
5:40 pm
bugsquacher
ORANGE BOWL……
There will be 27 people in Shreveport including announcers and camera men
Denver Dog
December 11th, 2009
5:40 pm
Tony, that last big bowl that Tech got to play was against a QB named Spurrier. The winning TD was a run by Larry Smith for about 70 yards, and it was a UF victory over the Jackets. It was a great game, and I loved watching it. Especially the Tech guys.
Staring Willie Martinez as he beats Tech and looks good doing it
December 11th, 2009
5:44 pm
Enter your comments here
Dawg Man
December 11th, 2009
5:44 pm
Go Dawgs
Go Bearcats
Go Hawkeyes
Roll Tide
Staring Willie Martinez as he beats Tech and looks good doing it
December 11th, 2009
5:46 pm
Hey is Ga Tech football playing on PBS
It looks like it is by the number of fans in the Ga dome.
Looks like they playing one of those powerhouse teams from the ACC
Denver Dog
December 11th, 2009
5:49 pm
Mpricht, TeBow is the best thing that has happened in College Football in a while. How is that. Now Tech has too much team speed for Iowa, and should win handily. Iowa is a big 10 team, big and slow. The same will happen to Ohio in the Rose. The last big bowl that Ohio won, was you guessed it, against a big slow Notre Dame Team.
Tech has got a good deal going, and the UGA Tech rivalry should be good for a few more years. CPJ will stay a while. I can’t see him leaving Tech to go many places.
Maybe LSU next year, when Les heads to Michigan. Good luck in your game, I believe that one of the best games will be Ga-Texas A&M game. I think it will be close. Tech wins in a blow out. By the way there very well may be more in Shrieveport than in Miami.
Bo in North Carolina
December 11th, 2009
5:53 pm
Atlanta Gater re: 1:56 post. Class act! best of luck in Sugar Bowl
GADAWG
December 11th, 2009
5:53 pm
See ya Tony! Another great season!
Mark PRicht
December 11th, 2009
5:56 pm
Denver Dog
And I believe UGA will blow out Texas A&M…but man we have gotta love the clean old fashion hate…lol
exNFLplayer
December 11th, 2009
5:57 pm
One of the reasons that the NCAA is watching UT so closely is that Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron were up to their necks in some of the loosey goosey recruiting malfeasance at USC. By the time some of that came to light both had moved on to other jobs. Now you have those 2 back together again. UT better get used to the NCAA microscope. And believe me. Ed Orgeron is a real piece of work. He’s a major probation waiting to happen.
Miles
December 11th, 2009
7:05 pm
Brian Kelly…ND’s next flop!
Marc
December 11th, 2009
7:56 pm
Thanks for all you do TB! Tech maybe headed to the Orange Bowl but “We still run this State”. Go DAWGS!
Gator in the Hootch
December 11th, 2009
8:01 pm
Gonzalez leaves for LSU because he can’t coach up WRs at Florida. Meyer replaces him with a better WR coach immediately (and a great recruiter) who coached with Meyer a Bowling Green. Better DC (although it is hard to be better than Strong) or just as good DC, soon to follow (probably the DC at TCU…who had the best D in the country this year). Then the best recruiting class in the country. Yeah Dawg fans, the Gators are going down the drain!!! Keep on daydreaming. It’s still 1980, isn’t it???
Florida Down Big in 2010
December 11th, 2009
8:14 pm
This will be a big story–the mass exodus taking place at Florida this year, players are leaving by the doznes, coaching staff is leaving, it’s a mass exidus. Why’s everybody leaving Florida? I think the players and coaches know it’s Georgia’s time starting in 2010. Let the Natl Championship and Heisman run begin.
12-2 Orange Bowl Champs
December 11th, 2009
8:48 pm
Thanks for a great season
Elvis is dead and I don't feel too good myself
December 11th, 2009
8:51 pm
/…………………..Is Shreveport on the Interstate ?
How Tough is the SEC?
December 11th, 2009
8:54 pm
There is no room for crying in football.
Man up.
SHREVEPORT!
December 11th, 2009
8:57 pm
How about this for a hot storyline?
SHREVEPORT REALLY SUCKS!
SHREVEPORT!
December 11th, 2009
8:58 pm
Say it loud, say it proud…SHREVEPORT! SHREVEPORT! SHREVEPORT!
WE ARE . . SHREVE – PORT! . .
WE ARE . . SHREVE – PORT! . .
WE ARE . . SHREVE – PORT! . .
…continue to vamp the chant through the holidays till gametime.
…let’s give it up, dawg nation!…
WE ARE . . SHREVE – PORT! . .
WE ARE . . SHREVE – PORT! . .
WE ARE . . SHREVE – PORT! . .
SHREVEPORT!
December 11th, 2009
8:59 pm
Have fun, SLEEZY SPORTS.
Smiling Gator
December 11th, 2009
9:00 pm
“Florida Down Big in 2010,”
Silly Dawg fan. Don’t you know that Florida only wins National Championships in even-numbered seasons (i.e. 1996, 2006, 2008)? This season was merely a down year for the Gators (12-1 and a Sugar Bowl berth) . . . followed by another top 5 recruiting class in February.
How’s that “mass exidus” [sic] wishful thinking working for you now? LOL
13th man
December 11th, 2009
9:03 pm
Texas A&M is 6-6 and will be 7-6 after Shreveport
SHREVEPORT!
December 11th, 2009
9:05 pm
Gig ‘em, 13th man, GIG ‘EM!
Smiling Gator
December 11th, 2009
9:06 pm
“Florida Down Big in 2010,”
Here’s a prediction for you: 2010 is a rebuilding year for UGA. Dawgs lose again to UF and UT, and get caught napping by USC to finish 8-4 (4-4 SEC). Dawgs finish fourth in the East after UF, USC and UT, while Bama struggles to win the West against improved Arkansas, Auburn, LSU and UT teams.
Frankly, that’s a heck of a lot more likely than the “mass exidus” [sic} predicted by you.
*woof*
The #1 Story of 2009 Tony Missed
December 11th, 2009
9:13 pm
Rivals.com #3 ranked RB in the nation, Washaun Ealey, made his debut at 7:07 left in the 3rd quarter of the LSU game. Remember this one, it will be something people will talk about in 2010, and 2011. And for decades to come.
jumbeauxtiger
December 11th, 2009
9:13 pm
Thanks for your input as always Tony and Happy Holidays. I do have to disagree with you. The NCAA is not investigating LSU. LSU discovered a possible violation by a coach for a player who transfered earlier this year from a college in California. The coach has now resigned but was not been permitted to recruit since early in the season and the player has not participated in any games. Once LSU completes its internal probe it sends the report to the SEC office who in turn forwards it to the NCAA. I don’t think much will come of this except for some light penalties since LSU self reported it.
Well said in your post earlier today Atlanta Gator. There are just too many childish antics on here.
Gator in the Hootch, you said that Gonzales can’t “coach up” wide outs. I find it funny you say that now but you never said that before today when he was still on your staff. You, and I for that matter, don’t know all that is behind his leaving. I though am glad to have him as well as another offensive coach, Frank Wilson from Tennessee, as our offense stunk this season and we needed to shake up our offensive staff like we did with the defense last year.
Geaux Tigers
RTR in Pasadena
Go SEC
11-2 gimmick offense goes to Orange Bowl
December 11th, 2009
9:16 pm
Enter your SHREVEPORT comments here:
Shreveport or Bust!
December 11th, 2009
9:16 pm
Oklahoma and Bama followed Shreveport with a National Championship in 1 or 2 years after that, so Georgia LOOOOOOVES Shreveport.
Ok Shreport 1999, Natl Championship 2000
Bama Shreveport 2007, Natl Championship 2009
Georgia Shreveport 2009, Natl Championship 2010, or 2011
Why did Florida's WR Coach leave Urban the Turban?
December 11th, 2009
9:18 pm
Florida has lost 7 coaches recently and dozens of players are leaving in 2009. What’s wrong with Urban the Turban? Why is everybody leaving town?
Mass Exodus Hits Florida in 2009!
December 11th, 2009
9:20 pm
Dozens of players leave, many players leaving early, 7 coaches have left Urban the Turban, what do they all know that we don’t know about Florida in 2010-2013?