College football 2010: Georgia wins nine, Tech loses four
Washaun Ealey's Bulldogs will again run this state. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
It’s time — actually, it’s a week past due — for our annual Memorial Day college football predictions, and I begin with a word in my defense: I actually got a few things right the last time around. I said Georgia Tech would go 10-2 and win the ACC, which it did. I said Georgia would lose four games, inducing many among you to cast aspersions; the Bulldogs actually lost five games. Against that cheery backdrop, we begin:
• Georgia will go 9-3 but will finish third in the SEC East. Todd Grantham represents an upgrade. Given time, Aaron Murray will represent an upgrade. Thing is, the Bulldogs’ second game is in Columbia, and that seems a bridge too far. (More precisely, a bridge too soon.) The guess is that Georgia will be rolling come November, but that Sept. 11 loss — and one the next week against Arkansas in Athens — will keep the Bulldogs from a true breakthrough.
• Georgia’s true breakthrough? That comes in 2011.
• South Carolina will likewise lose three SEC games. It will shade Georgia in the East standings on the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Gamecocks will lose to Auburn, Alabama and Florida.
• Florida will go 11-1 because of a remarkably kind schedule. The Gators play four road games: Two against teams (Tennessee and Florida State) with new coaches and one against Vanderbilt. The Gators will lose in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 2, but they’ll see Alabama again.
• Florida will beat Alabama for the SEC title. Just one of my dumb hunches. Like the one that told me Texas would beat the Tide for the BCS crown. And the Longhorns would have except for Mack Brown’s SHOVEL PASS! (Don’t get me started.) (Alas, too late.)
• Don’t get me wrong: Alabama will be outstanding. But I recall the 2008 BCS titlist going undefeated in the regular season and losing beneath the Georgia Dome. I don’t believe the Tide in 2010 will be any better than the Gators were in 2009. And I do believe it’s tough to go through the SEC unbeaten twice in succession.
• Florida will beat a Big Ten representative for the BCS title. I’m tempted to pick the Big Ten rep, but I’ve seen that game before. I know how it ends.
• The Big Ten rep will not be Ohio State. It will be Iowa. Ask Paul Johnson about the Hawkeyes.
• Tim Tebow will win the Heisman Trophy. Whoops. Force of habit. Case Keenum — Houston QB — will win the Heisman Trophy.
• Boise State will go 11-1 but will be remembered for the “1,” not the “11.” The Broncos play Virginia Tech in Washington D.C. on Sept. 6. That’s a Labor Day “L.”
• The ACC Coastal will be the nation’s toughest division. There’s not a great team therein, but there are four good ones. Miami will be the disappointment. North Carolina will be the surprise. Virginia Tech will win the division. And Georgia Tech …
• … will finish third. I yield to no one in my esteem for Joshua Nesbitt, who had a busy offseason. (He had surgery and added two vowels to his first name.) But I cannot believe a team that bid adieu to four NFL draftees early will be quite as good. (Didn’t Georgia suffer a bit without Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno?) The Jackets will lose three road conference games: At North Carolina, at Clemson, at Virginia Tech.
• Florida State will win the ACC Atlantic. By default.
• Under Derek Dooley, Tennessee will win its final four games. The Vols will, however, lose six of their first eight.
• Southern Cal will finish fifth in the Pac-10. Lane Kiffin: Money for nothing and quips for free.
• Georgia will beat Georgia Tech. A.J. Green will catch the winning touchdown pass from Murray with 41 seconds remaining. The score will be 27-24. Paul Johnson will suppress the urge to punch somebody in the face.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
668 comments Add your comment
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:15 pm
That’s all it is….HISTORY.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:15 pm
GEORGIA WINNING THE GA-FLA SERIES OVERALL AT 46 WINS. LEARN YOUR HISTORY.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:16 pm
2002 RICHT WENT 12-1 AND WON THE SEC, USUALLY GOOD ENOUGH TO GET INTO NATL CHAMP–LEARN YOUR HISTORY.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:17 pm
ADDAZIO IS PATHIETIC. WORSE THAN WILLIE. HAS FLORIDA IS DOWNWARD SPIRAL. WHY MEYER DIDN’T FIRE HIM, HAVE NO IDEA.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:18 pm
FLORIDA SCORING DROPPED 7 FROM 2008 TO 2009, SACKS WENT UP TO ALMOST 30 WITH ADDAZIO RUNNING THE O-LINE. HE’S ATROCIOUS.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:19 pm
FLORIDA DIDN’T WIN A LOT OF NATL CHAMP’S WITH THE ZOOKER. BACK TO ZOOKER-LIKE YEARS WITH TEBOW GONE FOR FLORIDA–NO MORE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, FEW TOP 10 FINISHES–WELCOME TO MEDIOCRITIY.
ormewood
June 4th, 2010
5:21 pm
Dawgs have not been in national championship picutre since Herschel. It could change this year, but they were not factors in ‘02 and ‘07 as some are inserting. You lose to South Carolina and get thumped by TN, you don’t win your own division, you’re not a factor in the national picture.
if Murray plays well, who knows, they could be in the picture this year. They don’t play LSU or Bama which certianly helps. I’m saying 9-3, or 10-2.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:22 pm
I know UGA went 12-1, but Miami and OSU went undefeated.
2007 lost 2 games….one to a mediocre team and the other one in a blowout.
As for Addazio, we’ll see. UF’s point drop-off last year was due in large part to not having much at the WR spot other than Cooper. Still managed to hang a number on UGA. That seems to be the norm lately.
By the way, UF owns the head to head record since WWII. I don’t really care what happened back in the horse and buggy days. That’s all ancient history.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:25 pm
Reynolds,
Keep talking trash. That’s about all you CAN do. Your team certainly hasn’t been able to back it up on the field against UF. I’ve never seen fans talk so much trash with NOTHING to back it up. Some of you guys are just plain funny.
Talk, talk, talk.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:27 pm
WHEN FLORIDAS GOES 12-1 AND WINS SEC, IT’S A NATL CHAMP TYPE YEAR.
WHEN OKLAHOMA FINISHES #1 RANKED AND LOSES DIVISION, IT’S A NATL CHAMP YEAR.
GEORGIA GETS ANOTHER STANDARD.
BUT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACTS THAT NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLORIDA OR OKLAHOMA.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:28 pm
WHEN MEYER HAS 4 TOP 10 FINISHES IN A ROW, HE CAN BE IN RICHT’S LEAGUE. UNTIL THEN, RICHT’S IN HIS OWN LEAGUE.
dawgfan
June 4th, 2010
5:28 pm
JoeMac, I answered your question, but like any good wet the bed Techie
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:29 pm
THE 2 MOST ACCURATE PREDICTORS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL ARE BIG ON GEORGIA IN 2010, IF YOU’RE NOT, YOU DON’T KNOW FOOTBALL.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:30 pm
I don’t think Oklahoma should have gotten the nod over Texas. Texas won the head to head and they both had the same record. Teaxs’ only loss was on a last second TD pass on the road against a team ranked in the top 10. They beat OU soundly on a nuetral field.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:31 pm
THOSE 2 MOST ACCURATE WOULD BE ATHLON & PHIL STEELE. LOOK IT UP. BOTH SAY GEORGIA COULD GO ON A RUN IN 2010 AND WIN THE SEC EAST AND PLAY FOR THE SEC CHAMP, AND IF THEY WIN THAT, WHO KNOWS. YOU CAN’T GET CLOSER TO REALITY THAT THOSE 2 GUYS–THEY’RE STRAIGHT SHOOTERS AND DEADLY ACCURATE.
dawgfan
June 4th, 2010
5:32 pm
JoeMac, I answered your question. You just didn’t like the answer. What do wet the bed Techies like yourself want from us UGA fans? You sit here and DEMAND our respect. Why? One victory in 9 years? I might as well go and kiss the feet of a Vandy fan pal. You Techies are simply unbelievable with your arrogance. We call you a joke because you are. One victory in 9 years over your biggest rival is a joke. If you want our respect your team is going to have to earn it ON THE FIELD and not with tough talk on internet message boards.
Class dismissed.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:32 pm
NEITHER STEEL OR ATHLON PICK S. CAROLINA, DON’T SEE WHY BRADLEY DOES, THEY NEVER DO SQUAT WITH SPURRIER. FLORIDA IS DOWN THIS YEAR FROM LAST YEAR’S PRE-SEASON #1. LOST A LOT OF PPLAYERS LIKE 9 NFL GUYS, AND KEY STAFF LIKE STRONG.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:33 pm
They “could” go on a run? Hell, so “could” Mississippi State! If they are going to be world beaters then why aren’t they ranked preseason #1 like they were on 2008? That worked out well for ya didn’t it?
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:33 pm
OKLAHOMA DID GET THE NOD AND GOT INTO THE NATL CHAMP WITHOUT WINNING THEIR CONFERENCE. SO GEORGIA SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPLIED SAME RULES. THEY WERN’T. STILL A GREAT YEAR.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:34 pm
IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW MORE THAN THE 2 MOST ACCURATE GUYS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, YOU’RE IGNORANCE SHINES.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:35 pm
BRANTLEY AIN’T DONE NOTHING MORE THAN JOE COX DID BOUT SAME TIME LAST YEAR. HE’S A COMPLETE UNTESTED WANNABE.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:36 pm
See dawgfan’s post above. Exchange UF for UGA and UGA for GT.
Well said.
Paul in RDU
June 4th, 2010
5:36 pm
Reynolds – Assuming UF goes back to Zooker-like years, what does that mean for the UGA-UF series? What was Zook’s record against CMR?
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:37 pm
Talk, talk, talk.
Do something on the field and come back to see us.
We’ll be in Atlanta…..AGAIN.
I’m out!
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:38 pm
IT MEANS NO MORE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR FLORIDA—THAT WAS MY POINT. READ CAREFULLY.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:39 pm
WONDER WHY ATHLON OR STEELE DOESN’T HAVE FLORIDA #1 THIS YEAR SINCE THEY’RE THE MOST ACCURATE PRE SEASON RANKERS? MAYBE FLORIDA ISN’T AS GREAT AS FLORIDA FANS WISH?
Tech
June 4th, 2010
5:39 pm
Mark obviously doens’t know anything about Al groh. Do you think our defense will be as bad as last year? I think it will be 40 yards a game better total defense. The offense revolves around Nesbitt. Allen will be every bit as good as Dwyer, if not better. There will be no step off on offense. Stephen hill will be every bit as good as Thomas.
Tech goes 11-1. Wins the acc again. Beats ugag again in athens. Goes to another bcs bowl.
Uga loses 5 again. Murray is every bit as bad as expected since he couldn’t beat out joe cox and hasn’t played in over 2 years and a rookie to boot.
TampaGator
June 4th, 2010
5:39 pm
Mark….playing Bama at Bama is not a soft schedule….Mark. Going to Knoxville is never soft…ask Georgia fans. Plus, the Gators play South Florida and they are a very good team. If Florida wins the SEC it will because they have a very good team…and not because they have a soft schedule. Florida and Bama are the two best teams in the SEC and it will be that way for a while with the types of recruits going to those two schools…and the type of coaches those two schools have. No other coaches in the SEC can match Saban and Meyer for coaching or recruiting. BING GO!!!!
Paul in RDU
June 4th, 2010
5:41 pm
Reynolds – So UF will go back to mediocrity a la the Zook years. But Zook beat UGA more than he lost to them. Where does that place UGA?
Ron
June 4th, 2010
5:41 pm
Steele always goes outside what most people believe. He’s rarely right.
Nat champ will be Ohio st Fsu.
Fsu with ponder and stoops at def coord will be back to their old ways.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:41 pm
RICHT’S RECORD WITH THE 3-4 WILL BE AS GOOD AS SABAN’S RECORD WITH THE 3-4. AND GEORGIA HAS THE DEFENSIVE GUY WHO TAUGHT IT TO ALABAMA, AND GEORGIA HAS A BETTER OFFENSIVE LINE THAN ALABAMA.
COMAPRING THIS YEAR’S TEAM & DEFENSIVE STAFF TO THE LAST 2 DECADES IS IRRELVANT.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:42 pm
WHAT DOES WHAT HAPPENED 2 DECADES AGO HAVE TO DO WITH THIS YEAR’S TEAM–I DON’T SEE THE POINT.
Gold&White
June 4th, 2010
5:42 pm
Tech goes 8-4 but UGA also loses 4. The Dawgs lose to Auburn, South Carolina, Arkansas and UF. Luckily they don’t play LSU, Bama or anyone in the top 75 out of conference other than GT or they likely lose another. As long as they don’t slip up against Vandy or UK (yet again) they’ll finish 8-4 the same as GT. Just can’t see Tech pulling another out in Athens…it’s tough being David. You can only beat Goliath so many times out of ten. They have more money, more talent, and much lower academic standards (see Kemp or Harrick, Jr.) and thus GT will not beat UGA again until 2011. The very year Mark picks as a UGA resurgence. The only reason UGA resurges then is because of another cream puff schedule and the only teams on that years schedule capable of threatening anybody is UF, GT and Auburn. 9 weaklings and three threats. Win 2 out of 3 and that’s a great year. All talent, no coaching and no schedule worthy of a top team in the land.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:43 pm
STEELE IS THE MOST ACCURATE PRE SEASON RANKER OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, AND OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. HE’S BEEN MORE RIGHT THAN ANY OTHER MAGAZINE.
Gator in Atl
June 4th, 2010
5:43 pm
How many have we beat Uga? 18/21 And they talk trash. Ignorant mutts.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:44 pm
RICHT’S RECORD AGAINST:
ARK 5-0
S CARO 7-2
AUBURN 4-0
LEARN YOUR HISTORY. LEARN FOOTBALL.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:44 pm
Reynolds,
No one has UF ranked #1 because no one believes they’re the best team in the country. How many UF fans have you seen on here predicting a NC run this year. I’ve seen one…….ONE. His handle was New Gator Fan. Said he’d been a fan since 2005. I’ve seen about 100 UGA fans claiming that.
Gator in Atl
June 4th, 2010
5:45 pm
Wrong on Steele reynolds. His track record has been horrendous.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:46 pm
STEELE’S ACCURACY RECORD IS #1:
http://preseason.stassen.com/prediction-accuracy/2010-10yr.html
LEARN FOOTBALL.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:47 pm
WHY IS FLORIDA NOT RANKED PRE-SEASON #1 BY ATHLON OR STEELE? THAT’S THE QUESTION. I HAVN’T HEARD A GOOD ANSWER FROM ANYONE YET.
Gator in Atl
June 4th, 2010
5:47 pm
Except when he picked the gators in 08, the same year everyone had uga 1.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:48 pm
See my post at 5:44, Reynolds.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:48 pm
DID AJ, MURRAY, OLSON, EALEY, GRANTHAM PLAY FLORIDA 2 DECADES AGO/ NO? THEN WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED 20 YEARS AGO, HAS NO BEARING NOW.
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:49 pm
HERE’S STEELE’S 5 YEAR RECORD–#1:
http://preseason.stassen.com/prediction-accuracy/2010-5yr.html
LEANR FOOTBALL.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:50 pm
Reynolds,
We’ll learn football just as soon as you learn how to spell and learn how to live in the real world.
Learn your lesson!
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:51 pm
WHY DOES MEYER SCHEDULE RICHT FOR OFF WEEK IF GEORGIA’S NO CHALLENGE?
Reynolds
June 4th, 2010
5:52 pm
WHAT DOES MY SPELLING HAVE TO DO WITH STEELE’S ACCURACY? NOTHING.
LEANR FOOTBALL, NOT GRAMMAR.
Paul in RDU
June 4th, 2010
5:55 pm
Steele does have a good record in picking the last few years.
This year he has picked UGA at #19 and GT at #11
http://www.philsteele.com/
He said UGA COULD go unbeaten but he is picking them at #19.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
5:58 pm
Meyer doesn’t make the schedule. The AD’s do. I’m sure the reason they schedule the bye week before UGA is because UGA has been the chief competitor in the East. Win that one and you usually earn a trip to Atlanta. It’s not rocket science.
ormewood
June 4th, 2010
6:01 pm
Reynolds, cool it on the yelling. Ever heard/seen teh Caps Lock button?