Bulldogs watched BCS title game with envious eyes
Yesterday afternoon, about six hours before Alabama and LSU kicked off in the BCS Championship Game, I asked Georgia coach Mark Richt if he thought this time a year from now his 2012 team could be on that stage.
It wasn’t a ludicrous question, considering this year’s team led one of the participants for two quarters of the SEC championship. Nine starters return from the defense that did not allow LSU a first down and only 12 total yards in the first half of that contest.
Richt was, of course, predictably measured in his answer.
Loading ...“As always, we want to compete in such a way and prepare in such a way that we’ve got a chance to win every time we go out there,” Richt said. “The goals aren’t going to change. We want to win the East. If you win the East and you win the SEC, you’ve got a shot at the next one. So, you know, that’s not going to change for us.”
If there was any lesson in last night’s game, won by the Crimson Tide 21-0 in New Orleans, it’s that defense still rules the day in college football. By all indications, Georgia is going to have that covered next season.
Meanwhile, the schedule certainly has broken the Bulldogs’ way. Due to realignment as a result of conference expansion, the SEC dropped Alabama from Georgia’s schedule and replaced it with new member Missouri. Now I don’t know much about the Tigers beyond the fact they lose 12 senior starters before next season. But you have to believe opening the SEC slate in Columbia, Mo., has to be better than playing the defending national champion Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa in October.
But the Bulldogs have several areas of concern to shore up, some of which might not be possible to sew up in a year. Georgia’s three best offensive linemen must be replaced, plus its starting fullback. The running game vanished at the end of the season. Tight end Orson Charles may be in the NFL next fall. Your record-setting punter and kicker are definitely gone. A special teams overhaul is in order besides.
Anybody who thinks Georgia is resting on its laurels of this past season hasn’t been listening to Richt.
“I think we came a long way this year,” he said of the 10-4 season. “I’m proud of the effort; I’m proud of the progress. But we’re still on a journey to do even greater things and that’s going to be the goal.”
Having gone on a 10-game run and having LSU on the ropes for the better part of 30 minutes, then watching their SEC brethren duke it out last night has to provide incentive.
“I would hope the guys would see it that way,” Richt said. “But every year has its new challenges and it’s going to be a new team. I knew that the day we walked out of the stadium after the Outback Bowl, that team right there was gone and they were never going to be together again. It’s going to be a new team next year and a new dynamic and a new leadership and chemistry and unity and all that kind of stuff. It’s going to get built again because everything is brand new. We’re just going to have the thought in mind of trying to get better on a daily basis and getting into position to compete at the highest level.”
The 2012 team had its first meeting as a group Sunday night at 8 p.m. at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. At that time, Richt assigned mentors to the younger players, appointed leaders and, finally, verbalized the goals and expectations for the upcoming season, which for them starts with offseason workouts in three weeks.
“I thought it was received real well,” Richt said. “It got serious at the end when we started talking about our future. I thought everybody responded well.”
South Carolina is, of course, saying the same things as Georgia today. Florida certainly won’t stay down long. Meanwhile, Alabama must replace eight senior starters, LSU nine, and who knows how many underclassmen may make the jump?
Staying on top is tough. The SEC hasn’t had a repeat champion in 14 years. But the league has produced the national champion now six years straight.
Who will it be next year?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
298 comments Add your comment
awful mc dougal
January 10th, 2012
2:28 pm
LSu should look no further than the SEC championship game to see what happened to them last night. Those darn uga “energy vampires” sucked all of the competetive juices out of them. Just playing uga sickens opponents.
james
January 10th, 2012
2:29 pm
PER NICK SABAN on last years Alabama 10-3 team; “I was so disappointed in the season we had last year. But this team exceeded my expectations.”
Richt would never in a million years say that. He just wants to compete, not win. And as long as folk only care about having someone that speaks to their Grandmothers half sisters son at Athens Regional, we will be stuck where we are…Mid level SEC team always looking up to the big guys. But hey, we have Basketball and Baseball right? AD is doing a stand out job!
awful mc dougal
January 10th, 2012
2:31 pm
and dawg roll in 2012…please stop with the kool-ade talk. It’s not even 3 pm.
Joey
January 10th, 2012
2:41 pm
Dawg Roll’s a techie. In a few minutes, he’ll come back as gtboob or somebody else and call UGA fans delusional . . .
“Dawg Man” was on here predicting 6 or 7 BCS titles earlier.
Techie games.
Top Row Dog
January 10th, 2012
2:42 pm
Finished ranked in top 20 for 12th time in 14 seasons.
That’s 33 times in last 70 years of AP poll.
LawDawg
January 10th, 2012
2:47 pm
6-7 (add 4) 10-4 (add 4) 14-0. That looks right to me.
UGA to do list
January 10th, 2012
2:49 pm
1. New offensive coordinator and scheme that works, no more 3rd & 15 draw plays
2. Defense that has played and beaten a quality opponent, not tomato cans
3. Replace NFL caliber te
4. QB that can see over the line of scrimmage and make a play under pressure
5. HC who can instill a sense of urgency, fire or passion in the team
6. Tailback that can lace up his cleats without suffering a game-ending injury
7. Strength and conditioning program that actually strengthens and conditions the players
Make these few tweaks and it NC’s from now until the end of time.
Joe
January 10th, 2012
2:50 pm
“I think Murray is a good enough QB to win us a NC, better than Bama’s or LSU for that matter.”
Not as long as he keeps turning it over in big games.
HPUCK
January 10th, 2012
2:51 pm
Would one of UGA’s rivals please hire BOBO.
ole dawg
January 10th, 2012
2:56 pm
Yes, Bama’s defense was tremendous last night against LSU. UGA’s defense was better than Bama’s for one half against LSU. Bottom line… Bama’s defense is better than UGA’s this year.
Now the Bama offense… come on people, the Bama offense sucked. Could not score a TD until late in the game against LSU after the outcome was decided. Some of you keep talking about how Bama’s offensive line pushed LSU around and Richardson was running so hard. THEY COULDN’T SCORE A TD PEOPLE! I have a problem with a NC that can’t score a TD. UGA’s offense was better against LSU than Bama’s.
Bottom line… there aint that big of a gap between Bama and about 6 other SEC teams.
Congratulations on your National Championship Bama fans and being 1-1 against LSU this year.
what of it?
January 10th, 2012
3:09 pm
“We’re just going to have the thought in mind of trying to get better on a daily basis and getting into position to compete at the highest level.”
Maybe we can think our way to a national championship… wait, no SEC east title. don’t want to aim too high
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 10th, 2012
3:24 pm
Dawgin Lex
So your going to blame better players for the LSU loss
Please tell me then was it better players that Michigan St had is why they came back from a 16-0 deficit at the half?
Wait
No please tell me Boise St’s 1 and 2 star players were bettter than ours and thats why they pulled away in the 2nd half right? Coaching had nothing to do with it; is that right
Snoop Dawg
January 10th, 2012
3:27 pm
Dawg in Lex,
You are nauseating. I’ve forgotten more about football than you will ever learn. It’s apologists like you who are responsible for the sorry state of UGA football. Your condescending attitude is without basis and is downright obnoxious. Now please unplug your xbox and go back to sleep…
Joey
January 10th, 2012
3:38 pm
“Now the Bama offense… come on people, the Bama offense sucked.”
*****************************************
ole dawg, what Bama’s QB DIDN’T do is fumble and throw the game away, which is what Murray has tended to do in big games. Ditto for their special teams (vs ours).
I don’t see Murray getting better – getting nervous or tight just can’t be practiced away. I don’t care if Murray throws for 500 yds in simulated games. I want to know if he’ll take care of the ball in the most important times, in the really important games, that are usually tight, and Murray doesn’t. He is terrible in crunch time, and I’m telling you, no amount of coaching can cure that.
He has to win one of those games, to order to have confidence in the next. So far, he’s, what, 0-for 8?
Meanwhile, our other QB’s collect splinters or tote clipboards.
Snoop Dawg
January 10th, 2012
3:39 pm
To correct Dawg in Lex’s constant drivel of propaganda deflecting UGA’s many problems from Mark Richt, I will point out that we have top ten recruiting classes for the past ten years. Our talent stands up to anyone’s, so that is not why we regularly lose to anyone with a respectable program these days. The reasons we get beat are that the coaches do not develop the talent, they instill no discipline of focus to win championships, they cannot develop SEC-caliber game plans, and particularly their offensive play calling is atrocious. Add to that an absolute lack of positive energy form the sidelines from Richt (Buddha on the sideline) and Bobo (hiding in the box seats) and you have a good idea of why UGA will continue to underachieve and underperform until we get a quality coaching staff in Athens, GA.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 10th, 2012
3:47 pm
Joey
After watching Bama’s QB last night who is no where near the QB Murrayis; and then watching Matthew Stafford’s development. The obvious is looking us right in the face
Mark Richt does not know how to develop players. Stafford looked just like Murray if you remember; throwing bad passes, INT’s, overthrowing recievers, making bad decisions.
Richt never addresses any issues and Murray has mechanic issues and he is not taught like Sabans QB’s are; and that is to manage the game and make plays when they are there if not dont be stupid with the ball.
Stinger2
January 10th, 2012
3:50 pm
To all UGA fans who want Bobo fired or demoted:
Look at it this way: The two best teams in college football played each other twice (8 quarters) within the last six weeks. Only ONE touchdown was scored. Do you think the fans at Alabama or LSU are crying out for their OC to be fired? Think about it.
AltamahaDawg
January 10th, 2012
3:51 pm
Interesting how 2 fans can do the exact same thing, yet one blames the other.
ElmoreRedOne
January 10th, 2012
4:01 pm
Why we lost to LSU?
1- Aaron Murray’s 3 turnovers
2- 2 ill advised punts to Tyrone Matt.
3- Poor red zone defense
major
January 10th, 2012
4:09 pm
UGA will have the Softest Schedule of Every BCS Automatic Qualifying school. That is a fact, as it stands right now today. That alone makes them a contender unless some sort of major malfunction occurs inside the program in Athens. One can see a quarterback controversy happening, with Mason and LeMay both wanting an opportunity to play, we can see some division even minor among the players.
The OL will take some major steps backwards, and with Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida getting better to some degree MAYBE, and Vanderbilt being much much better it will make life interesting in the East next season.
sickdog
January 10th, 2012
4:11 pm
Well imho some people are right and wrong with their analogies of UGA. Im not going to point my finger at just one player or even two. This is a TEAM and our losses are TEAM losses. Murray is an ok Quaterback and has made great plays along with hugh mistakes BUT the loss is not only his fault. Better play calling by the coaches maybe would have given us a different outcome, also some key plays in the SEC championship game that should have been made like those dropped TD catches, missed field goals and Interceptions dropped. So for me its the TEAM that needs to improve as a whole. Not just one player!!! We lost cause of those combined team failures, not just cause Murrays fumble or lack of O-line. It was all of it as a whole!!! U need to play almost perfect now days to win a NC.
major
January 10th, 2012
4:14 pm
How can anyone sit here and write that UGA’s defense was better than another schools for a half(statistically maybe) but every game is different, every team has different personnel to use and depth to play, and by all accounts it looked like UGA just does not have the depth on Defense, Offense as LSU and Alabama does. That does not mean it could not get there, but some major changes will need to be made in recruiting philosophies to get to that point.
ElmoreRedOne
January 10th, 2012
4:16 pm
I don’t trust Aaron Murray, he’s got too much Jay Cutler in him.
He thinks he’s a lot better than he is, and he thinks the defense he’s playing is a lot worse than they are.
So instead of throwing it away, he is top 12 in the nation in BOTH sacks AND interceptions.
Joey
January 10th, 2012
4:21 pm
Flat Tire, my theory is that Richt has a big ego, no doubt fueled by endless “redo’s” of his contracts, including the most idiotic of all, the latest (atta boy – 10 WINS!) contract.
That ego convinced him that he could plug in a buddy (Martinez for Van Gorder) and his “system” would continue to be successful. That ego convinced him that his offense would work, no matter who he plugged in at OC. I also think he has interests away from Athens including his church, foreign ministries, etc. that other big time head coaches don’t have.
That’s all fine, but does anybody think Saban does ANYTHING other than plan, work, scheme, whatever it takes to win a championship??
Richt will never win a BCS Title. And I bet it doesn’t bother him in the grand scheme of things.
Joey
January 10th, 2012
4:26 pm
“So instead of throwing it away, he is top 12 in the nation in BOTH sacks AND interceptions.”
**************************************************
I don’t know for sure, but I be he is pretty high on the “Pick-Sixes” and “Fumbles for TDs” categories also. I like Murray, but I think it’s insane to not try another guy when he gets in that “lost” or choking mode in our big games.
KINGDAWG
January 10th, 2012
4:30 pm
Are you kidding me ?!? Replace a fullback… Our fullbacks didn’t have a single carry until the end of the season. Seriously, some of our stongest teams in the past were when we had a fullback… “we just crushed there face with a hobnail boot.” …Thank a fullback for providing Munson with that inspiration.
MiamiDawg
January 10th, 2012
4:32 pm
The correct answer is YES. The rest of it is just a coach who is in well over his head and doesn’t have any (fill in the blank).
Need another reason why CMR has to go???
Vampire Bill
January 10th, 2012
4:38 pm
The bottom line to CMR is that he doesn’t measure the success of the UGA football program in just wins or national championships. Of course he would LOVE to win it all and win every game for that matter but his vision of his job is to mold young men into fine human beings that are prepared for life after football and all that. Richt knows that the team could do better with a top flight OC but he’s happy with Bobo and see’s no reason to change. Loyalty, Unity, Family, God … that’s what CMR is all about.
amspec
January 10th, 2012
4:40 pm
Laurels EQUAL achievements.
Losing to every good team that you face NOT EQUAL achievements
So when Chip writes: “Anybody who thinks Georgia is resting on its laurels of this past season hasn’t been listening to Richt.”
I would finish the sentence “… but maybe they are drunk or stoned, because there are no laurels upon which to lay their weary heads.”
sports
January 10th, 2012
4:46 pm
Towers, talk about envious from you is like calling the kettle black.
Snoop Dawg
January 10th, 2012
4:46 pm
Loser. That is what Mark Richt is all about. The buck stops with Richt.
Chip Towers
January 10th, 2012
4:49 pm
amspec: They won 10 games in a row and the Eastern Division championship. Those are laurels, especially after 6-7.
russ
January 10th, 2012
4:51 pm
GEORGIA WILL NEVER WIN ANYTHING WITH MIKE BOBO AND HIS QB MURRAY!!
DawgFan
January 10th, 2012
4:51 pm
1st and foremost, Something has to be done about the play calling. When we’re aggressive, we win. When we play not to lose, we usually lose or the game is so close it’s up for grabs. Most think CMR should get more involved, not just whether we go for it but the actual play call. Next, please, please, please, please hire a Special Teams Coach, if CMR wants to save face, then make Bobo the Special Teams Coach and CMR take over OC, but please hire a Special Teams Coach. I bet Alabama and LSU have Special Team Coaches.
Joey
January 10th, 2012
4:52 pm
MiamiDawg, get it in your head, as have I. This new contract assures us Richt will be here for 4 or 5 seasons, provided he can somehow retain Grantham. UGA ain’t gonna pay $10-15 million to Richt, while also paying another head coach.
Vampire Bill, I’m envious that you can be happy (I think you are) with the “molding young men into fine human beings that are prepared for life after football and all that.”
I’d sure like to see that new contract and see if there’s any of that stuff in it. I hope the UGA Athletic Dept is paying him to win football games and contend for championships.
I mean, I don’t exactly see dregs of the earth coming out of the University of Alabama, so I’m pretty sure a coach making 3 or 4 million dollars a year can somehow combine those things, right?
You know, fine human beings who also win BCS Titles?
ElmoreRedOne
January 10th, 2012
4:53 pm
Right on Chip, lost to Michigan State and South Carolina by 3, win one of those close games, and we finish 11-3, a top 10 team. It was a good solid year, and even the losses didn’t hurt as bad.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 10th, 2012
4:54 pm
Chip Towers
10 wins against who?
Tech LOL thats a great confernce the ACC is
Aub that was a given
FL was terrible as we all know
and the rest should have been wins anyway
ElmoreRedOne
January 10th, 2012
4:55 pm
Bobo as Off Corrdinator led UGA to a #2 finish, I owuldn’t say he’s the problem. Murray threw a lot of td’s, and for 3100 yards, but had a problem when pressured with decisions, 14 int’s and 32 sacks. QB has to throw the ball away, can’t afford 46 negative plays there due to poor execution.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 10th, 2012
4:56 pm
Joey
Im fine with benching Murray to create a QB competition.
Im just saying the next QB that steps in, when he has issues he is on his own in fixing them and thats a problem
ElmoreRedOne
January 10th, 2012
4:58 pm
It wasn’t just Murray’s turnovers, that’s too easy. It was also terrible red zone defense, and pathetic special teams breakdowns. And we couldn’t really find a consistent running back.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 10th, 2012
4:58 pm
Bobo led us to a #2 finish yea thanks to everyone losing out in front of us
Yea I remember that year losing to two lousy SEC East schools that we had no business losing to
But thats par for the course under Richt and Bobo every year
amspec
January 10th, 2012
4:59 pm
You measure success by close losses, wins over medicore (or worse) teams and an ability to play an impressive half?! You guys set the bar too low for a team that has so much talent either in its back yard or on its roster.
duronimo
January 10th, 2012
4:59 pm
UGA didn’t come a long way this year. Richt saying so doesn’t make it a fact. Fact is, this year was precisely like the last three. We beat over-matched teams and lost to good teams. The “coming a long way” must relate to their success in softening up the schedule to create the illlusion of progress. At the moment UGA is an embarrassment to the SEC and any one with a modicum of common sense knows it. Our great athletes are neutered by sub-par coaching. That’s why Central Fla, Boise State, MSU can beat us with inferior players.
1eyedJack
January 10th, 2012
5:03 pm
You guys are just making yourselves miserable. Bottom line is CMR and CMB are here for the forseeable future barring a complete meltdown. Live with it.
And Murray? I would be shocked if he’s not under center come September. A lot of you would be singing his praises if he had three or four seconds to go through his progressions and find a receiver. I believe the reason things fell apart in the second half of games is that our o-line just got worn out without any depth to give the starting five a break.
1eyedJack
January 10th, 2012
5:06 pm
One thing is for sure, Murray should be in great shape, running for his life as he was most of the time.
Joey
January 10th, 2012
5:21 pm
Richt: “we want to compete in such a way and prepare in such a way that we’ve got a chance to win every time we go out there”
*******************************************
One would think that Grantham’s success would give Richt pause regarding the offense. Like maybe he would think, “I wonder what an outsider, with a grasp of new offenses and schemes, could do with Aaron Murray and Co?
Nobody, from Vegas to the State of Georgia thinks Richt can out-prepare and out-coach good teams anymore.
In fact, most fans who have watched us go to Ok St and lose, play Boise and lose, go to Colorado and lose, play LSU in Atlanta and lose bad, would laugh at Richt’s statement.
Anybody think we can go to Mizzu, on national tv, with a “get a 10 point lead and sit on it” game plan, and nervous-nellie Murray, and start the year 1-0 in SEC play?
Don’t be on it . . .
War Eagle
January 10th, 2012
5:27 pm
Richt is not in the same league with Saban, Miles, Spurrier, Chizik or Paterno.the West will dominate with coaching as East did with Spurrier, Dooley and Fulmer
I think Banker Dawg puy it in the right perspective
Joey
January 10th, 2012
5:38 pm
Paterno? Hope Richt ain’t in that league. Surely you’re talking about Petrino?
But yeah, I’ll go along with you on coaching except Chizik – though he had the brains to play Cam at QB. Richt/Bobo wanted him to play TE.
National Champ MVP. Heisman winner. 1st pick in NFL draft. Probably NFL Rookie of the Year.
Yeah, tight end.
Nice evaluation, Richt and Bobo . . .
BankerDawg
January 10th, 2012
6:05 pm
War Eagle: Richt has gotten away from what made him sucessful. GA football has always been a run first team, but we’ve strayed from this and its evidenced by how we recruit. We have not had a good Oline in the past 6 years. Why? For a while guys we’re getting the same shoulder injuries before they even saw the field. What did we do, we kept doing it. Tide Roll makes some harsh critisisms but they are true. We recruit silver spoon O linemen and then recruit scat backs to run behind them. That expereiment has not worked. Murray is not a pocket passer. He’s not. Just like Brantly is not a spread option guy. Wrong guys in the wrong systems. Mettenburger was the prototypical QB that we needed, but now he’s at LSU. So who do we have? We have Mason, who is deadly accurate but his arm is in question. We have Lemay, who I think should be getting groomed right now to take the reigns, but he hasnt been given a chance. Now we have the Fauta kid coming in. WTF? Really Richt & Bobo? He’s what we need? Come on. This is a small example of our current coaching staff “getting it wrong” more often then right. I think the saving grace is that Grantham saved our defense from the Willy days (albeit after fans almost stormed Athens). We might have a productive running game with the TB by commitee next year with Crowell, Marshall, and one of the other studs if we can land them. The question remains the O line and QB play. Will Murray get better? Was this a Soph slump? I don;t think so. I think what we see is what we’ve got.
We’ll win 10 games next year but the games will be closer then what GA fans will be comfortable with. I think that Richt has his nucleus of freinds around him, his 3MM salary, and everything is right in his world. Why would he try and find another gear if he has to hurt one of his friends (Bobo)? He wont.
tyger
January 10th, 2012
6:06 pm
Falcon Fans Rise Up!!!
- If Mgt. can’t make the tough decisions, rise up!
- If Mgt. stands behind a scoreless QB, rise up!
- If Mgt. bypasses another Heisman QB, rise up!
- If Mgt. produces an inferior product, rise up!
- If Mgt. sells an inferior/defective product, rise up!
- If you were humiliated Sunday, rise up!
- If you value your hard earned $, rise up!
- If you cant take it anymore, rise up!
- If your’e tired of being sick and tired, rise up!
- Why support their half-a$$ efforts???