There’s joy in Bulldog Nation: UGA picked second in the East!
"Yeah, baby! Time to dance! We're No. 2 and you're not!" (AJC file photo)
Hoover, Ala. – Earlier in the week I’d wondered if the SEC media would, for the first time in memory, pick Georgia above Florida. (Lest we forget, in 2008 the Bulldogs entered the season ranked No. 1 in the land — but had been slotted second behind the Gators in their division.) OK, here’s the answer:
Yes. The assembled SEC media has voted Georgia second in the East behind South Carolina.
Warning: Over time, this body has proved inexact in its forecasts. Only twice since 1991 has the correct league champ been identified during Media Days. (This year’s choice is Alabama.) Still, it’s fascinating to get a sense of how the wind is blowing, at least in the eyes of the SEC press corps.
(Disclaimer: Neither I nor esteemed colleague Chip Towers voted in the poll. The AJC doesn’t allow its writers to participiate in polls or suchlike.)
The balloting for second in the East wasn’t as close as I thought it might be. South Carolina got 114 first-place votes; Georgia drew 38 to Florida’s 12. Four voters picked Georgia to win the SEC. (Rumor has it that their names were Richt, Grantham, Bobo and Crowell. I kid.)
Then again: One voter picked Kentucky to win the East, and two tabbed Ole Miss to win not just the West but the league.
And now I leave you for the moment. Nick Saban is speaking, and he just glared at me because I was typing too loudly. Back soon.
By Mark Bradley
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158 comments Add your comment
murray county mystic
July 22nd, 2011
12:41 pm
come on WDE, really…i don’t think Bama fans have anything to be concerned over…Saban will have them ready to compete…preseason top 3…you just keep celebrating you predicted 2nd place in the SEC Least finish…see ya in Shreveport
Buckeye's Top
July 22nd, 2011
12:45 pm
Stop talking about football, you know you hate it. gte back in bed and get ready for pound town
murray county mystic
July 22nd, 2011
12:46 pm
exactly Buckeye…these uga fans celebrate mediocrity like nothing I have ever seen…
DC
July 22nd, 2011
12:47 pm
Dawg88 are you comparing this kid coming in to Mr Walker? please say yes lol…i need a laugh..
Busted
July 22nd, 2011
12:48 pm
“for a team who hasn’t won a national championship since 1980, it is always funny to see every year the ajc always predicts UGA to finish high and they never do.”?????????????Really? Really? I can recall 6 Top 10 finishes and a final #2 and #3 ranking in the last 10 years. Has Tech fished in the Top 10 in that time? Top 20? Conference Championships?
Saban
July 22nd, 2011
12:48 pm
Glad you Southern Bumpkins worship me! I’ m the greatest since the Bear but only smarter!
David
July 22nd, 2011
12:50 pm
If there is such a thing as an easy SEC schedule, UGA has it this year. No excuses. My Mighty Gators would sail through UGA’s SEC schedule this year even with our rebuilding.
WDE
July 22nd, 2011
12:51 pm
@Buckeye it beats anything to do with that cheating bunch in Ohio….
Busted
July 22nd, 2011
12:51 pm
Buckeye,
what is your record vs. the SEC all-time? Don’t count the use of your 6 ineligible players last year (and you almost lost that one)
Gman
July 22nd, 2011
12:53 pm
Ohio State went 0-13 last year. Last place in their conference!
Busted
July 22nd, 2011
12:54 pm
David,
look at Florida’s schedule EVERY year and tell me about easy. Non-conference games against The Citidel and Akron year after year amkes you NO expert on tough schedules. The Gaytors play 9 games in Florida every year. When is the last time your “bunch” has played outside of the confines of the SEC region?
Bammer
July 22nd, 2011
12:55 pm
Beat it to death will ya WDE? Yeah…a year after the NC and we’re supposed to win them all again? Do we need to go 14-0 every year? 10-3 with losses to the SEC West and East champs and LSU. Real terrible there. So where will the Barn finish this year? Something tells me not 10-3.
BookerBooker
July 22nd, 2011
12:57 pm
You are predicted to finish 2nd in the east & there is joy in Bulldog Nation? Does anyone else see a problem here after a 6-7 season? Please? You should be thinking SEC Title period. That’s the problem in Bulldog Nation…expectations are too low.
DC
July 22nd, 2011
12:58 pm
no to defend David…but UGA does have an easy schedule this year…sets them up nice if they go 2-0 out the gates…AU should go 4-0 out the gates (not buying the miss st hype)..then it gets dicey…
captguitarman
July 22nd, 2011
12:58 pm
I loved the comments about the new uniforms. I will give the “excited” guy the benefit of the doubt and allow that his post was all tongue in cheek (for his sake, I hope so). However, the fact that the new “combat” uniforms were rolled out at all during CMR’s presser, and with suspenseful surprise and melodrama, leads me to believe that the benefit of the doubt about the “power of uniforms” should not be given to the entire Puppie Nation. Maybe they want to believe they were all manufactured on the planet Krypton and brought here to planet Earth by Superman? If the Puppies go 0-2 their first two games, will the new uniforms will be put into the same U-Store-It bin as the black helmets and black jerseys? I wouldn’t count out a Saban team, any Saban team. It became a whole different culture at Bama after they had their Mike Shula moment. And also good to remember that it’s the SEC. Weak SEC teams could be playing for the top spot in other conferences. There is no day at the beach for anyone during SEC games, because the “weak” teams make their seasons meaningful by ruining the seasons of tougher rivals and determining who gets the championship or scaring the hell out of them with 1 or 2 point losses. That happens as often as not in the SEC. Nothing more dangerous than being ranked or leading your division, and then playing a “weak” team at home.
DC
July 22nd, 2011
12:59 pm
WDE i wish you would change your name…people think you support auburn haha
Busted
July 22nd, 2011
1:06 pm
Booker,
How in the world are expectations too low in the Bulldog Nation when all of these other haters on here ALWAYS claim that UGA should lower expectations?… “Dawgs always think they will win the NC”…… Can’t have it both ways.
WDE
July 22nd, 2011
1:15 pm
@DC its my initials and I’ve had them longer than most of the bandwagon barners have been alive. And Bammer I know for a fact all true Tide faithful demand a NC every year…..and murray county mystic they Bama won’t do as well this year as they did last year . The SLIDE will continue..
UGA = Fulmer Cup Champs
July 22nd, 2011
1:20 pm
“UGA picked second in the East!”
Pre-season rankings never work out well for the leg humpers.
David Granger
July 22nd, 2011
1:22 pm
Ordinarily, I’d say that…on paper…that’s a reasonable prediction. But it looks like Coach Richt is still pulling that damn “New Uniform” nonsense…so you’d better knock our expectations down a couple of notches.
I swear, that damn ninnyhead ought to be run out of town just for his “gimmicky” stuff alone…
UGA the Cubs of the south.
July 22nd, 2011
1:24 pm
Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Florida have all won national championships in the last 5 years. Guess who’s not on that list?
Answer: UGA
No matter what happens in college football, UGA will not win the SEC nor will they win the National TItle.
mm
July 22nd, 2011
1:30 pm
For the uninformed, the new uniforms are for 1 game.
Also, Samuels is a junior, not a senior. He was a five star recruit at RB.
UGA should run the table. Last year’s record means nothing. They are loaded.
Pago Pago DAWG
July 22nd, 2011
1:33 pm
We won’t be shocked if UF wins the East.
uck the dogs
July 22nd, 2011
1:40 pm
Not again. Richt has left a bad taste in the mouth of Georgia’s fans. No body cares… When a national championship Mr Underachiever who Pimps Christianity You should have been fired already.
Richt`s Hammer
July 22nd, 2011
1:45 pm
Oh lord. When Boise State beats us by 50.
murray county mystic
July 22nd, 2011
1:48 pm
Cubs of the south…great analogy…
joe
July 22nd, 2011
1:50 pm
Who is Joy and why is she being held hostage in bulldog nation (where ever that is)…
BFD
July 22nd, 2011
1:51 pm
They are picked to finish high every year.
murray county mystic
July 22nd, 2011
1:58 pm
how will you uga fans react if Boise lays the wood to yall by 14 or more points? …the rest of the SEC would like to know how to spin that loss…you’re record in the last decade on the big stage is shaky at best…sure you beat up on a Hawaii school that everyone knew had no business in the Sugar Bowl…Bama hammered you on national tv…let’s not forget the massive choke against West Virginia…UCF???…you did beat TAMU in Shreveport, thats something, i guess…if you wanna count bowl games named after weed eaters or painrubs…again, what if…
Just Me
July 22nd, 2011
2:09 pm
Picked 2nd. Is that picking your butt or you nose? Which do you pick first? You nose or you butt? A Dawg always goes for the butt first. HAHAHHA you know the dog butt sniffing thing.
The Dawgs could easily win the EAST. They have to beat So. Carolina first and the rest should be easier until the Gators. Dawgs have enough talent the question is will it show up and can they control the PERSONAL FOULS the dawgs love to commit so much.
Russ, the Temporary Running Back
July 22nd, 2011
2:12 pm
I just talked to Coach. I had to call him on Nick Saban’s cell phone so he won’t get in trouble with the NCAA. Coach Saban was nice and wished me a good season running the ball. Coach Richt has promised me some new RayBans this year. After he wears them, he gives them to me. That isn’t a violation of anything is it? I’m just a little dog.
WDE
July 22nd, 2011
2:15 pm
@murray county mystic didn’t your bunch blow a 24 point lead last year in the Iron Bowl..a complete meltdown of the defense..? Oh yeah and look for more of that this year….
murray county mystic
July 22nd, 2011
2:39 pm
hey WDE…i’m not a Bama fan…nothing against them, they are a fine representative of the SEC and i respect them greatly…they have a proud history of championships…guess yall have the gymdawgs for that…now answer my question regarding a Boise butt-kickin…
Dawgs on Fire
July 22nd, 2011
3:20 pm
Mark this down–Georgia upsets south carolina in athens and wins the SEC East! Florida’s way down this year–Ga beats them easy and tennessee will suck again, as usual. Dawgs v. Alabama for the SEC title!!!
Tampa Gator
July 22nd, 2011
4:18 pm
Busted….
Answer to you schedule questionz:
Try the games against Ohio State and Oklahoma…..in the National Tilte games. I would say those are the type of out of conference….”out of state”….games….Gator fans love and admire. I assume you are a Georgia fan….enjoy the Coastal Carolina game this year…a big game for you guys.
dogegoneit
July 22nd, 2011
5:06 pm
Enter your comments here
dogegoneit
July 22nd, 2011
5:08 pm
YOU IDIOTS! there is no such thing as an easy schedule in the SEC. If GA. beats SC than Ga wins the sec.
Delusional Dawgs Again
July 22nd, 2011
10:57 pm
UGA is excited because they know they will finish 4th in the “real’ season.
Racine Dawg
July 23rd, 2011
3:19 am
Georgia will win the east in 2011! south carolina’s overrrated and florida and tennessee will be terrible. They’ll be lucky to win 7 games. This is the year of the Dawg: best QB in the SEC and Crowell will light it up big in a blowout over boise st.
Tennis Rodman
July 23rd, 2011
7:37 am
I agree. DAWGS win the SEC and maybe the MNC. Just watch and enjoy.
Really?
July 23rd, 2011
7:44 am
Let me get this straight … Georgia was picked second in the SEC East? This is the same UGA squad that has more questions about its offensive line and running back corps than a SAT exam. And then there is the absence this season of Mr. Everything A.J. Green, who would rather not play football at all this season with the NFL lockout than stay out with the Dawgs. Mark, thanks for explaining that media voters have been quite less than accurate with their crystal balls over the years, but some of these media members supposedly know a thing or two about the coaches, personnel and team chemistry in the conference. If UGA is picked second in the East, it (as the poll shows) must be a distant second. While the reality is in-conference media polls are for the most part rather meaningless, the poll does provide football fans one useful bit of information — watch the SEC West this season and not the East. The West definitely looks like it will be more competitive.
Ward Gailey
July 23rd, 2011
8:10 am
Well, AJC, you’ve done it again: even with the Gamecocks predicted by everyone to be first in the East, hardly mention them in favor of the so-called “good guys.” Granted, this is GA, the state university, the local, but you cheat the University of South Carolina every time. During the College World Series, you made much much more about Florida’s efforts than the two-year consecutive national champs. Isn’t the SC state line just as close as the FL one? There are a lot of Gamecocks around here who have had enough. Even arch rival Clemson gets more coverage. All I ask is that you be fair.
sportzfan
July 23rd, 2011
9:08 am
Racine Dawg…..If USC is overrated then how did they beat UGA last year and return all their skilled players. The Gators are lurking and enjoying being overlooked. I guess all you people think they don;t have any talent down there in Gatorland. They could possibly be the most improved team in conference.
Also, the Cocks were picked just 4th overall at SEC media days so that doesn’t speak too well for the Dawgs or Gators. Just remember…..the games will be played on the field…..then you can tell us who was overrated.
Dancing Machine
July 23rd, 2011
9:11 am
Richt and the dogs are so confident this season with their recruit dream teams, I heard that richt is working on a new endzone taunting dance for the whole team when they score their first TD against UF. It should be fun!
Buzz 2011
July 23rd, 2011
9:52 am
Don’t think the Dawgs could win an East Cobb title..
I do think they will be able to break away with at least five wins for the season.
Buzz 2011
July 23rd, 2011
9:55 am
My gosh they can’t beat Florida.. I don’t think they have won in what 15 years………
SC first, Florida second, UT third……….UGA last
claytondawg
July 23rd, 2011
10:34 am
Talk, talk, talk. All of us here can talk a good game, can’t we? Now, let’s get the season started!!!
interested observer
July 23rd, 2011
10:43 am
“Suchlike”? Is that a new word?
tOSU Fan
July 23rd, 2011
11:41 am
The nightmare I mean Dream Team will be last in the East look for Tressel next season. Then you will win the East.
ATHDawg
July 23rd, 2011
12:03 pm
I hope Muschamp wins a NC in the next 3 years just to make Richt look even more pathetic..the list will grow to the Madhatter-Meyer-Saban-Chizik & hopefully Muschamp winning a NC. Richt shouldn’t even set goals at this point..win 1 game @ a time…that’s how titles are won. UF wins wins the East, SC always finds ways to choke down the stretch, TN beats UGA @ rocky top, Dream Team..you picked the wrong school. Another 6-7 season w/ a revolving door coaching staff. Dear, John Gruden – please come to UGA w/ your own coaching staff & not your friends to turn these boys into men. “Finish the Richt” -Reality hurts!