Early projection for season sees Dawgs standing pat

sec-pinwheel-logojpg-f806e20b1171f261RPI pioneer and BCS expert Jerry Palm came out with his ridiculously early bowl projections this week for CBSsports.com.

Palm has LSU winning the SEC championship and meeting Southern Cal in the BCS Championship game. With the SEC champ headed to the national title game, he sees the Sugar Bowl taking Alabama to play West Virginia of the Big 12 rather than the SEC runner-up, which he once again predicts will be Georgia. He has the Dogs playing Big 10 runner-up Nebraska in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando.

So obviously he sees Georgia losing to LSU again in the conference championship.

(Some of you might ask, if the SEC champ normally goes to the Sugar Bowl and instead goes to the BCS, why wouldn’t the No. 2 team in the conference take their place in the Sugar? Because that’s not the way the bowls work! The loser of the SEC championship game usually doesn’t get a BCS bid because they’re usually not the second highest-ranked conference team in the polls.)

Palm has 10 of the SEC’s 14 teams playing in bowls, with South Carolina in the Outback, Arkansas in the Cotton, Auburn in the Chick-fil-A, Florida in the Gator, Texas A&M in the Music City, Missouri in the Liberty and Mississippi State in the BBVA Compass.

Of course, these projections are good for nothing more than an excuse to talk college football during March Madness, but it does raise a question for fans: If Palm’s scenario plays out, Georgia would once again win the SEC East but also would lose again to LSU in the Georgia Dome and wind up in a non-BCS bowl, though one notch higher than this past season’s Outback Bowl.

So it essentially would be a replay of the 2011 season, only with a slightly better bowl.

Obviously, that would be a successful season for Mark Richt’s program. But would you find it satisfying? After suffering through a losing season, winning the SEC East looked awfully good to UGA fans. But would a second straight season of conference bridesmaid status look as good? Especially considering all the starters that Georgia returns and an infusion of highly regarded talent, especially in the backfield?

Feel free to share your thoughts and expectations for the 2012 season.

A STRONG EXPENDITURE

UGA has released the salaries for its newly reconfigured strength and conditioning staff, and the Athens Banner-Herald notes the program will be spending $108,039 more annually in that area, with salaries totaling $440,000 for the five-person staff. That includes $140,000 for former Penn State strength director John Thomas, who’ll be senior associate director of strength and conditioning, and $85,000 for speed specialist Sherman Armstrong, the associate strength and conditioning coach. Senior director of strength and conditioning Joe Tereshinski will make $150,000.

Considering the Dogs’ problems over the past couple of years with fading in the fourth quarter, the upgrading of the S&C staff looks like money well spent to me.

Got something on your mind concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.

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— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg

237 comments Add your comment

Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)

March 17th, 2012
12:29 am

@ The Factor:

I didn’t say ALL Bama fans but when I read some of the BS put on here by Dawg Fans or DFINO it does make want to hug a Bama fan. Actually there are quite a few that are pretty decent bloggers but you make your point.

Ghost

March 17th, 2012
12:30 am

6-18 against ranked teams, Georgia is 18-16 vs ranked teams since 2005, stats are kept where the team was ranked at the time of the game, I am sure losing to Georgia ushered some of them from the top 25. Go back and cuddle up with Buzz.

6-18 Against Ranked Teams Since '05

March 17th, 2012
12:32 am

@Braniac…..you ever wondered why so many pastors kids are so f*cked up??? Maybe that applies to Rev. Richt……his teams underachieve and they always seem to get in trouble with the law…

But, but, but….CMR is a “good man”…..so that makes it all OK, right??? What a loser he is, literally….just look at me blog name!!!

6-18 Against Ranked Teams Since '05

March 17th, 2012
12:36 am

Ghost….tomato vs tomahto….most would agree that the final BCS ranking of a team truly represents the teams achievements of any given season. I went through every season between ‘06 and ‘11….I stand by my 6-18 moniker

Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)

March 17th, 2012
12:37 am

@ 6-18 against:

You and your ilk are whats wrong with this country primarily because your single digit IQ won;t allow you to grasp any of the real meaningful components of life.

You are worse than the Bama trolls because you bring nothing relating to real life to the table. You, in your childish thinking believes FOOTBALL is God, Family and country. Go visit a few wounded vets!!!!!!!!!!!!

6-18 Against Ranked Teams Since '05

March 17th, 2012
12:42 am

@Braniac…..so football is “real life”……..ha ha ha ha ha. Silly me, and I thought it was just a game, meant for entertainment. What the hell does that have to do with wounded vets???

Quite simply, Richt sucks as a coach, can’t lift UGA out of mediocrity, and I am perfectly willing to call him out on it. Doesn’t mean that I’m gonna lose any sleep over it…..hell, it’s just a game.

DAWGMAN

March 17th, 2012
2:51 am

Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year…Wait until next year.
We wuz hosed Tommy; We wuz hosed!
Really! You think!
Please sir, may I have another!

shortman

March 17th, 2012
5:52 am

who’s shorter–nick saban or terry bowden?

dogs > missouri

March 17th, 2012
5:54 am

lose to missouri??? get real—-Ga will beat them like a rented mule—take it to the bank.

13-1 SEC East Champions 2012

March 17th, 2012
6:43 am

8-14 is Mark Richt’s record

TIME OF GAME

vs ranked teams time of game after 2007

8-14 is supposed to be what, exactly ?

2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 :

8-14 vs opponent ranked top 25 time of game

By the way, Mark Richt is 19-30 vs teams who are top 25

End of Season

19-30 all 11 years Mark Richt

It doesn’t matter how you calculate it, Mark Richt is

MEDIOCRE vs the top teams

Mark Richt 2008 2009 2010 and 2011 vs End Season Ranked top 25 :

2-15 vs opponents top 25 end of season after 2007

Either way you figure it,

MARK RICHT CANNOT BEAT THE TOP TEAMS

can he ?

http://www.cfbtrivia.com/cfbt_detail.php?teamname=Georgia&fry=2009&thy=2009&spl=on&cres=3&jpl=on&sortby=Year

You can replace any year 2001 through 2011 in this URL Link, have to change year twice each URL Link and see it for every year 2001 through 2011, and you see it for

BOTH

TIME OF GAME

END OF SEASON

ranked top 25.

I thought you said it was ONLY kept TIME OF GAME ?

PROVIDES BOTH.

sprouse27

March 17th, 2012
7:19 am

Wow, some pretty interesting stats. I see the same stuff over and over. A lot of hype before the season starts. “Our goal is to win the SEC every year…” Blah, blah, blah. We beat the easy teams and then lose to the better ones. Dawgs don’t ’step up’ in the big games, they usually fold. Too many people get hung up on CMR’s win percentage. “But he won TEN games last year”! But who did he beat? A bunch of broken or weak teams and failed against all the better ones. And UGA seems to accept that. We are not going to be a BCS team with CMR at the helm. We’ll get great recruiting classes (because we’re in GA) and mediocre bowls. And McGarrity and company just signed us up for 5 more years of same. CMR is a classy guy, no doubt. But he is not one of the top coaches in the SEC despite having a complete wealth of resources at his disposal. Just is what it is.

DOUG

March 17th, 2012
7:27 am

Lack of OL line protection will undue the Dogs this year. Also we still dont have a head coach. Georgia will be to much for Missouri. Sc will permanatly have control this year over UGA.

uga1984

March 17th, 2012
7:42 am

As a long time UGA fan and alum (1980-1984 the only time UGA really came close to being a national powerhouse), I find it comical that most of the comments from fans act like UGA has always been a preeminent football program – WE”RE NOT!!!! UGA is a WINNING program – with more consistent bowl appearances than some of the historical, national powers i.e. Alabama, Ohio State, USC, Oklahoma. UGA is a great SEC school with the ability to be great from time to time. UGA has NEVER been considered a national powerhouse by anyone except delusional fans who want desperately to compete with the surging UA & Alabama programs.

Like the New York Yankees, both Alabama & Ohio State spend more on their football programs than anyone in the country!!!! Hence, it stand to reason that they will continue to be top 5 programs. They generate a lot of revenue, but I doubt if they are as profitable as UGA’s athletic program.

UGA football is a good, consistent, winning program. We are not, and have never been (less the years mentioned above) a national powerhouse. If we are to win a national championship again, it will be because we landed an exceptional athlete i.e. Herschel Walker, Cam Newton, etc, that can elevate us to the next level.

ole yeller

March 17th, 2012
7:56 am

Coach “R” appears to me ready to pull the trigger on anyone not playing well. That includes “QB” “AM”. Look for coach “R” to look at someone else if “AM” continues his big game gitters. Look for the new kid out of Fla “FB” to get a look early. From what I’v heard he the real deal. Coach “R” may have a new contract but he knows he needs a championship to quite the wolves.

bitter dawgs fan

March 17th, 2012
9:35 am

championships are won with —-DEFENCE——moonpies

————————–go play with your state flower—–a satilite dish—–hahahah, bamma trolls

Still@theKool-aidBAR

March 17th, 2012
9:44 am

Does ANYBODY understand what the crap BITTER DAWGS FAN is saying? He never makes any sense. He calls other people red-neck and troll what the f does he think he is?

Flo-Ri-Duh

March 17th, 2012
10:03 am

There are four or five teams that have a chance to be in the SEC champ game. UGA, GameClucks, Bummer, LSU, and Florida. All of these teams have one thing in common – defense. Because UGA has most of their defense and Murray back I give them an advantage over Florida who is still looking for an offense. South Carolina lost some key players to the draft early and several graduated. I give a slight edge to UGA to win the East. Bummer and LSU lost several key players to the draft – with Bummer losing the most. However Bummer has an experienced QB and LSU has a wild card with Mettenbubba, If Mettenbubba can keep his hands and his mind off of the girls he has the talent. That’s a big “IF”. LSU has more starters returning but will Mettenbubba show up? It will be UGA vs Bummer for the SEC -not LSU. Richt will even his record against Saban to 3 – 3.

Dogs Rule East!

March 17th, 2012
10:16 am

This Dog team will dominate the SEC east. Fla, SC?? They don’t match all the dream team talent that Richt has recruited the last 2-3 years. Plus, Grantham’s D will be the best in the SEC. Dogs v. Alabama for the SEC title—bet the house.

Still@theKool-aidBAR

March 17th, 2012
10:20 am

Dream Team Dominate? The Athens Police blotter maybe…35:55minute Murray the Heisman candidate will cos the dawgs wins AGAIN.

Dogs Rule East….how much is the House you want to bet? I am sure I can cover it. Does your house still have the tongue attached and good Tires and brakes?

dan

March 17th, 2012
10:50 am

I think the Dawgs will have a decent year IF everyone will remain healthy. Getting Bama off the schedule is a huge break, and facing South Carolina later in the year will benefit the Dawgs as opposed to having to play them at the beginning of the year. Florida is horrible, as is Tennessee. Dawgs will beat both of those teams again, although those games probably won’t be the blowouts we as fans will want them to be.

I like the Dawgs to win the SEC East, go 11-1( losing to a Mizzou team they are not familiar with), and getting to the SEC title game. However, instead of losing to LSU, I think Arkansas will emerge from the West with an identical 11-1 record. I say the Razorbacks win 37-27. Dawgs will then go to a second tier bowl( Outback or Chick-fil-A) with that game being a tossup depending on how much the players actually give a crap.

I say the Dawgs finish 11-3 or 12-2. Good put not good enough.

P.S. I’ll also make an additional prediction. Arkansas will go to the National Title game and lose, breaking the SEC’s streak of dominance.

Old Dawg

March 17th, 2012
11:22 am

“Coach “R” appears to me ready to pull the trigger on anyone not playing well. That includes “QB” “AM”. Look for coach “R” to look at someone else if “AM” continues his big game gitters’

Yea, right. Don’t hold your breath. I predict that AM will take every snap except in those cupcake games when we are ahead 49-0.

Old Dawg

March 17th, 2012
11:23 am

We will have another MEDIOCRE year because we have a MEDIOCRE coach.

Old Dawg

March 17th, 2012
11:25 am

I don’t even mind if we LOSE a game if we play well and the other team is just better. What I hate seeing is us giving away games because of bonehead mistakes (see last year’s bowl game).

Old Dawg

March 17th, 2012
11:29 am

“UGA has the most experienced QB in the SEC.”

He hasn’t seemed to help in the past.

13-1 SEC East Champions 2012

March 17th, 2012
11:36 am

UGA has the most experienced QB in The SEC.

Experienced at 0-9 vs teams end of season ranked top 25.

He plays at most 1 such team all 12 regular season games.

That is the kind of experience, you are talking about ?

FLA DAWG

March 17th, 2012
11:38 am

Brainiac (mindless for life),

Your constant defense of (less than) mediocrity is exactly why Richt and Bobo remain at UGA.
You defend the indefensible………..we’ve beaten 3 ranked teams in 3 years and lost to all the rest of them.

Last year’s 10 game win streak was bookended by 2 losses each. The Dawgs were absolutely blown out of the SEC Championship Game in the second half because our O couldn’t control the ball.

That example not good enough? Okay, our loss to Michigan State………still not good enough? Okay, how about our total meltdown a couple of post seasons ago against UCF (that’s University of Central Florida) !

If you can’t see a problem with the coaching staff you never will and you will always be brainless for life.

dan

March 17th, 2012
11:46 am

Good points UGA1984

I think if UGA does ever win a National Title again, I agree that it will be some one time “lighting in a bottle” kind of deal like what Auburn had with Cam Newton. But see… the thing about that, is you have to have a head coach who realizes what he has in said exceptional athlete, and is willing to get out of the way and let them be the Bell Cow. Chizik was able to do that with Cam and Dooley was able to do that with Herschel. Allowing your stars to be stars is such a wise approach.

But see, the problem we have in Athens now is that Richt and Bobo don’t know when to get out of the way when they have a good thing going. They kinda sorta were able to do that with Knowshon in 2007, but they didn’t realize what they had there until they already had 2 losses. Richt is the kind of coach to me that can overachieve with “B-level” talent, but when he has the Knowshon’s, and the Stafford’s, and the AJ Green’s; he just can’t put it all together. Theoretically, a team should improve when their talent improves, but at UGA that is not the case.

I think for the Dawgs to win a National Title, they will need a new head coach who might not match Richt in career wins, but for one magical season; knows how to put it all together with the talent he has. Unfortunately, I don’t see any great prospects on the horizon, so unless Richt goes under 8-4 again, he will be our guy.

dan

March 17th, 2012
11:57 am

Also all you guys who are dogging on Murray are idiots. The guy has thrown for more TD’s than Stafford and Greene, and he’s only a Junior. Yeah he makes mistakes, but you guys are reading too much into the win/loss deal. Most of those losses happened when he was a FRESHMAN, and in a lot of those game he played well but the defense stunk. I mean, what did you expect? For him to go 12-0 his first year as a starter with a sub-par defense and losing his 1# WR for 4 games? C’mon guys, lets be a little more realistic. This team has bigger issues than QB.

And if you want to talk about overrated, let’s talk about our defense. Statistically they look good on paper, which now doubt makes you goons feel good. But against Boise State, South Carolina, LSU, Michigan State( you know teams that would actually hit them back offensively), they still looked very second tier. Let’s not go mistaking our defense for Bama’s or LSU’s. They improved last year, but there is still a lot of work to do on that side of the ball.

MySherona

March 17th, 2012
2:13 pm

All you defending Aaron Murray.

1) He has won 4 games against teams with a winning record in 2 years.
2) He is 2-9 vs. ranked teams.
3) He is 0-9 vs. teams that finished top 25.
4) he is on track to set the NCAA record for interceptions and sacks

BonkersDog

March 17th, 2012
2:15 pm

Bobo finished 4th in SEC in scoring against ranked teams.

Grantham finished 11th in SEC in scoring against ranked teams.

Mike Bobo 17 INT

March 17th, 2012
3:23 pm

All the blogging in the world does not remove the math…..UGA’s program has tanked since 1980 and the records speaks for itself. Only one consensus national title in 118 years, poorly coached, no respect among media outlets and UGA cannot win an opener on the road, not even just 45 minutes from Athens.

Mike Bobo 17 INT

March 17th, 2012
3:24 pm

The scores will tell…

RT

March 17th, 2012
3:35 pm

Most media outlets have UGA pre-season ranked in top 10.

And, even though lost last 2 game sin 2011, media respected UGA so much ranked in top 20 in 2011.

Total respect.

Bill Lee

March 18th, 2012
1:17 am

Dawgs will be also ran, again…. Second or third in SEC EAST. Depressing….

BeBop

March 18th, 2012
6:47 pm

I feel that Coach is able to, “coach our boys down” during halftime. His evangelical bent is better left at the church house. I dont think God even likes or watches football.A coach who is a consistant winner is of neccesity a little sadistic. Just my ramble.

'94 UGA Alumnus

March 19th, 2012
9:31 am

I would be happy with an 11-3 season and beating Nebraska in the Outback bowl. Fans that are saying SEC Championship or bust are setting themselves up for disappointment. We lost 3 starting Offensive lineman and Mike Bobo is still our OC.

Vampire Bill

March 19th, 2012
1:43 pm

As a fan I try to keep a positive spin on the Dawgs but it’s harder every year. CMR is just not a top tier coach. Player motivation has been an issue for more than a couple of years now. Dawgs are not a hard nosed fundamentally sound football team that wins championships. That’s all there is to it.