SI unveils its Top 25. A tip: Don’t bother looking for Georgia
Why, even South Carolina gets a regional cover shout-out. (Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated)
Sports Illustrated’s college football issue should be arriving in your mailbox any moment. (I’d be out checking mine as we speak if, for the first time since 1968, I hadn’t let my subscription lapse.) But for those who can’t wait, here are the highlights:
Seven SEC teams are included in SI’s Top 25. Georgia isn’t among them.
Alabama and LSU are in the top three. (The Tide is SI’s No. 1 pick, which makes sense given that the magazine declared Alabama a dynasty back in January 2010, whereupon Bama went out and finished fourth in the SEC West.) South Carolina and Arkansas are in the top 10. Mississippi State, Auburn and Florida are ranked between 21st and 25th.
Georgia is nowhere, man.
I’m not trying to suggest I’m smarter than the folks at SI. (I’m not smarter than anyone anywhere.) But I should report that I’ve been asked to compile the Top 25 for the ol’ AJC’s college football preview, and – spoiler alert! – I can attest that the Bulldogs are included. (Auburn, FYI, is not.) I have an SEC team ranked No. 1, but it’s not Alabama.
I can understand why some publications – the Sporting News is another – don’t believe Georgia will be a Top 25 team. On Jan. 1, 2011, I wouldn’t have, either. But I believe the dynamics have changed. I believe the Bulldogs will have a very big year. And I’m never wrong. Except for all those times when I am.
By Mark Bradley
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
283 comments Add your comment
DC
August 17th, 2011
10:47 am
Dawgin…he is still sick nasty Wide receiver…dont let your bias cloud your judgment..
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
10:48 am
He’s good but i just don’t see Calvin Johnson, AJ Green or Julio Jones good.
ANTOINEFORD
August 17th, 2011
10:48 am
He may be more like Larry Fitzgerald. 1,517 yards in 2011.
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
10:51 am
Hey antoine
Are you Danny’s boy?
Herschel Talker
August 17th, 2011
10:52 am
WDE:
No one asked you. Enjoy your national title for a few years until they strip you of it, you clown.
HT
ANTOINEFORD
August 17th, 2011
10:52 am
Receiving yards in 2010: AJ Green-848. Julio Jones-1,133. Alshon Jefferey-1,517. Any questions?
JJ
August 17th, 2011
10:54 am
Mark,
I hate to admit it, but I think SI got it right. With the problems at WR, RB, and O-Line, and a really inexperienced QB, I don’t know if this offense will score on some teams.
Herschel Talker
August 17th, 2011
10:54 am
DawginLex:
Your analysis is fair, throw in if the idiot UK kicker could have made a kick against UT in ‘07 or if Woodson hadn’t dropped the snap on the last play in regulation. But, alas, the big problem there was that Richt lost at home to a mediocre USC team.
HT
CFB Fan
August 17th, 2011
10:55 am
I don’t get it Mark?
Dawgs lose their top two WR’s, top two rushers, top defensive player, and they are in for a bigger year than last year? Sorry if I don’t see it? Many of these losses are being replaced by true freshman. Sorry, been there, done that.
UGA is NOT reloaded, you reload with reshirt players, you rebuild with true freshmen. That’s just he way I see it.
Herschel Talker
August 17th, 2011
10:55 am
MB:
Considering your high expectations for the Dawgs, do you finally believe that Richt should be fired should he (yet again) disappoint?
HT
DC
August 17th, 2011
10:57 am
I agree CFB fan…seems people are banking on UGA going 2-0 to make that kind of prediction…
IF they do go 2-0 then they will have a great chance at pushing for great things…if they go 1-1…dont think it will be as great..
Cobb Dawg
August 17th, 2011
10:58 am
Polls sell magazines, not much else. I wonder if SI would ever have the guts to compare the end-of-season AP/BCS numbers with their pre-season polls. Maybe I’ll do it after the NC game. I’m not saying that UGA will be there, but they’re a top 25 team.
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
10:58 am
HT
I was at that UT/UK game. It was sickening.
Don’t forget the 28 yard chip shot FG that Vandy missed either versus UT
Joey
August 17th, 2011
10:58 am
Maybe 8-5 and 6-7 seasons matter to some pollsters. It would to me if I were a voter. Richt has only himself to blame for the lack of respect of our program right now.
He can put us back on the national sports media “spotlight” with a big turn-around, beginning about 17 days from now.
I’m pulling for him, and UGA
Go Dawgs!
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
11:00 am
Joey
I know Richt is a man of faith. I also know he is smart and competitive. He must be wondering if this season will tell him what he is supposed to be doing for the next 10 years.
Good season-Keep on coaching
Lousy season-Full time ministry
Playmakers!!
August 17th, 2011
11:01 am
73rd!!!
Steven B
August 17th, 2011
11:01 am
Why would I expect uga to be ranked? They were 6-7 last season, lost their bowl game to ucf, lost the best wide receiver in football and their second best receiver. Lost their top 2 running backs and are relying on a freshman, who’s hurt. Yeah sounds like a winning formula.
Brad O
August 17th, 2011
11:04 am
Re mark being wrong
I’d guess that half of your guesses are wrong. Probably higher. You say the same thing re uga every year and how’s that turned out? And I recall last years 8 reasons why the braves won’t squander their lead. Nice!
BigTimeTechFan
August 17th, 2011
11:04 am
Looks like it’s going to be good year if you wear red (or close to red), LSU aside
Oklahoma
Bama
Nebraska
FSU
USCe
maybe Tech should change uniform colors?
anotherdawg
August 17th, 2011
11:05 am
Actually, this is better than being ranked preseason number 1. Been there, done that.
CFB Fan
August 17th, 2011
11:06 am
Mark, not to mention that the true freshman that most UGA fans are relying on are missing reps in practice already. Crowell isn’t going full contact reps and now Ray Drew is out. Those were the two that were supposed to most heavily relied upon and they aren’t even practicing.
Again, I don’t see it.
When you end the season 7-6 with a bowl loss to UCF along with losing all those players, how can you think UGA at preseason is going to be top 25 team when at the end of the year last year, when you had AJ Green, Justin Houston, Kris Durham, King, Ealy, etc., you weren’t even in the “other receiving votes”.
BigTimeTechFan
August 17th, 2011
11:06 am
The Oklahoma FSU game is going to be a good one
ANTOINEFORD
August 17th, 2011
11:06 am
Face it. The talent is gone. Bear Bryant couldn’t win 9 with this year’s Bulldog squad.
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
11:06 am
That Mandel clown must have had his girlfriend taken by a UGA football player back in the day.
Back Room
August 17th, 2011
11:08 am
If UGA who plays the EASIEST schedule in the SEC does not compete( not win) in the conference then the entire system needs to be blown up.
In the old days, if we thought our team would be pretty good, we would keep the optimisim to the minimum and just play down the entire excitement building. But some bloggers on here just keep running their gums and bragging about our program that has not won the big game in over 30 years.
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
11:08 am
Danny’s Boy
You don’t think UGA can win 9 games this year?
You don’t know too much do you
Of course I know your comments must be taken into perspective considering you are a Gamechicken and you throw parades in Columbia for 9 win seasons and bowl and SECCG beatdowns.
BigTimeTechFan
August 17th, 2011
11:09 am
Watch out for Oklahoma State, they are loaded
SSIgator
August 17th, 2011
11:09 am
As to the comments on here “pre-season polls don’t matter” – please. After beating that national powerhouse team Hawaii in 2007, the UGA fans were almost hysterical that they were pre-season #1 for 2008. Didn’t work out too well for them then. I seem to remember a school in Florida won it all that year. Poor puppies – 1980 was so long ago.
The Alpha Male
August 17th, 2011
11:10 am
Alshon Jeffrey looks like he’s sweating honey mustard……. he’s got to be 250 lbs.
Tub of goo….
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
11:10 am
We went 10-3 in 2008 and we were all mad
SC goes 10-3 and they throw a ticker tape parade
1eyedJack
August 17th, 2011
11:11 am
After the first two games the Dawgs will either be in the top 10 or fighting for their football lives.
FBFan
August 17th, 2011
11:11 am
As long as we lose 10 or so players in the offseason we will never have any depth. Lack of depth is a killer in the SEC. I believe we lost 13 players in the off season and I am not talking about graduation. We do not deserve a preseason ranking. Until attrition changes we will only get worse.
Dawglasville
August 17th, 2011
11:12 am
Who cares? I said the same thing when UGA was ranked #1 preseason years ago. Who cares? All of this is so damn cliche.
I’m fine with he USC chest thumping. You guys never have anything to crow about so enjoy it. Treat these next few weeks like it is Christmas Eve. This maybe the year you get over the hump.
BigTimeTechFan
August 17th, 2011
11:13 am
UGA should be in the battle for the east, they don’t have to play Bama, LSU, Arkansas, Miss St, also get USCe, Florida, Auburn at home, can beat that schedule.
Key will be the back to back games at UT & Vandy, they have to win both of those
Chi Town
August 17th, 2011
11:13 am
Saban owns Mark Bradley
David Granger
August 17th, 2011
11:13 am
GOOD! Best thing for us.
Preseason polls don’t mean bibbidy-squat…and you would THINK that knowledgeable football fans would know that. But when we were ranked number one a few years ago, I was about as ashamed of my fellow Dawg fans as I’ve ever been. People (who damn well should have KNOWN better) were smack-talking and running their mouths. Sounded like that damn FSU scum.
BigTimeTechFan
August 17th, 2011
11:13 am
sorry, Ol Miss not Miss st
HeeHawDawg
August 17th, 2011
11:14 am
Dawginlex, I likes me some dawgs and Hee Haw too, but 9 wins?!?! come on man. we lost to central florida WITH AJ Green…
Did someone say grits?
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
11:14 am
If all this stuff from the state of Alabama is true, Saban will be spraying fruit with Trooper Taylor at Walmart
HeeHawDawg
August 17th, 2011
11:15 am
Thank god we are in the SEC East, battling for tallest midget in the SEC! 3-16 vs. the West last year.
Hee HAW!
ItalianDawg
August 17th, 2011
11:16 am
What is a grit?
ANTOINEFORD
August 17th, 2011
11:17 am
6 points, 11 first downs and 253 yards in loss to Gamecocks last year. Real powerhouse y’all got down there.
DawginLex
August 17th, 2011
11:18 am
We can win 9 games in 2011. Will we? No one knows but the good Lord above.
I’m just ready for the season to start.
Heehaw dude, you need to go back to singing “Gloom, despair and agony on me”
Columbus Dawg
August 17th, 2011
11:18 am
DawginLex, Yeah, now that is funny. He was Pat Dye’s boy alright.
notbspn
August 17th, 2011
11:19 am
Columbusdawg you are a fool. A bookie and Bama grad Danny Sheridan is just blowing smoke.
You honestly think the NCAA would not investigate a link between him and their office.
He has changed his story several times. You better worry about Orson Charles losing his eligibility.
HeeHawDawg
August 17th, 2011
11:19 am
Deep dark depression, excessive misery…
Explain to me how we will be better than last year?
STRETCH
August 17th, 2011
11:20 am
Cause SI knows UGA and Richt cant discipline his players! Every year they get hyped up and come in and get upset by a lesser team and lay down to Florida, like they will do again this year.
ANTOINEFORD
August 17th, 2011
11:20 am
That garnet god Clowney’s gonna take lil Murray and roll him like a blunt.
ANTOINEFORD
August 17th, 2011
11:21 am
6 points, 11 first downs and 253 yards for UGA in Columbia last year. Real explosive team y’all got down there.
5150 UOAD
August 17th, 2011
11:21 am
DILex
You worked hard for that one didn’t you?
Who is a TROLL on a Bradley blog?
I guess Schultz fans and poster or Trolls on Bradley’s Blog right?