Are Dawgs a legitimate preseason Top 10 team?
And now begins Mark Richt’s 2012 challenge: Managing high expectations for his team.
ESPN’s “College Football Live” has released its preseason poll, and five SEC teams are in the Top 10, including Georgia at No. 6. USC is tops, with LSU No. 2 and Alabama No. 3, Oregon No. 4 and Oklahoma No. 5. Behind Georgia in the Top 10 are Florida State, South Carolina, Arkansas (the voting took place before the fall of Bobby Petrino) and Michigan.
ESPN SEC blogger Chris Low thinks “Georgia seems a little high at No. 6. I think the Bulldogs will be very good, and they’re my pick to win the Eastern Division this season. But I don’t know that they’re the sixth best team in the country. To me, Georgia and South Carolina are just about dead even. Both teams should be nasty on defense again, and both teams have experienced go-to players on offense. At the end of the day, the Bulldogs have the best chance to get to Atlanta because they have the easier schedule and don’t have to play Alabama, Arkansas or LSU.”
I tend to agree with Low. Taking into account that all preseason polls are basically guessing games and nothing more, I think Georgia certainly has the potential to repeat as SEC East champ and be a Top 10 team but I’m not sure they should be ranked that high at this point.
What do you think? Do you see the 2012 Dawgs as a Top 10 team? Does “College Football Live” have it about right or is that too optimistic at this point?
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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410 comments Add your comment
RxDawg
May 1st, 2012
1:40 pm
Well that’s why I said running game, as a whole. The combined efforts of our O line and backs.
I think our O line will be an improvement over last year. Having the fatest O line in the nation was not a good thing for running the football.
That said, our failure of a running game laid at the hands of our backs more then the line. We were down to using two 160 pounders in the SEC… one of which was a walkon!? Losing those two idiots Ealy and King put us in a bind last year. But we’ve replaced those bozo’s and things are looking up. Even if Crowell can’t stay healthy and carry the load by himself, we look to have a lot more options then last year. Richard is actually starting to look like a halfback, Ken Malcome looks to have potential, Marshall came in early during the spring and that should help a lot. I think our running game will be better, but I still have to see it. We lost against LSU and MSU because WE COULD NOT RUN THE FOOTBALL.
dawgfan
May 1st, 2012
1:41 pm
“You should watch us play Miami then. Even I have to laugh during that game.”
I generally don’t watch ACC football (who does?) but I’ll be sure to check that one out this year. It sounds like a real knee slapper. My favorite Georgia Tech moments are the annual humiliating losses to mid majors in meaningless December bowl games. Boy that Paul Johnson sure is a genius, unless Air Force or Utah is on the other sideline. I guess they do “more with less” than he does.
Georgia Tech=JOKE.
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
1:41 pm
George Stein
I agree. He is “pretty good” but pretty good won’t win any championships in this league or with our offense. I think (hope) he’s much more matured. He took a pounding last year. Our Oline was pathetic and much of the reason for his hurrying and mistakes. He’s got the goods but he can’t put it together without help from his supporting cast.
GT Bob
You seem to be working on the premise that Bama and LSU are unstoppable. They are not. Arkansas even without Petrino is going to be pretty demm good. They have both LSU and Bama and SC (I think) at home. Carolina should be just as stout on offense this year, their defense is questionable. Missy St might be a surprise as well, they won’t contend but likely knock somebody off
I don’t see UGA as a top 10 yet. I need more proof. Easily a top 20-15
59bulldawg
May 1st, 2012
1:42 pm
I think we’re probably in the top 20 but I wouldn’t rank us in the top 6. Not right now . . . we’ve got way too much to prove to be ranked that high! But, as is pretty much the case year in and year out, we’ve got the talent . . . if we can keep it out of trouble and utilize it properly. Before the season begins Richt would do well to get his audio-visual folks to put together a little video that shows the lowlights of the last several seasons . . . especially the one where we were preseason #1 . . . to illustrate the need to play hard every game and take nothing for granted. I think 2012 has great potential for us if we GATA every game and don’t wait to start playing until 3-4 games into the season!
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
1:42 pm
Fayettenam is a tough place to win
harold
May 1st, 2012
1:45 pm
IF RICHT CAN’T WIN ALL OF THESE GAMES WITH THIS SCHEDULE UGA NEEDS TO FIRE HIM.
GTBob
May 1st, 2012
1:45 pm
would you consider Duke, NC ST , Weak Forest, Virginia, not to mention Middle Tennessee, Jax State and all your other patsys easier than Georgia’s schedule? I think most would.
We don’t play half of those teams, but since you are asking, I do believe a good argument can be made that GT plays a tougher schedule then UGA this year.
LakeDawg
May 1st, 2012
1:47 pm
UGA has top 10 talent, but top 25 coaching. I think around 15 is about right. BTW I hate this “controlling expectations” line of thought. That just means that “it’s unlikely we will meet expectations, so we need to lower them.” A losers mentality. Aint gonna ever break through the glass ceiling thinking like that.
RxDawg
May 1st, 2012
1:47 pm
“Arkansas even without Petrino is going to be pretty demm good.”
Actually AR, I disagree with you. I think Arkansas was the most overrated team in the nation last year. They lost badly to every good team they played. Their best win was probably over South Carolina, and that was by the skin of their tusks.
dawgfan
May 1st, 2012
1:47 pm
“However, although the running game was not the only problem last year, It was the only one that really mattered.”
Not necessarily. If Ingram doesn’t run that fake punt for a touchdown we could have very easily won that game. I would also go so far as to say that if Honey Badger doesn’t kill us with punt returns the SECCG would have been a lot more competitive and we may have even had a chance in the end, but that’s admittedly a stretch. And then of course there is the small matter of Blair Walsh missing a kick against MSU that would have won the game for us.
Don’t get me wrong though. The running game is of far greater importance.
Vampire Bill
May 1st, 2012
1:48 pm
Last time I checked the dawgs lost their bowl game and lost to LSU by 30 before that? How does that warrant a top 10 ranking? I’m a dawgs fan but lets be real people….
Gary
May 1st, 2012
1:49 pm
Georgia has not beaten Florida 2 years in a row in forever!. Plus you have to get through Mizzu with the suspensions and finally not self distruct against USC. Not happening. Lower your expectation. Too many ifs this year.
Gary
May 1st, 2012
1:52 pm
GT Bob – Seriously? Tech schedule is harder. There are doctors that will help you with your problem. No one in the ACC has a hard schedule.
441North
May 1st, 2012
1:52 pm
Seems to me like over the past fews years we don’t run the ball well early in the year. CMR said it himself that it is harder to run block than pass block, and I don’t think we emphasize the run enough in spring and fall camps in order to keep “balanced”. I’m not on the practice field, and I respects CMR, but I think we rely too much on finesse, and the QB than we should. We should pound the rock better early in the year, whatever it takes.
RxDawg
May 1st, 2012
1:52 pm
” would also go so far as to say that if Honey Badger doesn’t kill us with punt returns the SECCG ”
about that… I saw so many uncalled block in the backs during that I knew that game was over for us.
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
1:54 pm
RxDawg
We’ll have to agree to disagree. The case can be made that Tyler Wilson is the best QB in the country. Arkansas weakness is defense. They made some moves to correct that. The running game is solid with Knile Davis coming back. Lots of maturity on the Hogs this year. The toughest games at home, likely at night. They’ve nothing to lose and have every reason to win, most of all. they have the horses to do it
GTBob
May 1st, 2012
1:54 pm
ARdawg, If Arkansas and South Carolina are knocking off Bama and LSU then LSU and Bama are not going to finish in the top 3. Quite frankly it is pretty dumb to have that many SEC teams in the top 10 because they play each other, which makes it almost impossible that they will all end up that high. I think you overestimate Arkansas also. Losing Petrino is going to hurt that team bad.
GTBob
May 1st, 2012
1:57 pm
GT Bob – Seriously? Tech schedule is harder. There are doctors that will help you with your problem. No one in the ACC has a hard schedule.
We are probably going to play 3 top 25 teams on the road. One of them in the first game of the season. UGA plays South Carolina on the road and that is about it.
RxDawg
May 1st, 2012
2:02 pm
I’d say Tech’s schedule is harder. They have to play UGA!!!!
beanster
May 1st, 2012
2:03 pm
“I do believe a good argument can be made that GT plays a tougher schedule then UGA this year.”
Where are the prideful UF, SC, AU, UT, hell even Vandy fans of the world? GTBob here thinks y’all are worse than most ACC teams.
GTBob
May 1st, 2012
2:05 pm
Where are the prideful UF, SC, AU, UT, hell even Vandy fans of the world? GTBob here thinks y’all are worse than most ACC teams.
UF, AU, UT, and Vandy are worse then most ACC teams.
George Stein
May 1st, 2012
2:06 pm
We have some objective proof that Florida, Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee weren’t as good as some ACC teams, beanster. They have all lost to teams from the ACC in the past two seasons.
Paddy
May 1st, 2012
2:07 pm
Pre-Season poll………means squat except on these message boards!
Paddy
May 1st, 2012
2:09 pm
I hope Arklansas wins alot of games now that Petrino is gone!
RHall55
May 1st, 2012
2:15 pm
#6 in the country??? With Will Friend in charge of the OL?? He hasn’t earned his title as Coach yet; must learn how to recruit and develop!! With CMB as the OC?? We’ll see this year, whether he plays to win or lose!! With CRG as the Recruiting Coordinator?? Did under recruit last year?? Only 19 LOI’s!!! C’mon guys, do your job!!!
Mobile Dawg
May 1st, 2012
2:15 pm
Based on potential, the Dawgs are a top 10 team. Based on recent experience, probably not.
bubba4dawgs
May 1st, 2012
2:17 pm
I love the Dawgs thru and thru but face the truth as painful as it may be to me. I believe we have to see a few games before placing the Dawgs quite so high. No doubt they should be exactly where they are placed for now but lets not forget their being even higher last year then fell the bomb on Hiroshima. A better prediction will come after the Missouri game and even better after the SC game. I am so proud of the big “D” gang who are returning this year to help make a very successful season, that of which I believe will happen! GO DAWGS!!
7576DAWG
May 1st, 2012
2:21 pm
Are we good enough to be ranked # six in the nation? YES, IF:
1- Murray has learned to be the leader that apparently a lot in the know have expected
2- We don’t get any key people hurt which is why the 2008 Dawgs were not national Champs.
3- Marshall Morgan is more accurate than Walsh.
4- We are lucky in the close games like Florida. Does anybody really think that if we don’t complete TWO fourth down plays that we would have won that game.
5- Crowell, Marshall, Malcome and maybe Gurley if he doesn’t red shirt can give us 200 to 300 yards on the ground every game.
Dawgs All the Way
May 1st, 2012
2:24 pm
2nd game of the year at MO will tell us a lot.
duronimo
May 1st, 2012
2:27 pm
I see where Missouri will be dog meat. They had the 61st rated defense last year …. etc. Missouri is a good team …. and how do we play against good teams? They are surely better than Central Fla or Mich. State for example. Does it really matter how many people we have back or how they were rated last year. The one constant is our performance in big games and I’m not sure that’s going to change.
Jailyard Dwag......
May 1st, 2012
2:32 pm
We would be the fifth best team in the SEC West if we played in that division. How can we be a top ten team ? Our problem is that we can’t beat a TOP TWENTY team….
441North
May 1st, 2012
2:36 pm
duronimo…………you are straight on
Dawg Tired
May 1st, 2012
2:40 pm
6th best team in the country? We certainly have done nothing to deserve such a ranking. Our O-line and QB will need to get a whole bunch better against good teams before we can be a Top 10 team.
RxDawg
May 1st, 2012
2:40 pm
“Crowell, Marshall, Malcome and maybe Gurley if he doesn’t red shirt can give us 200 to 300 yards on the ground every game.”
Hehe, if all of those guys each have 200 to 300 yards a game then I’d say were in for a great season!
BG
May 1st, 2012
2:43 pm
All day long! GO DAWGS!!
Taylor Wooten
May 1st, 2012
2:44 pm
Does it really matter where they are ranked preseason? No use getting all optimistic on them, only be let down.
Taylor Wooten
May 1st, 2012
2:45 pm
Gotta like the dawg chances, got a thumb sucker for a noseguard. LOL
AltamahaDawg
May 1st, 2012
2:46 pm
dawgfan, all spot on. Those (better) plays could have tipped the games our way, even within the confines of running game issues. Obviously best to solve those problem too.
All I was saying was that IF we had run the ball better, most of that never would have been set up in the first place.
7576DAWG
May 1st, 2012
2:48 pm
RXDawg
A combined per game average of 200 to 300 . Murray should average 200 to 300 through the air per game and that should average the 400 to 600 yards per game total that a great balanced team should have.
reebok
May 1st, 2012
2:49 pm
I think UGA will get to the SEC Championship game undefeated and ranked #1..which pains me to say, since I’m a Tech fan.
Gary
May 1st, 2012
2:50 pm
I’m very surprised at the high ranking, considering the lack of national recognition we get sometimes. I think we have a very solid team and if the OL shapes up to be a good one (of course we say this every year) then this could be a special year and who knows what is possible. Until we know, I think 10 would be a more appropriate place to start.
AltamahaDawg
May 1st, 2012
2:52 pm
I think he meant to say: “UF, AU, UT, and Vandy are worse, then there’s most ACC teams”.
typical uga-holic
May 1st, 2012
2:54 pm
Are Dawgs a legitimate preseason Top 10 team?
you know it…us an Dale jr. are the best! pre-season best team in America every year since 1981..man we good!
RxDawg
May 1st, 2012
2:58 pm
“All I was saying was that IF we had run the ball better, most of that never would have been set up in the first place.”
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
its may...cubs fans and dawg fans still have hope
May 1st, 2012
3:03 pm
<——–
typical uga-holic
May 1st, 2012
3:05 pm
hey, any of my dawg buddies got any ideas for cool uga tatoos? My wife has a bunch of tats about Georgia football on her. She keeps most of them covered up while she’s workin the register at the convenience store. She’s got one of Herschel on her left cheek and on the other cheek shes got one of Bill Bates. When she walks it looks like Herschel is knockin him over again! On her right arm she’s got a tat of Dale Jr.s old #8 Bud car with UGA the bulldawg standing on the hood! Man, that is a cool one! On her other arm she’s got a picture of Stone Cold Steve Austin taking UGA the bulldawg for a walk while UGA is wearing a leash. Man we love us some dawgs! Gotta get back to work. see yall.
Pago Pago Dawg
May 1st, 2012
3:07 pm
Common sense tells us maybe a 15-20 ranking.
Milton County will happen
May 1st, 2012
3:11 pm
@uga-holic
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I like to see the Walker-Bates tatoos in action. Gotta be cool to watch. You are a lucky man.
UGA Friend
May 1st, 2012
3:12 pm
Preseason rankings are fun to look at but they mean absolutely nothing. UGA will be a good team and have a good record. The rankings will take are of themselves on a week to week basis.
Habersham Dawg
May 1st, 2012
3:18 pm
Number 200. woooooooo.
Also, 6th is too high. Beat SC, and then I’ll say 10th. Beat Florida again, and I’ll say 5th.