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
DawginLex
January 12th, 2012
11:14 am
banker
Anderson was just a big dude. Watch the replays of the games. He had zero lateral movement.
Jones was a hard worker but the andrews kid has a tremendous upside.
*************
Regarding Murray. Murray has more on him because of our offensive philosophy. McCarron is a game manager but they went away from tendencies against LSU and that won the game for them.
Bama played 12 games run first, 1 pass first. We played 14 games pass first so Murray has more on him.
John V
January 12th, 2012
11:16 am
I don’t think it’s crazy to think they could lose at USC. That could be a tough game if Shaw keeps playing well.
Bacardi Rumbo
January 12th, 2012
11:17 am
OL is not likely to improve. Ergo, neither is the running game. And since the Dawgs currently have NO running game, that’s not good news. Certainly no cause for optimism. A QB who makes the on-field decisions that Murray makes is also not good news. He’s not likely to improve since he has 3 years at Georgia under his belt. The Patsy Schedule for 2012 IS good news, so the SEC East is not out of the question. What IS a leap of epic proportions is the idea that they will win the SEC. Ain’t gonna happen.
radly
January 12th, 2012
11:18 am
Been a DAWG fan since 1959 and love’em but…………………and all of this is blah…blah…blah….get a life people it’s January 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Radly Dawg
BankerDawg
January 12th, 2012
11:18 am
Agreed Bacardi, and well put.
GTBob
January 12th, 2012
11:18 am
So UGA is going to win the SEC and the SEC champion usually wins the BCS title. Mark, are you predicting now that UGA will be National Champions next year?
DP
January 12th, 2012
11:19 am
SEC Quarterback Ratings, 2011-12 season:
1. Tyler Wilson, 148.4 (23rd nationally)
2. Connor Shaw, 148.3 (24th)
3. A.J. McCarron, 147.3 (26th)
4. Aaron Murray, 146.4 (27th)
dtanner
January 12th, 2012
11:20 am
this sorry schedule that greg mcgarity has concocted creates absolutely no excitement or buzz for me for next season
Joey
January 12th, 2012
11:20 am
You’re right, Ray Goof, ever really good Richt team has lost at least one, sometimes two games that they shouldn’t. I can’t see that changing, especially with Murray’s penchant for mistakes and turnovers in big games.
Murray may mature yet, but hell, he’s been in Athens for 3 years already . . .
bruce mac
January 12th, 2012
11:21 am
Mark Barton strikes again. Please, please, please quit picking my teams to win. You are obviously the front cover SI jinx equivalent here in the ATL. UGA now has no chance of anything in 2012.
Typical of Ttrue Dawg Fan
January 12th, 2012
11:22 am
” McCaron is awful, one good game doesnt make up for a season of crappy play”
196-294 (67%), 2,400 yards, 19 TDs 5 INTs
Yep, real crappy. Man I love reading some of the DA posters here.
DawginLex
January 12th, 2012
11:22 am
Anybody notice it only took Bob Stoops 2 years to figure out Sweet willie Martinez can’t coach??????????
Joey
January 12th, 2012
11:23 am
The only prediction I’m comfortable with making for ‘12 is, UGA will beat GTBob’s team badly.
Truth
January 12th, 2012
11:23 am
@GTBOB
I have to laugh at what a joke this GTBob is. He makes a post saying the only tough game UGA will have next year is in the SEC Championship game. I guess that says a lot about GT there, GTBob. What a joke! My guess is you are 18 or 19 and did not go to Tech as you would be a bit brighter than this. Secondly, many a NC are won when the schedule sets up right. Just ask UF when the Dogs, Bama & LSU were down. Also, Southern Cal in the past. SEC schedules are made way in advance for ALL teams in the conference and the rotates. GTBob, please, your shift break is over. Back to peeling potatoes…and, just go away. You only wish writers cared enough about your program to spread some ink.
Vance Duly
January 12th, 2012
11:23 am
Our offensive line has been under-performing for several years, and there are a LOT of holes to fill there for 2012. That’s our biggest challenge for next year. We also have the risk of having both a freshman punter and kicker. But…….
Unless Coach Bobo learns how to call plays to WIN ALL 4 QUARTERS (and any applicable overtimes), Georgia is likely to lose 1 or 2 very winnable games in 2012. Georgia gets a lead, and Coach Bobo goes hyper-conservative. If one side of the offense is working, Bobo insists on attempting “balance” instead of pounding on the other team until they stop whatever we are doing well. He has several other well-documented tendencies, as well. I want him to be a successful OC, but he HAS to improve for us to get past being a 10-2 team, or an 11-1 team that loses to someone we could have beaten. …..GO DAWGS!!
East Alabama Gator
January 12th, 2012
11:24 am
This Gator wishes the Bulldogs the best of luck in 2012. I believe it’s just a matter of time before the SEC East gets going again.
As for those who regularly bash the SEC East, where were you in the late 1990s when the East was top-heavy with Florida, Tennessee and Georgia, and the West was nothing more than Alabama?
BBQ MAN
January 12th, 2012
11:25 am
HA! you keep feeding the delussional doggie fans Mark
DawginLex
January 12th, 2012
11:25 am
well said bama gator
Like from 1993 to 2007 when bama changed coaches like underwear and vacated wins like giving out lollipops at halloween
realitycheck
January 12th, 2012
11:25 am
Just another meaningless 10 win season ahead in Athens. As long as UGA has the same clown in charge that took a two yard loss on 2nd down to set up a very missable 42 yard FG attempt by a kicker who had already missed 12 kicks during the season on 3rd down, they will never sniff another NC. There isn’t another moron from Pop Warner to Junior High to High School to any Div of CFB to the NFL that would’ve done that. Until UGA sends that clown to the circus where he belongs, they won’t ever play in a BCS championship game much less win one!
Truth
January 12th, 2012
11:26 am
@DP,
Another one who thinks we give a ___ about what you have to say. Go take your place next to GTBob.
John
January 12th, 2012
11:26 am
McCarron’s Stats: Completions- 219; Attempts- 328; Yards- 2634; %- 66.8; TD- 16; INT- 5, Eff. Rating- 146.3
Murray’s 2011 Stats: Completions: 238; Attempts: 403; Yards: 3149; %- 59.1; TD- 35; INT- 14; Eff. Rating- 146.4
These stats other than TDs and INTs are very close. Plus, Murray had another game. I am just saying the perception that McCarron is a weakness and Murray is a great SEC QB is wrong. Both are very good QBs. McCarron has the better team so his job is a little easier, but at the same time he misses out on TD stats because Richardson got so many rushing TDs. Saban keeps his QBs on a tight leash. I think if McCarron was given the green light like Murray he would have more TDs and INTs like Murray.
DawginLex
January 12th, 2012
11:27 am
reality check
YOU need a reality check
Richt is our coach for 2012.
Murray may or may not be the starter at QB and his erratic play led to those decisions.
I didn’t like it either but with zero confidence in your QB or OL, the FG may have been the only chance we had to score in the 1st OT
GTBob
January 12th, 2012
11:28 am
He makes a post saying the only tough game UGA will have next year is in the SEC Championship game.
Please enlighten us with the tough teams that UGA plays next year. Looking at their schedule now I don’t see any. Maybe USC. That’s it. Lucky for them they won’t get smacked around by Boise St again.
John
January 12th, 2012
11:29 am
How many huge turnovers did Murray have that swung a game in the other team’s direction? South Carolina, LSU? McCarron was not asked to do as much but did not have any huge TOs that doomed Alabama to a loss.
Truth
January 12th, 2012
11:31 am
@East Alabama Gator
Probabaly the best post yet. The with the exception of Bama in ‘93, the SEC West was non existing as far as being consistantly significant.
Steve Spurrier
January 12th, 2012
11:31 am
GT BOB, Only competitive game will be SEC Championship? Seriously? Until UGA figures out how to stop Lattimore (and yes he will return stronger), UGA loses to SC again.
Sadly, with the cream puff schedule, UGA probably makes it back to SEC Championship.
DawginLex
January 12th, 2012
11:33 am
Going to Mizzou in their 1st ever SEC game
Going to SC
Playing florida
Going to Auburn
that’s 4 tough games in my book and GT would lose all 4
Realist
January 12th, 2012
11:34 am
Mark, please don’t amp up expectations of us UGA fans. History has shown that Richt and Co. will lose games that they should have won. I see 9-3, 10-2 at best. Missouri will be first loss, they will be fired up for their first SEC game. Cannot see 11-1 at all.
jack bull
January 12th, 2012
11:34 am
A couple of things….1)people seem to forget about OLinemen that have left here for whatever reason. Guys like C Little(5-star), AJ Harmon(4 or 5 star), the kid from Jacksonville, Benedict(?-5 star) left because he didn’t like being told to do another squat. there’s a couple more also. These guys coulda woulda shoulda been here and you just can’t replace them that easy. 2) people need to end their love affair with A Muray. Throwing pick 6’s and fumbling deep in our own territory are just killers. And that’s why we get the play calling we have..He’s got to be held accountable!
That being said, wouldn’t it be fun to face the Trojans in the big game?
GTBob
January 12th, 2012
11:35 am
that’s 4 tough games in my book and GT would lose all 4
Of course they would. That doesn’t make them tough games for a supposedly good team though. You are really going to add Missouri? They weren’t great this year and lose most of their starters.
Bacardi Rumbo
January 12th, 2012
11:36 am
DawginLex, of those 4 teams, only SC is likely to be a Top-25 team at the end of the year. So, I wouldn’t call those ‘4 tough games’. I’d call them ‘1 tough game’.
DawgFan
January 12th, 2012
11:36 am
No, Georgia faced this same argument last season. Apparently the only way to appease the non-UGA fans is for Georgia to drop the three easiest games out of Buffalo, FAU, GA Southern and GT (probably GT, FAU, and Buffalo) and schedule LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas as non-conference road games. Only then will UGA’s schedule be tough enough for the haters.
GTBob
January 12th, 2012
11:36 am
Until UGA figures out how to stop Lattimore (and yes he will return stronger), UGA loses to SC again.
Ok, I will retract my statement and give a little more credit to South Carolina. I will say that UGA only plays one tough game now.
Truth
January 12th, 2012
11:37 am
ALL,
Do not respond to GTBob. Perhaps he will just go away. He loves even negative attention.
UGA Insider
January 12th, 2012
11:37 am
Mike Adams doesn’t care if we go 6-6. He just wants us all to donate as much as possible this year. Finishing #7 on the Forbes list was embarrassing.
Red Clay Hound
January 12th, 2012
11:37 am
Good post Joey!
Joey
January 12th, 2012
11:38 am
You right, John, of course. Murray had to be close to some record for single-handedly giving the opposition tds with his pick-sixes and fumbles for tds.
Murray better be glad he plays for his Sunday school teacher instead of Spurrier. The Evil Genius would have put his butt on the bench for that crap.
Buckeye
January 12th, 2012
11:39 am
This is the time of year when the difference in the dogs delusional perception of themselves and reality is at its greatest. Too funny but all so predictable.
Scott
January 12th, 2012
11:39 am
Wow mark you sure are the bulldog humper pumper this past year. You’d think after a blowout loss to lsu and the choke against msu, your enthusiasm would be tempered some. But nah, rah rah go mutts. It will be funny when my gators begins a new 5 year win streak.
Truth
January 12th, 2012
11:40 am
@reality check
Really? Is that why Boobby Petrino and his brother said they would have done the same thing when asked about the call (interviewed in Arkansas about several games).
Radley
January 12th, 2012
11:41 am
Really MB? Really? Cause who as the uga qb beaten that’s worth a crap the past two years. I actually like that you write this junk cause just like with the Braves and Falcons and Dogs against Mich St, you are almost always wrong.
BankerDawg
January 12th, 2012
11:41 am
Steve Spurrier: No doubt that our schedule is lighter then SC’s, but to go ahead and call a win is ridiculous when the facts are that we handed SC the game this year. Plus, you are losing Alshon Jeffrey, your only real game changing receiver. Lattimore just came off of surgery, your losing Stephen Gilmore at CB and other to attrition. Connor Shaw is decent but notn a game changer. SC will be good but you lost your “window” to do something the last 2 years. Back to the middle of the pack for you cocks.
Chris H
January 12th, 2012
11:42 am
It’s hysterical how playing an easy schedule against creampuff teams can cause some people to be so far from reality.
Uga 2012
9-3 if lucky
8-4 likely.
GTBob
January 12th, 2012
11:42 am
Do not respond to GTBob. Perhaps he will just go away. He loves even negative attention.
Because I think UGA plays a weak schedule? You really think i’m the only one who thinks that?
Joey
January 12th, 2012
11:43 am
“You are really going to add Missouri? They weren’t great this year and lose most of their starters.”
**************************************
But GTBob, to use your terminology, Mizzou “smacked around” an ACC team in their bowl game.
realitycheck
January 12th, 2012
11:44 am
DawginLex………..Good to see you back! I was worried you were on suicide watch tuesday after Bama’s 14th NC. You certainly had a whole lot of crow to digest after months of your never ending predictions relative to what a “disappointing” season Bama was going to have. Sorry your intestines were asked to work overtime, but glad you survived it all. Welcome back!
Truth
January 12th, 2012
11:45 am
@Buckeye
Only people from dilusional Ohio think your programs is significant and that is the painful truth. What is your recored against any SEC school in the last 20 years (w/o cheating – ha! – can you say vacated??)
Trey T
January 12th, 2012
11:45 am
They weren’t good. Good teams don’t lose 4 games. They played a weak schedule Mark. I will be laughing when Missouri beats them in 8 months. Btw, your record at picking teams to win the past half year has been woefully abysmall.
dawgfan
January 12th, 2012
11:45 am
Objectively, I’d have us in the 15 to 20 range preseason. The defense will be tough and will be fun to watch. What is troubling is how we were unable to come up with any kind of running game during the time off before the bowl game. We had no running game against LSU or Georgia Tech (not that we needed one against the nerds) either and absolutely no progess was made during the time off. This does not bode well for 2012 if you ask me. I’m afraid it will be same ole same ole. Murray will have his big stats. We’ll light up the scoreboard with big flashy plays against our weak schedule, but when it comes time to man up and grind out some tough yards against the big boys we will once again fail. I have seen nothing over the past FOUR seasons of UGA football that tells me 2012 will be any different.
This does not make me a bad fan. It just means have two functioning eye balls that can see what is going on in front of me.
Thanks.
East Alabama Gator
January 12th, 2012
11:46 am
GTBob,
I can’t say I agree with you about Georgia playing a weak schedule … maybe favorable, but not weak. However, to win titles, a lot of things have to fall into place, including a little luck