Aaron Murray stays, which puts Georgia back in the hunt
"Coach, maybe we'll get us one of those nice crystal trophies next year." (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Fort Lauderdale -- The cream of football journalism had gathered for a media party at our hotel overlooking the ocean — the Atlantic, I believe it is — when esteemed former colleague Mark Schlabach, lately of ESPN, rushed over and said, “Aaron Murray’s staying.” And we managed to tear ourselves away from our paella to ponder where this puts the Georgia Bulldogs headed in the 2013 season. (Never mind that the 2012 campaign has one game to go.)
Pretty darn high, we decided. (I know exactly where Mr. Schlabach has the Bulldogs in his not-yet-published Top 25 for 2013, but I’ll let him do those honors.) I’d say Georgia has again become the favorite to win the SEC East, and I’d say — this is just me — this again puts the Bulldogs at/near the top five.
Figure Alabama will be preseason No. 1. Figure Notre Dame will be up there, too, and Texas A&M. (I sat in on a press conference for award winners later this afternoon, and someone asked the Heisman holder Johnny Manziel if he thought the Aggies would be ranked No. 1 in August. He smiled and said, “I feel like we’ve got a lot of tools coming back.”) And Oregon, now assuming Chip Kelly stays, will be good again, and Stanford and Ohio State and Louisville and Clemson, too. Plus the three best teams in the SEC East, which makes a Top 11, does it not?
But I’d told Noah Coslov of CineSport earlier Sunday that I thought the East would be a three-way tussle involving Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, and that the Gamecocks would hold the edge if Murray left for the NFL. But apparently he’s staying, and he’s a very good college quarterback, and you’d have to think Georgia is again the East’s top dog, pun somewhat intended.
I know, I know. The Bulldogs have to replace nearly their entire defense, and that won’t be easy. But all those banner recruiting classes have created depth, and the offense should be among the very best in the land. The schedule is tough early — Georgia opens at Clemson and must play South Carolina and LSU in September — but if the Bulldogs are going to stay relevant they’re going to have to prove they can handle a more taxing regimen.
I’m not going to go so far as to say Georgia punched its ticket to the 2014 BCS title game one night before the 2013 edition is played. (Crazy as I am, I’m not that crazy.) Still, Murray’s announcement should put the Bulldogs back in the ol’ hunt. They were five yards and five points short of being here. Maybe they’ll find those five yards and five points next time.
(For the record, this marks the second time I’ve ducked away from a BCS media party to react to breaking news. The first was in January 2007, and we were in Scottsdale, Ariz., when word circulated that the Falcons had hired Bobby Petrino. I rushed back to the room and proclaimed it a splendid move. I slightly missed that one.)
By Mark Bradley
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222 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
January 7th, 2013
8:53 am
Muray was told by the NFL he would be 2nd or 3rd round.
Reality
January 7th, 2013
8:54 am
Why would this put ga at the top? The only reason they made it this season was SC had to play ga fla and lsu in consecutive weeks. Ga doesn’t have a cupcake schedule next year. And they lose like 4 key players on D including the two most important. Nose tackle and jarvis. You can’t replace that. The offense will be good but the defense will be weak next year. And I wonder how bored murray will get doing the same thing. When he loses to clemson, I see the season falling apart.
bubba4dawgs
January 7th, 2013
8:56 am
Find a gorilla in the JUCO ranks to handle Clowney and UGA will take care of the chickens. The DAWGS need to make a statement with them this year! If not, then I doubt they can be looking for a BCS game. GO DAWGS!!
DawgFan
January 7th, 2013
8:56 am
Leave Hutson now.
Dont believe the lies and promises any longer.
DawgFan
January 7th, 2013
8:58 am
Aaron Murray will never win a championship for the Dawgs.
He’s had his chances.
Selfish
DAWGMAN
January 7th, 2013
9:02 am
Academics will be very important. Open field tackling.
rip
January 7th, 2013
9:03 am
Murray has to go. Start Matson. Stats show that on odd numbered Saturdays, 82 percent of Murray’s passes hit only the third finger on the receivers hand. On even numbered Saturdays 89 percent. A great QB(anybody but an UGA qb-says Tech’s, Floridas’ or Bama’s would have hit only 2 percent). This is all Bobo’s fault and Richts’ also. Fire them and hire Bubba McPhee from down at the trolls service station.
Tom
January 7th, 2013
9:06 am
Murray peaked this year. Now he will just pad his stats but the ga defense will be average next year. They will lose 2-3 games and his draft will remain the same. Mistake imo.
DAWGMAN
January 7th, 2013
9:12 am
Pick up the pace. Enhance the TE play.
trailerparkted
January 7th, 2013
9:16 am
I was hoping Murray would leave, he sucks against tough sec opponets! SC 11-31 for 109yards 35% completion 1 pick…………..Florida 12-24 150yards 50% completion 3 picks……..he’s great against mediocre opponets.
aj
January 7th, 2013
9:18 am
Wonder if Hutson Mason is having second thoughts about not transferring???
Herman from Mineral Bluff
January 7th, 2013
9:19 am
CMR should have made it part of the deal that if Mason redshirts, Murray leaves after this last season. Had he left, he’d be starting for someone in September. Instead, he’ll watch Murray take the snaps he and we were led to believe would be his. All because you idiots believe you actually won the Bama game. Murray s coming back to lead you to what? A 9-3 record at best?
AltamahaDawg
January 7th, 2013
9:21 am
Maybe for him, Tom. Although I would be willing to bet THIS is what the professionals adviced him to do. It could be that he can’t take this 2013 team any further, but nobody ever “peaks” if they sharpen thier skill another year. Maybe he doesn’t move up in the draft, maybe he will, but appearantly his place now was pretty clear and it wasn’t where he wanted to be. Plus , IMO, Georgia’s pure W/L record in 2013 is not going to be how the scouts evaluate his professional prospects. Especially if the losses are to legit top10 teams, as you suggest. So that’s that part.
As far as his college career, Murray gives us the change TO win those (2-3) games, at least. So for UGA, this is good news.
Personally I think its a pretty cool deal to be witness to the type of (school and conference) records he is going to set while at UGA. I think those kinds of things have always been a point of pride for any fan of any school.
DAWGMAN
January 7th, 2013
9:23 am
Be ready to play the first game. And each one after that. Assume nothing. And discipline.
Finally, some humility and self respect.
g is a stupid letter
January 7th, 2013
9:23 am
Now Mason knows what Bret Hart felt like after the Montreal screw-job.
Raiderbeater
January 7th, 2013
9:26 am
AM I the ONLY person who realizes it’s a good thing our “ME” players on defesne are gone from 2012!!???? I’m glad the younger guys have to step into their rolse and play together as a team. The 2012 squad didn’t!!!! The 2013 defense will be statistically better at points allowed than 2012….you heard it here first.
2012’s defense was awful with all those “pros”.
trueblueeagle
January 7th, 2013
9:33 am
Mark you know that UGA is not going to beat Clemson, South Carolina and LSU at the most there going to be 2-2 by start of Oct. With no defense that can stop the run USC and LSU will play keep away from Murry and company. Get real Mark and stop drinking the UGA Kool aid.
g is a stupid letter
January 7th, 2013
9:35 am
Raiderbeater, bet you said the same thing after the 2008 season. See the 2009 and 2010 seasons for details. Its always the players fault with you CMR fans.
Buckeye
January 7th, 2013
10:02 am
Not so fast.
After tonight, the dogs will take there delusional off-season #1 ranking through dog day and Fall practice until the games start.
Then, the dogs start 1-3 out of the gate and are afterthoughts until signing day and Dream Team #5 and re-take their rightful place.
MontanaDawg
January 7th, 2013
10:03 am
Mark, not sure if I agree with your assessment of Murray or the Dawgs next year. Murray shows strokes of brillance at times, but he is not even close to the well-rounded weapon that Johnny Football is for A&M. Murray can be great, but most times I cringe when he goes back to pass. Will it be a completion or an interception? He has little scrambling ability and his aim can be erratic. He hasn’t won any BIG games in his career. I do think his game matured a bit with his performance against Alabama and Nebraska. Let’s hope he keeps that edge. BUT, our defense will have to be re-built and we face a very tough September schedule. It will be a miracle if we can get out of September with just one loss. Just being a realist.
Red Stick
January 7th, 2013
10:20 am
Mark, you are the most delusional writer I’ve ever seen. UGA in the top 5 and losing nearly the entire defense? Heck, LSU is losing 6 starters on that side of the ball and I don’t expect them to be even near the top 5 in 2013.
Players like Jarvis Jones, Ogletree and Rambo are not easily replaced. We have the same issue replacing Montgomery, Minter, Reid and Mingo.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Dru
January 7th, 2013
10:27 am
Teams in the SEC better than UGA:
1) Alabama
2) LSU
3) Texas A/M
4) South Carolina
5) Florida
National teams better than Georgia:
Ohio State
1) Notre Dame
2) Stanford
3) Oregon
4) Clemson
5) Florida State
6) Oklahoma
7) Louisville
9) Wisconsin
10) Nebraska
Dru
January 7th, 2013
10:28 am
Boise State and Mich St is also better than Georgia.
AltamahaDawg
January 7th, 2013
10:30 am
If LSU was returning everybody off of the most prolific offense in LSU history, I bet they would be near the top 5.
Are they?
AltamahaDawg
January 7th, 2013
10:30 am
If LSU was returning everybody off of the most prolific offense in LSU history, I bet they would be near the top 5.
Are they?
Dru
January 7th, 2013
10:33 am
I’d put UGA #18 pre-season.
They start slow each season with Aaron Murray.
So early losses to Clemson, South Carolina and LSU will knock them out of the top 25.
AltamahaDawg
January 7th, 2013
10:35 am
And where would you put your team preseason, Dru?
Rick James
January 7th, 2013
10:36 am
This news is really upsetting Tech fans..
AltamahaDawg
January 7th, 2013
10:37 am
My guess if that you have very little knowledge of what any of those 3 teams are going to look like in 2013, and would be hard pressed to name a dozen players combined.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
January 7th, 2013
10:43 am
Alabama has no true pass rushing defensive lineman thus Murray has plenty of time and he did very well. When he has pressure he chokes and that is documented for all. The UGA defense will be much worse in 2013 so beating UF,Clemson, and USCe will be very difficult. LSU has lost 9 EE to the NFL so that game will not be as tuff as the above games. Jarvis played hide a lot of issues in the UGA defense that will be seen in 2013. Top 5…yeah right…top 15 is about right.
RTR22
January 7th, 2013
10:49 am
Maybe he can beat LSWho and win a big game…….. SECCG not so much 2011, 2012 or 2013
John W. Holmes
January 7th, 2013
10:49 am
Football is a game of inches
AltamahaDawg
January 7th, 2013
10:55 am
Jarvis Jones couldn’t win a big game either. Would you want him back?
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:00 am
@NCDAWG you’re known as ThUGA because you have more players with criminal records than any other college team out there.
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:03 am
@Dru Alabama and A&M are definitele better teams than uga. Notre Dame and Ohio State are better teams. The rest of your list is BS.
drdawg
January 7th, 2013
11:08 am
This will further delay the development of our other QBs. Don’t get excited unless we get through September with all “W”s.
HawksFanSince'89
January 7th, 2013
11:15 am
We’ll probably be ranked 13# after we loose to SC and possibly another ranked opponent, and win another mediocre bowl game next year.
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:21 am
I seriously doubt that told Murray 2nd or 3rd round. I bet they said you’d go undrafted and so he is coming back to hopefully improve.
But he’s coming back to a team that no longer has the benefit of a cupcake schedule. So supposedly talented defense players couldn’t run the 3-4, why would a bunch of nobodys be able to run it better?
So without a defense they’re supposed to start their first game ON THE ROAD against a very good Clemson team that is aiming for a national championship? Then comes a South Carolina team that is more experienced and talented and won the last 3 meetings? Then comes LSU, which despite it’s coach, is loaded with talent on defense?
That’s a 1-3 start. Easily.
And what if Auburn’s Malzahn and our old recruiter and UT’s No Name guy turn out to be very good? That could easily be two more road losses as both games are away. And UF? What if they don’t turn the ball over six times this year?
So why would Murray come back to that? To win that SECCG he didn’t win? I don’t think so. I think it’s because he might have risked not being drafted. If that is the case, then why would he propel this team to the top 5 and stay there? He’s a drop back passer, the NFL still doesn’t want him. That’s saying something.
The SEC has a new favorite son, especially if Saban leaves, and that’s A&M. The SEC has been weak this year, especially the bottom 2/3s of the teams. A&M will be the next SEC team to have a short at the NCG, the SEC gave UGA 2-3 years of an easy schedule and they failed. I don’t see why with the same coaching staff anything improves.
Sorry to say, 1-3 start, possibly a 6-7 year, Murray becomes even more uninteresting to the NFL. I think he has no choice but to stay, but it won’t turn out very well for him.
We need something new around here. Murray isn’t it, but neither is anything else we have behind him. JUCO?
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:27 am
I think the NFL might have told Murray, if you do exceptionally well in the combine and other guys suck, you may be 3rd round, bottom 2nd round. But more than likely you would fall to the bottom or go un drafted.
This is what ESPN says:
Because of his height — he’s 6-foot-1 — some pro teams are sure to discount his value as a potential first-round pick. At least that’s the historical trend in the modern era of the draft. In the last 25 years, 57 quarterbacks went in the first round, but only three were listed at 6-1 or shorter: Florida’s Rex Grossman (6-1, 2003), Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick (6-0, 2001) and UCLA’s Cade McNown (6-1, 1999).
The thing is Rex was a winner and so was Vick (at VT) and Brees. Our best win in the 3 year Murray era was a close loss to Alabama in a year we got blown out 35-7 against a team who lost their next 2.
SPURRIER IS IN UGA'S HEAD
January 7th, 2013
11:30 am
Tebow came for his senior yr as I recall. Can anyone remember whether they won the SEC and National Title? I’m actually glad he made that decision. More picks for every defensive team in the SEC when they play uga next season
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:31 am
It’s okay to have a QB that’s not NFL quality. Tebow was one. Johnny Football might be another. Great QBs in college but not the prototypical NFL QB and therefore unusable.
Murray is a drop back passer. He is what the NFL wants. And they must have said no. 2nd or 3rd round is really good. You’re in the top 3 of players going to the franchise. If those rounds didn’t matter then they should just have 1 round and then close the draft. They matter, tremendous players in those rounds and if you can be in the top 3, you go.
So he is coming back because he wants to be first round? I don’t buy it. You could go from 3rd round to 1st round with a good combine. He’s not 3rd round. Probably not close.
SPURRIER IS IN UGA'S HEAD
January 7th, 2013
11:34 am
how’s that schedule looking for next season compared to this past season for the dawgs? Sounds like it won’t be quite as easy next season. LSU, USC, Clemson early on. That should test Murray for sure. If I’m a uga fan, I’d want him to move on to the nfl
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:38 am
Also remember this is a draft with not a lot of QB quality. This isn’t the 2012 draft.
Here is the list of potential NFL QB draft from a month ago so the decision to stay or not didn’t matter:
1. Geno Smith (what happened to WVU)
2. Matt Barkley (physical mess right now)
3. Tyler Wilson (good QB, bad team)
4. Tyler Bray (seriously? no. but he is 6′6″, 5″ taller than Murray)
5. Landry Jones from OU (maybe, doubt it)
6. Tajh Boyd (good but not buying he’s a great NFL prospect yet)
7. Ryan Nassib (no idea)
8. Mike Glennon NCST (another 6′6″)
9. Aaron Murray
10. EJ Manuel FSU (NO)
11. Logan Thomas VT (nah)
12. Zac Dysert (YES! Miami of Ohio? i know, but this is the kind of QB that makes it in the NFL)
13. Derek Carr Fresno (same as Zac above)
So with that list, Murray still couldn’t make it to the top of the 2013 QB draft? Junk wins and junk yards don’t impress the NFL evidently.
OLD DOG
January 7th, 2013
11:39 am
Rankings are for loosers. The only rankng that counts is the last one. Wins are the important issue and the Clemson game is the only game that is important now. Rankings don’t change the schedule or give your team any extra points., Let’s all cheer that we ended the season in the top 10 or where ever. Can anyone name the other 9 teams in order after the 2011 season. We only remember #1 and that they came from the SEC AGAIN.
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:43 am
If height matters, looking at the 2014 draft on cbssports which puts Murray #1, my bet is he’d really fall to #10. The second best 6′1″ QB behind Tajh Boyd if he is still there.
The only thing that will change for Murray is that our schedule will get a lot harder. We missed the boat by 4 yards. 4. 4 freaking yards. 4.
And 29 points in Columbia. But still, 4 yards. I have a bad feeling that 4 yards will hang over us for a decade or more.
OLD DOG
January 7th, 2013
11:44 am
Reality where did all of this neat info come from. You are a world of knowledge but most of it is guesstamations and speculation. By the way how tall is Drew Brese?
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:46 am
The top 10 teams after the 2011 season? I don’t recall. Just Alabama.
2010 season? Auburn and I’m sure Oregon was in the top 5.
2009 season? I remember Alabama and I’m sure Texas was up in the top 5.
2008 season? Ugh, Florida?
2007 season? LSU?
2006 season? Florida?
2005…….. Texas. I bet USC was #2.
Dang, I’m going to have go look this up. I can’t remember. But I think that’s your point. Your basically saying, after tonight, heck, after the A&M game Friday, and the Louisville game a couple of days before, nobody but nobody remembers UGA almost beating Bama except UGA fans?
And updyke. I bet he was trying to figure out how to poison UGA or something.
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:53 am
Drew Brees was a better QB than Murray when he was at Purdue. He was as good in college as he turned out to be in the NFL. He was not a sleeper pick for San Diego.
He is shorter than Murray by an inch. But he’s a better QB and always was.
Murray might be more Rex Grossman like and the NFL will probably pass on Rex II.
g is a stupid letter
January 7th, 2013
11:53 am
How does Murray look Mason in the eye now that he has taken his season away. Mason should have left, but he didn’t, thinking the statpadder would go on and leave.
Reality
January 7th, 2013
11:54 am
Also, do you remember how many times Conner Shaw’s house was egged this year? How about… Bray? How about McCarron? Johnny Football? Tajh Boyd?
The list goes on. Either that speaks volumes about Murray… or us. Don’t know which but I’d hate to think it’s us.