ESPN hates UGA! No, wait! ESPN loves UGA! (Ah, clarity)
Don't fret, Dog-lovers. ESPN says you've got the edge in coaching. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
There are times when fans of every college team seem to believe ESPN is Out To Get Them. Tennessee backers have long held this to be true, insisting that the Worldwide Leader’s blather was the reason Charles Woodson won the 1997 Heisman Trophy over Peyton Manning. Georgia supporters, still recalling how Kirk Herbstreit dismissed the Bulldogs’ case for inclusion in the 2007 BCS title game, aren’t above such suspicion, either.
Not to rain on anybody’s conspiracy parade, but it could just be that the Worldwide Leader’s problem is that it employs every pundit in the world. When you have so much being said/written by so many different voices/scribes, you’re bound to tick off everybody at some juncture. This weeks offers an schizo case study.
Georgia’s game with South Carolina will be aired by ESPN, which knows no bounds when hyping itself. There has been so much written about the game on ESPN.com — and hey, it’s only Thursday! — as to boggle the mind. Here we cite specifics:
- KC Joyner, an ESPN Insider, has labeled Georgia “a flawed and overrated squad” that does not belong in the nation’s top five. (All these links require registration.) His reasons: The defense is lousy, the special teams are worse and the Bulldogs are flagged for too many penalties.
- Rod Gilmore, an Insider who also does commentary on broadcasts, calls Georgia one of three teams — West Virginia and Notre Dame being the others — who are “false kings.” He rips just-returned-from-suspension defenders Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo for their play against Tennessee, writing that they “took poor pursuit angles or were slow to recognize and diagnose plays.” Whoa, Nellie!
Those were the first two Georgia-based assessments posted on ESPN Insider this week, and they were enough to induce a Red & Black lather. (Speaking figuratively. I’ve never seen lather come in such bold hues.) But wait!
- The Scouts Inc. analysis — it’s compiled by Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl, and it’s detailed — on ESPN Insider picks Georgia to beat South Carolina 28-25. Its gives Georgia the advantage at quarterback (about whom more later), wide receivers, offensive line, linebackers, defensive backs — and coach! In related news, Steve Spurrier is seeking to have Scouts Inc. fired.
- Phil Steele, whose idiosyncratic yearbook Georgia fans enjoy and quote ad nauseum when he picks Georgia to do well, picks Georgia to beat South Carolina in his weekly post for ESPN Insider. (Here we pause to wonder: With everyone in creation seemingly an Insider, who’s left Outside?)
- Brock Huard, a former quarterback turned — you guessed it — an ESPN Insider, calls Aaron Murray the SEC’s best quarterback and writes that Murray’s long-sought “marquee win … should be coming Saturday night.”
It’s entirely possible that I’ve missed something on ESPN.com this week, but those five entries should suffice. Moral of our story: ESPN is large, and it contains multitudes. And if you happen to hate some point of view the Worldwide Leader espouses, wait 10 minutes and a differing take will rumble past.
Update: On cue, here’s another. In his Man Vs. Machine Upset Picks, Insider Will Harris – I assume he’s the Man in question – has South Carolina winning 28-20. I’m not sure how that’s an upset, seeing as how the Gamecocks opened as a favorite. (Though the betting line has narrowed considerably, which means pro-Georgia money is pouring in.)
By Mark Bradley
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266 comments Add your comment
VJ
October 4th, 2012
6:47 pm
UGA Special teams:
1- Only kicker in nation to hit 2 field goals in 2 tries of 50+ yards.
2- Kicker is #27 in scoring nationally
3- UGA is better on kick and punt return defense than ESPN darling ALABAMA.
4- UGA is ranked #1 in kick return offensive td’s.
5- UGA leads the nation in punt blocks (2).
If KC Joyner said UGA special teams stinks, he’s an incompetant idiot.
James Brown
October 4th, 2012
6:49 pm
Free Kolton Houston!
VJ
October 4th, 2012
6:57 pm
Auburn won the National Championship in 2010 by avering 41 points, and 500 yards a game on offense, and holding teams to 4 points in the 4th quarter on defense.
UGA is scoring 48 points per game, and averaging 540 yards per game on offense, and holding teams to 3.8 points in the 4th quarter on defense, and a td PER GAME in the 2nd half.
UGA is VERY SIMILAR to Auburn 2010 National Champions.
In 2011, UGA defense was high on stats, but folded in the 2nd half against Boise, LSU, SC, and Mich St. Richt ordered Grantham to fix that, emphasizing the 2nd half defensive scoring.
VJ
October 4th, 2012
7:10 pm
When Richt gets 200 yards rushing, he’s 24 wins-1 loss. UGA is averaging 250 yards rushing PER GAME. If Marshall-Gurley-Malcome-Murray run for 200+, UGA wins 24 of 25 times.
Richt is 12-5 against RANKED TEAMS in AWAY games. That’s winning 2 out of 3 games.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
October 4th, 2012
7:32 pm
close game, 4th quarter will decide the game- UGA 21 USCe 17
BreakingNews
October 4th, 2012
7:55 pm
GTBob:
You’re complaining about the crowd/atmosphere in Athens? Last time I checked, we don’t have fans falling out of the freakin’ stands…
hunkerdown
October 4th, 2012
7:58 pm
Being a Dawg fan I think the SEC is special GTBob. Having won 6 NC’s in a row the league I know they are special!
ColumbiaDawg
October 4th, 2012
8:04 pm
If Georgia wants to an elite team, then it has to win this game. This is more than beating South Carolina. This is about taking the step to be being mentioned in the same class as Alabama and LSU.
BreakingNews
October 4th, 2012
8:07 pm
Dawgs win this weekend…(everything finally comes together)
Gators win this weekend…(Mett looks awful so far)
Tigers blow up the scoreboard on the little Bees this weekend…(no comment needed)
Ol Oconee
October 4th, 2012
9:00 pm
I don’t give a rip about no ESPN, I’ve been hurtin for Munson for so long now! A friend in Atlanta sent me these guys, http://www.JoJaBoys.com , definitely solid to listen to. (but you may have to pause the DVR to link up with em)
FL dawg
October 4th, 2012
9:04 pm
I dunno, UGA has 2 darn good RB’s – USC 1. Limit Murray turnovers, cause USC turnovers. Win with, can’t beleive I’m saying this, THE fundamentals.
Seriously “dawg nation”, the OL and DL need to step up for the Bulldogs to be given any respect by anyone that knows football (elinates 90% of ESPN). GO Georgia!
Georgia Sandlapper
October 4th, 2012
9:44 pm
Three in Row!
BUG SQUASHER
October 4th, 2012
9:50 pm
GtBobbie we will put 50 points on you yellow flies and make you love it. It will be ugly in november. We own you pathetic high school team nerds. Go fly a kite cheerleader
Snake Doc
October 4th, 2012
9:55 pm
Who is Mark May and what has he ever done?
Did he once score 4 touchdowns in a pee wee league football game?
As you can tell I don’t like Mark May at all. Heck, even the CEO knows 10 million times more about football then the narcissistic Maydunce
BUG SQUASHER
October 4th, 2012
9:56 pm
Dawgs win and gators win to battle out the east. Tech gets drummed!!!!!!!!! Clemson game will be over by half time with a blow out over techies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You heard it right,will be real ugly. This game packs Paul Johnson,s suit case
BUG SQUASHER
October 4th, 2012
10:01 pm
THE SEC IS SUPERIOR TO ALL!!!! LIVE WITH IT,THIS IS LIFE AND HOW IT IS GOING TO BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TIM BUCK
October 4th, 2012
10:02 pm
YAWNNNNNNNNNNN GAWGEE IS WELL O V E R D U E……………
The Bear
October 4th, 2012
10:06 pm
Lou Holtz and Mark May hate the SEC. Holtz talks like his mouth is full of marbles!
Oh yea
Roll Tide
Bjohndawg
October 4th, 2012
10:17 pm
I have not seen one team that impresses me in every phase and really deserves to be number 1
including the dawgs
bama…needs to play a top team… Mich is not a top team
dawgs… Offensive production against weak defenses and defense so far nuf said
fsu…defense exposed by Clemson
Oregon …weak wash state owned them for first two qtrs
lsu….please too many scares by auburn and Towson state
south carolina…offense disappears like uga’s defense and that strong defense needs to play someone that can score
too early to call anyone great or even unanimous #1
starting next week some contenders will become pretenders
fan
October 4th, 2012
10:42 pm
That lowlife Herbstreit can stand the fact that Georgia kicked the snot out of Ohio St. when they played them…that be Ohio St of the “Little Ten”, the conference that can beat ANYBODY! You mention any team in the SEC and the “LITTLE TEN” quivers>
Delbert D.
October 4th, 2012
11:36 pm
Rankings don’t count for anything at this point; too many questionable out of conference games (Towson?). The rest of the season is likely to be full of shakeups. I wouldn’t question any team’s ranking in the top 10 or top 5. Somebody has to be ranked there.
A1Dog
October 5th, 2012
1:20 am
the game will be close early, but Ga’s O can’t be stopped–dogs roll in the second half. Ga 30-SC 20
davedawg
October 5th, 2012
1:44 am
October 4th, 2012
1:19 pm
KC Joyner, an ESPN Insider, has labeled Georgia “a flawed and overrated squad”
What does that make Yech?
davedawg
October 5th, 2012
1:58 am
stay away from turnovers,block clowney, don’t get fooled on trickeration. settle the nerves and we’ll be ok. We can match their talent man for man. don’t get too cocky or too conservitive. Play it like you practiced it.
college football was a dream of mine.All I needed was size and.speed. and talent and motivation.and brains.and a helmet.
davedawg
October 5th, 2012
2:01 am
I Like Georgias chances.
Columbus
October 5th, 2012
2:24 am
All the ESPN guys on the air picked Oklahoma State to beat Texas too…All of them. Texas won.
Why was Gilmore(who?)hatin on Rambo and Ogletree in their first game back? If it had NOT been their FIRST game back….the game would not have been nearly as close because they had MANY near misses that would have been huge plays and turnovers. That wont be happening when the rust is off. Also…if UGA wins Sat….I want to hear what Joyner and Gimore have to say then. Will UGA still be overrated? Overrated with their offense and the defense not hitting on all cylinders? The UGA defense sucks?…lets see any defense play Tenn with 4 guys just facing their first real tests and 2 their first game. Lets see how MUCH better the UGA offense is with Mitchell giving defenses nightmares and still having to cover the other 3 receivers, tight ends and oh yeah, the running backs! Overrated? Florida is overrated.
Another thing…..SC has not played a team that has a winning record…..until THIS SAT.
Columbus
October 5th, 2012
2:40 am
That sorry defense sure gets a lot of turnovers and with the 4 starters back will only get better and better and will get more and more turnovers…..
Its going to be a long night for Conner Shaw or Lattimore one. We gonna focus on the run or the pass? I will guess the run definitely because they want to control clock and keep our offense off the field. If jarvis has a good game its over. And if Murray dont choke. I dont think he will. I think he will have his best game ever in a BIG game. I look for Shaw to throw crucial picks and the vaunted SC defense to not know what hit them. They are stingy in the red zone? They havent played a team with a winning record….
They havent played nothing like they are about to experience and basically, if UGA does NOT screw up like last year or like the 2nd quarter last WEEK, UGA is going to beat SC by 10 on their field and its going to be AWESOME!
UGA -31 SC- 20 OH YEAH THE UGA DEFENSE HAS ITS COMING OUT PARTY AND SO DOES UGA AS A SERIOUS CONTENDER FOR THE…..NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. THIS IS GOING THE SEASON UGA IS REWARDED FOR ENDURING THE REBUILDING YEARS AND NOT FIRING RICHT…HE ENDURED WITH CHARACTER AND GRACE. UGA GREW UP AND MATURED THROUGH THAT AND WILL REAP THE BENEFITS. THE STORM WAS WEATHERED. THE CLOUDS ARE GONE AND WE ARE STRONGER FOR IT AND ABOUT TO GO TO COLUMBIA AND COME OUT WITH A HUGE W SATURDAY NIGHT….GO DAWGS. LOVE YOU COACH!
Ellijay
October 5th, 2012
5:56 am
YOU MUST WIN YOUR CONFERENCE TO EVEN BE CONSIDERED FOR THE MNC GAME – Footnote One – Per ESPN bylaws does not apply to Bama
Footnote Two – Per ESPN bylaws does not apply to LSU
Grantham's The Man!
October 5th, 2012
7:03 am
@ Mark Bradley. I agree for the most part. I do think ESPN decided to ”keep” Ga out of the MNCG in 2007.
It didn’t matter that Oklahoma was not a Conference Champion, then it did matter that Ga was not, then it didn’t matter that Alabama was not.
It didn’t help that ESPN needed to cover for Kirk Hurbstreat’s botched prediction of the Michigan’s man’s not to be departure.
Either way ESPN stood united, and with one voice when they went against UGA.
Mike
October 5th, 2012
7:14 am
But what impact will the UGA vs. South Carolina game have on Tim Tebow’s quest to be the QB of the Jets? Coming up next on Sports Center.
Predictor
October 5th, 2012
7:37 am
ESPN celebrates winners and marginalizes losers. That’s why winners love them and losers hate them.
When Dawg fans start loving ESPN, that’s when you’ll know that Mark Richt is unemployed.
Carolina Bays
October 5th, 2012
7:43 am
South Carolina 45, Georgia 31
The Evil Genius prevails once again over the hapless pretender Mark Richt.
How do those hobnail boots feel on your throat, dawggies?
Rodster
October 5th, 2012
7:51 am
Lou Holtz is adlepated.
AAAAA Athens Bail Bonds R Us
October 5th, 2012
7:52 am
How many dawgs arrested today?
Predictor
October 5th, 2012
7:55 am
@Carolina Bays
I agree that this will be a high-scoring affair. Neither team has a dominant defense. Aside from LSU and Alabama, SEC football is looking more and more like Big 12 football this year.
Dawg Tired
October 5th, 2012
8:14 am
While Rod Gilmore demonstrates on TV on a weekly basis that he is not the brightest light on the Christmas tree, his analysis about how Ogeltree and Rambo played poorly against UT is right on. Both frequently took poor angles and ended up taking themselves totally out of the play. Ogeltree was noticeably out of position on running plays up the middle. If they play that poorly against USCe, the Dawgs are in for a long night because no one on the coaching staff seems to be paying attention when players are in a funk.
Buckeye
October 5th, 2012
8:25 am
Is it just me or have the adds on ajc.com just about become unbearable?
P.S. dogs go down. Go Cocks?
What do you expect?
October 5th, 2012
8:29 am
And I’m sure every employee at the AJC thinks one team will win (certainly someone there thinks UGA can win on the road?)
What’s wrong with a difference of opinion? I didn’t realize a “network” needed to declare a winner. If that were the case, get rid of all the pregame crap where they have five guys/gals get up there and say who they think will win and why.
Jenny
October 5th, 2012
9:32 am
Your a terrible writer and hard to follow.
GTBob
October 5th, 2012
10:12 am
Being a Dawg fan I think the SEC is special GTBob. Having won 6 NC’s in a row the league I know they are special!
The SEC usually has 1-2 special teams. Not a special conference overall.
dap01
October 5th, 2012
10:57 am
ESPN is a self promoting joke. I can’t wait each week for a new ESPN segment on Notre DAme or on Tiger Woods or on Tebow running without a shirt on.
pb
October 5th, 2012
11:05 am
The Worldwide Network is endlessly self-promoting is true. But they are usually right about Georgia failing, when it comes to beating the highly rated teams. LIke last year against Boise State, South Carolina, and of course LSU. But maybe this year at SC will be different. Do not like losing to the “Evil Genius” Spurrier and his big mouth !
"Off the Mark" Bradley
October 5th, 2012
11:13 am
If gilmore and joyner are correct then SC handles uga running away with it. Time shall tell. “I got a funny feelin that aint happenin” GTBob, you seem a little bitter about something…..
Good Stuff
October 5th, 2012
12:30 pm
GTBob if UGA wins Saturday:
“Well SC is overrated. Who have the beaten?”
GTBob if SC wins Saturday:
“See I told you UGA was overrated.”
jarvis
October 5th, 2012
12:52 pm
Well one things for sure GTBob, Tech isn’t overrated.
jarvis
October 5th, 2012
12:53 pm
How many “special” teams has the A-she-she had in the last decade?
More ESPN: Somebody thinks the Braves will win the World Series! | Mark Bradley
October 5th, 2012
12:59 pm
[...] of the Worldwide Leader and its many voices: ESPN has polled its baseball writers, and one of them believes these Braves are bound for glory. [...]
Ekim56
October 5th, 2012
1:08 pm
I found that my blood pressure got a whole lot better when I just stopped watching ESPN. I can’t avoid them completely, because sometimes there’s just a game on that I want to watch a lot. But even then 90% of the time I will turn down the sound. And I never watch SportsCenter or any of their other shows.
The final straw for me was “The Decision.”
ARdawg
October 5th, 2012
2:03 pm
Bring it
Jimbo
October 5th, 2012
2:44 pm
Lord help us if beating South Carolina causes Lou Holtz to have a heart attack or stroke on national TV. Geeze if it were not for Mr. Holtz ND and SC would just be a couple of NCAA football teams like everyone else. Mark have you ever noticed that if ESPN replays a Georgia game it’s one Georgia lost? Can’t wait to see ol Lou-Lou choke on that rat.