Are Dawg fans’ BCS title hopes for 2011 realistic?
When will Mark Richt get to hoist one of these crystal babies like Nick Saban? Or will he? (Associated Press)
It’s that time of year between signing day and the beginning of spring practice when college football fans look ahead with optimism. That certainly applies in the Bulldog Nation, where many, if not most, fans appear to have concluded that the 2010 season will see an improvement in the Dogs’ on-field performance. A frequent refrain I’m hearing is that 10 wins, at least counting the bowl if not in the regular season, doesn’t seem out of reach, even with all the questions surrounding this team.
And if you then look ahead to 2011, with a year of experience at QB and the new defensive scheme established and battle-tested and a fairly advantageous schedule, well, the sky seems to be the limit in many fans’ estimation.
Yes, just three months after the debacle that was the game against Kentucky, some Dogs fans are daring to think BCS national championship in 2011. We’re nothing if not resilient. (Or deluded, I’m sure Bama and Florida fans will say.)
One of those true believer Dawg fans recently raised the issue with Olin Buchanan, Rivals.com college football senior writer, asking him when he saw Georgia winning another national championship. “I’m hoping 2011 is our year,” the fan added.
After retracing Georgia’s history winning national titles and having some years where a catch or two might have provided the opportunity for another, Buchanan didn’t exactly give the fan the answer he was hoping for.
“Most championship teams have strong defenses and reliable, experienced quarterbacks,” he noted. “This past season, Georgia had neither. Junior Logan Gray and redshirt freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will compete to be this fall’s starting quarterback. We’ll have to see if one emerges as a reliable passer. Meanwhile, coordinator Todd Grantham was brought in to bolster a defensive unit that was the third-most generous in the SEC last season. Can he rebuild that unit back to usual SEC standards? Again, we’ll see.”
Loading ...So how do you feel about Georgia’s prospects? Is a 10-win season this year the minimum you would find acceptable? Do you really think the Dogs, probably minus A.J. Green, can surpass Florida and Alabama out of the SEC and become a BCS championship contender in 2011? If not then, when? On the latter point, feel free to vote in the poll and share your thoughts in the comments.
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613 comments Add your comment
BD
February 20th, 2010
9:34 pm
and why are you shrugging in your picture? Looks goofy.
GatorNation
February 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
This whole article reminds me of that real old song that goes…”Dreaming, I’m only dreaming…”
Murray County Mystic
February 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
you Georgia fans are so, so delusional. Let me explain it to you rednecks one more time; you are a mid-level SEC school…you are not Florida, not Bama, not LSU, not even Tennessee. You are on the level of Auburn, South Carolina and Arkansas. THAT IS THE WAY IT IS. Recent history proves it. You are who you are. It’s ok to strive to be better; just don’t get carried away…
heeldawg
February 20th, 2010
9:40 pm
Okay, I’m a huge Georgia fan, and I’m an optimist, but this is crazy talk. Bill, I want a NC as badly as the next guy, but we’re coming off of an 8-5 season. We’ve got a battle between three untested QBs for the starter position. Our best player (AJ Green ) is likely gone after this season, unless he gets hurt and can’t play. We have a new set of defensive coaches teaching a whole new scheme. It takes skill, coaching and pure dumb luck to win a national title. We’re got the first; we may have the second, but the jury is still out on that. The third? It’s quite literally a crap shoot (who would have picked against Florida this season? But as the year wore on, it was obvious that there were several better teams out there (Bama included).
I’m not counting any chickens just yet. Let’s win the 2010 season opener first. Let’s be better conditioned so that we can avoid all of the injuries that derailed us in 2008. Let’s play disciplined, heads-up football, cut down on dumb penalties and turnovers, and be competitive in the SEC East. THEN we can start talking about swinging for the yonder fences.
Judy Tenuta
February 20th, 2010
9:55 pm
“Hey, it could happen!”
Krogunner
February 20th, 2010
9:56 pm
New Coach in 2011! No National title until we get rid of Richt!
Edward the infidel
February 20th, 2010
9:56 pm
That’s not Kool Aid you’re drinkin’ Bill, it’s hunch punch loaded up with grain alcohol… don’t let the golden grain go to your head son. Let’s just beat Florida and Tech two years in a row… then we can worry about pie in the sky… but hey… keep drinkin the punch… as they used to say on Friday nights at O’Malley’s… I caint even taste the ack-o-haul.
Dean
February 20th, 2010
9:59 pm
Big tough alabama fans with alot of talk. I beleive the most obnoxious posters are sad folk who have no personal victories in there own lives so they jump onto a team bandwagon to try and feel better about themselves. Chances are most Bama grads woud rebuke you.
Ponce DeLeon
February 20th, 2010
10:01 pm
Bill where do you come up with this crap? Oh well it’s better than the British sitcoms on PBS. Heeldawg I agree, worry about winning the 2010 opener or better yet holding home court against Vandy and Kentucky. I bet CMR is saying oh $h!t when he read this!!
yogi 2
February 20th, 2010
10:11 pm
georgia cannot win with Mike Bobo running the offense. it will be a least two years after he is fired before we can win a championship or BCS
Foriel
February 20th, 2010
10:11 pm
dogs national champs? not until they hire paul johnson like they should have years ago when he was coaching georgia southern university
astrouga
February 20th, 2010
10:17 pm
Come on Bill. Are you crazy? We have had much better teams in recent years and couldn’t do any better than a two-loss season. We have new coaches and a new QB! Besides, it is February 2010 and you are talking about 2011!
You are setting up all of these dawg fans that can’t think for themselves to expect a championship in two years. These folks will turn around and scream for a head to roll on the coaching staff. Ugh. Just stop looking so far ahead. You don’t have any idea what kind of season we are going to have this year, let alone the next.
Niraj Martel
February 20th, 2010
10:17 pm
UGA fans are addicted to hopium. The Falcons and Jackets will win championships before the Bulldogs do!
Pauls Johnson
February 20th, 2010
10:18 pm
Instead of the usual Mutt refrain of “wait ’till next year”, we’ve got a new one……”wait until year AFTER next!”.
LOL. Classic.
raleigh
February 20th, 2010
10:22 pm
number one goal:beat the lizards!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
February 20th, 2010
10:25 pm
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahah you keep telling yourself that. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Ponce DeLeon
February 20th, 2010
10:27 pm
This reminds me of the gators before Spurrier rescued them; it was always “wait til next year”, instead its like Pauls Johnsons said wait until year after next. This is hilarious; you cant make this $h!t up.
Willy T
February 20th, 2010
10:34 pm
Hey ghost. Last time I checked,GT has zero outright MNC.They,ve had to share with other teams. With your criteria,Georgia can claim five MNC.
NC Dawg
February 20th, 2010
10:39 pm
As we all know, anything can happen. I think they will be better but I just don’t think we have the horses yet.
PeachJam
February 20th, 2010
10:45 pm
Dawg Fan here and I do think this article is a little silly. Yes, there’s always a chance for 2011 and we’ll know for sure after 2010. Let’s be realistic here, we need better coaching. With the horrible year we just had and now new coaches, maybe we will get better. Luck has tons to do with it. Just look at LSU in 2007. Freakin luck.
I wish Richt would go back to calling plays.
hightide for years to come
February 20th, 2010
10:45 pm
thats a funny thing to hear. seeing how ga. has always been irrelevant they got that 1980 nc by dodging bama then. alabama will be better in 2 years than they are now. the only way ga. could beat alabama is if bama lost 21 scholly’s like last time. by the way bama does have 13 nc just check the ncaa records —– dont be a hatter , it’s just so obvious .
hightide for years to come
February 20th, 2010
10:50 pm
second thought you might have a chance———- KIRBY will be the H.C
Ponce DeLeon
February 20th, 2010
10:50 pm
hightide for years to come, just pray the Dallas Cowboys win the Superbowl next year, because if they don’t Jerry Jones can buy the whole state of Alabama, Saban will be gone and then it will be back to the Shula years and losing to Lousiana Monroe and the likes again.
hightide for years to come
February 20th, 2010
10:54 pm
I hear ya wishing . but when your the king why swap kingdoms.
rocketide
February 20th, 2010
11:00 pm
who is gonna be ga’s coach in 2011?
ya’ll rival ole miss as the most delusional fans in the conference. Richt’s ship has sailed.
Oh my gawd....
February 20th, 2010
11:00 pm
Bill.. Can you get me some of that stuff…
I’m a 70’s guy, and need some good Columbian and a Freddie Mercury concert..
Next year’s UGA team will suck.. No QB… No RB… No Coach.. No Defense.. Todd who?…
LMAO… Go Vols!!!! Orange sux too. A lifelong Dawg fan now a GT fan.
Steve Patteron sux!!!!
Flo-Ri-Duh!
February 20th, 2010
11:04 pm
BD sniffs something but it smells worse than glue………. UGA will win the east in ‘11 but Bama will win out again.
Ponce DeLeon
February 20th, 2010
11:05 pm
hightide for years to come, what kingdom, Dallas or Walmart kingdom.
Ponce DeLeon
February 20th, 2010
11:07 pm
Flo-Ri-Duh!, I could believe the bama part but UGA, now that is funny. Remember they still play Kentucky and Vandy.
elmer fudd
February 20th, 2010
11:10 pm
Is it true when Russia invaded Georgia 2 years ago that the Walmarts in Alabama sold all of their ammunition in less than 24 hours?
dbc
February 20th, 2010
11:10 pm
Will the Dawgs gymnastic team win the national title in 2012? Maybe, but if the world ends first, then probably not.
Joe
February 20th, 2010
11:17 pm
Georgia Tech will win the BCS title before Georgia.
01HAWK
February 20th, 2010
11:20 pm
DAWGS LOSE ANOTHER IN STATE RECRUIT TO BAMA……………………..DAWGS can not keep the top talent in the state is a good reason why they will not win a NC while CMR is THE HEAD BALL COACH. Listen at what Shannon Brown of Cook County in ADEL, GA states. Here is a player that has offers from most of the top schools but UGA is not recruiting him hard.
Quote:
“I could really see myself playing in Alabama’s defense. I love the way they get after it and they just suffocate people and take their will away,” said Brown. “Alabama has really recruited me harder than anyone, so I knew it was a matter of time before they offered. Tennessee is probably number two on my list because they are recruiting me hard and I love their defensive coaches. Georgia is probably third because they aren’t recruiting me as hard.”
LB Shannon Brown spreading word of commitment to Alabama
By Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register
February 20, 2010, 7:01PM
(Photo by Rivals.com)Linebacker Shannon Brown of Adel, Ga., is confirming that he committed to Alabama today in text messages to reporters with BamaOnline.com, Scout.com and TiderInsider.com.
BOL is reporting that Brown committed at the end of today’s Junior Day event in Tuscaloosa.
At 6-foot-2, 240-pounds, Brown is a sought-after running back and middle linebacker who held scholarship offers from Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech and a number of other programs.
JP
February 20th, 2010
11:25 pm
LMAO!!! Great JOKE!!
Ponce DeLeon
February 20th, 2010
11:25 pm
01HAWK, typical of Richt. He didn’t even recruit Chris Sims of Gainesville until it was too late and the kid grew up a Dawg Fan. Ol CMR is becoming a figurehead CEO just like his daddy Corch Bowden.
ROLL TIDE
February 20th, 2010
11:28 pm
hey dumb arse minn dog. we beat arkansas 35-0. they never was in field goal range.
01HAWK
February 20th, 2010
11:33 pm
CMR has lost it. 6′2 and 240. Shannon Brown appears to be the perfect fit for the 3-4 defense. In the mold of Rolando McClain and Donta Hightower. Yet UGA did not recruit him hard.
Here is what he has to say:
“Tuscaloosa is a great town, and I can see myself staying there for four years,” he said. “Alabama also has a great tradition, and they have Nick Saban, and I want to play for one of the best. Another thing is that Alabama has tons of talent, and that’s going to force me to bust my butt to get on the field. Good competition brings out my best.”
Say what? In a day and age where most high school stars are looking for depleted rosters and guaranteed playing time, is this kid actually seeking out just the opposite?
Yep.
“I want to earn my spot on the field,” Brown said. “I ain’t listening to schools like Tennessee when they’re talking about roster spots because I think I can start anywhere in the nation. it doesn’t matter who’s in front of me — even a senior.”
Brown doesn’t just think he can be one of the best linebackers during his freshman year in college. he thinks he can be one of college football’s all-time great linebackers.
“I want to go where the best linebackers have played, and I want to be compared with the greats,” he said.
And the fact that so many of the game’s great linebackers played at Alabama is just added incentive for Brown to wear crimson.
UGALY
February 20th, 2010
11:37 pm
whatever doggies….crap in one hand and wish in the other and see which fills up faster!
elmer fudd
February 20th, 2010
11:39 pm
How do you get 2 alabama fans to leave walmart? Tell em the aurburn game is about to come on the radio.
UGA lifer
February 20th, 2010
11:40 pm
Are there not any 5 star recruits in alabama?
elmer fudd
February 20th, 2010
11:41 pm
I think that George Wallace would have been a great president.
Snoop Dawg
February 20th, 2010
11:46 pm
Here we go again, Bulldog Nation. Hallucination is in full force. There’s a shortage of Preacha Man Koolaid in the bars and package stores due to such high consumption. Listen, Dawgies, hope is not a method. Talking about what might happen in 2011 is like hypothesizing about who will win American Idol two years from now. The future is now. The bottom line is the trend. It’s not positive, folks. Richt likes to think of himself as a CEO instead of a coach. Sad… If he cannot or will not develop a presence on the sideline of a coach rather than some yoda or solitary narcissistic Hollywood personna, then Las Vegas will be extrapolating the negative trends for the past four years of Bulldog football. Folks, what the fan base can do is DEMAND THAT COACHES COACH. ESPECIALLY THE HEAD COACH. If he can’t, then we need to pull the plug sooner rather then later or will will be lying unconscious in the SEC cellar much like Auburn after four years of Terry Bowdoin. UGA doesn’t need a football CEO, they need a head ball coach.
Rico
February 20th, 2010
11:46 pm
Good lord! You can’t be serious. It’s already starting….you UGA fans are the laughing stick of the entire college football nation. Every single year you…………
Nevermind, it’s not even worth commenting on.
01HAWK
February 20th, 2010
11:47 pm
What do you call a Georgia Football Player with a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RING ?
A THIEF
ROLL TIDE
February 20th, 2010
11:50 pm
if youve got class, show your pride. dump the puppies and ROLLLLLLLLLLLLL with the TIDE!!!!!!
01HAWK
February 20th, 2010
11:51 pm
Yes……………….There are tons of 5 star recruits in ALABAMA, but……………………………They would like to win a NC before they leave college………………………SO they go somewhere else besides SEPTICTANKVILLE ATHENS.
ROLL TIDE
February 20th, 2010
11:52 pm
they didnt know what to do with the 1 sec ring they got. they sold them on ebay for 2 dollars
romebuzz
February 20th, 2010
11:53 pm
the dawgs did not have a qb in 80 and still won the nc.
Ponce DeLeon
February 20th, 2010
11:56 pm
Snoop Dawg, actually Bowden was pretty good at Auburn, the only reason he was fired (and quit 2 days before the actual date) was he was doin a Tiger Woods on the AD’s college age daughter.
RammaBama
February 20th, 2010
11:56 pm
Georgia ain’t winning nothing next year—Bama’s gonna win the SEC easy after another blowout over florida and will likely win national title #14 in 2010—Saban’s a genus and will take the tide to the top again. You can take that to the bank. Roll tide!