The 2009 Georgia Bulldogs: They’ll go 8-4, it says here
Joe Cox takes the reins, and it could be a bumpy trip. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
As rallying cries go, this one is a bit weird: “We’re better off now because nobody thinks we’re the best team in the country.” But this is college football, where anything is grist for the motivational mill.
A year ago the Georgia Bulldogs found themselves ranked No. 1, and they didn’t like the way that turned out. So now they’ve decided it’s better not to have drawn a single vote to finish first in the SEC East. (Florida was a unanimous choice at the conference’s Media Days.) It’s better being considered not nearly as good.
Mark Richt told the Greater Atlanta Bulldog Club last month that he feels he “has a lot more juice” going into this season. Last year, he recalled, he’d gone on a mission trip and had returned to face a barrage of questions on two fronts – the number of off-field incidents involving Georgia players, which hasn’t been an issue this time, and being the first team in school history ranked preseason No. 1, which isn’t an issue, either.
And there is a compelling recent precedent. In 2005 the Bulldogs were picked to finish third in the East for what seemed good reason: They’d lost their longtime starting quarterback. Indeed, that’s what some players chanted during the celebration on the floor of the Georgia Dome after they’d beaten LSU for the 2005 league title: “Third in the East … third in the East …”
We don’t yet know if Joe Cox can do as D.J. Shockley did four years ago – steer his team to a championship after waiting his turn – but the parallel alone gives the Bulldogs hope. So does the return of two anchors from injury: Trinton Sturdivant, the sturdy left tackle, and Jeff Owens, the forceful defensive tackle.
Georgia’s hope this season is to be strong where it was weak in 2008 – up front. Nobody is suggesting Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno won’t be missed, but the Bulldogs should never lack for talent at the skill positions. Cox doesn’t have Stafford’s arm and Caleb King lacks Moreno’s wiggle, but these are still SEC-caliber players.
Loading ...That said, this will mark only the fourth time in Richt’s tenure at Georgia, which is entering its ninth season, the Bulldogs have approached a season with an untested No. 1 quarterback. In 2001, David Greene’s first season as starter, they finished 8-4. In 2006, the season that began with Joe Tereshinski III as No. 1 and saw Cox start at Ole Miss and finished with Stafford in control, they were 9-4.
Put another way, the two worst seasons under Richt – not to say that a four-loss campaign is “bad” – have come when the No. 1 quarterback was a relative newbie. The belief here is that 2009 will be a similarly lesser year, that four losses will again be the result, that this will be more like 2006 than 2005.
Then again, I was among those who believed Georgia would be the best team in the land in 2008. So I’m already one of the prime motivators. Glad to be of service, guys.
Bradley breaks down the Bulldogs’ season
Sept. 5, Oklahoma State at Stillwater: Some Bulldog fans see OSU as another Arizona State. Different league, folks. OSU 30, Georgia 20.
Sept. 12, South Carolina at Athens: The Evil Genius marred 2007 season by winning at Sanford Stadium. Not this time. Georgia 24, South Carolina 14.
Sept. 19, Arkansas at Fayetteville, Ark.: Tempting to go with the Hogs, but the Richt road mojo will carry the day. Georgia 21, Arkansas 20.
Sept. 26, Arizona State at Athens: OK, here’s the real Arizona State, and here’s the first easy win of 2009. Georgia 31, Arizona State 10.
Oct. 3, LSU at Athens: Big-time opponent enters big-time environment and leaves with big-time victory. LSU 24, Georgia 23.
Oct. 10, Tennessee at Knoxville: Any letdown potential after LSU will be overridden by the Kiffin Factor. Georgia 24, Tennessee 13.
Oct. 17, Vanderbilt at Nashville: Another road game in the Volunteer State, this one tougher. But still a Georgia “W.” Georgia 27, Vanderbilt 20.
Oct. 31, Florida at Jacksonville: Strange things happen on Halloween, don’t they? Nothing this strange, I fear. Florida 30, Georgia 17.
Nov. 7, Tennessee Tech at Athens: Don’t look now, but Georgia’s sixth victory will be its third in a row over a team from Tennessee. Georgia 42, Tennessee Tech 10.
Nov. 14, Auburn at Athens: Yes, the road team tends to win in this strange series. But not when Gene Chizik coaches the road team. Georgia 24, Auburn 14.
Nov. 21, Kentucky at Athens: Three in a row for the surging Bulldogs, setting the stage for the big game in Atlanta. Georgia 33, Kentucky 17.
Nov. 28, Georgia Tech at Atlanta: Willie Martinez has had a year to figure out Paul Johnson’s offense. He’ll need another. Georgia Tech 30, Georgia 24.
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481 comments Add your comment
Dogs4ever
August 13th, 2009
11:23 pm
Ga. will beat the cowboys and only lose three games this season. There are a lot of Ga. haters out there but forget them
Tech sucks
August 13th, 2009
11:24 pm
HAHAHAHAH good ole Front Runnin Mark Bradley. Do you seriously just wait to see what everyone is ranked before you make your little predictions? You do this all the time man.
When is the last time a Mark Richt team went 8-4. How the heck is one of the worst defenses in all of college football going to hold UGA to 20 points? Oklahoma State didn’t beat one good team last year. Look at their numbers. Look at their opponents. You media people just read the rankings and let that determine your feelings about a team. It’s pathetic.
David Granger
August 13th, 2009
11:41 pm
It would be nice to see Cox finish his career as a good, solid QB…maybe not a star, but a solid player who can help the team win. I think we’ll be better than 8-4, but that’s a fair prediction based on our personnel losses. Don’t know why everyone gets so worked up over pre-season picks. Doesn’t mean a damn thing, and we ought to all know that by now. We’ll get a chance to prove everybody wrong, and that’s what we play the games to find out. (Look how damn accurate our pre-season ranking turned out to be LAST year…)
I am afraid that UGA will beat one team we’ve got no business beating, and then turn around the next week and lose to a team we got no business losing to. Just seems to happen. And I’d love for us to go through a season without letting the “thump a chump” teams play us so close. Why can’t we put people away? We shouldn’t need a last second field goal to beat Vanderbilt, and we shouldn’t have to swap touchdowns throughout the second half to nip Kentucky. I wish we had a ballsey defensive captain who…when Richt calls for those blitzes in the STUPID situations he does a lot…would override him on the field, and say “Coach can blow that out his butt, we ain’t blitzing now.” And after we win the game, just accept having to run the bleachers.
And as much as I hate to see it, Paul Johnson is a very good coach and a good fit for Georgia Tech. That offense he runs is TOUGH to defend against if you have smart kids running it, and who are totally dedicated to it. Tech won’t get the four and five star recruits….the top QB’s want to throw the ball, and the top RB’s want to carry 35 times a game…but you get some smart kids (with a little chip on their shoulder for NOT being as highly recruited) and they’ll beat some teams they shouldn’t. The UGA-GT game is going to be a good one year-in, year-out I think.
To all the idiots ....
August 14th, 2009
12:30 am
…..that chime in on how good GA is b/c they look at a 10-3 as a failure while GT looks at a 9-4 season as a monumental success, let me break it down for you mental midgets.
If UF or Texas (think they are picked by many as #1) go 10-3 and no BCS bowl this season, and say Miss St. or Duke goes 9-4, and plays on New Years Eve or later – WHAT DO YOU THINK THEIR RESPECTIVE FAN BASES WILL BE SAYING ABOUT THEIR TEAM’S SEASON?????
No rocket science needed to figure this out.
LambertDawg
August 14th, 2009
1:20 am
wiley, u must be a tech fan. what are tech’s colors? gold & black or gold & navy? which combonation? it can’t be both… or is it yellow and black/navy???
GO DAWGS
gatordawg
August 14th, 2009
1:49 am
Dawgs won’t be THAT close to the Gators except in the first quarter.
Dawg Fud
August 14th, 2009
9:25 am
i think Tech OL is not an issue. Paul Johnson can coach – he has proven that. i expect Tech to have a big year.
Florida is just simply loaded. they could compete the AFC South.
i do not recall a Georgia season with so many unknowns. it is interesting (if you are a Bulldog) and i embrace it.
i’ll take 1-11 as long as we beat the Gators. ha ha
GO DAWGS! Beat the Cowgirls!
Dawg Fud
August 14th, 2009
9:27 am
gatordawg – do you have a degree from each school? interesting if so…that must be tough to balance friendships!
DawgFan
August 14th, 2009
9:33 am
comedy and jax make some good points
scott
August 14th, 2009
11:41 am
Oklahoma State fan here. Those of you who think you will run it down Oklahoma State’s throats are showing you know nothing about the Oklahoma State team. OSU faced a number of the top offenses last year. The key to these teams success against OSU was PASSING the football. OSU held opposing offenses UNDER their total offensive production in most games last year. Our run defense is our STRENGTH. We have 4 returning SENIOR LB’s. Our weakness last year was pass rush which lead to our DB’s being left to cover WR’s way to long. We are young in the secondary (only having 2 upper classmen)
I do respect Georgia’s defense. We came into Athen’s two years ago and found out first hand how fast the Dawg defense is. Our coaches will have a better idea of how fast the defense is and will be able to game plan against it.
Add to that we have a 3 year starting QB, an all american RB, an all world WR, and 5 SENIOR starters on the Oline, I think we will have success.
I think the biggest advantage OSU has is on Special teams. We return both returners (Dez Bryant and Perrish Cox)
As usual I think this game comes down to penalties, turnovers, and special teams.
My prediction is Oklahoma State 27 Georgia 17
scott
August 14th, 2009
11:43 am
sorry make that led to…(in the 2nd paragraph!)
For all the Dawg fans coming to Oklahoma. Have a safe trip and make sure you try Hideaway Pizza!
Jacob Rothberg
August 14th, 2009
12:13 pm
I thought I was the only one who had noticed that UGA always seems to get hurt when they blitz. I’m a Tennessee grad, so I like to see it…at least against the Vols. But Georgia sure does blitz a lot and in some strange situations, and seems to get hurt by it more than just about any team I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if you telegraph it somehow, or if you just don’t have anyone to cover that safety-valve receiver that’s always the first option. But the blitzing you bulldogs do sure seems to hurt your team a hell of a lot more than it helps.
Pi$$onaDawg
August 14th, 2009
1:18 pm
If Cox is the next DJ then he will have a great UGA season and then hold a clipboard. I don’t think Cox will be the starter after the 3rd game and will not even get a chance to hold an NFL clipboard.
WH
August 14th, 2009
4:05 pm
Please keep on underestimating Auburn!
WDE
2Cents2
August 14th, 2009
4:45 pm
Only the Dawgs would see a lower rankings as a good thing… What a mediocre program.
Crawford
August 14th, 2009
4:48 pm
Enter your comments here
Crawford
August 14th, 2009
4:48 pm
no way we lose to Tech twice in a row.
Buzzed
August 14th, 2009
4:55 pm
Crawford, look at what you’ve done. How do we put any faith in what you say?
GT Terrorist
August 14th, 2009
5:37 pm
Pi$$ on a Dawg:
you have now posted on this blog all day long for 3 straight days. Do you have a life? Why are you SOOOO jealous of UGA football? Anyone who thinks UGA will not finish in the TOP 10 is a plain idiot who knows NOTHING about college football. PERIOD!!!!
Bob
August 14th, 2009
5:38 pm
Simple Math Bradley,
10-2 with losses to Florida and LSU.
Azz Clown
August 14th, 2009
5:53 pm
I am an Azz Clown and even I know you are out of touch with reality. The Dogs will be lucky, and I mean lucky, to go 7-5. More like 6-6. They will lose to S.Carolina and Tennessee for sure. Can’t wait to say I told you so. From one Azz Clown to another….Dogs SUCK!!
dan
August 14th, 2009
5:54 pm
Loses will be to the following teams:
OKST: 20-12
LSU: 38-28
FLA: 27-21 in OT( mark this one down!)
AUB: 31-20.( also mark this one down!)
dan
August 14th, 2009
6:10 pm
Honestly this is a 7 win team that Richt can coach up to 9 wins. I’m not sold on either one of these coordinators. Richt is a good coach but I think his problem is he’s too concerned with being the ” Good guy”, and is trying to win the “right way” minus all the trash talking and taunting like in Jax in 2007. I think it bothered him a little when people said he used unruly antics to win in Jacksonville( which wasn’t true, but that’s how he felt). I think Richt is afraid to ” Let the Dawg off the Leash” and by that I mean that MEAN NASTY Football that Miami and FSU used to play, for fear of it getting out of control. But the Irony is that attitude is what wins championships! So I say turn ‘em lose Richt!!!! You know it felt good to tell Florida to suck it like you did in 2007. Do it again!!! You might be surprised by the results!
Rick
August 14th, 2009
6:58 pm
One thing Tech and UGA fans generaly agree on is that Mark Bradley is bias. He is bias towards UGA, it is why I cancelled my delivery.
Paul
August 14th, 2009
7:01 pm
http://www.sbpdl.com
auburn is going to surpise teams this year.
dan
August 14th, 2009
8:01 pm
I agree Paul, I think Auburn will be a dangerous team this year.
jason
August 14th, 2009
8:18 pm
u missed it by 2
Rick
August 14th, 2009
8:19 pm
The DAWGS will lose to South Carolina …. mark it down …..
True UGA fan
August 14th, 2009
8:48 pm
It is sad to see that this newspaper has retained byist columnists. Atleast that is the appearence that is given with the stats that have come from this article. One of two thoughts come to mind with these scores… They were dropped into a computer and analyzed, or a coin was flipped and totaled at random. Either way the stats are wrong.
gatordawg
August 14th, 2009
8:59 pm
Dawg Fud, I do have degrees from both schools, and yes, it can be hard balancing friends (just in football season). I live in Georgia, so you can guess where I get the most crap…
It gives you more chances to savor victory though.
Dylan
August 14th, 2009
9:29 pm
Georgia will have another 10 win season. They will beat LSU in Athens with no problem I think. I also think they beat Florida. Georgia has a bye week before Florida, and UGA usually does well against the Gaytors coming off a bye week. Georgia will probably have one the best linebacker corps in the nation this year and the offensive line will be very strong. I think 10-2 or 11-1 is very possible.
Blow it out Mark.
August 14th, 2009
9:45 pm
Enter your comments here
gatordawg
August 14th, 2009
10:38 pm
Dylan, exactly when has UGA done well against the Gators, rested or not?
Dylan
August 14th, 2009
11:56 pm
gatordawg,
1915 1916
1919 1920
1926 1927
1931 1932
1933 1934
1935 1936
1938 1939
1941 1942
1944 1945
1946 1947
1948 1950
1951 1954
1959 1964
1966 1968
1971 1972
1974 1975
1976 1978
1979 1980
1981 1982
1983 1985
1987 1988
1989 1997
2004 2007
gatordawg
August 15th, 2009
3:41 am
Dylan,
Your list is impressive! So in the last 25 years that you have been alive, the Dawgs have beat the Gators (using your numbers) six times in the last 23 or 24 years. I guess the Dawgs need to take more weeks off before the Cocktail Party.
Dylan
August 15th, 2009
12:56 pm
Well I guess we’ll just find out on October 31st. Can’t wait for the game. I’ll be pulling for the Gators against Tennessee though. I hope Lame Kiffin goes 0-8 in the SEC this year.
Paddy
August 16th, 2009
9:22 am
Don’t worry about Arkansas fans. “That coward coach” still lives down there. Bad MOJO from the HOG state. Hope he loses every game.
DawginTexas
August 16th, 2009
9:30 am
Only Florida has more overall talent than Georgia. The only two games on the schedule to really worry about are LSU and Florida. Ga Tech? Don’t make me laugh—Ga didn’t even show up ready to play last year. This year, the Dawgs win easy. Ok State? LOL!! They play in an overrated conference and even boone pickens’ millions can’t help them in this game—Dawgs win by 17.
two-in-a-row-coming
August 16th, 2009
9:30 am
Tech will not face WM or Cox this year.
Jack Schitt
August 16th, 2009
9:39 am
Its so obvious that you redneck, inbred, pot bellied, mullet wearing, PBR drinking UGA fans do not know me. I would be willing to bet the house that most of you who post here and never set foot inside a college classroom, UGA or otherwise. Let me educate you a little. UGA will suck like a cheap Hoover vac this year. OK State will drill them to start the season. Tennessee will beat them like a red-headed step child in Knoxville. The Old Ball Coach will find a way to wax them. Get ready for the Music City Bowl boys..if lucky. The Puppies will be lucky to go 7-5 this year. Its great to be a Vol fan…Fear the Kiff!!! Sing it with me…Rocky Top You Will Always Be Home Sweet Home to Me..Wooooo! Now you “schittheads” can say you know Jack Schitt!! Go Vols!!
NXS
August 16th, 2009
10:13 am
For a team that has been so thoroughly dominated by UGA during the Richt era, I find it more than laughable that all the Techies posting here now think that, after a 9-4 (5-3 in the All Cupcake) season, they’re now the real deal after their upset of the Dogs last year. Trite though it may be, even a blind pig finds an acorn every now and again. So, don’t count your larvae before they pupate boys! Johnson is a great coach, and in time will likely do some great things at the North Ave. Trade School. However, your inflated opinion and expectations for your team’s abilities in ‘09 really has no basis in reality. You lack depth and you lack speed. Too bad we can’t do on-line blog betting. I’d love to take some of your money! Georgia wins in Atl. by 10… Bradley back-peddles, but still continues to pick Tech at the slightest hint of competitiveness.
Paddy
August 16th, 2009
10:14 am
jack schitt… it sounds to me that maybe you never say the inside of a college classromm after reading that hs rant.
Big Dawg
August 16th, 2009
10:27 am
I still see us as having a chance for a National Championship this year. Sure we lost some big names but they will all be replaced. Our cupboard is not bare but actually continues to improve year in and year out. As a result, we will be NC contenders for the next few years.
Big Dawg
DawgNation
August 16th, 2009
10:38 am
Jack Schitt,
I know you were for real in your rant but dude that has to be the funniest anti UGA post ever here. I always knew you Tenn boys were good for a good laugh. Dusting off my hob nailed boots. See ya soon.
S. Spurrier
August 16th, 2009
10:50 am
The Evil Genius will ruin the 2009 season by winning at Sanford Stadium.
GatorHator
August 16th, 2009
10:52 am
TampaGator- You do know that OU’s top rusher was out of the NCG right?
Bill Donnan
August 16th, 2009
11:00 am
Okay, mutts…it’s August 16th….bout time for those arrests to start rollin’ in.
Jim morrison
August 16th, 2009
12:00 pm
Hey chazzo
FU!
See you in JAX for another beat down.
GA will be lucky to win 7 games this year as the Gators roll to another SEC and NC!
Enough Said!
wreckmaniac
August 16th, 2009
12:16 pm
Good grief Bradley ! This is UGA you’re talking about. They will be national champs. With the recruiting they have done over the past 5 years its a can’t miss.
AMG
August 16th, 2009
12:28 pm
No offense but the Dawgs will lose 5 games at least this year. And this has to be said, CMR is a great coach. Don’t get on his case after losing the best QB in the country, a Great running back, and a great receiver. Joe Cox is no mircle worker so let it go. Defense will be slightly better than last year, Offense will be far worse.