Heat Check: Falcons and Bulldogs and Hawks, oh my!!!
Michael Turner, who can still play a bit, is pumped after scoring against Big D. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Our weekly Heat Check begins with the hottest team around. No, not Georgia State.
FALCONS: Made it to 8-0, disappointing Al Michaels and especially Cris Collinsworth in the process. Stacked 453 yards on Rob Ryan’s star-spangled Dallas defense. Next up is New Orleans in the Superdome, site of last December’s Drew Brees rub-it-in record-breaking. Barometer reading: Some in the national keep saying none of this matters if the Falcons don’t win a playoff game. When last I checked, there are no playoff games scheduled until January. Bradley’s Rule: Can’t win in January unless you qualify for the postseason, and being 8-0 makes qualification one less thing to sweat.
GEORGIA: That wobble at South Carolina aside, the Bulldogs are almost exactly where we figured they’d be. Picked to win the SEC East, they’re in position to do just that. Ranked No. 6 nationally in preseason, they’re No. 5 in the latest BCS standings. Barometer reading: Let’s say Georgia keeps winning and manages to topple No. 1 Alabama in the Dome. Could a 13-1 SEC champ that has beaten both the No. 2 and No. 1 teams (according to the BCS) possibly be left out of the BCS title game?
GEORGIA TECH: Believe it or not, the Jackets won a game. Believe it or not, they could still win the ACC Coastal Division. Believe it or not, they might even play for the ACC title without actually winning the Coastal Division, given that Miami is apparently mulling the option of again recusing itself from postseason play. Barometer reading: From two overtime losses to a 21-point thrashing by Middle Tennessee to the dismissal of defensive coordinator Al Groh to the departure of AD Dan Radakovich to … the Orange Bowl? Seriously?
HAWKS: Lost their opener despite limiting the Rockets’ starting guards to 66 points. Won two nights later at Oklahoma City, which played for the NBA title only five months ago. Barometer reading: Not to say I told you so, but I kind of did. This is going to be one wild team to watch.
BRAVES: Re-upped Brian McCann, Tim Hudson and Paul Maholm. Re-acquired Jordan Schafer. Are said to be interested in Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton, who figure to be the priciest free agents on the board. Barometer reading: It was reported by John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus that Hamilton’s asking price is $25 million a year. (That’s twice what Chipper Jones was making.) Also according to Perrotto, Hamilton wants a seven-year deal. He ain’t gettin’ it here.
GEORGIA STATE: Panthers lost their ninth game of an 11-game season and their sixth of six home games. They also named their locker room after coach Bill Curry, who’s retiring after Saturday’s game at Maine. Barometer reading: Curry’s career record is 93-127-4. Not many coaches who have a career winning percentage of .424 get anything nice named after them. Most such coaches only get called nasty names.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: It starts in earnest this week, and it will, as you may know, end here. Barometer reading: April 6, 2013 — the Final Four tips off in the Georgia Dome.
Further reading: Regarding that question about Georgia and the BCS title game … here’s the answer. (For now, anyway).
By Mark Bradley
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171 comments Add your comment
based in reality dawg fan
November 5th, 2012
10:24 am
Georgia is too undisciplined to beat Oregon…that one would get ugly early…and probably lead to talk of expulsion from the SEC…
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 5th, 2012
10:25 am
barnyfife
I agree
The only thing Ive been glad to see is Richt finally earn his overpaid salary for once and beat FL 2 yrs in a row
Ivan
November 5th, 2012
10:25 am
“When last I checked, there are no playoff games scheduled until January. Bradley’s Rule: Can’t win in January unless you qualify for the postseason, and being 8-0 makes qualification one less thing to sweat”
THANK YOU MARK!!!
Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract
November 5th, 2012
10:26 am
Bama’s lone WR got hurt against LSU. How hurt is he?
Marlon Brown=big loss, just starting to be a difference maker
We need to beat Auburn, the GSU, then Tech.
Bama has Johnny football to deal with this week and that kid is special.
DP
November 5th, 2012
10:27 am
To Mike S. and other blinded Dawgs, Alabama wasn’t “passed in” last year under the “same circumstances”. Alabama lost by 3 in OT to the #1 ranked team and pounded everybody else they played. Georgia lost by 28 to the #8 ranked team and has been unimpressive in most of their other games against a weak schedule. Alabama got in only because Oklahoma State lost to unranked Iowa State late in the season. There’s no way Alabama would have or should have gotten into the championship game had Oklahoma State gone undefeated. Yet you have Delusional Dawg fans like Mike S. and Mark Bradley pretending Georgia, with one very bad loss, should get in ahead of 2 of 3 among undefeated Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame.
Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract
November 5th, 2012
10:27 am
based in reality
When is the parade in Columbia for “Ten wins and beating UGA”?
Are you going to make rings too?
GTBob
November 5th, 2012
10:28 am
Oh come on Mark. You know full well that a 1 loss UGA team is not going to go to the BCS championship over an undefeated Oregon, K-State, or Notre Dame team. Especially with the schedule UGA has played. Playing 3 tough games and winning 2 of them won’t override the fact that the rest of UGA’s schedule has been complete garbage.
Ted M
November 5th, 2012
10:30 am
Wouldn’t that be terrible and typical if the Dawgs had a chance to beat ‘Bama and didn’t because of stupid personal fouls?
Ivan
November 5th, 2012
10:33 am
Donna is on the Bears bandwagon. That’s fine. I think a Bears @ Falcons NFC Championship game sounds entertaining.
based in reality dawg fan
November 5th, 2012
10:34 am
@Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract…not an SC fan, wouldn’t know about that…
JB
November 5th, 2012
10:35 am
I watched Tenn play SC and was just amazed what a difference for Tenn having a really good OL. It was the difference in the game. I look at this next class Georgia has committed and it’s still weak thus far for OL. We should be signing 4 to 5 every years and have 15-20 in the program at anyone time. Maybe that’s too many, but I feel it’s been the weakest link in Athens for about the last 4 to 5 years. Up till this year, We couldn’t open a hole.
Beast from the East
November 5th, 2012
10:47 am
JB,
Have you seen UT’s defense? Just gave up over 700 yards to Troy on Saturday. Seven freakin hundred to Troy!?!?
Optical illusion ...
November 5th, 2012
10:49 am
ND, arguably, has more “pull” in CFB than the SEC. Will be tough jump a 0 loss Irish. ND’s O isn’t good, so UGA could win a 17-14 type game here.
K-St & Oregon are different animals all together. K-St has the D to stop UGA’s O, and their O & STs would put points on the board. And Oregon’s D is better than you idiots think. USC’s O is much more potent than UGA’s. K-St & Oregon would embarrass UGA.
Those are just the teams ranked AHEAD of UGA (excluding BAMA) that, IMO, of which the Dawgs could only be 1.
There’s plenty of teams behind UGA that are, IMO, better than the Dawgs. But, the “suits” say they don’t play in the SEC so tough noogies. FSU & Clemson would both score like UT did or more vs. UGA. Clemson’s D would keep UGA in it, but FSU’s is a different story. Oklahoma beats UGA too. As does Oregon St., USC, and Texas A&M. And Tex Tech probably too.
UGA is 1-1 vs. GOOD competition. And the W was aided by 6 turnovers.
Optical illusion ...
November 5th, 2012
10:52 am
Oh I forgot about Standford. The Cardinal, with their D, beats UGA too.
Habersham Dawg
November 5th, 2012
10:53 am
And the W was aided by 6 turnovers.
Yes, 6 turnovers that the defense caused. That is a sign of a ball-hawking D, which means that it is finally coming together.
bamaguy
November 5th, 2012
10:54 am
There is nothing the TV executives would want more than an Alabama/Notre Dame National Championship Game. The TV ratings would blow through the roof.
If there is any way they can make that happen, they will. But no one loss team gets in, whether it is Georgia, Alabama, K State, Notre Dame, Oregon or anyone else. And ever other conference was hoping for an LSU victory so that NO SEC team would get in.
Beast from the East
November 5th, 2012
10:55 am
Optical Illusion,
You mean that FSU team that lost NC State or the one that was preseason national champs?
Optical illusion ...
November 5th, 2012
10:58 am
Way to exercise your First Amendment rights, Habersham Dawg.
another reality grounded DAWG
November 5th, 2012
11:01 am
“Could a 13-1 SEC champ that has beaten both the No. 2 and No. 1 teams (according to the BCS) possibly be left out of the BCS title game?”
The answer, unfortunately, is ABSOLUTELY! Fire Richt.
DP
November 5th, 2012
11:01 am
Mark, it was funny last night to see you passing off issues about posts not showing up to the “AJC filter”, as if you don’t trap the comments of everybody you don’t like in your own “your comment is awaiting moderation” filter.
Better to just censor any comments that you don’t like than to have to actually debate ideas and/or defend nonsensical assertions, isn’t it Mark?
How many are on your censorship list?
based in reality dawg fan
November 5th, 2012
11:02 am
let’s talk about the UGA squad that lost by 28 on national tv…the team that Brent and Herbie called unprepared and undisciplined…that is the real UGA…any NCG talk should be tempered with a video copy of that game…
Rick James
November 5th, 2012
11:03 am
Josh Hamillton needs twice as much as Chipper Jones because he needs to pay his baby sitter.I’d rather have Michael Bourne..Hamilton is just too fragile emotionally.LSU showed us Saturday that Alabama is not the unbeatable monster that some think they are.Kudos to Mark Richt for pulling for Alabama because he wants to play the number 1 team in the nation for the SEC championship instead of a team Georgia might have a better chance at beating.
based in reality dawg fan
November 5th, 2012
11:07 am
Kudos to Mark Richt for pulling for Alabama because he wants to play the number 1 team in the nation for the SEC championship instead of a team Georgia might have a better chance at beating.
++++++++++++++++++++++
too bad Suntan Mark was apparently pulling for South Carolina in a nationally televised game. UGA vs Nebraska in the WHo Cares Bowl somewhere in Florida New Years Day…
Rick James
November 5th, 2012
11:08 am
@based in reality dawg fan
let’s talk about the UGA squad that lost by 28 on national tv…the team that Brent and Herbie called unprepared and undisciplined…that is the real UGA…any NCG talk should be tempered with a video copy of that game…
——————————————————————————————————————————–
Nobody forgot South Carolina Tech fan..But you seem to have forgotten Georgia beating the number 2 Florida team.Which was worse for Tech the Middle Tennesee St loss or the BYU homecoming loss?
Red Stick
November 5th, 2012
11:09 am
The ugly loss to SC may very well keep Georgia out of the BCS title game. That definitely will be brought up by those in the media hoping to end the SEC’s run.
Of course the Dogs would have to beat Bama which I just don’t see happening.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Jay
November 5th, 2012
11:12 am
No uga should not unless every other team loses. Even alabama should be ahead of them if they beat them because bamas loss would be to a top team and certainly not a blowout loss. quality of wins and losses does count. 35-7 will be enough to keep them out over a one loss nd oregon etc.
C
November 5th, 2012
11:12 am
Falcons. 8-0.
JB
November 5th, 2012
11:15 am
Beast, I know. Dooley is a goner. The Arkansas, Kentucky,Tennessee and probably Auburn programs all need a coach.
Rick James
November 5th, 2012
11:15 am
@GTBob
November 5th, 2012
10:28 am
Oh come on Mark. You know full well that a 1 loss UGA team is not going to go to the BCS championship over an undefeated Oregon, K-State, or Notre Dame team. Especially with the schedule UGA has played. Playing 3 tough games and winning 2 of them won’t override the fact that the rest of UGA’s schedule has been complete garbage.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
Didnt I try to tell this very same thing a couple of days ago Bob? Again if Georgia’s schedule strength is 38th in the country and you call it garbage what do you call Tech’s which is 90th? At least Georgia beats the teams on it’s “garbage schedule” There’s the SEC and there’s everybody else.Get over it.
RiffRaff
November 5th, 2012
11:16 am
Bama wins out regardless including the SECCG. Just hope the Dawgs show up and make it a game. For once.
based in reality dawg fan
November 5th, 2012
11:16 am
careful Jay…they’ll call you a SC/Tech fan…ooooohhhhh the pain!
JB
November 5th, 2012
11:19 am
A 13-0 Bama team will play someone for the title. And not trying to start something, But the Bama people need to be a little worried about Saban. That will be title #3 there, and nowhere to go but down. He might think, what else can I do here and entertain some of that big retirement money being thrown his way by Texas and the Browns if rumors are true. His college legacy is cemented.
JB
November 5th, 2012
11:21 am
Will Bobo interview for any of the jobs coming open???…. Ok, I’m a little tense about tomorrow and just needed a little comic relief.
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 5th, 2012
11:23 am
GT Bob
while I will agree that UGA has only played 2 teams this year worth anything
Techs schedule is the one that is complete garbage;
you havent played against anyone yet but you will your last game
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 5th, 2012
11:24 am
JB
Im hoping Bobo will interview somewhere;
Thing is; no one is asking him for an interview; which really baffles me with all this Bobo is such an offensive guru talk on these blogs
Dawg1
November 5th, 2012
11:24 am
If UGA does beat Bama – they do not make it to the NCS game.
Not shot..
If the SEC reign is to continue – Bama will have to win out. And while I think they wlll beat A&M – this game could be interesting.
JB – I do not agree. I think Saban learned his lesson afte leaving LSU forr the Dolphins. The guy would be foolish to leave Bama. Now, he might use Texas or the Browns to rewrite his contract – but that’s it.
Rick James
November 5th, 2012
11:26 am
@JB
Will Bobo interview for any of the jobs coming open???…. Ok, I’m a little tense about tomorrow and just needed a little comic relief.
———————————————————————————————————————————
Neither will Paul Johnson,Nick Saban Les Miles or Chip Kelly..Your point is what?
based in reality dawg fan
November 5th, 2012
11:26 am
Smart takes over for Saban as Nick heads to Austin for probably &10 mill a year…Strong to Arkansas, Tubberville to Tennessee, Taggart/LAM coach Berry/ Addazio to Kentucky, Chizik gets one more year at Auburn…write it down, or if you are a Georgia grad, get someones help writing it down..
Rick James
November 5th, 2012
11:32 am
@Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
Thing is; no one is asking him for an interview; which really baffles me with all this Bobo is such an offensive guru talk on these blogs
——————————————————————————————————————————–
He’s not an offensive guru nor is he the idiot that people say he is either..He is a great recruiter however.Maybe CMR should just allow him to coach quarterbacks and hire Bobby Petrino to run the offense.Would you be ok with that?
Beast from the East
November 5th, 2012
11:36 am
Rick James,
Petrino will be a head coach next year…not an OC.
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 5th, 2012
11:36 am
The point is Bobo’s name never comes up during a vacancy
I wonder why????
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 5th, 2012
11:38 am
Rick James
I would be fine with Petrino being our OC
We might finally beat teams that have good defenses
But Petrino isnt going to be an OC; he will probably end up at KY
based in reality dawg fan
November 5th, 2012
11:38 am
Richts coaching tree looks alot like a telephone pole….
Buckeye
November 5th, 2012
11:40 am
Go Falcons!
Buckeye
November 5th, 2012
11:42 am
The dogs schedule has been a joke. 7 of 8 wins came against teams that are a combined 25-39. Add sorry Auburn (SEC! SEC!) to the mix and it’s even more of a joke.
GTBob
November 5th, 2012
11:43 am
Didnt I try to tell this very same thing a couple of days ago Bob? Again if Georgia’s schedule strength is 38th in the country and you call it garbage what do you call Tech’s which is 90th?
Here are the Sagarin SOS rankings for each team currently in contention:
Bama: 17th
K-State: 33rd
Notre Dame: 16th
Oregon: 47th
UGA: 39th
These are the current SOS rankings which means Oregon and Notre Dame will more than likely improve in the coming weeks and UGA will more than likely get worse because of the terrible teams left on their schedule. So at the end of the season even if UGA plays Alabama they will have a worse SOS then the other teams in contention and will have more losses.
Walker, Texas Ranger
November 5th, 2012
11:44 am
LOL based in reality dawg fan.
Mark, nice backhand of Michaels and Collinsworth but so true.
And on Hamilton, 7 years to him looks a lot better that what ever Albert got at Ana of LA Angels. He was already in decline, At least Hamilton is still peaking.
Buckeye
November 5th, 2012
11:44 am
“Let’s say……..”
Gimme a break. Bama will make dogs look like toddlers.
Let’s not mention twiddle butt Murray’s record against top 25 teams.
GTBob
November 5th, 2012
11:45 am
Techs schedule is the one that is complete garbage;
Yes it is. I don’t think Tech should make the BCS championship either. Happy?
Walker, Texas Ranger
November 5th, 2012
11:46 am
Telephone pole, still laughing.