No way Georgia can lose four games? Sure about that?
I understand the process. I get paid to give an opinion, and you’re welcome — encouraged, even — to respond. Usually you tend to agree if I say something nice about a team you like and disagree if I don’t. I grasp that part. But here’s something I don’t get:
The widespread assertion that there’s no way — no way! — Georgia can lose four regular-season games this fall.
I picked Georgia to lose four games. I didn’t do it for shock value. I did it because I looked at the composition of the 2009 Bulldogs and their schedule. You might view well the team more highly, and that’s your prerogative. But to say I’m absolutely crazy — and one or two of you did — for daring to suggest as much made me think, “Am I really so nuts?”
So I thought some more, and here’s what I decided: Not nuts, at least not on this topic.
The day after writing my little forecast, I picked up the Sporting News college yearbook at Borders. I noted that the magazine — the best of its kind, in my longstanding estimation — had Georgia ranked 15th in the nation. (I think that’s a tad high, but not unreasonable.) And then I noticed this:
Florida is ranked No. 1; LSU is ranked No. 8; Oklahoma State is ranked No. 10; Georgia Tech is ranked No. 11. That makes four teams on Georgia’s schedule rated ahead of Georgia and, just as an aside, those were the four games I picked the Bulldogs to lose. Silly me!
Could Georgia win one or two of those? Sure it could. It could also lose all four. I’d also note this is the first time since 2006 Georgia has entered a season with a new quarterback, and how many regular-season games did those Bulldogs lose? Why, four. (Vanderbilt and Kentucky included.)
Do I think Joe Cox is better than Joe Tereshinski III? Yes, I do. But I also think it’s a tough task for a quarterback to make his first start in almost three years on the road against a Top 10 opponent. (FYI, this is only the second time since 1992 the Bulldogs have opened anywhere but Sanford Stadium.)
Loading ...I hold Mark Richt in high esteem, and it wouldn’t shock me if he got more from this team. (After the G-Day game I wrote that Georgia would go 9-3, which I rethought after looking harder at the schedule.) I don’t believe the 2009 Bulldogs will be an embarrassment — indeed, I expect them to play harder than the 2008 team did — and in 2010 Georgia should be outstanding.
But this year I look at the Bulldogs and think, “Good but not great. Good but maybe overscheduled. Good enough to win eight.” And lose four. I could well be wrong. (I often am, as you know.) But I don’t think I’m insane.
Then again, if you are crazy, aren’t you usually the last to know?
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197 comments Add your comment
Saint Nick
June 3rd, 2009
12:03 pm
Where is M??? Hopefully he will finally STFU and crawl back to his rock!!!! WE ALL KNOW THEY WON’T WIN THE EAST, AFTER THAT WHO CARES!!!!ROLLS TIDES!!!!
Drew-G-A
June 3rd, 2009
12:17 pm
If the Dawgs lose to OK State, I think that they will rally and play even harder after that and win games people don’t think that they should win. I agree the schedule is hard. I’m not expecting to win at Florida, but that’s the only one I’m not expecting, as a fan I expect us to win every game but the Florida game, as a logical person I say we’ll win 9-10 this year. And byt the way Bradley, rankings don’t mean squat preseason, case and point the 2008 Dawgs. Let’s not forget that the Dawgs will also be looking for revenge against Tech, and seriously was Tech that good last year. we lost to them yes, but logically they don’t warrant the high preseason ranking any more than UGA does. It’s also a RIVALRY game. Anything can happen.
Cuz
June 3rd, 2009
12:22 pm
Mark, I will try and extrapolate on your response to my comments regarding bouncing off the wall. You attended the University of Kentucky. I would take it as a guess that you lived in Kentucky, and Cincy is right across the border on the Ohio River. Pete Rose played in Cincinnati. He apparently gambled all over. I therefore conclude that you were a Cincinnati Reds and Pete Rose fan as a youngster. And that you beat the other kids in five card draw before school and took their lunch money.
Me, I was more of a Chico Escuela fan.
Cuz
June 3rd, 2009
12:24 pm
Tech was pretty good in the third quarter.
Gen. Stoopnagle
June 3rd, 2009
12:25 pm
“I kind of agree about the team-building part, Wawel. But clearly the Bulldogs won’t be as talented without those two. How could they?”
IF A.J. Green develops, Marlon Brown is 80% A.J. Green, Jeff Owens returns, Sturdivant returns making a better and more experienced OL and, most importantly, the defense shores up. The only one that does not inspire confidence is the last. Factor in that it may discipline the offense to not have MS and KM (less check downs into low percentage passes, less waiting for KM to make something out of nothing), it might be a better offense despite the perceived talent drop.
And as regards Georgia Tech, I’ll use an analogy: Georgia : Florida :: Georgia Tech : Georgia. Look it up. Georgia will more often than not win the game on flukes, bounces and spectacular plays if not by a substantial margin. That’s the overwhelming history of the series – hence the wide margin in wins favoring Georgia overall.
Jesus C.
June 3rd, 2009
12:45 pm
St. Richt, by the power of our father almighty, cannot lose four games this season, as it is not God’s will.
I bless.
jdawg
June 3rd, 2009
12:48 pm
If they lose, they may lose early and get better…that is what I see from this team…and most of all, until they get together we really do not know…they could lose 5 and then maybe only 2…but folks, I love just going to the game also. I would have liked to have won many, many more in my years…but have enjoyed the ride to see true football, not pros.
Mark Bradley
June 3rd, 2009
12:59 pm
Grew up 60 miles from Cincinnati, Cuz.
WTF???
June 3rd, 2009
1:01 pm
Bradley, quit stirring the sh!t pot. You know good & darned well that Okie State is a W, LSU has beaten us how many times since Richt came to UGA? UF, mark it down. Unless Tebow cuts off his ring finger during a circumcision they’ll win in J-Ville. We’ll get the annual beatdown of the Nerds back on track in November. Dawgs play in the Capitol One Bowl, Possibly the United States Credit Card Company Bowl if we just give out just a few more hundred million in bailout money….
Defense will be back on track this year, BUSTIN HEADS.
WTF???
June 3rd, 2009
1:01 pm
Bradley, what the hell is up with the Chili up there? Do they cook it in someone’s a$$hole?
Da King
June 3rd, 2009
1:31 pm
Tech75 u are right u beat us fair and square congratulations. U piled up a lot of offense on a lot of teams but even wit dat great defense u still lost to lsu. And that supposedly great defense is missing a lot of pieces. But all da talking dont mean anything lets just see what happens on da field, Old Fashioned Hate is back and the countdown is own.
Tommy Wildfire Rich
June 3rd, 2009
1:46 pm
Da King- Tech’s defense wasn’t great. It was very average. I’m not sure there will be a huge dropoff. The countdown is “own”.
Tommy Wildfire Rich
June 3rd, 2009
1:48 pm
How can you possibly spell “congratulations” correctly, and miss the word “on”?
Cuz
June 3rd, 2009
1:48 pm
Amazing how a loss gets a rivalry train back on the track.
Beware the Gamehens, we are their second biggest rival. Right now it is all quiet on the border, but they will start cackling soon.
Cuz
June 3rd, 2009
1:51 pm
A big WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to Wildfire. In regards to spelling issues, ask my friend Altamaha, he never met a spell check he did not like.
Pitbull
June 3rd, 2009
1:51 pm
I see Mark Bradley is being a jerk again. Screw him.
Cuz
June 3rd, 2009
2:28 pm
No thanks Pitbull, he is not my type.
BruffDawg
June 3rd, 2009
2:37 pm
The man is just being realistic bulldawg fans; we could lose 4-5 games this year. LSU seems unlikely since Richt owns The Hat (has he beaten UGA?). Watch out for SC for they always play us tough at our house. Fla will always be a challenge, but if we get a few breaks you never know. OKST will be the coming out party for our new defense (35-17). And then there is the in state rivals GT. I promise you this year means more to Richt than any other team on the sched. He was an acc guy remember? He will see that a slugfest favors PJ’s style so he will go for the jugular right away. Big pass plays and trickery right off the bat to make GT throw the ball (which favors UGA). UGA builds a substantial lead and then for a change he does not let up as he has in previous years. You brought it on yourself GT when you took the pictures with the hedge clippings in your mouth. If Urban Myer has taught one thing to Richt it is how to exact revenge. I dont expect anything like late timeouts, but don’t be suprised to see playaction in the fourth quarter. No mercy will be given this time ( i was there in 2002, we could have scored 80) and the final will read 45-14. But dont be suprised if he tries to go for more, say 55?
Wil Walton
June 3rd, 2009
2:50 pm
Who cares about predictions? UGA is 0-0 right now. Let’s watch the games and see how they unfold. If I knew what the record was going to be at the end, that would kill the suspense. The suspense is part of what drives our passion for sports!
DawgByte
June 3rd, 2009
3:21 pm
So goes the QB play, so goes the Dawgs in 2009. I personally do not have a lot of faith in Joe Cox and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him lose that starting role to either Gray or Murray by years end.
Defensively, I think we’ll be better, but we’ve got a long way to go to be junkyard good.
Given those two factors, I agree with Bradley that it’s entirely possible for UGA to lose 4 games this year. Having said that… I’ll be beyond torqued if we lose to those terrorists on the Flats. Oh, excuse me the trial isn’t over… alleged terrorist!
Cuz
June 3rd, 2009
3:49 pm
Sure it is possible to lose four games. I am more concerned by USC east and Ar-kansas than I am Okie State and Mike the Tiger. And I am not saying that LSU will not have a good team, I just think we win a close one at home.
Baba O'Riley
June 3rd, 2009
3:57 pm
T.O.T- the most classless thing I’ve ever read on a blog.
Phil McCrotch
June 3rd, 2009
4:14 pm
Take Out- You’re a douche! Mark,kick this guy outta here. Disgusting!
Mark Bradley
June 3rd, 2009
5:06 pm
I agree, folks. The icepick reference was over the top. And is now gone.
Gen Neyland
June 3rd, 2009
5:09 pm
Yeah Cuz, it went from ‘earn it’ to ‘durn it’.
Saint Simons
June 3rd, 2009
5:31 pm
Somebody please help me.
I went to Georgia Tech and have my head stuck up my arse.
dawgs2002
June 3rd, 2009
7:17 pm
Jacksonville State is the Bug opener? And the bugs are actually ragging on UGA about its schedule? LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fellows (dawgs) take a look at the bug 2009 schedule. They should easily finish with one loss and if they don’t then they are bunch of pink underwear wearing Ramble On females.
LOLLOLOLOL still laughing…jacksonville state?! ROTCLOL
Hawkinsville Dawg
June 3rd, 2009
9:38 pm
Mr. Bradley;
The 2009 Bulldog football team reminds me of the 1981 Bulldog team. Both teams lost significant talent the year before. Like the 1981 team, the 2009 team’s strength will be its offensive line. With a strong offensive line, you don’t need the best running back, nor the best quarterback in the league. Please note the 2009 team returns not one, but two big strong offensive lines. The one we started with last year (which suffered many injuries), and the second team line that finished the season. Both lines will be back, are expected to be healthy. Joe Cox will have a better line than Matt Stafford had. I think this year’s team will achieve more than most anticipate.
Hawkinsville Dawg
June 3rd, 2009
9:49 pm
Pardon me Mark, I meant to say the 1984 team, not the 1981 team.
TAKE OUT TEBOW!
June 4th, 2009
11:18 am
Wow talk about people not having a sense of humor.
Fools Gold
June 4th, 2009
12:40 pm
Well at least the mutts wont have to worry about going to the crapital one bowl again. Chickin bowl against Yabba Dabba Dabo’s Clemzon’s Tiggers will be most fitting for the mutts.
OrlandoDawg
June 4th, 2009
1:14 pm
SouthGADawg88 said it the best. If the Dawgs stay healthy, they can run the table. The game is won at the line of scrimmage; and we’ll be strong on both sides of the ball. When Brandon Spikes leveled KM early in the UF game to set the tone, he ran right through where TS plays. That won’t happen this year with TS back. With JO back, the D will be much improved. UF will miss Harvin a ton. I wasn’t impressed with Demps or Rainey in the UGA game. Now, they did shine against other opponents though. I’m just not ready to give UF the title.
Ed
June 4th, 2009
2:36 pm
Let’s hire Gardner-Webb’s Defensive Coordinator, whoever he is.
Hit Man
June 4th, 2009
2:49 pm
Why is it that SEC fans hoop and hollar about how great their conference and teams are, yet their fans make Death Threats to their college team players, like in 2008 for QB Crompton at UT, and who was, Terrence Edwards after dropping pass vs. FL a few years ago?
Talk about “trailer trash.”
GT Legend
June 4th, 2009
3:16 pm
2002: GA 51 GT 7
2003: GA 31 GT 17
2004: GA 19 GT 13
2005: GA 14 GT 7
2006: GA 15 GT 12
2007: GA 31 GT 17
2008: GT 45 GA 42
The 2002-2007 Chan Gailey Era is over. The CPJ Era has begun.
With the primary exception of 2002(Gaileys first year), these are the best games/scores GA can muster, with GT team stuck with Gailey and Reggie Ball(03-06)?? Hah.
CPJ’s teams are gonna lay serious wood on the mutts.
2008 was just a warm up, folks. GA couldnt even handle a bunch of GT Freshmen in 2008 with 24 & 7 playing.
shane#1
June 4th, 2009
5:08 pm
I agree with SouthGaDawg, the D will be better this year with the return of Owens and Washington. A healthy Battle will help, so will that O line which should be able to control the ball and give the D some rest. Four losses is certainly possible with any team, including the Gators. Remember when UT was picked to win the conference and finished 7 and 5? That was the begining of the end for Fulmer.
exNFLplayer
June 5th, 2009
7:59 am
Sure UGA can lose 4. They can also lose 1 or 2. Anything can happen. I can easily see the same case scenario with GT. They could easily lose 5 games. They could lose 3 for sure. And Mark, GT will not win the ACC. They will lose to VT, FSU, and UNC. They are not as good as you think. Huge O line issues. Questionable D front. And the DCs at the above 3 mentioned schools are not stupid. They all have the LSU blueprint. And now that they know to practice without the ball ala Les Miles, well……
exNFLplayer
June 5th, 2009
8:15 am
GTMike, most of your points are very accurate. But your comparison of the ACC to SEC is a little skewed. The ACC won games pitting lower tier teams in the ACC and the SEC won the games pitting top tier against top tier. The ACC can’t buy a BCS Bowl win. The records are not even close in that regard.
Trade School Junkie
June 5th, 2009
10:12 am
In 2008, SI had GT finishing at or near the bottom of the ACC with 3-4 wins at most, and of course, ALL of the major sports media echoed the same non-sense.
On a sunny Saturday last August, I called into 790the Zone and logically stated to Brandon & Woolvy HOW & WHY GT would go 10-2, had a real shot at winning the ACC, and would win in Athens.
I was, of course, resoundingly laughed off the air as “delusional.”
We all know how things turned out, now dont we?
GT won 9 with an almost completely Freshmen roster for most of the games. GT lost a VERY close one to VT, the eventual ACC winner. Only QB Nesbitt going down in 3rd Qtr made the FSU game even close. In fact, here’s EXACTLY what Bowden said on TV after the game: “We simply couldn’t stop them.”
As for UNC game, GT had to play 4 True Freshmen on O-Line the entire second half. That, and a dismal set of TOs was the reason for that loss.
The ONLY reason GT didnt win the ACC was youth, inexperience, and TOs.
O-Line, LBs and Secondary will be MUCH deeper and experinced in 2009.
What “blueprint?” GT’s youth & inexperience were the primary reasons.
Passing Defense was GT’s biggest weakness in 2008, NOT RUN DEFENSE.
D-Line will be young, but very talented. Passing Def will be absolutely LOADED.
So, having been more accurate than SI and ALL sports media by predicting GT to go 10-2 in 2008, I will predict GT going 12-0, and a BCS bid in 2009. I frankly dont see ANYONE in the ACC that can beat GT in 2009. And, if the Dagws couldnt do it with 24 & 7, theyre sure as Hell not going to do with a rookie QB.
GT Nut
June 5th, 2009
10:26 am
The 2009 GTYJ team will be the most loaded team at alomst every position than I ‘ve seen in many years.
I agree, they are the odds-on favorite to win the ACC in my book.
81gt
June 5th, 2009
10:28 am
My favorite quoe cam eanother passionate gt fan:
We dont PASS the Bomb, we RUN the Bomb.
Last year Tech was 4th (or so) in the country in rushinig yards.They will like be near the top again, along with averaging 35+ pts per game.
macrotech
June 5th, 2009
1:07 pm
No Way, your 9:03 a.m. is a well written collection of thoughts that is full of conjecture at best! I’m a HUGE Tech fan and I played football through college! Have YOU ever played? For YOU to get on a blog and write, “nerds who like to hide behind their computer and write on sports blogs” is a joke AND the punchline all rolled up in one! Thank you for the moment of confession….you little nerd you! ;0)
truth-serum
June 5th, 2009
2:47 pm
Mark Richt is!! What a loser!! Ive been a Georgia fan all my life. Im tired of seeing Richt get a top five recruiting class every year for 9 or 10 years and not compete for a National Title or backing in to the sec champ game. DUDE a top 5 recruiting class for ten years and nothing to show for it. WHAT A Loser. I dont think I can get up for the Dogs any more. They became a launch pad for the pros….FIRE RICHT!!
VA Dawg
June 5th, 2009
5:17 pm
I like 9-3 as a projection for the Dawgs this year. Oklahoma State and Florida will be the toughest and therefore most likely losses. (Not that I’m writing those off.) I think LSU and Tech are very winnable, although I could see us slipping up once elsewhere, say at Vandy or even in Knoxville.
dan
June 5th, 2009
11:00 pm
Oklahoma State is what will set the town for this season. If the Dawgs got out there and blow them out, they could be a surprise team and win 10 games and possibly a dark horse to make to the SEC Title. You may laugh at that but remember, UGA was predicted to be 3rd or 4th in the East in 2005. When UGA stomped Boise State in 2005, that set the tone for that season( there were some experts that predicted an upset by Boise). But if they lose to the Cowboys, it will be a very bi-polar season like in 2006 where they’ll lose to a team like Vanderbilt and blowout a good team like Auburn, finishing 9-4.
Camden Mark
June 6th, 2009
8:40 pm
Looking at this years team with as little bias as I can compared to last season’s team I think the Dawgs are in a alot better shape,heres why.
1) The foundation of every team is always the O-line.last 08 line was young and injury depleted.09 is well seasoned and strong with 3-4 NFL calibar players.
2)Love Stafford but he really needs to mature and learn to make better decsions,Cox is mature and will be a better collage QB than Matthew.
3)The wildcard is we must get alot better production from the defense and I think we will,Coach M’s job is on the line and the inside of D-line should be real good.
The flashy star guys get all the attention (Knowshone,Stafford) but games are won or lost by those big ugly guys in the trenchs and this years uglies look alot better and healthy.
No way Georgia can lose four games? Sure about that? | Mark Bradley | Georgia Today
June 7th, 2009
8:40 pm
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