Georgia players need to learn lesson from underachieving 2008 Dawgs
Christian Robinson believes this year's team is more mature than the Dawgs of 2008. (University of Georgia)
Last season, particularly after the 0-2 start, the biggest challenge for Mark Richt’s Bulldogs was blocking out all the fan and media talk about whether their head coach would keep his job.
This year, it’s a matter of the players trying to focus amid all the preseason hype about Georgia returning a lot of starters, probably starting the season in the Top 10, being favored to win the SEC East again and even figuring in some early BCS chatter.
Georgia’s been there before and it didn’t turn out so well. The 2008 Dawgs had lots of star power and even loftier preseason expectations, but proved to be a big disappointment.
Christian Robinson, who’s emerged as one of the more vocal leaders of the 2012 Bulldogs and who redshirted in 2008, told Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com that selfishness and immaturity were a problem for that team. Robinson maintained this year’s team is smarter and more mature. “This is a totally different team,” Robinson said. “You don’t read your press clippings and start believing.”
But then you’d kind of expect him to say that.
Judging by the increased number of off-field problems that have cropped up so far, some involving seniors who ought to know better, you might begin to wonder whether some on this year’s team have looked at Georgia’s favorable schedule, heard the hype and are taking success for granted.
“We have to understand that we have to earn it and nothing’s going to be given to us,” Richt told Aschoff. “I hope they’re not believing the hype. I have to make sure they understand that they gotta earn everything they get and I can reference 2008.”
Here’s hoping Richt cites the lessons of that year frequently, and that the players listen more closely than some of them appear to have done so far during this offseason.
Ironically, Robinson believes that the adversity caused by having several starters possibly suspended early in the season will end up being a plus, banding the team together more tightly and forcing them to work harder early on. I hope he’s right.
Quarterback Aaron Murray, who Aschoff said has taken it on himself to become more outspoken on team issues, thinks the lesson has been learned.
“Our guys understand that you can’t be doing anything too crazy right now,” Murray said. “This could be a very special season. This could be a season you remember for the rest of your life. If we work hard, the sky’s the limit for us.”
If not, it could be 2008 all over again.
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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153 comments Add your comment
filtar21
April 11th, 2012
9:44 pm
Haven’t figured out yet why rival teams fans stay on our message board. I’d shoot myself the day I felt compelled to visit a bama, tech, usce etc site. Jus sayin
what happens every april?
April 11th, 2012
9:47 pm
both dawgs and cubs fans start talking about championships…….
Still@theKool-aidBAR
April 11th, 2012
9:50 pm
filtar21…you must not get out much then. There are fans of every team on each others sites every in the US.
cave canem
April 11th, 2012
10:39 pm
un-cool aids: It appears that you are the one who does not get out much…you are on the UGA blogs at all hours of every day. You are so tied up in this that you are unable to even write a coherent sentence…or maybe you are simply stupid. Whatever the case may be, I pity you for your pathetic life.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
April 11th, 2012
10:44 pm
cave canem……..I haven’t been on the blogs in a few days. You need to check again. Sometime last week
cave canem
April 11th, 2012
10:53 pm
Right…and yet here you are to comment on my post within mere minutes of it going up on the board…and 50 minutes after your last post. How sad for you. Thanks for demonstrating exactly what I was pointing out. Your life revolves around your presence here. Pathetic…
Smitty
April 11th, 2012
10:54 pm
kool-aid….who is the team you pull for…if any
Smitty
April 11th, 2012
10:54 pm
or are you just a sad negative blogger
Smitty
April 11th, 2012
11:02 pm
that’s what I thought….no comment
BobDawg
April 11th, 2012
11:17 pm
TIDE ROLL, we were saying the same things about ya’ll during the wonderful years of Mike Dubose; Coach Bobble Head Fran; Coach Hooters and Coach Shula (not Don)… Remember those years and probation.. Ya’ll sounded worse than Ned Beatty on Deliverance…. When will it ever end; Puleeze take us off probation!!!!
Still@theKool-aidBAR
April 11th, 2012
11:20 pm
Didn’t say I am not still watching sports tonight. I don’t read it every second. I did see your post so I responded.
kramerica
April 11th, 2012
11:23 pm
Even with the easy schedule they will underachieve this year like they do every year
ADumbAFansPerspective
April 12th, 2012
12:08 am
Bill: What does:”Judging by the # of off-field problems…..have anything to do with the schedule, hype, and taking success for granted”????!!!! Please discontinue your column with ideas of such shallowness.
boykin
April 12th, 2012
12:12 am
Mr. Bill: Post a headline with no column and just let your trolls feed off it. You make no coherent sense. GO DAWGS!!! (A REAL BULLDOG)
Hairy Dawg
April 12th, 2012
12:41 am
“They say we’re gonna be great? I’m gonna go out and get high and drunk while slapping around some women because I’m great!”
I hope people think like this. Nothing is unbelievable in this life.
Ty
April 12th, 2012
4:55 am
Bobo to Arkansas!!!!!!!!!
Loretta
April 12th, 2012
8:53 am
All Dawgs know this, but with their weak minds, they tend to forget, so here’s a reminder:
Georgia Tech is a very highly ranked academic school that has a football team. Its alumni and fans have real lives and careers that don’t depend on the football team for their happiness.
Georgia, on the other hand, is basically a sell-your-soul-to-the-devil football f-a-c-t-o-r-y that also gives diplomas – worthless as they are. They have sleazy coaches like Mark Richt who have no scruples or ethics, who recruit morons who barely got through high school, and collect huge paychecks, but still can’t win big games.
Now, can you remember all that?
Snoop Dawg
April 12th, 2012
9:03 am
Talk is cheap. Missouri is going to say SHOW ME. That’s what I’m thinking too. Richt and Bobo are not up to the challenge, I’m afraid after watching them up close for over ten years, squandering so much talent and potential just about every season… What has changed for this year? Not much. Rambo should just be kicked off the team, period. His attitude is cancerous. Ego and selfishness and complacency are the watchwords in Athens these days.
Joey
April 12th, 2012
9:05 am
The only valid comparison to ‘08 is the buzz by certain media types. The ‘08 team was the hottest in college football, blew out their opponent in the Sugar Bowl the year before, and finishing with a #2 ranking, thereby earning their preseason buzz.
This team won pitiful East last season, and that’s it. With blowout losses to Boise, and LSU right in our backyard, a loss to SC in Athens, and our second consecutive bowl loss, this team deserves no buzz.
Snoop Dawg
April 12th, 2012
9:06 am
Loretta, the difference between the UGA and GT football teams is that GT is a second tier team these days while UGA is a first tier team. The academics at both schools are about the same these days. Get over it, UGA has caught up with GT academically. GT cannot even recruit within its own state anymore. I doubt if the graduating players from one school are any more successful than the other, unless you consider that a lot more UGA players graduate to the NFL and big bucks.
Snoop Dawg
April 12th, 2012
9:08 am
Let’s trade Richt and Bobo to Arkansas for Bobby Petrino while his stock is low!
Joey
April 12th, 2012
9:13 am
“Quarterback Aaron Murray, who Aschoff said has taken it on himself to become more outspoken on team issues, thinks the lesson has been learned.”
*********************************************
The lesson has been learned? When the last 10 days? That’s about how long it’s been since the last round of suspensions.
Joey
April 12th, 2012
9:18 am
Richt: “I hope they’re not believing the hype.”
******************************************
He “hopes” this? Good Lord. Our Head Coach doesn’t KNOW?
Maybe Richt needs to become a little more pro-active, instead of re-active . . .
Reality Dawg
April 12th, 2012
9:32 am
I’m wondering what (other than a cakewalk schedule) leads people to believe that we’re a Top 10 team this year? We didn’t beat any good teams last year, there are mixed reviews on our recruiting class, we have even more disciplinary issues this year, and I don’t see any major fixes happening on offense. Maybe my math is off, but I just don’t see how we can be any better this year.
BulldogBen
April 12th, 2012
9:34 am
Fact: We haven’t beaten a team that finished in the Top 25 since 2009 (Tech).
There should be absolutely ZERO hype for this team until they prove otherwise. Sadly, we may not even play a ranked team until South Carolina (depending on if Mizzou is ranked).
I’m horrified of our Offensive Line, Receiving Corps (if Mitchell is spending half his time on D), and non-existent kicking game. Defense should be solid (if we can keep players on the field) but this team may struggle to score points.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
April 12th, 2012
9:45 am
@BulldogBen
considering we have a quarterback who threw for a record 35 TDs so i’d say that’s about (assuming we have a “non-existent kicking game”) 210 points. we also return 11 rushing scores so that brings the total to 276 so assuming we play 13 games that’s 21 points per game. btw you need to factor in the 2 new tailbacks (i’d say on the low end we could expect 2-3 TDs from them combined all year probably more in the 5-8 range) so add about 30 more points. so we would average around 23-25 points per game. which would be better than probably 8-11 teams in the SEC
not seeing the whole “this team may struggle to score points” idea
Thank God for Reggie Ball
April 12th, 2012
9:46 am
that’s not taking in extra points or FGs btw
SEC West!
April 12th, 2012
9:49 am
Alabama or LSU will win the west and blow out georgia or south carolina, again. ga will end up in another minor bowl.
Reality Dawg
April 12th, 2012
10:05 am
The one things Richt’s teams seem to have lacked recently is scrappiness. They aren’t Junkyard Dawgs. I know it’s been a long time ago, but I still remember Dooley’s Dawgs had a different kind of fire and intensity than Richt’s teams. You never counted The Junkyard Dawgs out, with Richt, you kind of know how it’s gonna play out, unfortunately. Reluctantly, I’m going to have to agree with SEC West! on this one.
Reality Dawg
April 12th, 2012
10:09 am
I’ll have to check myself here: Richt isn’t totally predictable. He will surprise us with a uniform change every now and then. Yawn…
dawgfacedboy
April 12th, 2012
10:31 am
That season wasn’t lost to immaturity it was lost due to the fact that our defense was awful under Martinez. When you put up 30 points a game you shouldn’t lose.
Tide is rolling and nothing can stop it
April 12th, 2012
10:39 am
intheknow
April 11th, 2012
7:04 pm
Hey Tide is Rolling…can you say bye bye to Smart….he’ll be a Razorback by Monday trailer boy!
I bet you also predict the Dawgs to have a good defense! Idiot…
Old Dawg
April 12th, 2012
11:47 am
“When you put up 30 points a game you shouldn’t lose.”
You can when the offensive line gives up 35 points in turnovers.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
April 12th, 2012
12:09 pm
Does it really matter…..8-4, maybe 9-3 at best. While UGA fans blog, Alabama, LSU, OU, and Florida excel.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
April 12th, 2012
12:11 pm
The score will tell….
Mike Bobo 17 INT
April 12th, 2012
12:12 pm
No Dawginlex today, I suppose the heat was just too much…
Mike Bobo 17 INT
April 12th, 2012
12:17 pm
Petrino is coming to UGA…..CMR moves back to FSU as OC…..FSU wins title in 2 years, UGA goes on probation with Petrino in 3 years.
Andy
April 12th, 2012
1:18 pm
Where is Rickdawg today, must be bloggin elsewhere? He’s a smart Dawg.
Dogs Win East!!
April 12th, 2012
2:07 pm
the dogs are loaded on D and will win the SEC east again–take it to the bank!!
dawgfacedboy
April 12th, 2012
2:58 pm
Old Dawg- that was not an issue with that team. Turnovers were not the problem in 08.
Natureboy809
April 12th, 2012
3:21 pm
The big difference between this season and 2008 is that Willie Martinez isn’t here allowing 40+ points in every big game.
Snoop Dawg
April 12th, 2012
3:29 pm
Richt is a dud. So is Bobo. No way to spin that one.
Nothing Could Be Finer
April 12th, 2012
3:35 pm
Spurrier’s thoughts on the Georgia-South Carolina game moving from the second week of the season to the sixth week in 2012.
“I don’t know. I sort of always liked playing them that second game because you could always count on them having two or three key players suspended.”
LOLOLOLOL
UGA Friend
April 12th, 2012
4:28 pm
Seems like a lot of UGA fans do not agree with or like each other based on many of their posts.
Is there a reason for such unusual animosity within the fan ranks of such a great school?
It would hellp the program if the true fan base would post comments of solidarity for CMR and his staff.There is not a coach in the SEC with a betterecord than CMR.r
mainline
April 12th, 2012
8:57 pm
richt and bobo will be here for the next 10 years—no titles, just 8 win seasons almost every year and and a fluke 10 win season every now and then. I need a drink—no, make that several. Alabama and LSU will be dominating the SEC for years.
Crimedog
April 12th, 2012
10:44 pm
Sorry, Christian. This team has had sexual battery charges, felony theft, rampant dope smoking and brownie eating, and the usual driving without a license, speeding, and wreckless motor scootering charges. How is this a good thing?
icedawg
April 12th, 2012
11:08 pm
The Dawgs need to do a lot less talking and more playing tough on the field. The D did more playing than talking last year which was good to see. There is plenty of good talent and coaching in the SEC: Bama, LSU, Auburn, SC to keep the Dawgs from thinking they are something that they are not. The most favourable thing that we have going is the “lite” schedule. The OL and D secondary are the biggest areas of concern, especially the OL. A mediocre performance along the OL will translate in a ho hum year.
Old Dawg
April 13th, 2012
7:17 am
“Old Dawg- that was not an issue with that team. Turnovers were not the problem in 08.”
Maybe that was why we had a better record then. It certainly is a problem now (with Murray).
Piney Woods Pete
April 13th, 2012
8:44 am
Missouri 42, Georgia 17
dawgfacedboy
April 13th, 2012
10:14 am
UGA friend- that’s because Richt has been in the league the longest. Miles and Saban will pass him in no time. UF and UT will not suck for long. The clock is ticking.