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
JB
May 31st, 2010
11:37 am
Ask ANY Bama Fan……..Shula era didn’t happen…..
Right On Time
May 31st, 2010
11:38 am
8-4
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
May 31st, 2010
11:52 am
Happy Dawg,
I wasn’t in attendance that day. I was only a year old. Like I said earlier, we pretty much expected to lose to UGA back then. Before SOS arrived, UF had gone 4-15 against UGA in the games that I attended. Dooley sure had our number! I know that everything runs in cycles, but with the facilities, fan support, booster money, in-state recruting, etc I really don’t think you’re going to see UF return to mediocrity in football anytime soon. Not saying they will win championships every year, but they should be VERY competetive year in and year out.
Once again, hope ya’ll are undefeated heading down to Jax!
1eyedJack
May 31st, 2010
12:04 pm
The best thing for the SEC is for both UGA and UF to be undefeated going into that game. Then the NC could be decided in the dome the first week after the regular season ends.
tony
May 31st, 2010
12:07 pm
The dawgs have a good shot of going undefeated this season, depending on Bobo’s atrocious play calling. Aaron Murray will improve the offense immensely because of his accuracy, mobility and his ability to hit his targets. This kid can execute plays. I always said that is they can get a pretty good defensive coordinator to coach our talentive kids that the dawgs will evenually win a national championship. It could happen this season.
Alaska Dawg
May 31st, 2010
12:23 pm
I really hate any press from ESPN like that. It is just too much like 2008. The SEC is just too tough to go in to any season thinking of running the table. I think we will have a great year, but we need to be realistic and be thinking of 10-2 with an SEC title game in the dome. That would be a success.
Reina
May 31st, 2010
12:25 pm
Run the table? Dream on, doggies.
It’s kind of sad to see all the Dawg fans getting so excited this year (just like the year before, the year before that, etc.). How long is it going to take for UGA fans to realize that UGA is simply no longer relevant in the SEC? In the national picture, UGA isn’t even a blip on the radar, and hasn’t
been since the preseason #1 ranking two years ago.
Sit back and be grateful for the seven or eight wins you’ll get every year. Coaching genius Mark Richt may take you to 10-2 or even 11-1 occasionally, but Florida will still win the SEC, meaning no BCS bowls and no top 15 final ranking. Most years, UGA will be very lucky to finish in the top 25, and only after a big bowl win over a nobody opponent.
It’s a different world now, and Dawg fans, like FSU and Ole Miss fans, need to adjust their expectations downward to reflect reality.
Unfortunately nothing is going to change until UGA changes its mediocre coaching. That’s where the difference is, and that’s why everyone outside Bulldog Nation just laughs at Dawg fans getting so excited year after year about what a great recruiting class UGA gets. It doesn’t matter how many
blue chip high school plays go to UGA, they simply don’t get the coaching they would get at Florida or Alabama, to name two schools whose programs are far ahead of UGA. And that’s not going to change as long as Mark Richt is in Athens.
Get your heads out of the sand and face reality. And mediocrity and irrelevance.
Sam Dog
May 31st, 2010
12:26 pm
Ok Naysayers, we now have 2 HIGHLY CREDIBLE college football sources saying Georgia can win the SEC East, and maybe more.
First, you have Scout.com raving about Georgia’s O-Line, AJ Green, Ealey, Kicker, Punter, Linebackers, and defensive line.
http://cfn.scout.com/2/968165.html
Now we have Phil Steele, perhaps the BEST forecaster in college football, raving about the Dogs.
I’m going with these 2 experts opinions, over the lone cynical blogger here on the AJC site.
yes, the Dogs will win the SEC East, the SEC, and the National Championship.
Grantham, the O-Line, Ealey, Green and Murray are all too good NOT to get it done against a pretty light schedule.
pcsjax1
May 31st, 2010
12:32 pm
The concensus has the Dawgs in the “middle of the pack” of the SEC.
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2010
7:00 pm
Jim Donnan’s last 4 years:
10-2
9-3
9-3
8-4
36-12
Mark Richt’s last 4 years:
9-4
11-2
10-3
8-5
38-14
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2010
7:16 pm
Jim Donnan’s SEC record, last 4 years:
6-2
6-2
5-3
5-3
22-10
Mark Richt’s SEC record, last 4 years:
4-4
6-2
6-2
4-4
20-12
Jim Donnan lost 13 games his last 4 years here
and we fired him for it.
Coach Richt has lost 14 games his last 4 years here
Jim Donnan lost 13 games his last 4 years here
and we fired him for it.
Coach Richt has lost 14 games his last 4 years here
"Home of Mediocrity"
May 31st, 2010
12:34 pm
The Dawgs are on the brink of greatness, even Phil Steele can see it. Murray is a freshman phenom (couldn’t beat out Mettenberger), the OL is awsome (8th in rushing last year), RB’s are awsome (see 8th in rushing last year). The defense is obviously ready to peak (scoring defense #10 & total defense #8) a new defensive coordinator with a new defensive scheme. I can’t believe Phil Steele can see this and the rest of you Dawg haters can’t, wake-up people. It’s another year on the brink of pre-season national championship. I have to go now, it’s medication time!
Sam Dog
May 31st, 2010
12:35 pm
Richt’s only had 2 ‘bad’ seasons in 16 years of coaching, 2001 & 2006. Both times he finished #2 or #3 in the country.
Richt will make a run after his 3rd bad season in 2009 for the National Championship, and this time, he won’t come up short.
Tide Roll
May 31st, 2010
12:35 pm
not with boling,ben jones and chris davis. Yes with Studivant, Burnette and bean anderson. Uga is such a weenie program. They refuse to do the right thing and then complain when they lose. Until they do the right thing by these kids, they will continue to lose. God will see to it.
Jones
May 31st, 2010
12:38 pm
Mark Richt has a way of following a poor season with a top 3 finish like 2002 & 2007. 2010 is another run. 2011 will be another great year.
Look for Meyer to retire before the 2010 season starts citing health reasons, he doesn’t want any part of playing 2nd fiddle to Richt and being revealed as a lucky coach with Tebow and Harvin & Strong.
Albert the Alligator
May 31st, 2010
12:40 pm
Phil Steele. Guess it wasn’t a good day for him to stop sniffin glue.
Jello Fello
May 31st, 2010
12:41 pm
The pro Florida, anti-Georgia blogger shere are so obvious.
The Pro Florida Anti Georgia bloggers can’t stand in when experts rave about Richt and Georgia.
Oh well, get used to it for the next 5 years, as Georgia goes on to set a new record for consecutive wins.
Albert the Alligator
May 31st, 2010
12:42 pm
Run the table?? They won’t even run the placemat!
Albert the Alligator
May 31st, 2010
12:43 pm
Is that Jello for brains??
"Home of Mediocrity"
May 31st, 2010
12:45 pm
Yep, I believe it’s the same Phil Steele that picked Georgia in 2006 when, whoops, Florida won the National Championship! A statement for Dawg fans to live by:
“Reality is the #1 cause of insanity among those who are in contact with it”
Mr. Hustle
May 31st, 2010
12:47 pm
If you consider the O-Line, RB’s, WR’s TE’s, and QB trio of Murray/Gray/Mason, this is the most loaded offense to ever take the field in the SEC.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they average 500 total yards of offense and 40 points a game. Yes, they’re THAT good.
Albert the Alligator
May 31st, 2010
12:47 pm
Jones…yeah yeah yeah we know…Saban’s gonna bolt and Meyer’s gonna retire or go to Notre Dame or something……same tired old talk…your only hope…yeah yeah yeah.
"Home of Mediocrity"
May 31st, 2010
12:49 pm
Hey Mr. Hustle, I’ve got an extra copy of the G-Day game if you want to watch it between treatments, ha!
Albert the Alligator
May 31st, 2010
12:50 pm
Yeah that Murrray/Gray/Who?…they got quite an SEC track record.
Kool Aid Drinkers Club
May 31st, 2010
12:51 pm
Dawgs will be lucky to make the Crapital One Bowl this year. Mark it down !
Okie Dok
May 31st, 2010
12:54 pm
Funny, how certain writers at ESPN see Georgia pre-season outside the top 20, and Steele says in his power ratings Georgia is #7 or #8 in the country. Sounds right as a good start.
After Georgia blows out South Carolina & Arkansas, that’s correct, BLOWOUT wins by 20+ in BOTH games, then Georgia should vault into the top 5, and after Georgia BLOWS OUT Florida by 20+ points, should move into the top 3. After Georgia wins the SEC Championship, should be ranked either #1 or #2, and play for it all, and win that by 20+ too.
Dawglasville
May 31st, 2010
12:56 pm
Dear Gators- we understand that “your” Gators and “your” school rank higher than “ours.” You do however live “our” state and you are blogging on “our” newspaper. Apparently the quality of life in “your” state falls short to “our’s.” Why don’t all of you Gator fans go back to Florida and make whatever improvements you need to make to keep all of your grads and fans down there.
"Home of Mediocrity"
May 31st, 2010
12:57 pm
Hey Okie, read this slowly:
“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.” See you in Jacksonville for the reality session.
Drugged Out Denny
May 31st, 2010
12:58 pm
Okie Dok!
Me
May 31st, 2010
12:59 pm
Wow, now apparently the AJC is owned and operated by UGA.
Delusional Dawg
May 31st, 2010
1:02 pm
I believe! Fear the Kiffin! Oops sorry, wrong blog.
Knock Out Punch
May 31st, 2010
1:02 pm
I HOPE Saban & Meyer stick around to take their beatdowns from Richt for the next 4 years, but they won’t, they never do, both have NEVER stayed at one school for more than 6 years. They ALWAYS quit before 6 years. They’ll bolt before Miles & Petrino follow shortly thereafter, leaving no competition for Coach Richt, as he goes on his 4 years of dominance run.
Richt gonna knock out the competition and set a new record for consecutive wins the like sof which no one on the history of college football has ever seen.
Delusional Dawg
May 31st, 2010
1:05 pm
Someone needs to stop drinking that “knock-out” punch!
Me
May 31st, 2010
1:08 pm
Dawgs will probably go 5-7, maybe 6-6 and go to the Music City bowl, lucky to score 17 points per game. Fla will put 50+ on ‘em and even Kentucky will clobber them too.
UGA_2001
May 31st, 2010
1:08 pm
I don’t understand how almost no one has UGA ranked ahead of Fla this year. Fla lost Tebow, one of the best college players EVER, and their DC as well as many other key contributors (Brandon Spikes def emotional leader) while UGA loses their two problems from last season-0 Cox and the def coaches.
UGA can’t help but improve MIGHTILY while Fla can’t help but receded GREATLY.
No contest- UGA wins the East by default.
Okie Dok
May 31st, 2010
1:09 pm
I’m not going to either extreme, saying the wind isn’t blowing, or the wind is blowing too hard, I’m just aware that all you need to do is adjust the sails, reality is better than the optimist or the pessimist.
Me
May 31st, 2010
1:10 pm
BooBoo fired after this season. Richt will be next.
pcsjax1
May 31st, 2010
1:10 pm
When Steele says Georgia might run the table, is that like when they were preseason #1 and lost to Alabama 31-0 at half-time?
pcsjax1
May 31st, 2010
1:11 pm
Mark Richt’s SEC record, last 4 years:
4-4
6-2
6-2
4-4
20-12
Manny
May 31st, 2010
1:14 pm
Between QB’s Murray & Lemay, Georgia will be the team to beat for the next 5 years. These are the 2 best QB’s in the nation, and they’re both with Georgia.
Dawglasville
May 31st, 2010
1:15 pm
Me- Tech had better not finish second in the ACC because we all know that the second place ACC will probably go to the Music City Bowl again.
Jawga
May 31st, 2010
1:15 pm
Did he predicted when Georgia pulls off another cheap black out affair???
Reality Bytes
May 31st, 2010
1:15 pm
Okie Dok, the only thing sailing will be Richt sailing into the sunset after another 7-5 season.
Mr. Hustle
May 31st, 2010
1:16 pm
Georgia also has the good fortune of having the best punter & kicker combo in the nation. That will win the close games, if there are any.
Bama
May 31st, 2010
1:19 pm
Remember a couple years ago. when Georgia was preseason #1 and lost to Alabama 31-0 at half-time? By the way, Kirby Smart loves it in Tuscaloosa, no need to worry that he would be interested in HC in Athens. He loves winnning NC’s too much to dicker with an SEC east title being the top of the Mtn.
Kool Aid Drinkers Club
May 31st, 2010
1:20 pm
Perno’s Diamond Dawgs will set both SEC and NCAA records in 2011 and capture the CWS title. Bank on it !
Me
May 31st, 2010
1:20 pm
BooBoo fired after 45-3 loss to South Carolina.
Yez UKan
May 31st, 2010
1:20 pm
Defense wins championships. When you have the guy Saban tired to hire, Muschamp recommended, that trained the Bama defense for years recently in the off-season running the Georgia D, and the LB Coach from anderbilt who’s LB’s lead in tackles, and the seconday coach form UCOnn who’s DB’s lead in pass efficiency, you have to think, Richt just outsmarted the competition, pun intended.
Me
May 31st, 2010
1:23 pm
Tech will beat Georgia and the midget by at least 20. 38-13 sounds about right.
RU
May 31st, 2010
1:25 pm
Coach Richt will likely go back to the +17 scoring margin from 2002’s 12-1 season. The offense is LOADED, best I’ve EVER seen in the SEC. loaded out of the gills AT every single offensive position, the O-Line is the most experienced in the country. AJ, Ealey, King, Olson, White, T. King, Wotten, 3 Sr. Fullbacks, this offense is experienced and will rock the scoreboard silly.
Zander
May 31st, 2010
1:27 pm
Remember back in 2002 & 2007, when Georgia finished #2 & #3? This team has the same vibe, but more talent and better coaching staff.
Me
May 31st, 2010
1:28 pm
Grantham no more than an NFL reject. Fifth choice for UGA and one step ahead of the chopping block with the Cowboys.