Why I believe UGA, Tech and the Falcons are bound for glory
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When next these two collide, both will be division champs. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
As best I recall, I’ve never picked Georgia, Georgia Tech and the Falcons to win their respective divisions in the same season. As some might have noted, I’ve done so this time. In the attempt to disprove the notion that I’ve gone completely (as opposed to partially) insane, I’d like to offer a few words in the defense of my mental health.
There was no grand design to my three-fer. I didn’t sit down and say, “Boy, wouldn’t it be neat to pick everybody to win something?” For the record, Georgia was the easiest choice and Tech the hardest. For the record, I would not have picked the Bulldogs to win the SEC West or Tech to take the ACC Atlantic, but at last check neither is switching divisions anytime soon.
Not to get all grandiose about it, but I’d like to think there’s a method to my madness. Why do I think these three locals — sorry, Georgia State, but I couldn’t stretch my bound-for-glory theme quite that far — will do what I foresee them doing? Here goes.
Good team + bunny schedule = SEC East title. If you’re looking for a team that has a real chance to do something, you start with one that has either a seasoned quarterback or a shutdown defense. Georgia has both. And it did win its division last season, and with an even easier schedule I see no reason why it can’t again.
The reach is in picking Georgia to win not just the East but the whole SEC. Memories of the Bulldogs’ 42-10 loss to LSU in the 2011 SEC title game are fresh and raw, but for 24 minutes the Tigers seemed the side more apt to be routed. Georgia held LSU to no first downs in the first half and should have led by 17 or even 21 points. There’s no reason a more experienced band of Bulldogs can’t upset LSU or Alabama this December, and is there any way a 12-1 SEC champ wouldn’t play for the BCS title? Confidence level: I’m comfortable with all aspects of this pick.
Big early game + big-game coach = ACC Coastal title. I’d be lying if I said I think Georgia Tech will be a great team. I see it going 9-3, which falls under the heading of “pretty good.” But it also has a kind conference schedule — it doesn’t play Florida State or North Carolina State — and its chance to win the division will hinge on what happens Labor Day night.
Beating Virginia Tech in Blacksburg isn’t easy, but the Yellow Jackets under Paul Johnson have come close twice. I see these Jackets as a team with a point to prove. Georgia Tech had a losing season in 2010 and lost five of their final seven games last season. Being so-so is not what Johnson has in mind, and he’s among the best tacticians extant. If Virginia Tech expects to win simply because it’s playing at home, it won’t win at all. Confidence level: This pick could look silly come 11 p.m. Monday, but I’ll take that risk.
In 2012, the Falcons will scramble ahead of their rival. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Rebooted team + retreating rival = NFC South title. I’d have liked the Falcons’ chances even if Sean Payton hadn’t been suspended for the season, but I can see no way in which the Saints will be nearly as good without one of the two men (Drew Brees being the other) who made them what they are, or at least were until Roger Goodell got hold of them. The Saints are so messed up they’ll need an interim coach for interim coach Joe Vitt, who’s suspended for four games himself.
Loading ...It isn’t quite now-or-never for Dimitroff/Smith/Ryan, but the Falcons will never have a better chance than this. Their schedule is tough but not oppressive. Their new offensive and defensive coordinators surely will be more adventurous. Like you, I wonder about the offensive and defensive lines, but I see few teams than can match the Falcons at the skill positions. I like them to go 12-4, win their division and then take the NFC title. Confidence level: Very high.
Oh, and before you say, “Way to go, Wrong-Way Bradley — dooming three teams in one fell swoop” … please note the following. When last I picked Georgia to win its division, it did. (Last year, it was.) When last I picked Tech to win its division, it did. (In 2009.) When last I picked the Falcons to win their division, they did. (In 2010.) Far from being a jinx, I consider the MB imprimatur a stairway to heaven.
By Mark Bradley
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260 comments Add your comment
dawggirl
August 29th, 2012
2:02 pm
If I’m not mistaken Mark, you ranked UGA #2 in the country. Now you’re either smoking something, or you really want this to backfire. Which is it? I’m all for being optimistic, but realism needs to set in somewhere. I think even #6 is a little high. Maybe #10-12.
Reality Check
August 29th, 2012
2:02 pm
IF I was a Dawg fan I would be the biggest GT fan on Monday. A GT team that has 8-10 wins going into Athens makes Georgia’s schedule look less weak at the end of the season and ya’ll would hate to become the next 2004 Auburn.
Dawg Realist
August 29th, 2012
2:03 pm
In response to GTBob, Georgia (unfortunately) would be out in the cold under that scenario. Everyone is tired of hearing about SEC dominance, and given the chance, the BCS would send OU and USC.
dubious
August 29th, 2012
2:06 pm
We’ll see if there’s a Bradley Bump.
Dawg Fan
August 29th, 2012
2:08 pm
I think the Dawgs can beat the Falcons AND Tech at the same time!
dawgfan
August 29th, 2012
2:10 pm
“GTBOB… interesting scenario…. The SEC Chmpship game carries a lot of weight so the Dawgs would be in at the very least…”
Not so fast my friend. A media darling USC or OU would get in over us. I think that’s what GTBob is probably getting at and I happen to agree with the moron for once. Look at last year. What if you took the “State” out of Oklahoma State and put OU uniforms on the 2011 Oklahoma State team? All you do is change the uniforms and call them the Oklahoma Sooners. That’s it. They play the same exact scheule with the same exact players with the same exact loss to Iowa State. Alabama wouldn’t be the national champion right now because they never would have been in the national title game. It would have been LSU v. OU in the national title game. There is no way in hell the media would let their precious OU get overlooked like that. They’d stomp their feet and pitch a fit until all the voters and computers bowed to their will.
True story. If we’re going to win the national title this year (we’re not) we better run the damn table and look damn good in the process or nothing will be guaranteed. We don’t have the pedigree of an LSU, Bama or Florida and we won’t have the same margin of error.
Thanks.
Sid
August 29th, 2012
2:14 pm
No matter your right or wrong…………it’s going to be a great football season in Georgia!
Rodster
August 29th, 2012
2:14 pm
“For myself I am an optimist – it does not seem to be much use being anything else.” – Sir Winston Churchill
I’m with ya Mark. I hope you are right on all counts.
Dawg Fan
August 29th, 2012
2:39 pm
Dawgs beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Easy.
KR
August 29th, 2012
2:51 pm
Mark, optimism is a wonderful thing. The down side is when things don’t go accordingly. By my reckoning, your most likely correct is UGa, least likely is GT and the Falcons somewhere in the middle.
Don’t think a 12-1 SEC Champ can be left out of the BCS championship game? Tommy Tuberville says “hi.”
7576DAWG
August 29th, 2012
2:54 pm
I hope Georgia wins but they need to be undefeated because the media is trying to put two none SEC teams in the Championship game. They would like nothing better than to make sure the SEC is left out this year.
Southern Cal has a great chance of being one of the teams in the Championship game because their schedule may be the easiest they have ever had. The only thing that could hurt them is lack of depth.
Georgia needs to show no mercy to anyone this year just in case there are 4 or 5 teams who have only one lose. Can’t wait until the Missouri game which will answer a lot of questions.
lj
August 29th, 2012
2:57 pm
It ain’t going to happen.
jarvis
August 29th, 2012
2:59 pm
Putting Kris Medlen in the rotation was a mistake. Mark Bradley – August 2012.
Samuel
August 29th, 2012
3:00 pm
I’ll take ten and six and a first win in the playoffs. Go Falcons…..
Boobie Bowden
August 29th, 2012
3:07 pm
Death to dawg trolls
Football Guy
August 29th, 2012
3:12 pm
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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jarvis
August 29th, 2012
3:15 pm
Pop Quiz:
Who said this, ” Medlen has made three strong starts, yes, but he’s not by trade a full-blooded starter. He’s a spot guy, and he has value as a reliever. It might not be fair — and I’m aware that Medlen is a fan favorite — but fairness shouldn’t be the first consideration with a playoff berth in play. Unless/until Hanson proves he can’t win games, Medlen should return to the bullpen.”
TechFalcon fan
August 29th, 2012
3:18 pm
Love the Picks Mark….except UGA. I hope they lose every single game, especially the last one
OkieDawg
August 29th, 2012
3:21 pm
The above UGA photo just ruined my day. The 2 dawgs making the tackle are facing multi-game suspensions. So if there is a photo this year of Mizzu’s Dorial Green-Beckham being takckled by 2 Georgia Bulldogs, those two Dawgs, Rambo and Commings, won’t be in the photo:(
That could hurt.
Dave
August 29th, 2012
3:22 pm
It all comes down to the UGA-USC game.
collegeballfan
August 29th, 2012
3:30 pm
“…the MB imprimatur a stairway to heaven.”
Don’t get modest on us Bradley.
BG
August 29th, 2012
3:31 pm
GO DAWGS!!!!!!
Jay
August 29th, 2012
3:31 pm
We didn’t need an entire essay to know why you think those teams are “bound for glory” when we already know the answer: you’re a homer.
Dave
August 29th, 2012
3:34 pm
As far as the Falcons and Tech….I don’t watch pro football and Blech just irritates me.
gbal
August 29th, 2012
3:35 pm
I love the optomism but I do have this hunch that UGA is being given quite a bit too much love at this point in the season with the glaring holes to fill. Agree that the schedule sets up well to get to the SEC game and getting there gives you a chance to win it and a chance at the NC…. My concern is
Inexperienced OL
QB has shown little poise in big games when the OL allows pressure. Again…
Inexperienced OL
No proved RB… Relying heavily on two freshmen.
Freshman kicker.
I think this is too much to overcome but Game 2 should give us a good indication.
what of it?
August 29th, 2012
3:37 pm
b/c it gets you page views?
909
August 29th, 2012
3:39 pm
No Bradley. You’re not insane.
Just duplicitous.
Blue Ridge Dawg
August 29th, 2012
3:39 pm
@GT Bob- Interesting point. I think you are a complete moron most of the time, but it would be a very interesting scenerio. I would love to see UGA in that situation, but I am afraid we lose 2.
ATLNative
August 29th, 2012
3:50 pm
And it’s whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long. GO DAWGS!
Will
August 29th, 2012
3:58 pm
Bless your heart Mark, your desire to see the best in all of our state’s teams is heartwarming.
Don’t forget, you also are on record for saying the Braves will be a playoff team (last year you also made this bold prediction WITH TWO GAMES remaining and still got it wrong!!).
Of course, your nationwide fame was bulit on your “Better than the 1927 Yankees” column just after the Braves opened the World Series with two wins in New York and just after they lost the next four!!!
How about Brian McCann, gonna turn it around and hit .300 by the end of the year? Georgia State, 9 or 10 wins? Let me guess, Grayson is the best high school football team in America!! Jason Heyward, Hall of Fame bound?
You just keep “root, root, rooting for the home team”!!
9 Losses in a Row to teams making any top 25 poll - after Georgie tek # 13 in 2009. 7 Losses in Row to teams making any Top 10 - not since beating Auburn # 9 in 2006. 9 Losses in a row to SEC teams who put up a winning SEC Record - starting with KY 2007
August 29th, 2012
3:59 pm
____________________________________________
“Big early game + big-game coach = ACC Coastal title.”
____________________________________________
But, out of the other side of the same mouth, you proclaim :
___________________________
“bunny schedule = SEC East title”
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So, I guess my question is, why the double-standard ?
(1) If big early game plus big-time coach is important for 1 team ?
(2) Why isn’t Mark Richt’s 3 wins in 16 games vs teams made Top 10 all 11 years, unimportant because he does not even have a game against any possible team who possibly could make the Top 10 ? You know, like you brag about Mark Richt making the AP Poll Top 10 in 5 of his now 12 seasons Saturday ? The last of which was once in the now current 7-year period Saturday has Mark Richt made the AP Poll Top 10.
Tide Rising
August 29th, 2012
4:07 pm
Oh my God. Mark actually thinks Georgia could hang with Alabama or LSU? Now THASS funny.
From the WSJ.
With all due respect to the 123 other schools that play major-college football, the sport’s foreseeable future boils down to one question: Can anyone stop Alabama? The Alabama Crimson Tide, college football’s defending national champion, has become the game’s “it” team, an all-powerful and impervious Death Star of a program. Alabama has won two of the last three national titles. Its coach, Nick Saban, won another one while he was at Louisiana State—meaning he has won the title in three of the past seven college seasons he has coached. The Tide is a 14-point favorite Saturday over No. 8 Michigan—repeat: a two-touchdown favorite against a top-10 team—in its season opener. The last time Alabama was an underdog was 28 games ago, against Tim Tebow and Florida in the 2009 Southeastern Conference championship game. Result: Bama 32, Florida 13. The stunning volume of victories and championships and NFL draft picks has Alabama redefining college-football success as we know it. How, exactly, does the Tide do it?
The process. That’s how Saban fields an army of 4 and 5 star guys disciplined both on the field and off the field. And then there are programs like Georgia….
Columbus
August 29th, 2012
4:07 pm
@greg@1:29 You made some points early but the players the Falcons have arent chopped liver at those positions and the defense IS improved and didnt need as MUCH as Carolina! Falcons arent a playoff team? Unless there are key injuries, this team will remind you a LOT of the Green Bay team 2 years ago….we are about to see the offense envisioned when Julio was drafted but did nto get due to the lockout and a coordinator that had brain cramps or something. He tried to fit them into his system instead of his system to the players and/or just wasnt competent enough to run a higly explosive offense. He was in his own box or had bad path to get there or something. Dont run a screen play neither(i.e. Mike Bobo). BETTER DC and OC and improved defense a la young guys have gotten reps and will contribute this year a la William Moore, improved secondary overall, Edwards healthy under a GREAT DC. STOP being scared Greg! Stop being SCARED of Carolina. They sucked so BADLY that their was room for MUCH improvement. Falcons not so much but they did improve. Primarily with new DC’s and good ones, new schemes that the rest of the division have to figure out, Samuel, young guys stepping up to add depth and a healthy Edwards. I see 30 points scored most games…hard to beat that huh Greg? Falcons dont have to nor had the room to be MUCH improved. Consistent playoff teams usually dont. They did have MUCH room to improve in the their schemes and they addressed that and that was the biggest thing holding them back. Thank you Dimitroff and Blank for getting new coaches. NOW other teams will have to stop Turner, Ryan, Jones, White, Gonzalez, Rodgers and ANY other receivers on the field….
Run the offense correctly and it can only stop itself with decent blocking! I.E. Green Bay…
Alphare
August 29th, 2012
4:09 pm
Mark, good picks. Great minds think alike.
Yes, Tech can beat VT.
Dawg for Life
August 29th, 2012
4:15 pm
I really don’t know why Alabama fans are so primed about their “going to beat UGA” and “UGA has NO chance agaist the rolling tampons”. Ala has to replace 7 important players on offense, including all of last years starting recievers and their back ups, Trent Richardson, and they lost a TON of talent on defense to the NFL! I doubt ALA will even go to the SECCG. I think it will probably be LSU, or maybe ARK if they can put that patrino crap behind them.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
August 29th, 2012
4:19 pm
Best of luck to all of you and your favorite teams in 2012.
Alabama will be tuff to beat and you will see real soon. Bring your lunch for you will need it!
Roll Tide
Dawg for Life
August 29th, 2012
4:21 pm
I just don’t think so. Ala will lose 3 maybe 4 games. Too much talent gone on offense, and the defense has holes too.
I'm flying a Georgia Tech flag right now
August 29th, 2012
4:24 pm
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Go Jackets
ChopChamps95
August 29th, 2012
4:26 pm
@Dawg for Life
Bama won’t miss a step with Eddie Lacey taking over for Richardson. He more than proved last year he was capable handling the load in TR’s absenses last year. He won’t be Heisman Trophy material but the dropoff between the two won’t be drastic either.
ChopChamps95
August 29th, 2012
4:27 pm
damn re-edit……fail on my part
Tide Rising
August 29th, 2012
4:30 pm
Dawg for Life,
Wrong. Bama really only replaces 4 defensive starters. And the guys replacing them are guys who’ve played extensively the last 2 years- Demarcus Milliner counts as a new starter at corner for example but has had 17 previous starts at corner. Vinnie Sunseri counts as a new starter at safety but he started the Bcs title game last year at safety. BTW we have 2 former 5 star safetys who are backups. Now THAT is depth.
The whole D-line and all the top backups return with us being 3 deep at defensive end. Jesse Williams is our preseason all American Nose tackle and the strongest man in college football with a 600 lb bench press.
On offense all 5 of our lineman will be in the pros. 2 are preseason all americans and a third -6′7 335 lb tackle DJ Fluker is projected as a 1st round draft pick along with the other 2 which includes Outland trophy winner Barrett Jones. 2 year starter Charlie Steen returns at guard and he will be in the pros for sure with 2 years left. Literally the only new starter on the O-line will be sophomore 6′6 325 lb Cyrus Kuandijo- a 5 star recruit and the no. 2 player in the nation coming out of high school 2 years ago. He will be a 1st round pro after his jr year. He is that good.
And our running backs go 4 deep. Eddie Lacy for the last 2 years had a higher ypc avg than Trent Richardson or Mark ingram @ an astounding 7.1 ypc. Behind him are 2 former 5 star recruits TJ Yeldon and Dee hart. And lets not forget 6′1 242 tailback Jalston Fowler.
As for wideouts our wideout corps is deeper and faster than its ever been. Our best receiver Marquis Maze didn’t even play in the bcs title game last year except for a punt return. His replacement Kevin Norwood took the Honey badger to school – 4 catches for 78 yards. We are loaded at wideout.
The talent all over the place is nothing short of obscene.
Dawg for Life
August 29th, 2012
4:33 pm
It’s ok on the fail, my computer screws up a lot! I don’t mind playing Al. Honestly, I pull for them out of the west, but you need more than one back. I know Lacey is great. No one can deny that, but he will get tired if no one else can establish themselves as an excellent runner. Teams that run power offenses can’t just rely on one back. You need at least two backs which can be rotated in at the one spot. If Lacey gets all the carries, Ala will loose 5 because by the end of the year, he will be exhausted if not hurt.
Tide Rising
August 29th, 2012
4:35 pm
“I just don’t think so. Ala will lose 3 maybe 4 games. Too much talent gone on offense, and the defense has holes too.”
Nope. The team has no holes. Depth and a ridiculous amount of talent is everywhere. We don’t rebuild at Alabama. We just reload.
And if you think Bama will lose 3 or 4 games this year you need to have your head examined. There is no serious person who knows football who thinks we could lose 3-4 games. We could lose to LSU and that’s about it. And even then we statistically dominated them in both games last year. They are the only team that has a chance against us.
Dawg for Life
August 29th, 2012
4:35 pm
It’s Tide rising that is pissing me off, he is obviously an idiot Chop Champs. He has no clue how this thing works. When you loose as much as you do on offense dumbass, you don’t win! END OF STORY! Look through history! It doesn’t matter how much talent you bring in, experience trumps it, and you have none on offense other than at QB! Georgia’s line is young, but they have seen game play, all except Theus!
Tide Rising
August 29th, 2012
4:36 pm
Dawg for life,
You think we could lose 3-4 games? There is no serious person in college football who believes that. Too much talent loaded up all over the field for us.
Dawg for Life
August 29th, 2012
4:37 pm
Tide rising, I never said bama didn’t have talent moron, I said they lost too much talent, and experience! Maybe if you had graduated elementary school before you married your sister, you would have cought that.
Dawg for Life
August 29th, 2012
4:38 pm
tide tampon, you are a fool and you will see.
Tide Rising
August 29th, 2012
4:38 pm
Dawg for life,
You’re not very bright are you? We return our 4 of 5 O line starters along with our tight end. Our wide receiver corps is the deepest and most talented its ever been. And we are 4 deep at tailback. Trent Richardson won’t even be missed. You don’t know much do you?
Dawg for Life
August 29th, 2012
4:42 pm
I know enough to know that you suck balls and can’t admit it. Just take a look at your depth chart and you will see it too. You will loose against LSU, ARK, and SC, possibly another stumble in there too.
Tokyo jacket
August 29th, 2012
4:42 pm
Mark, while I think your results are about accurate, I thin you’re missing looking at the oponents. UGA does have as cupcake a schedule as you can get in the SEC. That’s the real reason they win so many games this year. Likewise, GT plays a VT team replacing 8 offensive starters in their first game with their defensive MVP out w/ injury. GT plays a down Miami team, a down UNC team, and a BYU team that got WHOOPED by a Utah team that Tech should have beaten. There are no unwinnable games on the GT schedule, even in the ACCCG like an LSU or Bama for UGA. I’d say GT has a better shot of going BCS – just because they wouldn’t hit as big of a speed bump in the CCG as UGA.