Dogs could benefit from schedule in 2010
Georgia's schedule finally breaks Mark Richt's way. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Over the past two seasons, as the Dogs were trying to survive absolutely killer schedules, I kept looking ahead at the 2010 and 2011 schedules and thinking that if Mark Richt could solve his defensive problems and find a quarterback, he’d be looking at a definite window of opportunity.
The rotation of SEC West teams that the Dogs face definitely turns advantageous this season (no Bama or LSU) and the most challenging opponent on the nonconference schedule looks to be our in-state rival.
CollegeFootballNews.com is thinking along the same lines. In doing their roundup of the SEC composite schedule for 2010, they see Georgia’s “realistic best case record” as 11-1, the “worst case” record as 7-5 and peg the Dogs’ “likely finish” at 10-2.
Their summary paints a pretty optimistic scenario: “Georgia won’t be the best team in the SEC, but it has the schedule to look that way. Any SEC East team worth its salt would take this slate in a heartbeat. There’s no Alabama or LSU to deal with, Florida, as always, is at a neutral site, Tennessee is a home game, and the road games are at South Carolina, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Auburn. Throw in a home date against Vanderbilt and anything less than a New Year’s Day bowl appearance will be a mega-disappointment. Even the nonconference schedule works out well with the Georgia Tech game at home and the one tough road trip at Colorado. On the negative side, the game against the Buffs is coming off a road trip to Mississippi State for the only back-to-back road games of the year, and the week off doesn’t come until late November.”
One caveat: CFN also predicted a 10-2 finish for the Dogs in 2009.
And, of course, that neutral site for the Florida game hasn’t proved very helpful for the Dogs in recent years. Plus, under Richt the Dogs actually play better on the road than at home. But a return to New Year’s Day certainly does seem within this team’s grasp. Let’s face it, if they hadn’t blown it against Kentucky last year, they still probably would have played on Jan. 1.
So what do you think? Will anything less than the Outback or Capitol One be a “mega-disappointment” this season? Or is CFN underestimating the rebuilding Richt faces this year?
SUCCESS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
The men’s basketball Bulldogs aren’t there yet, but the team definitely has improved since Mark Fox came to town, especially in one aspect of the game: free throws.
The Athens Banner-Herald takes a look at that improvement, which sees the dogs leading the SEC by making 72.7 percent from the free-throw line heading into tonight’s game in Knoxville. That’s up from the 63.8 percent they shot last season (which ranked 297th in the nation out of 330 Division I teams) and is on pace to be the team’s best percentage from the foul line since 2001-02, when the Bulldogs converted 73.7 percent of the time, the ABH says. Under Dennis Felton, Georgia never shot better than 67.9 percent.
Travis Leslie, for example, has improved from shooting 57.5 percent last season to 76.1 percent this year. The other Dogs have also improved.
Trey Thompkins, who leads the conference by making 85.7 of his free throws, tells the ABH, that the key to the turnaround is “we just shoot millions and millions of free throws. Once we’re done doing all the grinding in practice, we step up to the free-throw line and knock down free throws. You can’t leave unless you knock them down.”
I’ve never understood basketball coaches who don’t emphasize practicing free throws. It’s like a football coach who ignores the kicking game. Too many games are won or lost at the line.
This is just one more reason for Dogs basketball fans to be pleased with the Fox hire.
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518 comments Add your comment
BuLLdawg
February 18th, 2010
6:21 am
AUBURN : UGA has LOST to Auburn 3 times in the Coach Richt Era, but this one is in Auburn and Auburn NEVER BEATS US at THEIR HOUSE. Well, almost NEVER because Auburn has BEAT COACH RICHT at THEIR HOUSE and rolled their tree. Now, we 3 Freshmen Quarterbacks oh Mike Bobo is going to kick Auburn’s butt at their house. Auburn is a bad team and UGA has won 4 in a row, never mind we LOST 3 of the previous 5 back when UGA was good. Anyway, UGA beat Georgia tek and tek ended up Number 13 in the Final AP Poll Top 25. Auburn beat Tennessee vols and WE LOST TO THE vols. Auburn also beat West Virginia and Ole Miss and Auburn won on NEW YEAR’S DAY in a New Year’s Day Bowl Game, but UGA ? OBSERVABLY BETTER THAN AUBURN, right ?
GEORGIA tek : Don’t have to discuss this one either, right ? Easy Win. Have them ‘Tween the Hedges. Oh, the LAST TIME ‘TWEEN THE HEDGES Georgia tek won ? That can’t be right can it ? I mean UGA was so great that year. Started out the season # 1 in the nation in every poll. Promptly went out and dropped to # 13 in the Final AP Poll, Coach Richt did without that KILLER INSTINCT. Hey # 13, had we started there at # 13 instead of # 1, we would NOT HAVE BEEN RANKED IN THE FINAL AP POLL TOP 25, obviously. Hey # 13, AND WE LOST to Georgia tek AT OUR HOUSE. Great freaking season for UGA. We gave up 29 CONSECUTIVE POINTS to Georgia tek, our OFFENSE is so damn great with such wonderful play calls. It’s just the players who are to blame for all the penalties, fumbles and interceptions – that has NOTHING to do with the Offensive Coaching Staff. We have to spend $750,000 on the Defensive Coordinator and MORE THAN THAT for his assistants, but on OFFENSE, we don’t need that. We have the BEST PLAYERS, right ? Who cares what we call on Offense. BEFORE we gave up 29 CONSECUTIVE POINTS to Georgia tek the year before last AT OUR HOUSE, this great season we had NO ONE CAN SAY OTHERWISE IN HERE, we gave up 31 CONSECUTIVE POINTS to another team and LOST and gave up 42 CONSECUTIVE POINTS to another team and LOST that game too, but hey we were # 1 in the nation in every poll that year the year before last. We are just great.
SHOULD I LEAVE OUT THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME between ALABAMA and FLORIDA, or I am REQUIRED IN HERE TO SAY THAT IT WILL BE ALABAMA and UGA ? Or just what do I say about the 14th game when we WIN 10 a year, and hey that’s the BEST IN THE SEC. Best in the nation. Never mind both of those are LIES.
BOWL GAME : For the 1st time in The Coach Richt Era, Coach Richt will play a BOWL GAME against a Top Ranked Opponent in the Final AP Poll Top 10. You know on the National Stage so I can come in here and brag about HOW GREAT Coach Richt is ? Oh, no we won’t either. We have played EXACTLY 11 of those games in the Coach Richt Era, and ALL 11 are Top 10 SEC teams in the Final AP Poll and we by the way, won 3 of the 11.
BuLLdawg
February 18th, 2010
6:23 am
FLORIDA : Uh, here we are. Florida. Obviously we will be 8-0 with our 3 Freshmen Quarterbacks and our great OFFENSE. Well, if you don’t count FUMBLES. Well, if you don’t count INTERCEPTIONS. Well, if you don’t count PENALTIES. Because our UGA offense even without 3 Freshmen Quarterbacks has LED THE NATION in Penalties, Fumbles and Interceptions.
BuLLdawg
February 18th, 2010
6:34 am
Sure win for UGA never mind Florida too came up here to UGA and took THEIR BEST RECRUITS ON OFFENSE from RIGHT HERE TOO, like the vols did too, and Auburn and everyone else. What’s our excuse going to be this year ? Injuries ? Bad call by the officials ? Oh, if it weren’t for that 1 play, etc. Just asking but if we LOSE to Florida are we OUT OF IT in our OWN DIVISION ? Does that then TAKE UGA off the NATIONAL STAGE all together ?
I guess I must to be a TRUE UGA BULLDOG FAN, say like our Freshmen Quarterback who NEVER TOOK A SNAP UNDER CENTER in his lifetime at 198 lbs and barely 6 feet tall frankly looks shorter and smaller, with INJURIES 2 YEARS IN A ROW NOW because of his size, and he does NOT throw with much ZIP, I guess I should call that then what ? Throws a CATCHABLE BALL. He’s going to go down there and WIN. Win Baby Win. No one cares anyway. We have won 3 games in the last 2 decades against Florida. Our fans ignore this game, probably because all they went down there to do, was to GET DRUNK.
DO WE FINISH OUT THE REST OF THE YEAR ?
OR JUST GIVE UP ?
"Jeff"=?
February 18th, 2010
8:02 am
Rebuilding year….even your own spokesman, BuLLdaug knows better than that. The fact that your coach did not play anyone other than cox is the only “rebuild” position you might have.
Plus you still have the two cupcakes.
chazzo
February 18th, 2010
8:46 am
I hope the players and coaches at UGA don’t think it is an easy schedule, and I hope everyone thinks UGA is going to suck this year.
trilla!!!!
February 18th, 2010
11:59 am
UF owns UGA
3 wins in the last 20 years hahaha
byDawg
February 18th, 2010
4:28 pm
Anything less than a Jan. 1 bowl, or better, is a major disappointment any year for UGA these days. That said, 2009 was a difficult year schedule wise and coordinator wise – and, like you said, we prolly would have been in a new years day bowl game had we beaten KY so…here’s to 2010. Dawgs in the Sugar…at least…and have at least a 50/50 shot the SECCG!
Would of, could of, should of...
February 18th, 2010
5:00 pm
Would of, could of, should of…this is UGA football…always an excuse, or what could have been if only this, or only that…with the talent that flows into Athens every where, how can it be that year after year the DAWGS fall short…preparation is the key, and this team is never prepared for every game…sure CMR is a good coach, but how don’t you have your team(s) breathing fire against your biggest rivals…how does UF hand you your jock every year but one, how does UT w/ a new coach/system hand you your head…the past teams were lacking something….fans stated that Stafford wasn’t a good leader, although he was a good QB (think back, and who was the leader on that team)…last year you had NO ONE in a leadership roll, although everyone spoke of Cox’s supposed leadership…well, you not only have to talk the talk, but you have to walk the walk…Cox couldn’t even cash a check…that was the biggest waste of a year, and how the coaches got so flat footed is beyond reason…how do you think a Saban, Miles, Spurrier, or Meyer would have handled last season, well Cox would have been benched with his feelings hurt, Gray would have been under center, and if that didn’t work then the redshirts would have been torn off the backs of at least one of the freshman QB’s…I don’t give a crap about how many wins CMR has averaged over the years, the guy just doesn’t have the personality to do what has to be done to win…you may not agree with me, but take a look at CMR is tap dancin’ this off season…this is one of the most veteran teams in a long while, now let’s see if he can coach up to the talent, if not then this should be his last season
DirtyDawg
February 18th, 2010
5:09 pm
By that ‘patrick’ guy’s reasoning, there has never been a National Champion in Division 1 football since even the teams that make it to the NC game under the BCS have been ‘voted’ into their positions by somebody. Leave the ‘hair-splitting’ to the techies. We’ll just play football and see how it comes out.
gtfanfrom1951
February 18th, 2010
5:11 pm
If you Mississippi State is going to be cake walk your wrong. This might be South Carolina year. Remember what Kentucky did to the dawgs in their house. And for get about beating FLA. Auburn will improved this year and its going to be a long year to be dawg.
Upstate Dawg
February 18th, 2010
7:54 pm
Another exciting, very competitive game for the Dawgs last night in Knoxville. Why wasn’t the AJC there? It’s a shame the paper is so spotty with its hoops coverage.
Call It Like It Is
February 18th, 2010
8:33 pm
What a JOKE 10-2? YOU gotta be kidding ME!
The will be 7-5 at BEST!
This is a LACK LUSTER PROGRAM!
Gators win the East again 2010!
Enough Said!
Big L
February 18th, 2010
8:34 pm
Hey gtfanfrom1951, I think it is abso freakin loutley hilarious that you did’nt even mention Tech. Named some good SEC teams, but no Mention of the ACC chumps. You coming to grips with reality?
Big L
February 18th, 2010
9:03 pm
Hey Call It. You can kiss my “enough said”. Our O-line and running WILL be better than yours. Our defense Will have more experience and play better than yours. You and rest of Gaytor nation will only have a good recruitng class to celebrate next year.
DawgVoiceofReason
February 18th, 2010
11:57 pm
BuLLdawg,
To answer your question, I wish YOU would “JUST GIVE UP”. It’s nothing personal; I don’t know you. It’s just your COMPLETELY OVERBEARING and OBNOXIOUS postings. You do SEEM to do your homework with the “facts” you present. Facts are important to any analysis, but again, it’s your PRESENTATION of those facts and the COMPLETE lack of PERSPECTIVE and CONTEXT in which you try to RAM them DOWN our THROATS. You come across as a BLOWHARD.
Do YOU get the MESSAGE?
DawgVoiceofReason
February 19th, 2010
12:04 am
ak4771,
This is a blog, not an article. I think you are confused about which you speak. Because this is a blog, Bill is intentionally trying to encourage others to respond and give their ideas by asking what we think. If you fundamentally disagree with this concept, then STAY AWAY from this blog and others, for that matter.
SagaciousSam
February 19th, 2010
1:27 am
It’s probably best to go ahead and play the games and wait for the actual results than to presume anything regarding the not so scientific art of prognostication. Suffice to say, UGA ’should’ have a fairly good team next year. Let’s all be smart and leave it at that.
Kevin Jordan
February 20th, 2010
7:57 am
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