What does UGA need to win a national championship?
BCS trophy.
Someone on the DawgPost Forum (free but registration required) asked a question this morning that I hear a lot whenever UGA fans start discussing Mark Richt’s program: What pieces do the Dogs need in order to win a national championship?
With Mark Bradley looking at the chances of Richt ever winning a BCS title today, I thought this would be a good time to discuss what exactly Georgia is lacking in that regard.
The first step, of course, is to win the SEC championship; without that, as the Dogs discovered in 2007, you don’t get to be part of the BCS championship conversation.
But beyond that? Among the early suggestions over at DawgPost were: luck, a more favorable schedule, media buzz that goes deeper than last year’s somewhat tentative preseason infatuation with the Stafford-Moreno team, and a dominant defense. As in the old maxim, “defense wins championships.”
All of those are valid parts of the formula, especially the last one. A breakout star offensive player definitely helps with the media buzz but is no guarantee of success unless the other factors are in place — as we saw with last year’s Dogs. There’s not much you can do about luck. Some teams are lucky (like the 2002 Dogs) and some aren’t (as in last year’s unusual run of injuries). This year, the Dogs face another brutal schedule, but the schedules for the next couple of years appear a lot more favorable.
As for the defense, Richt and company seem to be addressing some needs with the 2010 recruiting class (especially defensive end), though they could still use some likely replacements for seniors Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens.
So what do you think Georgia needs to contend for a national championship in, say, the next three years?
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121 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
July 30th, 2009
5:12 pm
I hope all you florida “we discovered football” folks are around later in the year if you lose a game or two. Which can happen.
You win championships? Let’s see, you have won 3 in the last 13 years.
What happened in the other 10 years?
SOMEONE ELSE WON THE NT. Furthermore, you didn’t even win the SEC in most of those years.
UGA and Florida have won the same # of SEC titles since Richt came to UGA-2 each.
UGA will never beat UF? What happened in 2004 and 2007?
Big Dawg
July 30th, 2009
5:14 pm
Dorsey Hill,
You asked– wasn’t that the year that Pollack picked a ball and handed it to Sean Jones and the TD was called back due to a non-existent lateral? Bogus call.
No that was the LSU game in 2003 and yes the referee who made the call was at least 20 yards behind the play. The call cost us the game.
can't tackle, huh?
July 30th, 2009
5:15 pm
rush for 500 yards in some third quarter…
NotAgain
July 30th, 2009
5:27 pm
A good well rounded QB that can run & pass accurately & to beat Florida.
Rick
July 30th, 2009
5:27 pm
Get the basics right and focus on defense. It what has always won Championships.
Rick
July 30th, 2009
5:29 pm
Someday UGA will win it’s 2nd National Championship. It will happen.
49-10
July 30th, 2009
5:29 pm
dog in lex…you are on some crap dude…first of all, I’ll take UF’s 3 in 13 years over UGA’s ZERO.
Secondly, I’ll be here all year.. UF and UGA are tied in sec’s since Ricth has been there…who cares? why didn’t you go back one more year…or why did you go back past three…I like how you pick the years…but anywho, UF will have 3 in 5 years under Meyer while Prick is stuck on 2 in 9 years with ZERO NC’s while UF gets their 3rd in 5 years….hahahahahahaha….and I never said UGA won’t beat UF….law of averages tells you it has to happen less than once every 8 years….or something like that….hahahahahaha
49-10
July 30th, 2009
5:30 pm
can’t tackle huh….who are you talking to and can you be more specifit
49-10
July 30th, 2009
5:32 pm
big dawg….I think UGA got their rematch…how’d it work out that year?
notagain, based on what…
Rick, it might, but not this year…
CJDawg
July 30th, 2009
5:32 pm
IMHO..we have to control the ball on BOTH lines of scrimmage. In spite of all of the flashy offenses, blitz packages on defenses, or whatever yahoo thinks of next….football games are won and lost up front. If I can push your DL off the ball, I can run it at you. If I can beat your OL, I can wreck maybhem in your backfield that leads to poor pass attempts that leads to turnovers.
IF we ever get there, we should always have the skill players necessary in order to win the NC.
CJDawg
July 30th, 2009
5:38 pm
And why do gator and tech fans have to come in here to have anythiing to do? You boyz can all run along home now……
Mike
July 30th, 2009
5:40 pm
Plain and simple…show up and play 4 quarters. We have yet to really do that except for a few occasions. That doesnt necessarily mean we dont win games- we have proven that but its those breakdowns that cost us
2. get an attitude instead of excuse making after every game why it was close, why we lost…etc. love him or hate him (and I am in the later) what Tebow did after the Ole Miss loss was exceptional and lit a fire on his team. We had Stafford telling us why Vandy was such a great team and we should be thankful we were able to win.
3. Quit beating ourselves before we even get to Jax. enough of the talk about Fla. Take a hard look at the series- we owned them for 25 years. Talk positive. All the players hear is us doom and gloom in Jax.
4. Coaches need to quit the everybody is sooo tough. Get an attitude- we spend so much time just talking about how we are fortunate to get by…etc etc…..you dont hear that from Championship teams. Most look back and can see that if this or that had happened- we would not have won etc but NOT before
weak SEC sisters club
July 30th, 2009
5:45 pm
DawginLex
July 30th, 2009
5:47 pm
49-10,
I just love how you act like the blowouts happen every year. The games are close (within a TD 7 out of 8 years) and you now act like the score is always a blowout.
Once in 8 years? How about 2 out of the last 5 years? and I know you will be here all year-hanging out on a UGA blog because of your constant obsession with us. You probably couldn’t get into UGA so you stay mad at the school.
You better win this year you blowhard. All that big talk could bite you in the arse. That is why florida has always been hated. Even before SOS and before Meyer and Tebow, you were a bunch of no class low life blowhards. I had a guy talk crap to me in 1982 AFTER THE GAME in Jville. Remember that score? 44-0
If you are so good, act like you have been there before and show some class instead of spewing crap like some 5 year old.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
July 30th, 2009
5:48 pm
Oh good Lord this is the blog I have been waiting for. What does UGA need?
1. A new coach.
2. A less redneck environment.
3. A new AD
4. A new program.
5. A new location.
6. A new football team.
This entire blog is nothing more than the AJC attempting to survive to tantalize Dog fans into thinking they can even come close to a National Title.
The defense sucks, because it is under disciplined.
The offense sucks, because it is operated by the leading interceptor at UGAY.
The program sucks, because African Americans players prefer more diverse friendly programs such as UF, Miami, GT, and LSU.
It's Great to be a Gator!
July 30th, 2009
5:49 pm
Enter your comments here
CJDawg
July 30th, 2009
5:50 pm
Man….it is getting worthless to even try to have an intelligent discussion in here. We have the Florida and Tech idiots in here ALL the time, then some moron like Weak coming in here. It’s not worth it to me to sit here and sift thru their crap just to try and catch up on the real Georgia info. Weak cannot even SPELL for goodness sake.
Butterfinger Terrence Edwards
July 30th, 2009
5:51 pm
ALL YOU DUMB REDNECK CRACKERS UGA FANS KISS MY AZZ!
Camden Mark
July 30th, 2009
5:52 pm
Get nasty mean in the trenchs and find some new politically incorrect football coachs(bye Willie).
DawginLex
July 30th, 2009
5:53 pm
ah the interception idiot returns,
Where you been a$$wipe? Still waiting on your responses to my questions.
102nd reason to be a UGA grad/fan:
SO YOU WON’T TURN OUT LIKE THE INTERSEPTION IDIOT.
Still want you to come to Sanford and let me introduce you to Coach Bobo. I will let you explain your internet blog handle to him in person.
DawginLex
July 30th, 2009
5:57 pm
interception, not interseption
DawginLex
July 30th, 2009
5:58 pm
You support diversity Mr. Interception idiot?
I bet I know what it involves. I bet your husband does too.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
July 30th, 2009
6:01 pm
DawginLex
Get a life!!!!
Mike
July 30th, 2009
6:09 pm
Hey Gaytors….tell me what is the series record????????????
DawginLex
July 30th, 2009
6:11 pm
I’ve got a life. It just p!sses me off to no end to have a loser like you bash UGA. I went to UGA and played football at UGA under coach Dooley and coach Richt is LIGHT YEARS of a better coach than coach Dooley.
Mike Bobo turned out to be a pretty good college QB. More than anything you ever did in your life I bet. He had a bad year coming off of a knee operation and set a bowl record that still stands for completions in a row. He also beat florida and tech in the same year in 1997.
So you explain to me why UGA is 2nd rate Einstein. You can’t. Richt will win another SEC title or two and possibly a NT. The current BCS system is more of a popularity contest than anything else. It shouldn’t take luck to get in the title game. It should be played out on the field.
I disagree with all of your crapola. Racist? Yeah right. Overrated? Richt finishes higher than the preseason polls 7 out of his 8 years in Athens.
If you hate us so much, go to your own damn blog and leave ours alone.
Mike
July 30th, 2009
6:13 pm
Hey Florida Boys……what is the UGA-UF series record????? and that big of lead still after all your talk of beating us this many out of this many…..stupid Gaytors- you were the ONLY conference team that NEVER won the SEC till 91. Smack talk all you want- Lets see a series record of FL vs all SEC schools….losers vs UGA…losers vs Bama….losers vs Auburn…losers vs most everyone……
Jeff
July 30th, 2009
6:16 pm
Com’on Gator fans…..doesnt anyone know the series record with UGA??
StupidGay-Tor
July 30th, 2009
6:17 pm
hmmmmmmmmmmm I ain’t sure
Larry
July 30th, 2009
6:18 pm
Asking UF the series records seems to do the trick of shuting up Jeanskorts&Mullets
BubbaDawg
July 30th, 2009
6:23 pm
You tell em’ Mike! We need to milk that series record for as long as we can. Once that is gone (and it will be) then what do we got? I’m sure all the recruits are more interested in the past 80 years anyway right? Screw the Gators and their 66% National Championship average for the past three years. No kids care about that. Maybe we can reprint some 1982 National Championship Shirts! We can just keep saying “what’s the series record?” and “wait till Tebow is gone”. That will dull the pain after Jacksonville.
Renegade
July 30th, 2009
6:26 pm
SPECIAL TEAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FLORIDA DOES IT RIGHT BY PUTTING THEIR BEST ATHLETES ON SPECIAL TEAMS. GEORGIA NEEDS TO LEARN THIS LESSON.
Larry
July 30th, 2009
6:31 pm
BubbaDawg….no, not milking anything- just stating the facts. Bottom line…series go back and forth- 19-6 vs gators…now UF is wining- it will go back again.
Jeff
July 30th, 2009
6:34 pm
Bubba- maybe you need to put a pair of Jeanshorts on and grow a mullet. Either back your team or get the heck off the bandwagon your on dude
Joe
July 30th, 2009
6:36 pm
Hey Bubba- you fit right in with those bandwagon fans of ours that LOVE to whine and cry and put down- Jeff is right….lose the dawg…you are now BubbaGaytor
I am now a BUBBAGATOR
July 30th, 2009
6:37 pm
Enter your comments here
Mike
July 30th, 2009
6:45 pm
Pretty pathetic excuse for a UGA fan if you ask me BubbaDawg. Maybe you need to back another team that can be on top and win a NC every year…and never has a rebuilding year….and wins championships every year…..and never loses to anyone…..GOOD LUCK!
Steve
July 30th, 2009
6:48 pm
Bubba: Just heard there was an opening for a fairweather fan in Knoxville, Nashville and Columbus, Ms. Feel free to apply loser
GooooooDawgs
July 30th, 2009
6:56 pm
Bubba- you’re no DAWG, that’s for sure
Out of towner
July 30th, 2009
6:59 pm
Someone please help me understand why if this is the Atlanta Journal why there is a UGA blog twice a day and nothing ever about GA Tech?? This isn’t the Athens paper. Does anyone care about GA TECH?? Guess not…. And can Bill King just relax for one day. He’s extremely annoying when he tries to initiate a debate with Tech and UGA fans 2-3 times a day and then he dissapears and has nothing else to add to the topic. Unlike Mark Bradley and DOB who blog on with their fellow bloggers, Bill King is just a little weisel who starts a fight and then goes running away to hide. Step up Bill and take a stance on something and join in on the comments. Stop being such a loser.
Rudy Rudeker
July 30th, 2009
7:02 pm
Win the SEC Championship and every one of our games, including the BCS bowl. No, wait, that didn’t work out too well for Auburn in ‘04. Winning all of its games and beating an SEC power in the Sugar Bowl didn’t help Utah much in ‘08.
You get my point. The BCS, and the concept of a true “national championship” in college football is, and always has been, a total joke. I have no interest in seeing Georgia “win” something that only exists in our imagination. But I would love to see another SEC Championship. Those are the banners I count – 12 so far. One more to tie Tennessee for 2nd all-time.
frank
July 30th, 2009
7:26 pm
A hardass at coach who wouldnt hesitate to fire his own brother.
Nice guy football doesnt work. Look at the coaches that win.
Central Fl Dawg
July 30th, 2009
7:51 pm
I believe most of the coaches we have are good enough to win. For the last several years we have been getting some top notch talent on the recruiting end but have much to show for it. We need to recruit more on defense to make the defense a defense that can be much like the “junk yard dawg” defense of years past. A defense that plays with an attitude. (Which leads me to think that maybe coach M<artinez needs to get the boys to toughen up).
We also need everyone on the team to put the team first and not put their own agenda’s ahead of the team’s agenda.
Last the team needs to play smart, disiplined football. Not make stupid crazy insane penelties.
DirtyDawg
July 30th, 2009
7:55 pm
Take the Gators off there schedule
Football Fan
July 30th, 2009
8:25 pm
It’s funny how UGA finished the 2007 #2 in the AP with a great performance by the defensive ends that rode the pine the year before and rode that hype to a preseason #1 with the presumption that the ends would be as good in 2008. The bottom line is that if you can’t pressure the QB in college or the NFL you are in big trouble. Some years you just have to catch lightning in a bottle and have a junior and senior laden team in key leadership positions with few injuries. UGA has not been able to have all those things working in tandem in recent memory.
Casey
July 30th, 2009
8:42 pm
They need the Triple Option!!!
T.O
July 30th, 2009
8:46 pm
UGA either beats TECH or has a better record at seasons end every year. Plus Tech plays in a sissy conference. They get lucky and beat UGA one year and they think now they are a National Title contender. Don’t forget about the last game you played. 38-3!! Yea you guys have finally arrived… Please…. Try running that High School offense against UGA’s 1st team defense and not our 2nd stringers and we’ll pound you just like LSU did.
Ryan
July 30th, 2009
8:48 pm
7 out of 8!! Tech is UGA’s Bitc@#!!!!
Steve
July 30th, 2009
9:07 pm
This the dumbest question ever. But, since you asked -
– Mark Richt is a great coach but needs a better recruiter
– Football players that can stay out of trouble
– A schedule versus middle schools
– Refs that graduated from THUGA
– The old 3 count before the defense can start the rush
– A better work release program
– Stop copying Green Bay’s logo
– An offensive coordinator that isn’t 3 plays behind
– A defensive coordinator that stops calling defensive plays
when the offense is on the field
– A better AD with some eggs who understands Jax is not a
neutral site (how stupid was this?)
– School colors that are not the same as the Third Reich.
superDawg
July 30th, 2009
9:11 pm
Erk Russell new how to put tuff into a player.Defense will save your rearend when games get down to who will step up.Check past NC’S EXCEPT FOR gt,the king of split or fishing pole rankings.
Bill King
July 30th, 2009
9:23 pm
weisel?