Why Georgia is nicely positioned to make real hay in 2012
Orson Charles won't have any part in the next UGA-LSU game. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
It now appears that Orson Charles could be the only Georgia player who’ll leave early for the NFL. If that is indeed the case, the Bulldogs will be positioned nicely for 2012.
They could have lost Jarvis Jones, who’s their best player, and also Bacarri Rambo, who’s one of their five best, but both have said they’ll return to school. And coordinator Todd Grantham, whose name has already surfaced as an Atlanta Falcons’ possibility, e-mailed esteemed colleague Chip Towers and confessed a desire “to be at UGA for a very long time.”
(For the record, I’m not sure Grantham is a fit in Flowery Branch for a rather basic reason: He runs the 3-4, and the Falcons, as Mike Smith noted Monday, have spent four seasons drafting for the 4-3.)
We say again: If Georgia enters the 2012 season with 15 starters returning — including nine on defense — the Bulldogs should and will be a Top 10 team.
Others say so, too. Esteemed former colleague Mark Schlabach ranks Georgia No. 6 in his ESPN lookahead. Andy Staples of SI.com slots the Bulldogs at No. 9. And Brett McMurphy of CBS Sports has the Bulldogs ranked third, behind only LSU and Southern Cal.
I’m on record as picking the Bulldogs to go 11-1 in the 2012 regular season and to win the SEC — and not just the SEC East. The Outback Bowl loss, bad as it was, didn’t change that belief. I should, however, note that a post-Outback post to that effect met with scorn from many of you who claim to be Georgia fans. My point, then as now, was: Nine months from now, who’s going to care about what happened in Tampa on Jan. 2?
And why, since you asked, would I pick Georgia to win the SEC championship game when it just lost the SEC championship game by 32 points? Because seasons change, and so do results. Did not Alabama lose to Florida in the Georgia Dome in 2008, Tim Tebow’s junior season? Did not the Tide beat Tebow and his Gators under the same roof the very next year? (And if Georgia should happen to play LSU again, we’ve just been handed evidence that the Tigers are not invincible.)
Seasons change, I say again. Georgia was lousy in 2010 and got good again in 2011. It will be even better in 2012. Carp over the Bulldogs’ schedule all you want, but things don’t appear much different for 2012. If they won 10 games this time, they should win more next season. So say I.
By Mark Bradley
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631 comments Add your comment
SecFan
January 13th, 2012
12:59 pm
Bradley has a long history of pandering to UGA fans so his latest forecast is just business as usual. In the 2011 preseason he had the Dawgs finishing at number 11, proclaiming the “fun returns” this year and predicted wins over Boise St and S. Carolina. They wound up around 20th and not so much fun. But if UGA can’t win big with their schedule next season, when will they? So maybe Bradley will come a little closer this year, God knows he’s due.
Whiskey Breath
January 13th, 2012
1:10 pm
Mark, is every article from hear on out going to be what Ga want’s to hear?
You have become the homer’s homer.
Do you even remember the old Mark Bradley who had an opinion?
You replaced it with telling the home fans what they want to hear.
I miss the old MB. Job security was not at the top of his priorities.
I guess it should be though
True Dawg Fan
January 13th, 2012
1:16 pm
Whiskey Breath
January 13th, 2012
1:10 pm
There is only one UGA homer writer here and thats Bill king. The rest hate us, this is the first article MB has ever written that isnt negative about UGA.
So stop crying at least you have Ken to block and Ban everyone that is mean to the nerds!
True Dawg Fan
January 13th, 2012
1:17 pm
Wreckmaniac
January 13th, 2012
12:09 pm
Funny how old the tech nerds are the ones saying that???? You are a clown.
GA > LSU
January 13th, 2012
4:12 pm
Georgia will beat lsu this time for the sec championship. Lsu is losing most of their top talent and Ga’s roster will be much better. Ga wins the SEC—bank on it.
Lakedawg
January 13th, 2012
4:58 pm
True Dawg Fan——Another bone for you today. Love it run you cllear the board of whiny a__ so called Dawg fans and trolls. Keep up the good job while some other true Dawgs fans have to be away.
Wreckmaniac
January 13th, 2012
6:26 pm
Why did Vaughter’s from Tucker go to Stanford ? If you have to ask that question you’re an idiot.
He chose an academic institution over a football factory. Its scary when they can think isn’t it.
It also helps explain, once again, why Stanford is no 1 in the nation for results of its ENTIRE NCAA sports program.
GA > Southern Cal
January 14th, 2012
1:13 am
With all their talent, Ga should win the SEC in 2012—Southern Cal is the best team in the rest of the country. Ga v. USC for the BCS title in Jan 2012—take it to the bank. The dawgs are loaded!
Dawgsstink
January 14th, 2012
7:52 am
They better get rid of grantham! Against Michigan he made Willie Martinez look good
bubba4dawgs
January 14th, 2012
9:39 am
Why not rotate quarterbacks, say Murray and Lemay. I understand he has been “wowing” them in practice. Murray has proven that he doesn’t show up in a big game and makes bad decisions at times. Quarterbacks have good and bad days. Lemay comes with strong credentials and deserves a chance besides there are a lot of QB’s committed to UGA in waiting and Mason is moving over to red shirting. Lemay already has been red shirted. GO DAWGS!!
SavDawg
January 14th, 2012
11:36 am
The reason GA won’t win SEC this year is because of OL.
SavDawg
January 14th, 2012
12:17 pm
I think the most important man in UGA’s football program next will be Will Friend. If he can work a miracle with our OL. We could win it all. We need 3 Trin Sturdvants. to come through.
SavDawg
January 14th, 2012
12:18 pm
Dawgsstinks
you are joking!!!
PlanB
January 14th, 2012
6:01 pm
Todd Gurley from Tarboro, NC should be a nice addition.
Phil
January 14th, 2012
9:35 pm
I agree we win the East, losing to South Carolina as our 1 loss. We then get help from other teams to win the East, just like this year.
As far as winning the SEC, I don’t see it. We can’t get by LSU or Alabama. We are not on their level, and never will be with Richt and Bozo running the show.
Unfortunately that is the sad truth. Richt can’t get us to the level of the really big boys in the SEC, Alabama and LSU.
85 yard drive
January 14th, 2012
9:45 pm
I thought grantham’s D was supposed to be good. how did that happen?
Wake up and More are Fed-Up
January 14th, 2012
11:29 pm
“Georgia was lousy in 2010 and got good again in 2011″
__________________________________________________
0-9 vs teams finishing AP Top 25 since after Georgia tek win 2009
Mark Richt was 18-19 after beating Georgia tek
Since then, he has
lost every game vs teams finishing AP Poll top 25
Mark Richt all 11 years :
18-28 vs teams finishing AP Poll Top 25
_______________________________________
Last win over a team finishing AP Poll Top 10 :
37-15 Win Allbarn 2006 # 9*.
Mark Richt was 3-6 vs teams finishing in the AP Poll Top 10 after the win over Auburn in 2006.
Since then 0-7 vs teams finishing AP Top 10
after Auburn win 2006
Mark Richt all 11 years :
3-13 vs teams finishing AP Poll Top 10
_______________________________________
9 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 25. 7 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 10.
January 14th, 2012
11:39 pm
SavDawg January 14th, 2012 11:36 am
“The reason GA won’t win SEC this year is because of OL.”
_____________________________________________________
Uh, no SavDawg, the reason GA won’t win SEC this year is because of Aaron Murray – he and he alone. He of the 41 percent of his 27 starts lost, 11; he of the 21 fumbles in 27 games; he of the 22 interceptions in 27 games; he of the 56 sacks in 27 games; he of the 1 yards per carry for 7 carries a game average for 27 games; he of the holding on to the football too long; he of the happy feet; he of the over-thrown passes; he of the passes thrown behind his receivers; he of the bad reads; he of the can’t see over the line; he who refuses to throw the ball away to make his completion percentage drop down to about that of Tim Tebow.
Send'em Uhauls
January 15th, 2012
1:33 am
Fire that clown Mark Fox the accountant. What a goofball.
TheTruthHurts
January 15th, 2012
8:48 am
What are you smoking Bradley? UGA might start off in the top ten, but if they finish in the top 25 they’ll be lucky. Win the SEC Championship as long as Saban and Miles are in town? That’s a joke. They may repeat as SEC East champs, but another weak schedule will be responsible for that. The 2012 results will be about like the 2011 results: Lose big in the SEC Championship game, if they get there, to Saban or Miles and end up in another nothing non-BCS bowl. 2012: A new year. Same old coaching staff with the same old results. Hopefully, McGarity will wise up.
Ga > alabama
January 15th, 2012
6:29 pm
alabama will be the only team with talent close to Ga in 2012. mark this down–GA beats alabama in the ga dome for the SEC title. With all these dream team running backs, the Ga O will light it up!!!
9 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 25. 7 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 10.
January 15th, 2012
7:11 pm
Such hogwash, Georgia better than Alabama. Atlanta is better than andy city in Alabama; in fact better than all of them combined. The Georgia coast is better than Alabama coast. Georgia mountains are better than Alabama mountains. Georgia ladies are better than Alabama women. Georgia high school football is better than Alabama high school football; which is why Nick Saban has as many top prospects from Georgia as Mark Richt has. But, that is just an example of where Alabama football again under Nick Saban is far superior to Georgia football under Mark Richt.
Nick Saban has been so much better in the time Nick Saban has been at Alabama than what Mark Richt has done here, in the same timeframe. To see some DisneyDawg come onto our blogs and say that, is just what is wrong with our football program nowadays. We brag all off-season, then when the football games come against the big boys, you run right back in here with a different handle pre-game and say it doesn’t matter if we win or lose against Alabama. And, to you, it doesn’t. You got your 10-Win Season this season, so you are so pumped up about our football program. Only problem with that ?
There are 27 teams with 10-Win seasons this season, and we beat NONE of them. Alabama beat 2 teams who ended up in the Top 5 this season, in convincing fashtion; while instead we haven’t beat a top 10 team since Seven (7) Seasons ago when Matthew Stafford beat Auburn who ended up # 9 in 2006.
gratefuldawghead
January 15th, 2012
7:56 pm
Bama recruits well over 100 kids then runs off enough to make the 85 limit. Dawgs only recruit around the 85 limit. This gives Bama better talent and most important….Saban would never have BOBO running his offense.
G Burnett
January 16th, 2012
12:06 am
Bear Bryant once said that he did not know how to coach “Superstars”. Considering UGA’s talent recruiting over the last few years? How do you take 15-18 “Superstars” and turn them into a “Team”?
9 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 25. 7 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 10.
January 16th, 2012
2:59 am
How many do we recruit, when we run off more players than Alabama ? Oh, I see, we give Scholarships to 11 walk-ons, many for multiple years. So, we aren’t over-signing. Look, there were 30 players who should have played against Michigan State because Mark Richt gave all 30 Scholarships to play against Michigan State who did not.
When Mark Richt doesn’t have 30 players just gone for the season, whom he gave Scholarships to play here, then and only then do we have a 1 word to say to Alabama. All season long, the same blog writers who said that Alabama over-signs and Mark Richt is the nice guy who doesn’t run off the talent he doesn’t want here – when Mark Richt most certainly does – are the very same blog writers here who said Alabama didn’t beat any good teams with their two (2) Wins over teams finishing in the top 5.
This while Mark Richt has not beat a team finishing in the top 10 since we beat # 9 Auburn in 2006, seven (7) seasons ago.
Just be consistent in your blog points. That is all I am saying. If you are going to criticize Nick Saban for running off players he gave Scholarships to play there, then post at least 1 post which lists all our players Mark Richt gave a Scholarship to who do not play for us. Think about what you’re going to say, before you say it. You leave yourselves wide open. And, make us Bulldog fans appear to be two-faced.
If you are going to criticize Alabama for not beating anyone 2011, then you might want to come back after the season, and say – hey, you know, I said a lot about Alabama not having beat anyone all 2011 season long, but when I look at it it was not Alabama, has not been Alabama, will not be Alabama who doesn’t beat the top teams :
It is us when we have to go back 7 seasons to find 1 single team Mark Richt beat who ended the season in the top 10, and that year we Lost 4 games including to 8-Loss Vandie. You leave yourself wide open. If Alabama didn’t beat any top teams, or played an easy schedule, you do not want to be a Georgia Bulldogs’ fan when you say that. Either that, or you are just dumb as rocks. Wake up. Think about what you say.
You’re just wrong on Alabama beating top teams, just as you are wrong about Alabama over-signing – and, you know it, compared to Mark Richt on both points.
You want I should put up the list of 30 Scholarships Mark Richt gave out for 2011 who did not play against Michigan State again ?
Dawg trapped in Chicken country
January 16th, 2012
8:36 am
Defense should be lights out, but whole team still subject to predictable and largely ineffective offensive leadership…with current predictable end-game dogma, UGa incapable of winning close games….statistics are meaningless if the record remains mediocre
aw
January 16th, 2012
1:43 pm
UGA might win the SEC title next year, but will probably be the 3rd to 4th best team in the conference. Arkansas, Alabama and LSU
Hairy Dawg
January 16th, 2012
7:52 pm
That is exacty right except your wrong on one game. Dawgs got the talents to go 12-0 next year and prove we own East and winning league. Then pollters cant cheat us from playing in BCS and being champs like SEC deserves as most dominants conference. Next year is when we put loud mouths at other teams in places and get rid of rest of any bad fans. Coach Richt being Christian to develop talents and cast out any that not using God given skills to win for Dawgs. That is difference now and why Dawgs can go all way to title.
Go Dawgs!
Bama Tide Roll!
January 16th, 2012
8:23 pm
Bama will roll over Ga in the SEC title game—it will not be close. It may be a bigger blowout than the lsu – ga game. Saban’s reloading with more stars on D—it could be a bigger year in 2012!! RTR!!!
Hairy Dawg
January 17th, 2012
1:27 am
Wrong! The Georgia boys is the ones that got the talents not any from Alabammy. Once we stop them Bammers from stealing our players out of the GA high schools then Dawgs putting Saban in place. Dawgs will show SEC what a real team is with GA talent stockpiling at UGA. Then Bammer will go back to stinking like Price, DuBoys, Shula, Franciones and the rest of bums. Dawgs is goning be the real power in SEC from locking up state talents from recruiting Dream Teams.
Go Dawgs!
Columbus Dawg
January 17th, 2012
7:20 am
Hey Bama tide box with roll of toilet paper, really? It must be a sad situation for you D.A., tobacco juice dripping off your chin, rednecks to come to grips with reality. You will be no better than 2010 after player losses, maybe worse. Lacey ain’t Richardson, and no first year defensive players are going to step in right away and replace all that you lost. You will be highly ranked to start the year because of your 2011 championship, but will not hold it up. I for one hate the fact that the SEC office cancelled the UGA/Bama game. The Dawgs have had Bama’s number more times than not lately. You just avoided a butt wuppin, moron. I just heard about Saban’s interview as well, he knows he does’nt have squat coming back, and his wife has had it with living in a third world country! Say bye, bye! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA