Phil Steele: Georgia Bulldogs ‘could very well run the table’ this year
If you missed it, you’ll want to hear what college football analyst/publisher Phil Steele said when asked on ESPN to name an off-the-radar team that could have a big season.
He initially mentioned Oklahoma, his pick to win the 2010 national title despite losing five games last season.
And then he mentioned someone else:
“If I was going to pick another one out of the stack there,” Steele said Friday on ESPN’s College Football Live, “I would have to say the Georgia Bulldogs. I think they’ve got a shot of even winning the SEC East and could very well run the table.”
Wow. Whoa. Run the table?
Steele doesn’t go so far as to predict the Bulldogs will do it, mind you. In fact, he has them No. 19 in his preseason rankings. But I’m pretty sure he’s the first to utter on national TV the possibility of an undefeated season for the 2010 Dogs.
Phil Steele’s College Football Preview magazine is always packed with information. Here are a few morsels pulled from his two-page preview of Georgia in this year’s edition (the abbreviations are his way of conserving space to cram in more info):
- “The 17 total QB int [last season] were the most at UGA since 1984.”
- “Surprisingly heading into ‘07 UGA had just one 1,000 yd back since ‘92!”
- “UGA had a pair of 100 yd rushers vs GT (Ealey and King) but just three 100 yd efforts all year and I look for significant improvement.”
- “Figgins returns and Green is back to full health making UGA my #2 receiving corps in the NCAA.”
- “The [offensive line] unit has an amazing 155 career starts (counting Justin Anderson who moved to the DL in spg) which is #1 in the FBS (my #1 OL unit).”
- “Even with the loss of their star [linebacker], provided this unit stays healthier, it should be stronger.”
- “This [defensive backfield] is a less exp’d unit and my biggest concern on the 2010 team.”
Interesting stuff once again, Phil Steele.
Also:
Click here for our latest UGA notebook, with items on new up-close basketball seats, fretting the Gators and the future of Foley Field.
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537 comments Add your comment
Shreveport Sam
June 1st, 2010
9:20 am
Ah, it’s summer! The birds are singing, the grass is green, and UGA fans are predicting another national championship run. With the same head coach, an untested defensive coordinator, and basically a second string quarterback who – wait – really and truly beat out the other guy who’s no longer on the team.
Hope spring eternal – so does idiocy….
The Real World
June 1st, 2010
9:23 am
Gatorbait 17-3…It wouldn’t matter if Georgia had the number ! recruiting class for 5 years in a row. I mean, they had (supposedly) two of the most highly rated players in Stafford and Moreno,as well as A.J. Green and couldn’t even win the freakin’ East!! Now they think they’re gonna do it with a guy whose never taken a real snap or a guy whose still in high school! I mean, how stupid is that??!!
Manny
June 1st, 2010
9:24 am
Steele got it right. With the 155 games of experience, Georgia’s O-Line will dominate, AJ, Olson Murray& Ealey on the field, offense is the best to ever play in the SEC. 40 points a game, 500 yards a game. Blowout wins.
Gonna be a great year. I ageee with Steele.
Gatorbait 17-3
June 1st, 2010
9:26 am
The Real World
Speaks the truth again————————-
Fuddy
June 1st, 2010
9:27 am
With Strong’s defensive mind, leading rusher Tebow, Leading receivers Hernandez & Cooper & the 9 NFL type players all coming back, Florida will be tough to beat.
Oh, they’re all gone? For real? No wonder no one has Flrida ranked #1.
Todd Packer
June 1st, 2010
9:27 am
HAHAHA. Could run the table if excluding the losses to Florida, Tennessee, Auburn and GA Tech.
The UGA notebook: Vance Cuff’s 40 time is something to write home about | UGA sports blog
June 1st, 2010
9:28 am
[...] And if you missed it, Phil Steele said the Georgia football team “could very well run the table” this year. [...]
Gatorbait 17-3
June 1st, 2010
9:30 am
Manny,
What are smoking, your nuts, Florida offensive line is every bit a good as jawja’s and they have a history of sucess, not so with the dogs.
Gators place 15 players on all SEC teams, jawja just 10—–oh yea blows alright, only you will be on the receiving end.
joe
June 1st, 2010
9:30 am
That guy Sam Dog on page one of this blog is the epitome of a UGA homer…loved his quotes:
“I believe it” “We now have 2 highly credible sources” and the best one, “We now have Phil Steele raving about the dogs.” Bring it on Sammy…I need more laughs today…
Gatorbait 17-3
June 1st, 2010
9:34 am
Fuddy
Too bad you don’t know what you are talking about, the Gators are in the top 10 of every poll I’ve seen and everyone has them picked to win the East–nice try though.
HugoStiglitz
June 1st, 2010
9:35 am
Run the table? Seriously? I dont even think Alabama will run the table and they are much, much better then UGA. UGA should be ecstatic if they go 9-3 with a freshman QB and a completely overhauled defense. 8-4 or 7-5 is more likely.
Manny
June 1st, 2010
9:36 am
The Florida rushing attack that Meyer called 4 plays for in the SEC Championship, that got under 20 yards, that one? That’s hilarious, thanks for the chuckle.
Georgia is averaging over 240 a game rushing over the last 5 games. Far more than the puny Gators or Tiders.
GetwhatUpayfor
June 1st, 2010
9:37 am
Dream on…talks cheap. But I do believe in Coach Richt and believe we make a good run.
Mickey
June 1st, 2010
9:44 am
Agreed, if Florida was any good, somebody would have had em’ ranked pre-season #1 instead of Alabama.
Saturday Sultan
June 1st, 2010
9:46 am
If Florida’s so great, why ain’t nobody picking them to win a National Championship? Must not be as good as Florida fans think, huh?
mdawg
June 1st, 2010
9:48 am
average rushing 240 yards per game the past 5 games?????? LOL
when you get down by 10 points the rushing game goes out the window and makes you pass more.. and UGAs offensive line is not good at all and they have a passive personality.
whats more sad is that UGA’s best running back is now on defense….. caleb king sux
Bltiz XPress
June 1st, 2010
9:50 am
Gotta to tell you, Georgia’s defense is gonna rock some worlds. Kwame is about the same size as Mt. Cody, gonna be hard to run on him. 2 OLB’s can bring the heat, both are proven sackmeisters. Boykin’s a stud and Cuff has shut down AJ all Spring. The #1 defense looked stout on G-Day, and they were just running the base D. 3-4 annihilated the Florida spread, gonna be fun. Look for Georgia’s D to return back to a top D, just like 2001-2007.
Sunny Day
June 1st, 2010
9:55 am
Florida’s the only team on this easy schedule that will give Richt a challenge, and they’re not as good as last year. Richt domintes every other team. Florida gets Alabama & LSU, Georgia doesn’t. Pretty easy to see Georgia winning the SEC East this year, even if they lose to Florida, because Florida will have more SEC losses than Georgia with their schedule.
Bltiz XPress
June 1st, 2010
9:57 am
If Cuff becomes the shut down corner like he was in the Spring, there’s not a team Georgia will play besides Arkansas that has a great #2 WR. Cuff is the key to the season.
mdawg
June 1st, 2010
10:00 am
lol sunny day, even if UGA did win the east they would not beat alabama..
how can you say that richt owns everybody else in the east besides florida when he struggles with tennessee and lose to them when we should not. like 2out of the past 3 years or lose to south carolina 3 years ago?
Manny
June 1st, 2010
10:01 am
I think people realize, Meyer’s not a great coach, just got lucky with NFL Rookie of the Year phenom Percy Harvin. He’s never won it all without him. Not even last year with a team that was LOADED, Meyer got blown out against the only top 10 ranked team he played. He’s just not a great coach. People are realizing that and nobody has him winning it all without Percy.
mdawg
June 1st, 2010
10:02 am
how can you say that cuff wasa shut down corner???
bottom line is that green had a bad day because there was noone to throw the ball to him…
FRED
June 1st, 2010
10:18 am
ya right, we get a new defence coach and everything else falls into place. We still have CMR and his record in the Florida games.
So Fine Time
June 1st, 2010
10:25 am
Yep, Richt plays 4 teams ranked in the top 20. Ark/Auburn–9-0 last 9 games wiht these 2. Winning record against everybody else on the schedule except Florida. Florida’s the only top 10 team Georgia plays in 2010, 4x easier than last year, when Georgia played four top 10 teams.
Bltiz XPress
June 1st, 2010
10:27 am
AJ only got open 2x on G-Day, missed catches both times. Cuff played him tough, going up against the best WR in college football is great for Vance, that’s where he’s become that shut down corner. Cuff shut down AJ on G-Day, but Georgia’s said he’s been that way all Spring.
JLC
June 1st, 2010
10:34 am
Run the table? I think you mean humo the table. That is hilarious!
JLC
June 1st, 2010
10:36 am
I meant hump the table…damn I messed it up!
Manny
June 1st, 2010
10:48 am
Merer is 3-2 against LSU, almost lost last year.
Meyer is 2-2 against Alabama, got beat 32-13 last year with Tebow & Strong.
Meyer’s record of 5-4 against Alabama & LSU isn’t promising for Florida’s hopes of winning the SEC East.
Meyer almost lost to Tenn, South Carolina, and Miss St last year.
Florida St with Ponder will be a tough out for Meyer.
Look for Florida to lose 2-4 SEC games to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Miss St.
chazzo
June 1st, 2010
10:56 am
Still mention of Durham? Interesting… Gald to see someone mentioning Figgins; although, he is number three or four on the depth chart. UGA has exceptional depth at wide receiver. The “D” is a bigger question mark than the “O” (even with a redshirt freshman at QB). The way I see it, though. That back field is speedy, and the overall “D” will be more aggressive. They may give up some big plays getting into the new system, but they are also liable to cause a few turns.
What it really comes down to is how hard these kids work in the summer and how well they play as a team. If they set out to make Tim Tebow look like a slacker all will go really well. If they decide it’s time to get drunk for a couple of months, look for 9 wins and yet another loss to the Gators. (BTW, as a fan I am 4 and 1 versus the reptiles. Perhaps we should take up a collection to get me to Jax).
Here is hoping that Steele’s article is the only one that spouts off about the potential and that no one ranks the Dawgs higher than 15. Best to stay low key. One game at time.
chazzo
June 1st, 2010
10:57 am
Make that no mention of Durham. He will be important to the mix this season.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
June 1st, 2010
10:58 am
Enter your comments here
chazzo
June 1st, 2010
10:59 am
Make that exceptional depth at TE. I gotta proofread.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
June 1st, 2010
11:02 am
No one is going to run the table in the SEC. LSU should win the west and UGA should win the east with 1 to 2 losses each. Bama lost NINE starters on defense – 3 losses there and Florida is rebuilding their defense, have a new QB and lost a lot off of the offense – plus they lost the strength of their defense – their DC is gone.
Call IT
June 1st, 2010
11:03 am
Hey Jared
To answer your question, is that there are more FL fans in Atlanta than GA fans, plus, we support a winning program not a loser program like UGAY!
Gators win the East with ease in 2010!
Enough Said!
AltamahaDawg
June 1st, 2010
11:04 am
Interesting that this was a MUCH bigger deal to all the rical trols, than the actual Georgia fans.
chazzo
June 1st, 2010
11:13 am
Hold up folks!!!! Yes, UF got the tough draw of West teams this year. Yes, King Tebow is out and Charlie strong, too. Yes, Meyer, will be on Xanax or Ritalin or thorazine, who knows? NO! UF will not be a pushover in 2010, and nobody had better take them lightly. I detest the Gators, and I hate Meyer worse than I did Spurrier. But, you better believe they will field a team of phenomenal athletes. They are the team to beat in the East. Don’t forget about Mack in the running mix. And, Brantley has a heckuva an arm.
Jared
June 1st, 2010
11:14 am
Gators will lose every game in October in 2010 & 2011
2010:
Alabama, LSU, Miss St., Georgia
2011:
Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Georgia
Naval Orange
June 1st, 2010
11:18 am
Georgia Bulldogs could very well “bus the table”……..at the Clarke County jail dining hall. No way in HADES UGA runs any table….the Mutts will be darn lucky to win 6 games and get back to Shreekport. LMAO!!!
Urban Meyer
June 1st, 2010
11:24 am
Steele provides the chivalry (pre-season publications) and Georgia fans lap it up.
Georgia fans, the Don Quixotes of College football!
Low ride
June 1st, 2010
11:24 am
If Georgia finishes the 1st 3 games, 3-0, with a +14 socring margin, they’ll go undefeated.
chazzo
June 1st, 2010
11:25 am
How to beat Bammy? When I was a freshman or Sophomore at UGA (84-85), Vandy tied us or SC beat us (can’t quite remember) using a brilliant anti-Dooley D. They pooched kicked it every kick off and loaded the box. I mean loaded. Four LBS standing right behind the line. I suggest that a similar strategy may work with Alabama. Stuff the box and rotate guys on Julio. Harass Julio on every play.
ugaclassof2004
June 1st, 2010
11:30 am
I respect Phil Steele’s opinion. His staff does a ton of research and his publication comes out later than Lindy’s which means its more accurate. He usually speaks favorably of the Dawgs and has been pretty accurate the last few seasons when gauging our program. With that being said, when he his wrong he is REALLY wrong! He was completely off the mark with Auburn in 2008, when he had them finishing first or second in the West and they bottomed out at 5-7. As good of research as Phil does on things like stats and returning starters, what trips him up is that he doesn’t pay enough attention to what is going on within the inner workings of a program which often times affects the product on the field. Auburn and Tennessee had bad seasons in 2008 not necessarily because of on field talent but because of off field issues within the program. During a normal season, I would say that UGA could be a dark horse contender. But there are too many questions regarding this program( new coaching staff, new QB, lack of depth) for this team to be a contender. Heck if this team gets bit by the injury bug, they could very well go 5-7.
Mickey
June 1st, 2010
11:31 am
Agree with what Steele said to ESPN; Georgia makes that table run this year. Steele gives some good reasons:
-Best O-Line in nation with 150+ games of experience, 240 yards a game rush over last 5, and only 12 sacks
-Best Special Teams trio of Punter/Kicker/Punt Returner
-Light schedule
-Better defense than last year due to coaching changes
With AJ & Ealey, and the #1 O-Line in front, and this easy schedule, Florida & South Carolina the only 2 good defenses on the schedule, look for Georgia’s offense to set some SEC records this Fall for yards, scoring margin, and points.
This is the best offense Richt has put on the field at Georgia and BY FAR the best offense in the SEC East.
How2fish
June 1st, 2010
11:33 am
Amazing a sports writer gives HIS take on a program…and every low life on Planet Earth shows up to talk about how how simple minded UGA fans ..WTF is not the UGA fans morons its a sports writer. The Bull Dog nation didn’t write the bloody article..on and BullDawg the WTF goes double for you..who gives tinkers damn what you think.
How2fish
June 1st, 2010
12:14 pm
chazzo your post at 11:13 was spot on love them or hate them you can’t over look the Gators this year.
RDR
June 1st, 2010
12:18 pm
Sure is great to be a fan of the Dawgs! Look at all the interest on this blog by Dawg fans as well as other school’s fans. Let the Big Dawg eat in 2010!!
Will
June 1st, 2010
12:19 pm
Wonder why now riters have Florida winning the National Championship this year? All the experts are looking down on Florida.
Looks like the Florida fans on the blog here don’t like that.
There’s reasons nobody’s pickin Florida #1 in the nation this year folks.
Think about it.
JMac 01203
June 1st, 2010
12:24 pm
Could run the table????? What a croc of manure. Steele just lost all credibility.
Call IT
June 1st, 2010
12:35 pm
The only table I see GA running is going winless.
What a JOKE!
Enough Said!
GPB
June 1st, 2010
12:52 pm
Are we talking NCAA or the Clarke County Prison System league?