Rankings prove Georgia has lost benefit of doubt
Georgia's Mark Richt doesn't have to wonder what it's going to take to pass Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson: win. (AJC photo)
(Last update: 2:10 p.m.)
In two weeks, this becomes less about perception than reality.
Games start, the season unfolds, myths get busted, the guy on the bar stool who never said a word before suddenly says I told you so, a Big 12 coach locks a player in the broom closet and eventually we get to January and scream about the BCS. It’s college football’s circle of life.
But for now, it is about perceptions, and this much has become clear: Pollsters believe Georgia Tech has passed Georgia on the football field.
This is what consecutive years of failed expectations and a five-loss season will do to a program.
When last season ended in Shreveport, the Bulldogs were not ranked in the final Associated Press poll for the first time since 1996. That also left them behind the Jackets (13th) for the first time since 2000.
When this season begins, Georgia will trail Tech in the preseason polls for the first time since 2001, which is the year Mark Richt was hired. The AP’s preseason rankings were released Saturday. They’re similar to the coaches’ poll that came out two weeks ago, which had Tech ranked 17th and Georgia 21st. The gap in the AP poll is a bit wider: The Jackets are 16th and the Dogs are No. 23.
It’s worth nothing that the AP is no longer part of the BCS formula, having pulled out after the 2004 season because of the illogical selection process, to say nothing of the fact orchestrating a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game and rendering all other bowls relatively insignificant is just a bad idea. But the AP still is the most watched preseason and in-season poll, and it fuels what many previously believed:
Georgia has lost the benefit of the doubt.
This bit of reality won’t go over well in Athens. Richt inherited a program that hadn’t won an SEC championship since 1982. He proceeded to win two in his first five seasons. Then Georgia finished strong in 2007 to end the year at No. 2. Such cachet tends to carry over in polls from year to year.
But a preseason No. 1 ranking in 2008 turned out to be only a gateway to lopsided losses to Alabama and Florida, and a home upset by Georgia Tech (in coach Paul Johnson’s first season). Then came last year’s tumble to 8-5. Richt began to feel some heat for really the first time in his tenure. The Dogs now are at a prove-it stage. At Tech, most assume the arrow is pointed up. In Georgia, few are assuming anything.
The Jackets are 20-7 in Johnson’s first two seasons and went 11-3 with an ACC championship last season. They lost four stars (Demaryius Thomas, Jonathan Dwyer, Derrick Morgan, Morgan Burnett) to the NFL draft. But perceptions remain that they’re better than Georgia. Why?
“We won more games than they did last year,” Johnson logically concluded Saturday morning, when asked about the recent coaches’ poll.
Asked if he cared about perceptions, he gave the expected response: “Not really. I just worry about what I perceive and what actually happens. I’m more worried about what happens at the end of the year. Being ranked before somebody at the beginning might be nice, but I’d rather be ranked in front of them at the end.”
Since the non-ranking in 2001, the Dogs have ranked No. 8, 11, 3, 13, 15, 13, 1 and 13 in the preseason under Richt. At 23, they’re now closer to the “others receiving votes” category with Connecticut, Temple and Middle Tennessee State.
“I am thankful we are ranked,” Richt said Saturday when asked about the AP poll. He added, “I hope we play well enough to move up. That’s the plan.”
That’s the way to play this. Richt raised the expectation level at Georgia. This shows how missteps in consecutive seasons can significantly alter public opinion. Georgia finished out of the rankings four consecutive seasons (1993-96), but when it finished 10th in 1997, the Dogs suddenly were back in the preseason rankings in 1998 (19th) for the first time in five years.
It figured there would be a hangover after last season. The preseason rankings might be cause for debate, but that’s what rankings are all about. There’s no reason for Georgia to scream. In two weeks, the games start, and the Dogs will have a chance to change perceptions.
♦
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688 comments Add your comment
Jen
August 22nd, 2010
5:07 am
As some has already said…………..GT plays in the ACC!!!……if they were in the SEC they would be on the same leval as Old Miss.
hop
August 22nd, 2010
5:55 am
for what it is worth :I think the ranking is more about tech winning the ACC than about georgia.
the dawgs won the annual battle last year which should count for something,except of course when a team wins a conference championship that trumps everything.
once again jeff is in never-never land again and he misses the point once again.
hometeamdawg
August 22nd, 2010
6:34 am
I have no problems with critical assessments. Penalties and turnover margin have been horrific for UGA.
But it is funny that Jeff didn’t mention two things in this article:
1) Georgia beat Georgia Tech last year.
2) Mark Richt has attempted to address the problems by hiring 3 new coaches.
And Jeff, is your hatred of Richt really because he had to dress you down once in a press conference? Or is it because he wears his faith on his sleeve?
Please note: Jim Rome and Paul Finebaum wanted to make sure that you know the time has been changed for the next ‘Agnostics who hate CMR’ club meeting.
tootrue
August 22nd, 2010
7:05 am
RANKING PROVES………….NOTHING
Warhorse
August 22nd, 2010
7:12 am
There is a song written from a Broadway hit: “Try to Remember.” It has a lone for all poodle delusions: “deep in December its hard to remember….”
August and September is the traditional days of greatness for the poodles. In December, its just making reservations at the Days Inn in Shreveport for another touch of greatness — and then the wait — until the next preseason when the pups again can be pretenders.
reality
August 22nd, 2010
7:32 am
It’s real simple…GT is ranked ahead of UGA because they will probably be the better team.
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
7:51 am
There is a reason that “Pollsters believe Georgia Tech has passed Georgia on the football field” because Georgia Tech has passed georgia on the football field.
King Gator
August 22nd, 2010
7:56 am
Wow, you’d think that the “also rans” would have thicker skin…nothing to see here, move along to September. Go Gators!
Spike
August 22nd, 2010
7:57 am
No matter what is said, the Jackets still out rank you what if dogs.
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
8:01 am
“When last season ended in Shreveport, the Bulldogs were not ranked in the final Associated Press poll for the first time since 1996″.
GET USED TO IT
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
8:08 am
“The Jackets are 20-7 in Johnson’s first two seasons and went 11-3 with an ACC championship last season. They lost four stars (Demaryius Thomas, Jonathan Dwyer, Derrick Morgan, Morgan Burnett) to the NFL draft. But perceptions remain that they’re better than Georgia. Why”
Because Tech is loaded with athletes and THEIR athletes are smart enough to take Calculus and you need that to fully understand Paul Johnson’s offense.
The preseason, when perception is reality. « Get The Picture
August 22nd, 2010
8:29 am
[...] Jump to Comments Can’t say that I quibble much with Jeff Schultz’ premise in this post… If preseason polls are more about perceptions than reality, so be it. But perceptions are [...]
poopdawg
August 22nd, 2010
8:34 am
Yellow Fuzz, how did Eddie Lee Ivory do in Calculus? Yeah Tech athletes are smart alright.
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
8:39 am
poop
Not sure how he did as that was way before my time. BUT, I am sure he took it.
Bride of Chucky Knapp
August 22nd, 2010
8:40 am
Their R sew mini airs hear eye kant reed the kommints.
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
8:46 am
poop
Did you take it? How many of your players have to take it?
» SEC: Spurrier not happy with his quarterbacks (again) John Clay’s Sidelines
August 22nd, 2010
8:46 am
[...] Jeff Schultz of the AJC writes that rankings prove Georgia has lost benefit of the doubt. [...]
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
8:48 am
poop
Tech athletes are incredibly smart. Even the Business degrees require a full year of Calculus here.
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
8:53 am
georgia lost the “benefit of the doubt” with national pollsters and bowlsters in 2008 when their number one ranked azzes got blacked out by Alabama 31-0 and finally bitc slapped by Tech between the hedges 45-42. Everything that happened in between is still a blur to the dog faithful who has been free falling ever sense. I don’t think Shreveport was the bottom either.
H-Town Dawg
August 22nd, 2010
8:56 am
It’s curious that ol’ Schultz conveniently failed to mention the outcome of last year’s game. He just mentioned Georgia’s final record but forgot about win #7… Tech’s problem is that stupid articles like this provide NO PROTECTION for the Jackets when they actually take the field against the Dawgs. When they can no longer hide behind the skirts of “experts” like Schultz the results are uniformly disastrous for Atlanta’s trade school.
GT
August 22nd, 2010
9:02 am
Perception begins with the local press. I think if Johnson has been totally honest he would say that someone paints this picture every year for the fans and it is not reality. Johnson himself may be the biggest thing that has happened in college football in the state of Georgia this decade and because he does it so different from the rest his arrival is barely noticed. The press decides we don’t like a Spurrier because he is so brutally honest and it goes against what they have written and challenges their knowledge of the game. His teams are handicapped for this, recruiting is harder, young people don’t know about the Florida days. As the guy on the bar stool I am saying watch his team this year it too has surpassed Georgia, with absolutely no help from the local press. This kind of stuff is what makes living in America so great.
H-Town Dawg
August 22nd, 2010
9:07 am
The last time Tech was ranked ahead of Georgia in the pre-season (2001) the Dawgs won that one, too: 31-17. Because of unquestioned Dawg dominance over Tech, Jeff Schultz is forced to write this article in the virtual world of “perception” rather than reality. May the force be with you…nerds.
Dawgs73
August 22nd, 2010
9:07 am
“I am thankful we are ranked,” Richt said Saturday when asked about the AP poll. He added, “I hope we play well enough to move up. That’s the plan.”
The difference between Paul Johnson and Richt can be summed up in the above quote. Johnson expects to win, Richt “hopes” to win.
H-Town Dawg
August 22nd, 2010
9:14 am
The Techies have gotten a lot of bogus mileage out of a 3-point win in 2008. But they forget that the person most responsible for Georgia’s defensive collapse in the 2nd half of that game has been replaced. But even Willie Martinez couldn’t stop the Dawgs from once again beating the higher-ranked Techies. It’s that pesky “reality” thing coming into play again… I’m sure Johnson “expected to win” last November, too. lol
CrackDaddy
August 22nd, 2010
9:20 am
Do you have to go thru Athens to get to Shreveport?
jbeggs
August 22nd, 2010
9:23 am
Wow! Two seasons of gimmick football and Tech has passed UGA. UGA gift-wrapped one for Tech in ‘08 and two backs ran for 7+ yds/carry for 300+ yds last year in a beatdown and Tech has passed UGA? You are better at narketing (selling papaers) than you are at writing Jeff. Passed UGA – that’s a good one. They’re ranked ahead of UGA because they have a senior QB and UGA a freshman. I have to admit this is good stuff because I never read your balther. You got me this time.
Paul My Johnson
August 22nd, 2010
9:32 am
The beauty of the AP Poll – it get the nerds all lathered up – gives them false hope – this is the year of the Bee type hype – then the Dawgs kick the sheet out of them once again.
The hilarity of GT football keeps me smiling all year.
Eric
August 22nd, 2010
9:35 am
I agree with others that the fan base at uga are some of the dumbest gullible idiots on the planet. They think they will have some major year, some even saying a nat champ, with a freshman qb? HELLO idiots. Freshman don’t win 10 games. Even Colt Mccoy as a fresh at texas lost 3 games and that was a year after their nat champ game so they had a lot of talent the next year. Are you that talented? Hell no. So shut up and quick making yourselves look so ignorant. It really is head shaking how so many of you are so clueless.
At worst you’ll lose 6-7 games. At best you lose only 3. Most likely is you lose 4 or 5. No different than cox last year. Your time, if you still have star players will be in 2012. Not this year and probalby not next year with AJ leaving. So quit making everyone laugh at you. You look stupid when you think you will win with a no experience freshman. I don’t care about your off line. That excuse was given even 2 years ago with stafford.
bulldog 12
August 22nd, 2010
9:36 am
Hey David A. Patten.. You make my point the best. Bragging over winning one time in a decade, which was a fluke by 3 points. LOL. UGA beats Tech in every sport, every year consistently. Its a fact. Look it up. Football, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf. Maybe the Nerds can start a badminton team. Heres hoping you win 6-7 games this year so you can brag about returning to and losing in the Emerald Bowl. Another usual Dawg beatdown on Tech is coming this year. Ho-hum.
1eyedJack
August 22nd, 2010
9:38 am
Yellow Fuzz, proud for you that you “get” to take a full year of Calculus. Too bad they don’t require you to take a full year of English and Writing too. And what the h311 does Calculus have to do with football? Plenty of high school kids running that offense who are not taking Calculus. You remind me of the Nerd in the Zombie video. Creaming over class.
Attention silly nerds! Paul Johnson is NOT a God! More like a meteorite. And this is the year he crashes back to North Ave and burns up. North Carolina, Clemson, VaTech, Miami all have a good shot at beating you and the Big Fish, Georgia awaits at the end to punch you in the face. At least three and possibly five losses.
As for my Dawgs, what I don’t want to see is Soulja Boy dancing, rediculous personal foul penalties, arm tackles, ten yard cushions, sitting on 14 point leads, a loss to Tennessee or Kentucky and black helmets.
H-Town Dawg
August 22nd, 2010
9:40 am
I seem to recall that there was a lot of hype surrounding Atlanta’s trade school back in 1990 (the year Tech beat Georgia and Colorado won the national championship). I recall that so-called experts had a “perception” that Tech had moved ahead of Georgia. And yet… And yet, Georgia somehow managed to defeat Tech 7 straight times after that. Amazing!
Spike
August 22nd, 2010
9:43 am
Pre-season Tech is ranked ahead of UGA? Yawn. They were ranked #7 last year,also ahead of UGA. UGA-30. ACC Champs-24. How did that ranking work out for you dorks? I see the Tech insect mascot did not make the top ten. Imagine that.
Spike
August 22nd, 2010
9:45 am
Do these “experts” realize that the vaunted Tech football team has lost their last five bowl games? Five in a row!! A program on the rise?
BIRDDAWGONE
August 22nd, 2010
9:47 am
ACC Champions ranked 13th. NOW THAT’S RESPECT!!!
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
9:48 am
bulldog 12
lol. Dude. This ain’t your dad’s Georgia Tech you are talking down to. We have better coaches and smarter athletes than you. How did you like YOUR Emerald bowl (Shreveport) last year? We now own you in academics, football, basketball and baseball. You only own us in gymnastics and equestrian events. Serve yourself up another koolaid little man!
UGA fans are so ...
August 22nd, 2010
9:52 am
Well, I see the delusional idiots are force. Stomping a mudhole in you for a SIX point win, how2fish?
How about 41-17, THAT’S A MUDHOLE STOMPING SO STFU ABOUT MUDHOLE STOMPINGS,
LOSER!
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
9:54 am
How many of the dog posters here
took a year of Calculus in college?
1eyedJack
August 22nd, 2010
9:56 am
Yellow Fuzz, stand up straight and quit dragging your knuckles!
Hahahahahahahahahaha
August 22nd, 2010
9:56 am
“How many of the dog posters here
took a year of Calculus in college”?
a….that would be zero Dave.
1eyedJack
August 22nd, 2010
9:57 am
You remind me of that kid in the GT zombie video, creaming over Calculus class.
Spike
August 22nd, 2010
9:57 am
Yelloe Fuzz How did that math genius Reggie Ball do in his calculas class?
Spike
August 22nd, 2010
9:58 am
How does five bowl losses in a row add up?
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
9:59 am
1eyeJacked:
great line
jarvis
August 22nd, 2010
10:00 am
Who’s not getting the benefit of the doubt?
Tech won their confernce championship and went to the Orange Bowl. Georgia went 8-5 with a win over a .500 A&M team in the Indepence Bowl, and Tech is ranked a full 7 spots ahead of the Dawgs in the mid-teens.
I don’t think it is Georgia who isn’t getting the respect.
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
10:01 am
Spike:
“Yelloe Fuzz How did that math genius Reggie Ball do in his calculas class”?
I know he passed them. I heard he made a B in one. Where are you working now?
Spike
August 22nd, 2010
10:07 am
Fuzz I am charge of keeping record of the number of bowl losses for Tech football and the losse that keep stacking up against UGA this decade. Math is not my forte, can you help me out because the numbers are staggering?
Spike
August 22nd, 2010
10:09 am
Reggie Ball made a B? Yea, sure he did. Is that all you have to brag about? If that knucklehead made a B it doesn’t say much for the vaunted Tech academics.
Yellow Fuzz
August 22nd, 2010
10:10 am
Jarvis: georgia fans are getting exactly what they deserve. Great to hear them pounding their chest about their Shreveport Bowl victory (over that what, 82nd ranked Texas A & M power house?) while we battled a great Iowa team (who is ranked 6-9th again) in a REAL bowl.
1eyedJack
August 22nd, 2010
10:10 am
Reggie’s tutor made a “B”.
slick
August 22nd, 2010
10:11 am
Man, this got the tards all lathered up!