Bradley’s Buzz: ESPN likes the look of the 2009 Bulldogs
The Worldwide Leader gushes over UGA
Breaking down its Top 25 for 2009, ESPN.com lavishes so much praise on its No. 16 team (link requires registration) you wonder why the team in question — namely, Georgia — isn’t ranked, like, No. 6. I’m usually pretty high on the Bulldogs, but I’m not as optimistic about these Dogs as Chris Sprow seems to be.
It’s Buzz policy not to quote overmuch from a linked article — that’s why there’s a link; you can read it yourself — but because ESPN’s Insiders is a pay site and not everyone has $39.95 to burn, I make an exception. So here goes. Mr. Sprow writes:
• “Last year, Stafford had plenty of weapons to utilize, but he was always on the run. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Stafford was drilled 93 times last season, up from 77 as a sophomore. Because of that, a Georgia offense that still managed 31.5 points per game [third in the SEC] was too star-driven. [Offensive coordinator Mike] Bobo admits that Stafford had a tendency to [focus on] his most reliable players while on the run.”
Loading ...• “While the previews will say the Dawgs get back seven starters on offense, Bobo contends they get back eight … and that’s just on the offensive line. ‘We actually have eight guys back [on the O-line] that have started games for us, and we can move them around if we have to,’ Bobo says. Because of that, he thinks [Joe} Cox will be able to get more options involved. And he'll need to. 'Right now, we really have just one proven playmaker, but it's not how we'll play where we're just tossing it to [A.J. Green]; you’ll see us spread it around.’ ”
• “When Georgia gets expected improvement in the secondary from a team that picked off only 11 passes last year [eighth in the SEC] and up front from a team that sacked the QB just 23 times [ninth in the SEC], perhaps even against this schedule you could see a jump.”
• “For as good as the Dawgs looked on paper to begin last season, injuries, combined with star reliance, made that paper flimsy. This year, with Cox in charge and more healthy depth on both sides of the ball, on paper maybe it’s not as pretty, but it feels as thick as a phone book.”
Me, I say Georgia faces more “ifs” than “absolutelys” this time around, which is why I picked the Bulldogs to lose four games. But there is a chance, as Sprow suggests, Georgia could figure things out in a hurry. Still, I keep coming back to this: Minus two players who went in the top dozen of the NFL draft, a lot of guys must pull a heavier load.
Regarding a former Falcon …
Don’t know about the veracity of this, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes the Patriots might be interested in Michael Vick. And now you ask: To play … where?
At last check the Pats had a QB. (I forget his name. Y’all help me here.) And Florio never quite says what New England might do with Vick. Make him a backup? A red-zone QB? The Wildcat implementer? Ambiguity aside, it’s a great rumor.
More gushing, this time about Hanson
In his ESPN.com blog, Buster Olney quotes Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell as likening Tommy Hanson to Dwight Gooden: “[Gooden] was the same, in the way he knew he belonged, and every fifth day he knew he was going to kick someone’s butt.”
I wish McDowell would say something half that good to me. But I get the feeling he doesn’t like me. He has contracted the Smoltz disease, I fear.
Laying down the Law on the Braves’ draft
I wondered what the Braves were doing last week, and I was encouraged to find I wasn’t alone. Keith Law of Scouts Inc., writing for ESPN.com’s Insiders, was left bewildered by the whole Braves’ draft (requires registration), not just the Round 1 choice of Vandy lefty Mike Minor.
Quoth Law: “I’d love to know what happened in Atlanta to change its scouting philosophy; this is a team that would typically shy away from college players in general and college pitchers in particular, and the Braves went as college-heavy as any team, including taking a low-ceiling college arm in Mike Minor with the seventh overall pick in the draft. They took Princeton’s David Hale at [No.] 87; Hale has a good arm but mediocre command and wasn’t that successful in getting Ivy League hitters out, which is a big red flag for someone who can sit at 92-94 mph.
“Their third pick was Mycal Jones, a short [listed at a generous 5-foot-10] and slight [165 pounds] shortstop from Miami-Dade JC who can run but plays out of control at the plate and in the field. They didn’t take a high school player until the 10th round; last year, they started out with three prep arms and took only one player from a four-year college in the top 10 rounds. Money could be part of the explanation, but not all of it.”
With that, another meeting of the Frank Wren Fan Club is in session. First on the agenda, how do you “play out of control at the plate”? (And don’t say, “Be Jeff Francoeur.”)
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121 comments Add your comment
BruffDawg
June 15th, 2009
10:06 am
Coaching “hot seats” and a strong core of senior leadership will lead this team to a record better than most will expect. I don’t claim to know where the losses will be, but i do know a couple scores. First of all, where does UGA lose almost all their big games? AT HOME. This is why you can write down these two scores right now: UGA 35 OSU 17 (and don’t think Richt forgot about those photos of the hedge clippings; he will make them pay for that) UGA 45 GT 21. Will we lose 4 games? Maybe. But not these two.
PTC DAWG
June 15th, 2009
10:08 am
It wasn’t all that long ago that UGA opened on the road at Clemson, and won handily. Richt’s road record is 2nd to NONE. Bodes well for UGA this year, as it will be nice to win a couple of non-conference games on the road.
RD
June 15th, 2009
10:10 am
Mark,
I wonder if you will ever step out, and make a “bold” prediction. Then again, maybe you try to always play it safe…what fun is that?
If Georgia beats Oklahoma State, I can’t wait to read how you posture your expectations for the rest of the Dawg’s season.
Come to think of it, maybe your prediction of Tech over UGA at this date is a bold prediction. Want to wager?
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
10:10 am
It was 2003. Georgia beat Clemson 30-nil.
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
10:11 am
You wonder if I’ll ever make a bold prediction? You must be new around here.
Johnny Danger Dawg
June 15th, 2009
10:11 am
Chris Sprow, like most writers, is focusing on the Dawgs offense. But our defense was a bigger problem last year. If the Dawgs are going to improve this year, it will require some better defense (especially better play from the defensive ends).
Coach D
June 15th, 2009
10:12 am
It all depends on how well the Dawgs do in their home opener vs. Oklahoma State. If the Dawgs go out there and lose to the Cowboys( say 24-14), then it will be a very up and down season, like 7-5.
If it’s a close win either way( say 24-21), then I say the Dawgs will be 9-3 or 8-4.
If the Dawgs go out there and blow the Cowboys out, I say they have a shot at a 10 win season and are one upset away from being a Darkhorse candidate for the National Title. People may laugh when I say that but keep 4 things in mind:
1.) the Dawgs were 6-5 in 1979 before going 12-0 in 1980. If they are going to win a National Title it will be when folks don’t expect it ala Tennessee in 1998.
2.)The Dawgs have a bye week before the Florida game this year. Last time that happened, they won 42-30.
3.) Florida, even though they return a bunch of starters, play a weak conference schedule. That can bite them in the butt when they least expect it. The Florida team in 2001 was ranked 1# and was one of Spurrier’s best. And they lost two games that year.
4.) The Dawgs will have to play hard for every win. Unlike in past seasons where talent could get them past an Arkansas or South Carolina, this team doesn’t have that luxury. When teams know they’ll have to compete each week, it makes them play better. I’m a coach, I know.
Coach D
June 15th, 2009
10:14 am
whoops…I meant to say their “opener” instead of ” home opener”.
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
10:17 am
About Point No. 4 … I agree, Coach D. In fact, I tried to suggest as much a while back.
Gatorzone
June 15th, 2009
10:21 am
Coach D, many of those points concern me as a Gator Fan! I think #4 will really help Ga, and I agree about the opener setting the tone.
Robert
June 15th, 2009
10:23 am
Phil Steele is the most accurate at preseason predictions. He knows his football. Just look at his rankings thus far on philsteele.com.
UGA will be good this year.
dawg fan that hates Kool-aid
June 15th, 2009
10:23 am
fifth year senior QB, experienced OL,A.J. at WR, the running game will be there. This should help keep the defense off the field too.
WinderDawg
June 15th, 2009
10:27 am
Such bold predictions from the Tech crowd on UGA’s demise.And of course we all know just how big and bold they were after their once a decade win over us last year.I saw were one treckie said he would not take 4 Mark Richts for one Paul Johnson, I think thats a joke, just like all that smack you talked prior to your beatdown in the chick fila Bowl.Too much smog being inhaled down on techwood ave.Yeah, PJ’s offense may be even better after a year of running it, but his defense will be lackluster.GT kind of reminds me of Texas Tech, offensive guru-haha,but can’t stop anybody.Have’nt you figured out that defense wins Championships? But by all means, enjoy your preseason rankings, then enjoy your trip to Boise, or Seattle in December. Go Dawgs!!!
Pete Orr
June 15th, 2009
10:29 am
I think the Braves draft philosophy has something to do with these “great” 2011,2012 seasons everyone thinks they are building for. By drafting more college players they will be ready in a couple years to contribute to those teams along with Heyward, Freeman, Hanson, etc.
Hope they’re right…
athensdawg
June 15th, 2009
10:36 am
mark…your man-crush on M.Stafford is showing.
you sound like all the other koolaide drinkers that sit around me in sanford stadium….who believed that stafford was going to bring us the “glory” that we “deserve.” uh…last time i checked, that didn’t happen.
now that he and K.Moreno are gone, georgia football is in the toilet.
you just “….go on and throw us in that brier patch.”
historically, as you should know, the dawgs have always been better when they have no respect and no allstars. so, in that respect, we have them right where we want them.
now, do we execute? does the defense step up? we’ll see.
PMC
June 15th, 2009
10:42 am
Because anyone paying any attention last year knew they were done the second Jeff Owens was out for the year after they had already lost Sturdivant.
If they are healthy they have a top 6 team. They won’t score as many but they won’t give up as many either.
Last season they had too many players out due to either suspensions or injuries.
Coach Searles should get a medal for what he was able to pull off last year, watch what he can pull of with Sturdivant healthy.
HH
June 15th, 2009
10:42 am
My advice: Don’t bet any money on what Bobo says, unless your last name is Gates.
PMC
June 15th, 2009
10:44 am
A lot of young players got experience last year filling in.
Diggity Dawg
June 15th, 2009
10:46 am
I agree with JB. The Dawgs will be a better, tougher team in ‘09 than they were in ‘08 no matter what the end record says. That comes from Richt’s commitment to having tough practices regardless of the injury situation. Remember, they did that after the Tech Aberration (for you Techmites, an aberration is a “deviation from the ordinary, usual, or normal type,” which last year’s game certainly was) and held 1,600-yard rusher Javon Ringer to 55 yards in the bowl game. Add to the tough practices the linemen who were missing last year and you will have a team that won’t give up 30+ points five times like it did in ‘08.
godawgs.bark
June 15th, 2009
10:47 am
Boise State’s going to come here and kick our…oh maybe not. Arizona State’s is going to take us to the woodshe…hmm. Not so much. OSU? More of the same.
GO DAWGS
Cheer Up, Yech. I hear Boise’s awesome in December…oh, wait, you already know that.
See line three
Heavy Dawg
June 15th, 2009
10:51 am
I said on some websights that my DAWGS would be better this year than last. I was verbally attacked for saying so. It is good to now that I am not the only one who thinks that, but I was the first one to think that, and I got attacked about it, and now they can see that they were wrong.
Tom Pilgrim
June 15th, 2009
10:51 am
Mark, about your trade Frenchy article. The Braves need to trade Terry Pendleton. I have felt for over a year that Terry messed up Andru Jones, Matt Diaz is no longer the same, and he has almost ruined Frenchy. Terry wants everyone to hit the way he did. Take two and hit to opposiste field. Look at how the Braves are hitting, have been for a couple of years. They have two real hitters who produce. Oh, I know, they want Terry to replace Bobby Cox someday. Wow.
Otto
June 15th, 2009
11:01 am
PMC I agree the best OL and DL were out last year and many young players have experience. The offense will be able run long Greene style quarter killing drives behind the big OL.
If this new kicker pans out UGA can keep the other team from getting to the 30 or worse on kick offs.
Overall the team has much more promise than last year.
Paul From Milton
June 15th, 2009
11:04 am
Mark, you must be doing something right if you have people mad at you. There are a lot of Braves that deserve to be mad at you – Francoeur, Johnson, Escobar and numerous members of the bullpen to name a few.
One thing I haven’t heard people discuss about Georgia is that they open with seven games in a row with no break. I’ve read several coaches who talk about how team performance drops off after five or six games in a row. Georgia has five tough games in a row before going to Knoxville and Nashville back-to-back. If I was looking for an upset special, it would be one of those two games.
GOTech610
June 15th, 2009
11:07 am
Let me put to rest you DAWG’s fans aspirations for GT’s defense to be “lackluster” and that Paul Johnson neglects the defense for the offense. Over this weekend alone Paul Johnson has gotten the number 14 CB in the nation, someone Richt wanted, Number 12 Defensive Tackle Denzel McCoy, as well as two more DB’s in Fred Holton and Isaiha Johnson. That’s four top defensive players from the state of GA over one weekend, and I think we can expect the 15 ranked Ayers to commit anytime now too. That’ll make 5 defensive players for tech and 2 highly touted offensive lineman, namely Morgan Bailey who committed yesterday that the Dawgs also wanted.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it DAWGS!
L-Dawg
June 15th, 2009
11:08 am
I believe if the Georgia Tech “Nerd-Herd” would spend even half of the eneregy they do talking smack, and invest it being enthusiastic about their team, they MIGHT be able to sell out a game in their 55,000 seat capacity cracker-box of a stadium.
**Excuse me while I go purchase the $99 season ticket package, and burn every ticket except for the whoopin coming their way November 28th
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
11:09 am
There’s a British soccer/football team called Milwall. Its signature chant goes: “Nobody likes us. We don’t care.”
But me, I do care. I want everybody to like me. I’m more like Sally Field.
azcat225
June 15th, 2009
11:11 am
Uhhh, Mr. Bradley? Your Frank Wren Fan Club meeting has been moved to the broom closet on basement level three.
The Fire Frank Wren Club is meeting in the ballroom, if you’d like to pop in for a while after you and the other fan wrap things up.
Frank Wren: Living proof that the Peter Principle is alive and well.
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
11:15 am
Frank Wren = Mr. Finesse.
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
11:19 am
For those so inclined, here’s a new blog post: How I fixed — or broke — Chipper ’s wagon.
GOTech610
June 15th, 2009
11:21 am
L-Dawg…..Haha….you lost to a team on your turf that can’t even fill their own stadium….how stupid do you feel???? Please…is that what you dawg fan’s have to go on…attendance? Who gives a crap? GT beat UGA, we don’t need attendance to do that moron!
GOTech610
June 15th, 2009
11:21 am
Ohhh the dawgs are sooo big and bad because the have a big stadium….to lose in! HAHAHA!
WTF???
June 15th, 2009
11:23 am
UGA 10-2
Yeck 7-5
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
11:27 am
Let the record reflect that WTF, holder of the single-day posting record on this here blog, has joined the fray.
larryhmunsonthe3rd
June 15th, 2009
11:32 am
frenchy
Georgia News - 6/15/09 | MrSEC.com
June 15th, 2009
11:34 am
[...] Here are some Georgia notes for Monday:Georgia Tech is ranked higher than Georgia in most pre-season polls and that can’t sit too well with Bulldog fans.Georgia officials believe their season opener against South Carolina will kick off at 7pm ET on ESPN2.And Mark Bradley of The AJC wonders why ESPN.com — which praises UGA in their behind-the-pay-per-view-door rankings — doesn’t have the Dawgs ranked higher than 16th. [...]
Jack G.
June 15th, 2009
11:45 am
The problem with the GT defense is only getting to face the PJ offense in practice. They get no practice time against more traditional offenseses. Pass defense really suffers because they dont practice against it. PJ’s teams dont pass. They dont pass for 2 reasons. One they dont have a QB that can pass, and they dont know how to pass block.
WTF???
June 15th, 2009
11:56 am
This is true, I should really get rid of one of these monitors so I can’t keep my browser open all day…..
L-Dawg
June 15th, 2009
12:03 pm
I notice that the North Ave Trade School is located in the same city as AJC, but there is never any praise or coverage on here for them. Why waste their time right? UGA is the better program, and just because we lose 2 players to the NFL we suck? UGA has won the 3rd most games in the NCAA since 2000, and i guarantee you we will continue to recruit the best, and sign the best. The Nerd-Herd wins one sloppy game in the rain, and they forget that its the first time in 8 years….. stick to the dungeons and dragons you dorks.
L-Dawg
June 15th, 2009
12:04 pm
***3rd most WINS since 2000
Dave
June 15th, 2009
12:15 pm
The Dawgs will flake out as they do whenever they get any positive press. The best thing that could happen for UGA is for everyone to say they’re terrible and let them go out on the field with something to prove. UF’s won two out of the last three BCS trophies and you don’t read this kind of hype about them in the Tampa, Orlando or Jacksonville papers.
Crank Dat Soulja Boy Noshow Moreno
June 15th, 2009
12:17 pm
This is the only time of the year UGA fans can talk trash about being great. Once the season starts, that will all change. CHOKERS
edward
June 15th, 2009
12:17 pm
45-21 Bruffdog? Darkhorse national title Coach D? Where do you guys come up with these predictions? Can’t wait for your unranked team to come to Atlanta and get tossed up. Hopefully after Okla.St. wipes the field with yal you will see what a joke of a football team you have this yr. Last years win was a fluke? Yeah, and Mike Vick is coming back to the falcons to help TD and the coaching staff. We ran all over you with our “High School offense” and will continue to do so every year Paul Johnson is at Tech. And that is Mr. Paul Johnson to all you ugay fans. Keep telling yourself that uga will be better without Stafford, Knowshon, etc. And JB and every other uga fan, stop with the LSU remarks. Please, it just makes you look more stupid, even if that doesn’t seem possible. Was that uga that beat us? WTF, 10-2? Tech 7-5? Your name does fit your remarks. And please ugay fans, don’t come back with winnng 7 in a row before last yr. or anything about our stadium. We still own the longest winning streak in the series and have more national titles so stop living in the past, it will only continue to make you guys look bad. And our stadium is named after a certain Hall of Fame coach, something yal don’t have, not to mention something called the “Heisman trophy,” maybe you have heard of it? Hey, at least uga softball will be ranked high next year!!!!
MightyQuinn
June 15th, 2009
12:19 pm
Mark, re your 11:09 post: I don’t know about the rest, but I like you! I really, really like you! (In a hetero manly way!)
Mark Bradley
June 15th, 2009
12:21 pm
OK, MQ. You did it. You made me laugh.
Oh, and I’m fairly sure Vince Dooley is in the Hall of Fame. Not sure about Ray Goff, though.
update...
June 15th, 2009
12:24 pm
Has anyone seen Jonathan Dwyer and Roddy Jones? They went missing last Nov. 29. Were last seen running through, around, and over uga defenders. Anyone with information please contact Mark Richt, he would like to know what the hell happened. Thank you.
edward
June 15th, 2009
12:27 pm
Yeah, my bad. Dooley could coach a little bit, huh?
L-Dawg
June 15th, 2009
12:32 pm
If any of my fellow Dawg-Nation EVER needs an incredible belly-busting laugh, I encourage you to go check out the level of absolute DORK waiting for the “stinger-shuttle” outside the midtown MARTA station between 8-9am mon-fri. You have never in your life seen such socially awkward nerds with pictures of a wolf or wizard on their t-shirts, bookbags pulled extremely tight on their backs, and a lunchbox and thermos most likely containing a note on a napkin from mom stating “remember son, mommy and daddy love you, and that brings your total to two.”
WTF???
June 15th, 2009
12:39 pm
I’m telling ya’ll now.
UGA will go 10-2, possibly 11-1. A loss to LSU & UF or UF, I’m still out on the LSU Bayou “Bobby Bouche” Bengals. They may be good, then again they may not be. Defense was TERRIBLE last year, although they did drag the nerds all over the field. Will the QB be any better??
Yech will not beat Miami, VT, FSU & UGA.
So maybe they go 8-4, whatever.
UGA will have a better record & be ranked higher at the season end.
NO DOUBT
WTF???
June 15th, 2009
12:51 pm
Oh yeah, Okie State beat UGA?
LOL! Don’t drink the koolaid. Didn’t they try it back in 05-06?
Somewhere along there anyway. UGA will beat up on the Cowgirls