Differing views of Dogs’ 2010 prospects
Will Dogs be better this season than in 2009? (University of Georgia)
Most UGA fans I’ve talked with are expecting at least marginal improvement for Mark Richt’s Dogs in 2010.
Yes, Georgia will be breaking in an inexperienced quarterback (whoever it is) and rebuilding its defense with a new scheme. But the Dogs also will have a veteran offensive line, they’ve finally figured out who their running backs should be, and there’s an awful lot of young talent for new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham to work with. Plus the schedule looks a whole lot more advantageous for the Dogs.
Not everyone sees it that way, though.
In addition to predicting that 2010 will be Les Miles’ last season at LSU, Clay Travis of NCAA Football Fanhouse thinks “Georgia’s continuing decline will be the story of the SEC east in 2010.” Travis predicts another 7-5 regular season for UGA, saying “The Bulldogs are taking on water and they can’t bail out fast enough. Both the offense and defense will be weaker. And even in a weakened SEC east, the Bulldogs will be in trouble.”
Whoa. Look, I’m not saying Georgia will win the SEC East this year, but that sounds way too dismissive of the talent assembled in Athens. What do you think?
BULLDOG BITES
The Red and Black has a good overview of the 3-4 defensive scheme, including why Grantham thinks it matches up better with the spread and option offenses Georgia is increasingly facing, and how it differs in personnel from the 4-3 the Dogs had been using. … SI.com reports Georgia’s Geno Atkins “elevated his game on the first day of Senior Bowl practice. Atkins was explosive and unstoppable for most of the afternoon session. He was constantly getting penetration behind the line of scrimmage and regularly beating bigger, stronger opponents.” … A lot of buzz about that quote in Chip Towers’ blog on recruit Nikell Robey where Frostproof High School athletics director Charles Loveless says of other schools going after the UGA-committed player: “He’s planning to visit Southern Cal next week. Monte Kiffin has been very persistent. He’s probably been in here more than is legal. Of course they don’t pay attention to the rules.” You’ve got to figure someone has forwarded that to the folks at the NCAA. … UGA’s sports information department points out that with ex-Bulldogs Tim Jennings (Indianapolis Colts) and Jon Stinchcomb and Charles Grant (New Orleans) on teams reaching this year’s Super Bowl, Georgia now has had at least one representative in the Super Bowl for nine straight seasons. That is the longest streak for former Dogs in the Super Bowl, breaking the tie of eight straight in 1985-92 and 1971-78. … Because of President Obama’s State of the Union address, the radio coverage of Wednesday night’s Georgia-Florida basketball game will be split between WSB-AM (pregame and first half) and sister station WSRV FM 97.1/The River (second half) so that WSB can carry the speech. All other affiliates of the Georgia Bulldog Radio Network will carry the game as usual. … Improved play definitely sells tickets when it comes to Georgia basketball, so it’s not surprising that nonstudent tickets for the men’s game against No. 1-ranked Kentucky on March 3 are now sold out. Reserved-seat tickets ($15) are still available for all the other home games. If you’d still like to catch the Trey Thompkins, Travis Leslie and Co. in Athens and haven’t bought tickets yet, a good deal is the SEC Mini-Plan, which offers a reserved seat for the Arkansas, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Alabama games for $50 and also includes a $10 gift card for Raising Cane’s chicken. … So if you don’t follow college gymnastics and can’t understand how the Gym Dogs moved up two spots to No. 8 in the latest national rankings despite losing two straight matches, well, it’s basically because Georgia posted its highest point total of the season in its latest loss at Utah. The Gym Dogs had season highs in all four events and their overall average of 195.717 puts them in eighth place. My brother Jon, who follows college gymnastics, explains it is a “crazy system” where “nothing matters until the Regional Qualifying Score starts after so many meets. All that counts is being in the top 36 at the end of the season so that you will go to a Regional.” And if you do well enough there, you go to the Nationals. This is indeed a sport where the regular season takes a back seat to the postseason tournaments.
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191 comments Add your comment
East Atlanta
January 26th, 2010
6:05 pm
Clay Travis is a tremendously gifted writer, but as far as predictions go, he’s nothing but another blind homer. I guess as a Tennessee native and die-hard Vols fan (read his book “Dixieland Delight”), he should know about programs taking on water. The Volunteer Navy is at the bottom of the ocean.
Bill King
January 26th, 2010
6:13 pm
Chemdawg:
Grantham spoke to a group of reporters.
mason Sanders
January 26th, 2010
6:28 pm
Agree with Old Dawg, need someone to emerge like Knowshon in ‘07, then the season will take care of itself.
Dawg Tired
January 26th, 2010
6:31 pm
Obviously no one knows what the 2010 record will be. Play the games! These folks who somehow claim to know what a team’s record is going to be before even one game is played are in LALA land, and that’s the polite way of describing them.
Beam me up Scotty.
SuperB
January 26th, 2010
6:32 pm
I can’t believe you pay any attention to Clay Travis. anyone who “really” knows CFB knows Aaron Murray is the real deal and the Dawgs offense will be great next year. Travis is– as always– a gasbag. Georgia will NOT decline but will improve it’s record.
KJ
January 26th, 2010
6:49 pm
Anyone who definitively states that UGA will be worse on offense OR defense cannot be taken seriously. They lose Cox on offense, and whoever replaces him will likely be an upgrade. Moore is also gone, but UGA is stacked at WR. On defense, the front seven will be thinner, but the secondary will be better, as will the coaching. Throw in an easier schedule, and 9-10 wins is the most likely result.
nash
January 26th, 2010
6:55 pm
the gators have to reload the vols have to reload the dawg have great talent and what we see is what the coachs except paul johnson had techs o turned into what he wanted in one year. If the coachs ask for the best and motivate for the best we will see the best the o line is solid the recieving corp is solid with or without the rogers the running game has a great 1-2 punch and and the te came alive at the end of the season if the best qb plays that offense can put up 21-28 points a game and if the coachs demand it the d could hold teams to 14-17 points a game with the peices from years pass this team could be a 10 or 11 win quod go DAWGS
Tebow Struggles Continue...
January 26th, 2010
7:08 pm
Poor Tebow, they’re now saying 3rd or 4th round. He had a terrible day today.
Gotta hurt Florida’s recruiting to see a spread guy struggle so bad in the NFL again.
Watch the video from the Senior Bowl Practice and hear comments:
http://www.nfl.com/seniorbowl/story?id=09000d5d815f9058&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
Aaron Murray 30% Better Than John Brantley
January 26th, 2010
7:17 pm
Murray was the #3 ranked QB in the Nation.
Murray threw for over 4000 yards his best year, Brantley, 2800.
Murray threw for 51 tds, Brantely 41 td’s.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Aaron-Murray-66179
fan
January 26th, 2010
7:46 pm
clay never played football and he sound like a fool
chemdawg
January 26th, 2010
8:11 pm
Bill King: Yay, that was my question (via Bradley).
Buckhead Bulldog
January 26th, 2010
8:20 pm
Bill, my man…..tell me you did not quote Clay Travis? Please tell me you did not read and give any credence to what that bozo wrote, right?
Losing faith in ya! Come on now….
bamadawg
January 26th, 2010
8:22 pm
Will…I b with ya dude…11-1….maybe 14-0 Babeee!!! NChamps!!!
Big L
January 26th, 2010
8:29 pm
Hey Bamadawg, luv your ferver bubba, but you gotta quit drinkin that water over there. It might come from georgia , but it passes bama trailor parks before it gets to the faucet. I will be happy with 10-2 if we beat Floriduh and Tech. That is realistic.
johnson's army brigade
January 26th, 2010
8:36 pm
schedule looks alot friendlier to us except that game after thanksgiving…we never beat those guys…..LMAO… later dawg fans
grant stadium
January 26th, 2010
8:39 pm
go tech flagboys..buzz buzz…the chief recruiter is gone ..left for a real job..see how paul’s johnson handles the rest of the baton twirling recruiting for his majorette Army brigad…there are some great players to choose from back at Georgia Southwestern coach where you first started …and you own the dawgs…besides “what has Georgia done since 1980?” say coach
Here's the deal, Dawgies
January 26th, 2010
8:47 pm
1) You’ll find out Cox was better than you thought
2) You still have Bobo as OC
3) You had a veteran OL last year and what did it do for you ?
4) You’ll have a new defensive scheme, but the same personnel.
5) All of this translates into a less than favorable season for you. I’d say 7-5 is optimistic.
6) Chew on that bone.
calhoun dawg
January 26th, 2010
8:49 pm
darick rogers is now tennessee bound..got it from him!!
U forgot something, Here's the Deal
January 26th, 2010
8:54 pm
You forgot to mention that injuries affect UGA more than any team in the nation. It’s time for that one to rear its ugly head again. So let’s make it 6-6. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
8:56 pm
My prediction for 2010 Dawgs.
5-7 record.
Mark Richt gets run out of town.
Hershel Walker admits to taking steroids in 1980.
UGA 15 chokes on a chew toy and dies.
Athens gets napalmed by accident by Obama.
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:00 pm
“Poor Tebow, they’re now saying 3rd or 4th round. He had a terrible day today.”
This statement is really sad.
A: Tebow has 2 national championships and 1 Heisman. UGA has nothing to show for the last 30 years.
B: Tebow, no matter what, will get drafted and make millions of dollars.
C: UGA will suck next year, and the next and beyond infinity.
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:01 pm
“Agree with Old Dawg, need someone to emerge like Knowshon in ‘07, then the season will take care of itself.”
Ahhhhhh, so UGA will lose two games, not win the SEC East, cry about getting left out of the NT game AND be pre-season number one for 2011?
WOOF WOOF
UGA Valedictorian
January 26th, 2010
9:02 pm
YEEEEHAWWWW!!!!!!!!! That there naypalm don’t mix well with sewage either, ol’ buddy !!!! Athens’ll go up like a torch !!!!! YEEEEEHAWWWWW !!!!!!!
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:02 pm
What is Mark Richt’s biggest concern?
Does the NCAA count bail money as a recruiting violation?
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:03 pm
What do you call a drug ring in Athens?
A huddle.
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:04 pm
The Dogs are hoping for an undefeated season this year….
11 Arrests, 0 convictions.
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:04 pm
How did the Dogs spend the first week of Spring Training?
Studying their Miranda Rights
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:05 pm
“I will be happy with 10-2 if we beat Floriduh and Tech. That is realistic.”
Do you get cable in your trailer?
Dawg Fan
January 26th, 2010
9:09 pm
Naw, but I can bark and otherwise act my IQ.
Dawg Fan
January 26th, 2010
9:11 pm
It ain’t easy being a Dawg. Takes a LOT of mental faculties, ya know. GATA !!!!!! ROFLMAO !!!!
Booby Hill
January 26th, 2010
9:12 pm
“Naw, but I can bark and otherwise act my IQ.”
I didn’t know carrots had IQ’s.
Sorry for you!
January 26th, 2010
9:17 pm
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha-
Does posting your garbage on an AJC/UGA blog make your small, insignificant life seem better than it truly is?
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:19 pm
“Does posting your garbage on an AJC/UGA blog make your small, insignificant life seem better than it truly is?”
No, it’s a real joy to make UGA fans angry.
Sorry for U-2
January 26th, 2010
9:20 pm
So I guess responding to a small, insignificant person says a lot about you, huh ?
Sorry for you!
January 26th, 2010
9:21 pm
Sorry for U-2, I hate you!
Sorry for UB40
January 26th, 2010
9:21 pm
I HATE EVERYONE!
UB40, IB27
January 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
Give or take.
So, uh, How Bout Them Dawgs Now ??????
January 26th, 2010
9:25 pm
WOOF WOOF WOOF !!!!!
Sorry for you!
January 26th, 2010
9:27 pm
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha- I’m happy that you can admit your many insecure faults on a a public blog. It takes courage for a lil’ like you to come out.
Do your parents know, yet?
Big Bob
January 26th, 2010
9:31 pm
We will be 10-2 and win the SEC east and play Alabama for the SEC championship. I RUN THIS STATE (((30-24)))
Where's my money, Bill ?
January 26th, 2010
9:32 pm
Hey Bill, have we run up enough posts yet? I’m runnin out of insults.
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:45 pm
“I’m happy that you can admit your many insecure faults on a a public blog. It takes courage for a lil’ like you to come out.
Do your parents know, yet?”
Oh crap, I forgot to tell my parents about you being pregnant. Whoops.
Smashsmeesha Bobeesha
January 26th, 2010
9:47 pm
“We will be 10-2 and win the SEC east and play Alabama for the SEC championship. I RUN THIS STATE (((30-24)))”
Yep, in video game world that will happen. In the real world, UGA goes 5-7.
Uga's fire hydrant
January 26th, 2010
9:49 pm
Sorry for you!, are you perhaps one of those feminists who is angry at Tim Tebow?
WestOfAthens
January 26th, 2010
9:51 pm
Whoa…..
Clay Travis can eat it
That be it, his words.
What a schmoe
HBTD
jesse james
January 26th, 2010
9:57 pm
Larry Munson you are right. UGA is not nearly as good as we think, we have no depth, I don’t see how we can stay on the field next year, we are too thin, it will take a miracle to get things going and then before you know it, there is that hobnail boot, great play by Pollock in the endzone, Johnson’s great catch at Auburn, Stafford to Green, run Caleb run, and the Dawgs will be fine.
TheGazoo
January 26th, 2010
10:13 pm
Just google Todd Grantham released from Browns. Here is a comment from one of his former players.
“There were too many things going on week-in and week-out for coach Grantham to remain with us. He was not trusted by many those that played for him, overall his assistants certainly did not seem comfortable with him and I know that the head coach had issues with him. So, yeah Grantham was removed to make room for coach Tucker in a sense.”"
Hutson Mason 40% Better Than Brantley
January 26th, 2010
10:13 pm
Georgia has some great QB’s.
Hutson threw for over 4500 yards, Brantley 2800
Hutson 55 td’s, Brantley, 41 td’s
http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/n_3xU2SFC0-tZYtLSM9lLw/football-fall-09/stats-hutson-mason.htm
Todd - Dacula
January 26th, 2010
10:23 pm
DAWGS are 8-0 come October 30, 2010 and looking to do soem damage against the Gators.
The defense will play a lot better and the Offense will be excellent. I am predicting 11-1 regular season. Anythiung after that means (possible) the SEC title Game.
Washaun Ealey Owns Georgia Record
January 26th, 2010
10:30 pm
Georgia is loaded at running back.
Running back Ealey ran for 2700 yards and 55 td’s in high school in one year to set the Georgia record, AJC player of the year.
Here’s a great video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7DYJzBtcAc&feature=related