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.
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668 comments Add your comment
Paul in RDU
June 4th, 2010
6:02 pm
Beast – Looks like the UGA fans think they should have 2 bye weeks – 1 before the UF game and 1 before the GT game. I mean they keep saying “if we have a bye week before facing your HS offense we’ll shut you down”.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
6:08 pm
Paul in RDU,
Most UGA fans are pretty good folks. But they sure do have their fair share of nuts.
“LEANR FOOTBALL, NOT GRAMMAR”
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You guys have a great evening!
ormewood
June 4th, 2010
6:08 pm
Beast, do you really believe that Meyer has no input regarding future schedules? UF can schedule who they want to schedule but to say that the head coach has no say into future scheduling is absurd.
Crystal Gator Ball
June 4th, 2010
6:09 pm
Hey Mark,
Given your track record I feel a lot better about the Jackets now that you have spoken and worse about the Dawgs. Georgia wins 9 are you kidding me? Both GT and UGA lose 3. Close game in Athens but if D develops Jackets take it 35-31
Paul in RDU
June 4th, 2010
6:10 pm
ormewood – You are correct about the scheduling
JoeMac
June 4th, 2010
6:11 pm
Well dawg, using YOUR logic, then you stupid mutts are a gigantic joke to Gator fans. 3-17. What kind of rivalry is that??? If it was not for the party aspect of the game, it would not be the “big” game that it is. Be careful what you wish for, you just might not like what you get in return. Oh yeah, and I guess your answer is NOTHING. You get to the Sugar by default. You can’t even talk NC because Hershel is gone. SEC championships maybe?? 12 total since 1933. GT has 5 and they left the concerence over 40 years ago. GT has more NC in their history, and they do not have very many, but more than the Athens pugs have. I will not even get into the acedemic differences. You seem to be too dense to grasp any idea that does not have the mutts higher than GT. Come November however you can grasp this — GT over the mutts. I am not being arrogant by stating this. The mutts have a good team. I will admit that. You seem to be so muleheaded that you will not admit the same for GT. Come November, you will find out first hand in front of your TV. You will be too scared to actually attend. I can take the heat if they lose. It is obvious by your shallow and misinformed comments that you cannot!!!
gcs
June 4th, 2010
6:12 pm
• Georgia fans will be disappointed with nine wins.
• Tech fans will be thrilled to lose four.
• South Carolina will NEVER take that next step.
• Florida will be pretty good without Tebow. Remember Tennessee won their NC after Manning left.
• Comparing 2010 Alabama to 2009 Florida is a mistake. Bama has Nick Saban. The Gators have a loony toon on the verge of a nervous breakdown in Urban Meyer. I am not saying the Tide can or can’t run the table again in 2010, but Urban is NO Nick Saban.
• The Big Ten rep will be Ohio State. They will not be in the title game. Iowa got lucky A LOT in 2009.
• Boise State will be remembered for their loss(es) because 10 of their games are against teams Vandy could beat.
• The ACC will again be irrelevant. Agreed, Miami will again be a disappointment. North Carolina will also be a disappointment.
• Florida State will win the ACC Atlantic but have single digit wins overall.
• Tennessee will have a tough year but upset someone (not Alabama).
• Southern Cal be mediocre.
• Georgia will beat Georgia Tech.
.
Buzz ME
June 4th, 2010
6:13 pm
Who is the only school to go to a BCS bowl game, make the top 32 in hoops tourney and get a top 8 CWS ranking? If you guessed the Yellow Jackets, you guessed right. Sorry Mutts!
Topp Dogg
June 4th, 2010
6:16 pm
Its Friday and GT still sux.
Beast from the East
June 4th, 2010
6:20 pm
ormewood,
I never said Meyer had “no say” in the scheduling.
But it’s not real hard to figure out why they would schedule the bye week before UGA. If they beat UGA then that affords UF the luxury of being able to lose one SEC game and still get to Atlanta regardless if UGA wins all their other games or not. They would own the head to head tiebreaker. UT is down, UK has never made it and neither has Vandy or USC. The question shouldn’t be why they do schedule then, but why wouldn’t they schedule then.
Once again, it’s not rocket science.
JoeMac
June 4th, 2010
6:30 pm
gcs, Real Tech fans already KNOW that they will NOT lose as many as 4 games this season. It is the mutts fans that are pulling for GT to lose 4 games. The mutts have a good team, and certainly could win 9 games IF things break right for them. My gut feeling however is that your hero, CMR, will not allow that to happen, as has become his policy. Someone, possibly UT, maybe Kty. will upset the apple cart, and the season will be another bitter disappointment, and the heat will be turned up a notch on the seat of CMR. Just saying…
Go Vols
June 4th, 2010
6:45 pm
Good read as always. Who doesn’t love college football!? I’m a Dooley supporter and want him to get three years to show progress in the program. Write off this year, hope for a winning record the next, 8-9 wins the following. Not what I want but what I’m expecting. Dawgs, as always, are overrated, but 8-9 wins sounds right to me. South Carolina is even more overated – when has Spurrier demonstrated anything there?
Billy Bob
June 4th, 2010
7:01 pm
Richt has his own tanning bed, doesn’t he?
Big L
June 4th, 2010
7:06 pm
I keep reading some of the Tech syndicate saying that UGA would not upset GT. One, how does one win , two years ago, put Tech in the drivers seat in the “Rivalry”? Second, Morgan is gone, Butterfingers Bay Bay is gone. Dwyer is gone and you think you will still compete. Third, UGA beating GT is like breathing and the seasons changing, it does and will happen consistently. Dawgs win 10 . THWGT. Go Dawgs. GATA.
Football Fan
June 4th, 2010
7:22 pm
Georgia will win 11 including bowl.
JoeMac
June 4th, 2010
7:28 pm
I am out of here, but let me end by thanking Big L. He thinks the mutts will beat Tech, but at least he does not try to deny how it will probably come down… that is IF the mutts actually knock off the Jackets this season, it will indeed be an UPSET.
1 possibly 2 losses going into the Jax beatdown, and at least one more before GT comes calling. Like it or not, I do believe that the mutts will be the underdogs on Nov. 27. The mutts will be playing for the Music City Bowl, and GT will be possibly be playing the following week for another BCS game; at worst Chic-fil-et. Have a good weekend mutt-a-holics. Looking to read more delusional posts next week. I always need a good laugh, and you guys usually provide me with alot. Thanks for your support.
dawgfan
June 4th, 2010
7:31 pm
Go and run behind Florida Techie. Do they wipe your butt for you too? Florida has nothing to do with
Tech Syndicate
June 4th, 2010
7:34 pm
It’s official, Tech’s in the drivers seat! GA nor GA Tech is the same team they were a few years ago. Can Tech keep improving? Can GA stop sliding?
dawgfan
June 4th, 2010
7:36 pm
Go and run behind Florida like a scared little girl Techie. Do they wipe your butt for you too? It wouldn’t matter if we were 0-20 vs. South Dakota State A&M. As long as we’re wiping the floor with you pukes you ain’t got nothing to say about it. For the life of me I don’t understand what is so difficult about this for Techies to grasp. My God are you clowns dense.
And for the record Techie, YES, we are a joke to Florida. That’s what happens when you lose these little things we call FOOTBALL GAMES genius. Take Advil for headaches.
Wow. Just wow. Can Tech fans chew gum and walk at the same time? You have to wonder.
bob
June 4th, 2010
7:40 pm
Georgia should schedule easy games early. If you are undefeated in November, the SEC refs will keep you that way until the championship game.
NOITARTENEPELBUOD0
June 4th, 2010
7:41 pm
Another interesting read!
Lane Kiffen
June 4th, 2010
8:15 pm
We will go undefeated and beat Florida in the BCS Championship game.
poopdawg
June 4th, 2010
8:16 pm
Bradley its time to move to the weather forecast section of the AJC!
Big B CH 99
June 4th, 2010
8:16 pm
My biggest problem w/ your prediction is predicting Florida to win it all. Come on, even as a Tech fan, I agree that we’ll have a down yr, it’s gonna be tough to replace 4 key players. The question is: how do you expect Florida to lose several like Tech did (Tebow & Spikes), yet get better. It’s not possible, I think both Florida & Texas have down yrs. Granted they’re both loaded, but U can’t lose that many pieces and get better.
Big L
June 4th, 2010
8:17 pm
Hey Joemac, I can get along with anybody, but I did not infer that UGA is the underdog. Tech will not be going to a BCS bowl. UGA will win like they are supposed to. One in nine is bad statisticaly. It doesn’t symbolize the beginning of a run.
BS Patrol
June 4th, 2010
9:16 pm
Tech will be stronger this year. Loss of Dwyer & Be Be & Morgan -bad. Burnett, not much. Thomas helped the team for shure. But the one image I will never forget is dropping that 4th down pass right in the chest. But you doggies won fair & square. We don’t look for excuses at Tech.
Native Son
June 4th, 2010
9:22 pm
I know I’m late, but what hogwash. Tech will defend the title with sucess, and georgia’s mark is at least 10 games. Trust me, I got the book from ” Back to the future” in my head.
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
June 4th, 2010
9:50 pm
Yyyyyyyyyyyaaaawwwwnnnn…….same ol’ GA…all those recruits…..
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((41-17))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
UGABasketball
June 4th, 2010
9:53 pm
We own Paul Hewitt and his ladies team.
SAMMY DAVIS, JR
June 4th, 2010
9:57 pm
UH, I don’t remember that ALA vs TEX game being that close. Don’t think a SHOVEL pass would make a difference.
GT GRAD
June 4th, 2010
10:04 pm
GT might, just maybe, end with two losses because they have a very tough schedule……………….the NC & VT games will be TOUGH; however, GT will win against Clemson & UGA!!
UGA has a super soft schedule.
Interesting how Mark indicates UGA will WIN “X” games ant GT will LOSE “X” games……..the SEC/UGA media bias continues!
Go GT
Dennis
June 4th, 2010
10:10 pm
Mark you mention Florida having a favorable schedule and loosing only 1 game. I guess Georgia would be a push over and LSU as well! And are you serious Georgia only loosing 3 games?
Buckhead Bulldog
June 4th, 2010
10:14 pm
The Dogs will slam it up the belly of USc in Columbia, and will crush the Razorbacks in Athens with a smothering, head hunting Junk Yard D. I guarantee the Tigers of Auburn have the UGA game circled on their calender…I think it will be the game of the year for us as far as a rock ‘em sock ‘em dog/cat fight goes.
I will not be stupid enough to say anything about the Gators. They have our number, and until the Dogs can break the mojo UF has on us we are destined to be their “GT”. We may slide into the SECCG if UF defaults, but we would get hammered by the Tide.
2010 will be a good year, but I agree with Mark thta 2011 will be the year of the Dog.
Sic’ ‘em Dogs Woof-Woof
Needle Nose
June 4th, 2010
10:21 pm
Actually, CMR’s record vs. Alabama & Auburn is 7-1. You must be thinking of Meyer, Meyer’s 2-3 vs. Alabama & Auburn. CMR owns both schools.
Flip
June 4th, 2010
10:24 pm
How bout’ the Georgia O-Line?
Wanna compare experience/starts?
Georgia 158
Florida 85
Alabama 45
That’s why Phil Steele went nuts about Georgia’s chances to go on a run this year. He’s accurate & usually right.
messin with.............
June 4th, 2010
10:26 pm
they ruin this state
brokebackvol
June 4th, 2010
10:26 pm
Some interesting picks. Vols will be lucky for 6-6. VolNation knows some painful games but also exciting wins are in the future. We have many more questions than answers, but the faithful of the Big Orange will stick by them. Bandwagon fans will go elsewhere, which is fine with me.
BS Patrol
June 4th, 2010
10:27 pm
Exactly, GT GRAD. The media bias is ridiculous. The writers all went to ga so they don’t know that 9 wins is the same as 4 losses. But they give the wins to ga & the losses to Tech. This is just pitiful.
CHUCKUGA
June 4th, 2010
10:28 pm
Yeah, right. Tech wins two straight in Sanford Stadium. Like that’s gonna happen.
UGA finished no worse than 10-2 unless they are upset by someone. Arkansas and SC are dangerous games. Florida is Florida. Auburn is probably not going to lose to UGA again. So somewhere in SC, Arkansas, Florida and Auburn are two losses. Could be 3 of those, but not likely. 10-2 and an SEC East Title unless Florida manages not to slip anywhere (UGA I truly think will beat them for the East title).
wt
June 4th, 2010
10:29 pm
You’re an idiot that smokes UGA crack… UGA is a weaker team this year than they were last year… No way they win 9!!! AJ Green can’t catch the winning touchdown if he doesn’t have any one to throw it to him….
BS Patrol
June 4th, 2010
10:31 pm
Bradley, I defy you to defend the title of this blog
CHUCKUGA
June 4th, 2010
10:34 pm
JOEMAC,
You are the one with the empty head. Thanks for the irrational, lack-of-substance post. We are all dumber now for having read it.
Dr.Phil
June 4th, 2010
10:35 pm
Tech loses 5 games this year!
deuce coupe
June 4th, 2010
10:37 pm
Georgia Tech will continue to improve under Paul Johnson.
The Jackets have more experienced players than most people realize.
Anything less than a 12-2 record will be shocking.
Pope UGA XXIII
June 4th, 2010
10:49 pm
Deuce Coupe – get ready to be shocked
Buzz me can bite me
Tech – how can someone beat out a QB when he has been redshirted ??
Just a sampling of some of the offbeat, nonsensical posts from some
of the North Avenue Nerds
Spence
June 4th, 2010
11:05 pm
Don’t forget that you wrote this last year too:
“Alabama got ahead of itself last season, peaking in that first half in Athens. Without John Parker Wilson and Glen Coffee and (especially) Andre Smith, the Tide will ebb just a bit. Bolstered by Les Miles’ deft hire of John Chavis to run his defense, LSU will win the SEC West.”
GS YOU
June 4th, 2010
11:07 pm
Upstart Ga State will win 4 games this season and 3 plays against Alabama. Star Jackson’s presence is a huge boost for the fledgling program in downtown. This will be a fun, but patience necessitating process for Panthers fans. GSU will win 4 games in year one, 4 games in year 2, 7 in year 3, and at that point, they will be a consistent 7-8 win team in D 2. It will take between 5 to 7 years for GSU to reach the level of success that Villanova, Appalachian St, Richmond, and Montana are currently at. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
GS YOU
June 4th, 2010
11:07 pm
Upstart Ga State will win 4 games this season and 3 plays against Alabama. Star Jackson’s presence is a huge boost for the fledgling program in downtown. This will be a fun, but patience necessitating process for Panthers fans. GSU will win 4 games in year one, 4 games in year 2, 7 in year 3, and at that point, they will be a consistent 7-8 win team in D 2. It will take between 5 to 7 years for GSU to reach the level of success that Villanova, Appalachian St, Richmond, and Montana are currently at. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
indianman
June 4th, 2010
11:10 pm
i see georgia going 14 0
BS Patrol
June 4th, 2010
11:17 pm
indianman,
You should call an ambulance immediately !