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?
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298 comments Add your comment
A person SMART enough to know......
January 11th, 2012
1:29 am
Are you talking about Anne Murray? She makes such a good QB for the Dwags.
4.29 GPA with 4.35 speed 40-yard dash
January 11th, 2012
1:31 am
It is what it is.
Don’t blame that on me.
It’s not my fault that you asked a question and I answered it honestly.
I am not to blame for the truth.
You’ve been reading Kool-Aid, which doesn’t hack it.
Not in the face of direct studied comparisons of only those areas you asked for the break-down of.
Yes, they’ve done Better with Worse Players than Mark Richt over the entire last 6 years. They have no hope of beating us, or South Carolina, or Florida, or Alabama and with their 11 lost senior starters and # 31 recruiting classes every year in the middle of nowhere, a 1,500 mile trip there is not my idea of a football game. It takes me more than 2 full days of driving to go 1,500 miles. I have to stop. If I got there for game time only, and jumped back in after the game to return, we’d be dead and she will not go with me. Facts. I don’t fly. I’m a NASCAR driver, or so I think after driving Talladega once. I can get anywhere given time to check-in and wait and return, same; in about the same time flying produces. Then, I have to rent a car too. I don’t like flying. It’s football. I always drive to those, even the Cotton Bowl. But, to play Mizzou ? Not interested. I couldn’t talk her into Tampa again, to watch what she calls a guy who throws himself down when anyone gets near him play a team I told her was a better team. She still picked us, which as I noted, I did not so I beat her in the bowl pool. I don’t bet based upon platitudes unless I believe them. I believe it has been pointed out by most here that that stopped with me with the Georgia Dome Sugar Bowl I am told here never happened. Think she got jaded in that game too. What sorry coaching. All that talent. My Favorite player.
I ain’t going to Nashville then way North way North of Memphis, which by itself is the end of the line for me. Then, Way North from There to St. Louis. Then, North from there. Then West from That. No. Not for Missouri. At season’s end Missouri will be not ranked, and not even in a bowl game. How many days would it really take me ? If I left Thursday, we could spend the night we always do Friday; but I’d have to leave middle of the night Wednesday night. Miss Thursday and Friday. Saturday, no way she’d let me even leave, I don’t think. Never does. Have to get some shut-eye anyway. And, I can’t drive 750 miles with just a few hours sleep like I usually pull on her. No way. I’d need proper night’s rest. That’s Sunday now. Drive all day. Get here 10 pm. She hates that going to work Monday getting home that late. So, Monday is an off-day for her too. I’d go back. Not her. What am I up now Tuesday ? Give me a break. Wednesday night to Tuesday for her and me almost too really. No.
Mizzou is not going to be any good. Don’t hold it against me that the game is not what you wanted it to be. And, if I made your S-list for even answering your question, now that I’ve put forth the travel plans, how do I look now ?
It’s not my fault.
I wanted to add great teams. I did not want to add Texas A&M or Mizzou. We added teams who cannot compete to have more than 12. The other conferences added top teams because they wanted to not be a 1-team conference or a 2-team conference. That was never The SEC Strategy. They wanted to add 2 teams with a TV market. Nothing about the teams themselves.
They have spent tens of millions of dollars advertising just these 2 teams. I don’t fall for TV ads either. I make up my own mind, studying the details.
If you want to know the truth of the matter, TV will cause all these programs for all these conferences to ALL quit their conferences. I said that about the ACC when they were 1,500 miles from Boston to Miami. Get real. 17 sports, and this is what all the conferences are facing now for 2012.
It’s not going to work. I don’t and never did support it. TV. No one in Texas turns on their TV to watch Texas A&M get their brains kicked in by every SEC West team. 22 million turned off TV sets, is what they actually get.
Me I like to go to the games. Buy stuff. Eat great food. Study the teams. Find favorite players. Talk to people. Share time. I cannot see Mizzou SEC East. Wait till South Carolina has to go there. Or, Florida. Cough cough.
You cannot blame me. I was all against it vocally from the start. And, everyone knows that.
MaconDawg
January 11th, 2012
1:45 am
Okay, 4.29, I’ll cut you some slack this time — but, I still want to play Bama. I’ve just never thought of UGA as a middle-tiered program, with a lot of hype, but maybe that is just where we are and I should just shut-up and be content that we’re suppose to get top recruits so we can beat up on other 2nd rate teams like Florida Atlantic. Does that mean I have to show any love for Bobo? That would really be pushing it, won’t it?
4.29 GPA with 4.35 speed 40-yard dash
January 11th, 2012
1:46 am
Who cares what his name is or how it is spelled ? That was fine for me. I knew just who he meant. The lady refers to him as the little guy who throws his wee little body to the turf when he sees someone close. Our opponents refer to him as the guy everyone throws around like a rag-doll back there.
All I know is the # 11 all-time wins football program has lost 41 percent of his starts. Ain’t telling me he is great. If he beats USCe he will be 1-9 vs teams who finish in the top 25 his whole career here. That is, if USCe then makes the top 25, which I really doubt. I don’t think we play a team who ends up in the top 25, thus 13-1. Now, what is Georgia tek going to be ? I resent the fact that you interject yourself into conversations between me and other Bulldog fans. I’ve got nothing to say to you. If you wanted to know how I felt about Brian VanGorder genius, you would have read what I already said and have said for years on end that he was NO GOOD at Atlanta as Falcon’s DC and thus run out of town on a rail as ScapeGoat, and that when he was here, it was Mike Bobo who needed to leave not him; but he didn’t look the part and didn’t beat the top teams. When he did beat the top teams here, he lost to the sorry likes of unranked teams the same year. No, I don’t miss him and yes like we all have said, Aaron Murray will be mis-treated by his linebackers like he is by all. Now, can I go to bed ?
4.29 GPA with 4.35 speed 40-yard dash
January 11th, 2012
2:01 am
We used to be a team who could beat any team any week. We did that even under Ray Goff. Jim Donnan was a LOT better than Mark Richt the last 6 years. He only lost 19 games in his 5 years here. I always could enjoy a shellacking of Alabama where I got my # 17 Jersey when Matt Robinson hung it on his hook only to see it drop at my feet.
Now, we can’t beat anyone.
We lose to cruddy teams.
We lose to great teams.
We lose to average teams.
We have 25 losses the last 6 years.
I’m over it.
Bozo ? No. But, it hardly stops there.
Not now.
We’ve got issues.
I love the posts where they are all wished away :
“If we could find some answers for our OL in 2012, could get Aaron Murray not to be immature for a whole entire season of 14 games, could get some pair on offense, and with the new emphasis that everyone that Mark Richt didn’t want to play on Special Teams so they didn’t get hurt, and no practices so they didn’t get hurt is all of a sudden going to play (Yeah, right, and what about his precious walk-ons who only play ST?), with this soft schedule 2012, we could … win The SEC.”
Oh, give me a break.
Stinger2
January 11th, 2012
4:40 am
Some UGA fans are the worst because they have nothing to say except fire Richt and Bobo. Its like they feel its their daily duty to post such nonsense. Some people are considered to be smart if they just do not say anything.
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January 11th, 2012
4:41 am
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michael
January 11th, 2012
5:36 am
BankerDawg is right on the money!
TiredOleDawg
January 11th, 2012
6:34 am
Fire Bobo, and then fire Richt, if he doesn’t fire Bobo — just to show I’m part of the worst (see Stinger2’s comment above).
I used to love the Dawgs, but not since we’ve let the team slide into mediocrity and keep allowing them play/act like pups. During the pre-game show, there’s all that stuff about “old dawgs…and our new breed of dawgs in Athens…” Crowell and Caleb King are/were a part of our NEW grand strategy, scat-backs with no guts, nor brains, nor discipline… Well, let me tell you what I think of all of that hype…phffft.” Yes, I know — that is negative; sorry to all the kool-aiders…
SleepyDawg
January 11th, 2012
6:37 am
I’m with you…Bobo lost his mojo, so he must go-go… Actually, he never had a mojo, but I was trying to be poetic — that’s hard this early in the morning…
East Repeat
January 11th, 2012
6:51 am
Dawg defense should be really stout and set-up to dominate in 2012 in much the same way UGA’s Special Teams were set up to dominate in 2011! Wait, scratch that! Never mind.
Grantham > Pease
January 11th, 2012
6:54 am
Fla’s new off coordinator will get schooled by Mr. Grantham in another easy Dawg win against fl. The Dawgs will win the SEC and play bama for the title–take it to the bank.
TampaGator
January 11th, 2012
6:59 am
Grantham > Pease……..
Another Dawg fan making a poor investement with a “bank.”
East Repeat
January 11th, 2012
7:13 am
Yea, Dawg fans have so many comments that say “book it” or “bank it” I have to find another library and bank. Turns out none are actually bookable or bankable.
JB
January 11th, 2012
7:27 am
The Dawgs offense was moving the ball well against LSU in the SECCG. In fact, moved it the entire 1st half by mixing up plays, throwing on 1st down, keeping them on their heels. Then at the half, Richt and Bobo huddle and say, run the ball between the tackles all 3 plays on our first 2 possessions………………………That folks is why we will always be a brides maid and never a bride. This statement is factual.
Joey
January 11th, 2012
7:43 am
Ol Columbus said we need to give Richt 15 years to get his first National Title, you know, because it always takes that long for most coaches to win their first. Nice try, Columbus. Don’t let facts get in the way of your BS.
Nick Saban (10)
Les Miles (7)
Urban Myer (6)
Gene Chizik (4)
Bob Stoops (2)
Pete Carroll (3)
Larry Coker (1)
Butch Davis (6)
Phil Fulmer (7)
Lloyd Carr (3)
Steve Spurrier (6)
So, of the last 15 teams who won National Titles, only 4 had a head coach who took more than 10 years to win his first Title.
You’re gonna have to use a different excuse for Richt, Columbus . . .
Texas Dawg
January 11th, 2012
7:55 am
Did everyone take a look at what Alabama did? Say what you will but that was a prime example of a coaching staff developing a game plan (outsmarting) the other team to win a ball game!
Alabama threw on 1st down… changed the offensive game plan……Based off what I believe Georgia did.against LSU…..it was working for us…………BUT Wait……………….
then we have the opening drive of the second half…..2 running plays with a 170 pound tailback into the strength of their defense…..3rd and long…they bring pressure…..Murry scrambles and fumbles…………..
yea and Bama special teams teams allowed no big plays…………………………..
Love UGA but until we get SPECIALS TEAMS Taken care of and a really good offensives coordinator I feel like we will never be as special as we could be with the talent we get!
4.29 GPA with 4.35 speed 40-yard dash
January 11th, 2012
7:55 am
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville January 9th, 2012 7:57 pm
“Yea I remember Richt saying that the Boise game wasnt that important. That’s top tier coaching leadership.
__________________________________________________________
Yes, Mark Richt said that exactly, BEFORE the game. Several times.
Texas Dawg
January 11th, 2012
8:00 am
o yea….Murry does have great numbers………..against really weak teams………..he folds in the biggest games………..how many top twenty teams (ranked at the end of the year) have we beat in the last three years.
Hated to see Alabama dropped off the schedule………..you wanna be the best you ganna have to beat the best.
katla
January 11th, 2012
8:02 am
bush league off coordinator in bobo will never win big
je
January 11th, 2012
8:05 am
Enter your comments here
Joe
January 11th, 2012
8:12 am
Trying to adapt a player to your offense is wrong. You have to take the talent and adapt your offense to what you have. Tebow is an example of that. Fox adapted to his talents with his offense. I would also say Meyer did also. “Finish the drill” is for practice…”Finish the Game” should be the goal. Unless we can adapt our offense some we will never be the elite team. Bear Bryant had a few bad years in the 70’s…He adapted his offense and won. Why is Bobo and Richt so stubborn they think all they have to do is throw out the football and do the same thing every year with different people and expect success? The defensive challenge of the opposition is simple…UGA’s offense is consistantly predictable….Who is trying to hire Bobo as a head coach or OC? No one!!!!
Spokesman for the SEC East
January 11th, 2012
8:30 am
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.
And with Murray as the QB, Richt as Head Coach and Bobo calling plays there won’t be even an SEC Title next year.
SC finally has a QB who can handle the Head Ball Coach in Connor Shaw and UF has hired Boise’s Offensive Coordinator who if my memory serves me correct, beat Choke Granthams defense with 2 and 3-star recruits.
bubba4dawgs
January 11th, 2012
8:39 am
Better OL, depth on DL, change OC and QB = formula for better season. Oh, forgot RB’s…ship Crowell to a JUCO somewhere. UGA needs players who really want to play.
Fair and Balanced
January 11th, 2012
9:21 am
I know this column is all about football but when are we going to get upset with our pitiful basketball program. We are terrible! When is Fox going to be on the hot seat?
Fair and Balanced
January 11th, 2012
9:24 am
Is Atlanta interested in the Falcon job?
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
January 11th, 2012
9:32 am
Here we go again, another top ten recruiting class, another failed season.
But, UGA did have LSU beat…in the first half, that should count for something.
UGA Insider
January 11th, 2012
9:48 am
JB,
and in that huddle they said let’s go ahead and punt it to that kid with the funny hair…Honey Badger.
UGA Insider
January 11th, 2012
9:51 am
UGA Football-average
UGA Basketball- below average
UGA Baseball- below average
UGA Women’s Basketball- average
Fire Mike Adams!
falconfiend
January 11th, 2012
10:50 am
Bulldogs finished #2 in 2007 skunking undefeated Hawaii team IN THE SUGAR BOWL. They should have played in the championship game against LSU that year but ncaa wanted two division champs in the championship game. Alabama did not make sec championship this year and still won the national champ. THE SEC IS THE BEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONFERENCE IN COLLEGIATE AND PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL. IF, THE BULLDOGS PLAYERS STAY IN SCHOOL FOR THEIR SENIOR YEARS THEN THEY WILL COMPETE FOR A BCS CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT ITS HARD TO RELY ON FRESHMAN AND SOPHS TO GET YOU THERE.
Gene
January 11th, 2012
10:53 am
No coach ever got to the NC with gimmicks like black outs, pool parties, and energy vampires.
bremen dawg
January 11th, 2012
11:05 am
poor richt….
imagine how tired he would be if he got as upset as saban at every penalty…
imagine him as intense…
he//…imagine gettiing just 1 penalty…
just imagine…
GaSoldier
January 11th, 2012
11:11 am
Offensive line has to be better. Give the running backs some creases for once. Give Murray time….this should be our most need improvement. Defense will be just fine and even better. Bobo and Richt also needs to open up that play book and let the offense go. Call games to put opposing defenses on there heals. keep the foot on the gas pedal….they need that killer extinct. What these two are missing.
zbulldawg
January 11th, 2012
11:16 am
ALL YOU UNDERCLASS Get your butt in that weight room,Show the young players what it’s gonna take to compete for chanpionships every year !! You will be SORRY if you miss this ONCE in a life time opportunity ! Finish what you started !! GO DAWGS
icedawg
January 11th, 2012
11:32 am
It is not quite accurate to say that defense rules the day. It did in the BCS Championship game but if you look at the season as a whole all over the country you have to wonder where has the defense gone. The DAWGS have improved this season on the defensive play. It does not seem like the offense improved at all, in fact, though not looking at the data, it seems that the offense actually went backwards. It certainly lost the South Carolina game and it lost the SEC Championship game. The OL did not run block well at all. Murray played well at times but turned over the ball for scores way too much. Unless the O line improves and Murray finds a way to not turn the ball over the DAWGS will not be an elite team next year. The D should still be very good and keep them in most games, but it cannot play the whole game when the offense cannot sustain drives and turns the ball over.
autotrader
January 11th, 2012
11:42 am
So, the dawgs were wishing they could play Bama? Who you kidding? Bama would punt us back to the dark ages in the first quarter. What we need are more weak kneed teams like Coastal Carolina and New Mexico State. Maybe we will trade Missouri for Western Carolina before the season begins. Face it folks, what we have are a bunch of PRETENDER COACHES, ie, they PRETEND to be division 1 coaches when they clearly are not.
DawginLex
January 11th, 2012
11:50 am
flat tire and snoop dawg
So answer my question.
Does LSU have better players and more depth on both lines of scrimmage?
Yes or no
I’m not talking about MSU
I’m talking about LSU
And snoop I guarandamtee you that I have more knowledge about anything in life than you do.
lpac74
January 11th, 2012
11:53 am
Anybody heard that the falcons are talking to Todd?
RCB
January 11th, 2012
11:53 am
This article reflects the inconsistancy of Georgia at the offensive line. For years we hear we have a great line returning, and we get the same results. Now someone says this same line is leaving and they are the “best” so to conclude we are really in trouble now. Well, which is it? Did we like our offensive line performance over the last several years or not? If not, you need change. Either a different coach or a different player. But let’s not start talking about the good old days.
Charles leaving?
January 11th, 2012
2:01 pm
I thought he and Crowell had already quit. I did not see either play in the bowl game.
True Dog
January 11th, 2012
6:44 pm
A oerson that bashes a young man’s parents is an esceptional LOW LIFE.
I perfer ti think that this person is from another camp.
Arthur Tamburo
January 11th, 2012
7:28 pm
Workouts for me is about having a good time. Zumba lets me to have alot of fun and its a great workout too!
DawgGone
January 11th, 2012
7:52 pm
No wonder he left; he felt left out during the game; nobody played nice with him, including Bobo.
Grantham's Big Salary
January 12th, 2012
8:06 am
Giving up big points in all the big games? No big deal!! Give Grantham a boatload of new money or he may leave! Remember–he used to coach in the NFL and could go back anytime for big money! Pay up UGA!
Al
January 12th, 2012
4:34 pm
you clowns have quickly forgotten how you EMBARRASSED the SEC this year when BOISE STATE beating you down in ATLANTA…..how DISGUSTING…..RTR
MT
January 12th, 2012
9:10 pm
Was it the 35 pts to Boise, 45 to USC, 42 to LSU, or 33 to MSU
All these scores are from last season, 2012 is a different
year.dummy.
Will Thompson
January 13th, 2012
7:48 pm
When we get Avery Young and Josh Harvey Clemons are recruiting class will be where it needs to be. Hopefully we can land other quality prospects but looking forward to them. Are schedule and the players we have returning has National Championship written all over it….but as Georgia fans we know there will be a game or two we should have won. Hopefully we go undefeated into the SEC championship and take down Alabama/LSU and go into the NC!
aladawg
January 14th, 2012
11:34 pm
Wet Willie, you are the lowest of the low scum bag. What about your mother I bet she would love to spend an evening with me.