Grab bag time: Blackledge likes Bulldogs for an upset
Todd Blackledge thinks Georgia's Joe Cox might find his wait to start was worth it. (Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com)Welcome to Grab Bag Monday. Let's see what we have left in here . . .
It’s Grab Bag Monday. Let’s see what we have left in here . . .
♦ Blackledge on Dogs, Jackets
In case you missed it, former Penn State quarterback and ESPN commentator Todd Blackledge had some interesting comments about the whole SEC vs. ACC thing, leading up to Saturday’s game between Alabama and Virginia Tech. Feel free to catch up here. What I did not include in that column were his observations about Georgia and Georgia Tech.
Blackledge believes the Bulldogs have a good chance to defeat Oklahoma State Saturday, which runs contrary to what oddsmakers think. I’m not sure if this is enough for Georgia fans to forgive him for leading Penn State past the Dogs in the Sugar Bowl for the 1982 national championship. But it’s something.
“I’m anxious to see Georgia this year,” he said. “I really think they have a good chance to go into Stillwater and win. I think they’re going to be a lot better than people expect. The way they played defense last year is not the way they’re used to playing there, and I don’t think that’s going to continue. And Joe Cox — I know from day one Mark [Richt] has liked him. I’ve always liked the stories of those guys who had to wait their turn. They had one there in [D.J.] Shockley. Penn State had one with Michael Robinson [who led the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten title and an Orange Bowl in 2005]. It’s fun to see when those guys get their chance and they take advantage of it.”
Blackledge on Tech: “They’re a handful. If you’re going to play Georgia Tech the first game of the year, when you have the whole summer to prepare, or in a bowl game, when you’ve got some time, you have a better chance to stop them. But from week to week during the season, they’re difficult. You can’t simulate what they do offensively with your scout team. And the thing that makes them different from Navy or Air Force is they have some great players as part of that system.”
♦ S.I. calls Dogs-Oklahoma State a ’season-defining game’
SI.com is projecting Jonathan Dwyer and the Yellow Jackets in the Orange Bowl. (Johnny Crawford/jcrawford@ajc.com)
I’m not sure what that means, and I’m guessing the losing coach will beg to differ. But there are some comments in the piece from Athens’ favorite punching bag, Willie Martinez, who says there’s advantages and disadvantages to playing a highly ranked opponent like Oklahoma State in the opener.
“The problem with the first game is you don’t know what new stuff they may give you. You’ve got to be careful that you don’t spend too much time chasing ghosts [from what you see on tape]. You feel better in that you have more time to ask questions. You’re constantly asking around [the office], ‘What do you think of these guys? What would you do here?’”
For what it’s worth, writer Stewart Mandel also has early BCS bowl projections and puts Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl against Penn State.
♦ We’re live from Jacksonville! (not that one, the other one)
Look, what I found. It’s Jacksonville (Ala.) State coach Jack Crowe, pontificating on the upcoming Georgia Tech game and not looking or sounding terribly confident after a scrimmage Saturday. By the way, the Jacksonville State Athletics website has a series of videos with Crowe, if you really have nothing else to do — and I mean, if you REALLY have nothing else to do.
Here’s Jack Crowe, talking “glimpses”
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118 comments Add your comment
Johnny DangerDawg
September 1st, 2009
12:51 am
Pago Flyer,
The top recruits want to go to the NFL, so they prefer schools where they can demonstrate skills they’ll need in the NFL. Most colleges don’t want to run non-traditional offenses because those offenses will scare away many of the top recruits.
Whopper Dawg
September 1st, 2009
1:05 am
Sounds like Willie is already confused and we haven’t even kicked it yet. He is paid to have a clue and he doesn’t. Keep asking, Willie, maybe somebody will tell you. I would suggest calling a real DC. They have got’em at all the other top tier SEC programs. Please let me know if you can’t identify those programs.
Eric C.
September 1st, 2009
6:30 am
Dawgs compared to the 1985 Chicago Bears here…
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32605187/ns/sports-college_football/
Not Disappointed!
September 1st, 2009
7:20 am
The Joe Cox and the pups has to hit first and hard to knock Okio State out of there game or it’s going to be a long day for the dawgies.
The Jacksonville State coach sounds depressing, “Do we really have to play GT Tech Saturday?” Geez!
Gt4ever
September 1st, 2009
7:30 am
UGA wins by 2 touchdowns…..
Georgia News – 9/1/09 | MrSEC.com
September 1st, 2009
9:32 am
[...] was arrested yesterday for driving on a suspended license.Jeff Schultz of The AJC looks at what national writers are saying about the Georgia-OSU opener.Tailback Caleb King appears to be making progress with his hamstring [...]
AceDawg
September 1st, 2009
9:54 am
I agree johnny dangerdawg – finding a passrush in my opinion would automatically make us a better team than last year.
Ed
September 1st, 2009
11:11 am
I grew up thinking that Blackledge was pure evil, a demon sent from the bowels of Hades to deny the Dawgs their rightful spot on top of the college football world. It turns out that he was just a good college quarterback doing his best to help his team win. Even more startling, he would become a good commentator with a taste for southern BBQ. Who knew?
The guy turned out to be a good commentator
Dawg Fud
September 1st, 2009
1:00 pm
i think the tell-talle matchup is Bobo’s offense versus Bill Young’s defense. Young is a pretty damn good coach and i am interested to see how Bobo matches wits aainst him.
Shocked
September 1st, 2009
1:00 pm
Someone from the OSU secondary was arrested? I wasn’t even aware they had a defense!
Just A Fan
September 1st, 2009
7:40 pm
I don’t know much about OSU. But I know UGA is in the toughest conference in the country. Cox has been chomping at the bit for 3 years to show his stuff. UGA has talent sitting on the bench that could start any where else. They are well coached, well prepared, have winning traditions, and are not intimidated. The dogs will win. What the score will be, I don’t know. GO DOGS.
Just a Flawed Fan
September 1st, 2009
8:54 pm
Reasons why your argument for a Dogs win is flawed:
“I don’t know much about OSU” – Self explanatory.
“UGA is in the toughest conference in the country” – so what?
“Cox has been chomping at the bit for 3 years” – but hasn’t done ANYTHING.
“UGA has talent sitting on the bench that could start anywhere else” – anywhere else? Wrong.
“They are well coached” – Wrong. One of the most penalized teams in football.
“Well prepared” – not always, especially on defense.
“What the score will be, I don’t know” – you got this one right. You don’t know.
William Casey
September 2nd, 2009
11:22 am
If UGA had talent on the bench who would start anywhere else, maybe they should have put them in during the 3rd quarter last year vs. GT.
shards1967
September 2nd, 2009
2:45 pm
Here is why UGA wins on Saturday and most future game days:
Orson Charles, Israel Troupe, Tavarres King, Mike Moore, AJ Greene and Marvelous Marlon Brown, Rontavious Wooten, Carlton Thomas and Brandon Smith and Logan Gray, RICHARD SAMUELS and Joe Cox. SPEEDY is the one adj that describes about all but Joe Cox.
Last year? These guys were not playing and / or they were not yet on campus. They are all skilled players. Couple this fact with the D schemes and we will be fine with four NEW D.Ends DEEP D LINE and Rennie Curran and his fast LB buddies and BRANDON SMITH and Nick Williams, Byron Evans and Sanders and Rambo and soon to play Justin Houston and Martrez Robinson.
We are far more athletic and even though many are frosh, they will learn on the job like other greats have.
We can dominate if the D steps up and then, we allow Samuels to seal the game with about 90 yds late in the game.
UGA 38 – OSU 34
go Dawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwgs.
Hairy Dawg 73
shards1967
September 2nd, 2009
2:52 pm
Another UGA name missing from action in 2008 and ask Tebow in 08 if HE missed him. Marcus Washington. He and three other formerly injured UGA D.Ends are baaaaaaaaaaaaack. Game changers all of them. Had they played last year, we lose one less game to that funky broken bone or whatever it is with tech. DEs this year will throttle that old bone thing.
1-9 it will be for them and the mighty blue carpet bowl in 27 frozen degrees in front of 12,000 fans. Hey, tech could repeat that mighty Micron Bowl in San Fran. I think techers would be happier in san fran.
macrotech
September 3rd, 2009
5:54 am
shards1967, you’re making statements like, “DE’s this year will throttle that old bone thing” and you THINK Tech would be happier in san fran?! Live in denial, much?! For the record, 1-9 doesn’t get you in a bowl! EVEN in this age of too many bowls! For a shard in their 40’s you’d think you’d have learned SOMETHING in all these years! Then again, you’re a mutt fan…you can go back to your nap time! Put your crayons up first!
Todd Blackledge
September 8th, 2009
1:11 am
[...] a closer game at 6 pm Saturday when he provides commentary on the BYU-OU game for ESPN. … Grab bag time: Blackledge likes Bulldogs for an upsetTodd Blackledge thinks Georgia's Joe Cox might find his wait to start was worth it. (Brant [...]
todd blackledge – 海运女
September 8th, 2009
7:50 am
[...] photos – many of your a Penn Ohio …Kashmir Sentinel – http://kashmirsentinel.com/|||Grab bag time: Blackledge likes Bulldogs for an upsetIn case you missed it, former Penn State quarterback and ESPN commentator Todd Blackledge had some [...]