A Late Christmas Present: A fantastic Week 17 in the NFL

It is amazing how much is still to be decided in the last day of the NFL season. While there are teams that have clinched their playoff spot, seeding and home field advantage will be determined on the field today.

In the AFC, most of the playoff positions have been decided, but there is a four team race for the final 

playoff spot.

Denver will be the one seed and have home-field advantage. I think New England will beat Buffalo to clinch the 2 seed. Cincinnati will be the three seed, and Indianapolis will be the four seed. Kansas City has already clinched the 5^th seed, so it is important for both the Bengals and the Colts to try and get the three seed to avoid having to play the Chiefs in the first round.

The six seed is where it gets fun in the AFC. If the Ravens win they are in, but the Ravens are on the road in Cincinnati, where the Bengals haven’t lost all season. The Bengals also have seeding to play for, and a shot at a first round bye with a win, so I think they will win, eliminating Baltimore.

The Dolphins should win today. They are playing at home against the Jets and hot-seat staple Rex Ryan. However, the Dolphins looked terrible on the road last week against a bad Bills team, and I think the Jets will rally around Ryan and figure out a way to win this game for him. So the Dolphins are out.

Pittsburgh is at home and playing the Browns, but they need everyone else to lose. In my scenario, they are 

close to getting their wish. The Steelers will control this game from start to finish and put themselves in position to make the playoffs after starting the season 0-4.

However, the one thing the Steelers will need is for the Chargers to lose to the Chiefs at home. The Chargers/Chiefs game will be a 4 pm kick while the other three games that will decide the six seed all kick at 1 pm. So the Chargers will know when they take the field that they are in with a win. Even though Kansas City is a good team, they don’t have anything to play for today, and the Chargers will be extra motivated. I think the Chargers will win a close game, and break the hearts of the Steelers, who will be a tough team to beat if they get into the playoffs.

So here it is in the AFC:

  Denver

 New England

 Cincinnati

 Indianapolis

 Kansas City

 San Diego

So the wild card round will feature San Diego on the road at Cincinnati and Kansas City on the road at Indianapolis.

Confused yet?

I hope not, because the NFC is much more difficult to understand. Nothing, not the 1 seed, not a single division, and not a first round bye has been clinched in the NFC.

Let’s take it one step at a time. Seattle clinches home field and the one seed by beating the Rams today. Seattle at home against a dome team should equal a Seahawks win, so I’ll go with Seattle.

The Panthers control their own destiny for the two seed and a first round bye. All they have to do is go down to Atlanta and beat the disappointing Falcons. Atlanta has nothing to play for, except screwing up securing a top pick in the NFL Draft, so that means the Falcons will probably play well and scare me half to death. I think Carolina will pull out the win and win the division.

The Eagles will destroy the Cowboys on Sunday night football, and it has nothing to do with Tony Romo not playing. The Cowboys have a terrible defense, and there is no way they will keep Philadelphia under 30 points. With or without Romo, the Cowboys aren’t going to score that much, but at least now, Romo won’t get blamed for the Cowboys losing.

Green Bay and Chicago will play for the NFC North title and the fourth seed in the playoffs. Chicago gave up over 50 points to the Eagles last week in a game that could have put them in the playoffs. Cutler and the offense will play well, and probably score on the Green Bay defense that will be missing Clay Mathews. However, the Chicago defense is wretched. Aaron Rodgers returning to the Packers lineup will be the focus in the lead up to the game, but the key to this game will be Eddy Lacy. The rookie running back has brought balance to the Packers’ offense, and the Bears couldn’t stop the run if I was carrying the ball. Lacy will have a big day, Rodgers will throw off play action, and the Packers will make the playoffs.

The 49ers host the Cardinals today in a game of two teams that have a ton to play for. The 49ers are in the playoffs, but they could be as high as the 1 seed if they win and things fall their way. The Cardinals have to win and hope that the Saints lose to the Bucs in order to get in the playoffs. Because this game will be going on at the same time the Saints and the Bucs play, I’ll go with Arizona to win the game but miss the playoffs because I can’t see New Orleans losing to a bad Tampa Bay team in the Super Dome. This scenario will be a tough break for Arizona who will go 11-5, but miss the playoffs.

So here is my prediction on the NFC playoffs:

 Seattle

 Carolina

 Philadelphia

 Green Bay

 New Orleans

 San Francisco

As bland as the AFC playoffs look on paper, the NFC playoffs look absolutely amazing. New Orleans travels to the frozen tundra to take on Green Bay. The Saints are the better team, but can they win in the frigid climate? Meanwhile, the 49ers travel to Philly to take on the Eagles. The great 49ers defense versus the dynamic offense of the Eagles.

The backside of all this playoff talk is that tomorrow will be Black Monday in the NFL. Seven coaches lost their jobs last season, so how many will get the ax tomorrow?

No coach deserves to be fired more than Jim Schwartz in Detroit. They have talent on both sides of the ball and he hasn’t done anything with it. I think Lovie Smith would be a perfect fit for the Lions after they fire Schwartz because he knows the division and you want a proven winner with that amount of talent.

I think the Greg Schiano experiment will be over in Tampa. So that makes two.

Houston already fired their coach.

Atlanta, Buffalo, Oakland, Jacksonville, and Cleveland all had bad years, but I don’t think any of those coaches will be fired. All of those teams other than Atlanta just hired new coaches last season, so they will probably get 1 more year to get the ball rolling in the right direction. Mike Smith has been the most successful coach in franchise history, so there is no reason for the Falcons to overreact to one bad season.

I think Leslie Frazier will be out in Minnesota. Although they made the playoffs last year, it just seems like the Vikings are going nowhere fast, and wasting the best running back in the league.

The two biggest questions will surround Washington and New York.

The Redskins have been a mess going all the way back to the post game press conference after last year’s lost to Seattle in the Wild Card playoff game. Robert Griffin isn’t going anywhere but it doesn’t seem like Mike Shanahan wants him to be his quarterback. Dan Snyder will have to pay Shanahan a boat load of money to go away if he wants a new coach. I honestly don’t know what will happen here, but my guess is that Shanahan will be gone.

The rise and fall of Rex Ryan in New York has been fascinating. In the media capital of the world, Ryan was loved for his brash talk and straight forward approach when the Jets were winning playoff games. Just a few years later, the Jets are losing more than they are winning, they don’t have a quarterback, and now Ryan’s antics are being criticized. The Jets were supposed to be terrible this year, but a win today would get them to .500 and I think it would earn Rex another year.

I think I'll settle on 5 coaches being fired tomorrow, but there is usually a surprise along the way, so you just never know.

It is amazing to me how often the NFL gets it right. To be able to sit back today, watch NFL RedZone, and watch all of this drama play out is a sports fan’s dream. No matter what happens, with 15 games going on between 1 pm and 8 pm there is almost no way that today won’t be one of the best sports days of the year. Enjoy the final full week of football, because it’s going to be a long time until next September.

The Hero Deserved Better

This isn’t how the story is supposed to go.

As little boys we grow up in a culture that teaches us that the hero always prevails, gets the girl, and saves the kitty cat from the burning building while overcoming impossible odds. I have never felt so lied to as I do this morning.

Aaron Murray was the hero before he even showed up in Athens. The first time I heard about Aaron Murray was in 2008. He was an early commit to Georgia (already a good guy), but he had broken his leg during his senior season at Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. Cue hero music. Murray rehabbed and made it back from his broken leg in about 8 weeks, just in time for the state playoffs. He started for his team and lead them to a state title. This was going to be Georgia’s next quarterback.

After graduating high school early, he enrolled at Georgia in January of 2009. He took a red shirt in the 2009 season, preparing to be the starting quarterback in 2010. During spring practice in 2010 there were rumors that Murray might get beat out for the starting job by Mark Richt’s secretary’s son, but after a fateful trip to South Georgia, Zach Mettenberger was off the team, and Aaron Murray was going to get his chance.

Murray spent his freshman year running for his life on a mediocre team. AJ Greene missed the first four games of the season because of a NCAA suspension, and the young quarterback wasn’t ready to do it all by himself. Georgia suffered its first losing season since the mid 90’s in 2010, and of course there were people that wanted to blame the quarterback. All Murray had done was set every freshman passing record.

As a sophomore, Murray played spectacularly at home against South Carolina, only to see Georgia lose 45-42 because of terrible special teams. Murray then led Georgia to 10 straight victories. This is where the Murray detractors start with their lunacy. They will tell you that Georgia didn’t play anyone in 2011. The schedule was so easy anyone could have won 10 straight. In this season alone we have seen Tennessee beat South Carolina, Ole Miss beat LSU, Utah beat Stanford, West Virginia beat Oklahoma State, and Georgia Southern beat Florida (J). Winning college football games isn’t easy when you are playing on the road even against average teams. I wonder how Murray’s legacy would have been different if Georgia’s receivers would have caught some passes early in the SEC title game against LSU? With a bigger lead at half time, would Georgia been able to hold on to win? The comment you hear about 2011 is that Georgia played four good teams and lost to all of them. That might be true, but Murray played well in the South Carolina game and the bowl game against Michigan State. Georgia lost the bowl game because our kicker missed a field goal that would have won the game in overtime.

As a mature junior, Murray got off to a hot start and so did the Dawgs. Nothing went right last year in Columbia, but there was nothing right about what happened to Aaron after the game. Murray returned home to see his house vandalized by angry Georgia fans. Those fans must have missed the game while they were out buying eggs and toilet paper, because there is no way you can place that loss on Aaron. Aaron played poorly, just like everyone else. Georgia missed chances on defense to change the game, and the offensive line played as bad as possible against a very good South Carolina defense. Murray found out soon after the Carolina game that his father had throat cancer. The cherry on top. Murray responded by leading Georgia through the rest of their schedule, including a second straight victory over Florida, and back to the SEC title game. Everyone knows what happens next, so let’s just skip it.

Murray returned for his senior season to win a title. He had already set most of the Georgia passing records, but he hadn’t brought a title to Athens. This is where the hero is supposed to be rewarded for his efforts. Murray has done everything you could ask a player to do. He graduated in the middle of his junior year and started working on a graduate degree. He has never gotten in trouble off the field. He regularly gives his time to local charities, including Extra Special People, where he spends time special needs children. I’m not nominating the man for sainthood; I’m just saying that in 2013 he has been an amazing player that we can be proud of both on and off the field.

The hero needs adversity so the loss to Clemson to begin the season was ok. Murray was spectacular against South Carolina and he willed Georgia to a win against LSU. When the injuries began to pile up against Tennessee, Murray managed to pull his team over the finish line and secure a victory in overtime. You could see Murray’s disappointment at the end of the Vanderbilt game, the story hadn’t gone the way it was supposed to go.

The Auburn game was a microcosm of Murray’s career. Georgia was down early when the offensive line wasn’t playing well and the defense was having trouble stopping Auburn. Down big in the fourth quarter, Murray leads an improbable comeback, capping it off by diving into the end zone head first, determined to get the lead. Then, with Murray watching on the sidelines, the Hail Mary gives Auburn the lead again. Murray is distraught at first. Then he leads Georgia right back down the field and gives the Dawgs a chance to win the game.

Last night started out perfectly. The Georgia fans finally showed their appreciation for the best statistical quarterback in SEC history. Murray, with tears in his eyes, probably feeling justified, Murray lifted his helmet up to acknowledge the crowd’s applause. Then the show started. Murray threw four touchdown passes in the first half, and then, just before half time, he stayed down after a hit. Well, he stayed down for a second. Murray got up and winced as two guys helped him limp off the field for the final time.

There will be time later to talk about how this impacts the final two games of this season, and how it might impact next season, but for now, let’s just hope we haven’t seen the last of Aaron Murray in a Georgia uniform.

Murray didn’t get the hero ending, but he should always have our respect and appreciation. I hope he can rehab from his injury and show the NFL scouts that he is a leader that deserves a chance. I also hope that Georgia fans finally give him the credit he deserves. Aaron Murray isn’t a hero, he’s just our quarterback.

In the end though, he was the quarterback that the Bulldog Nation needed, but maybe not the quarterback we deserved.

Thanks Aaron.

GO DAWGS! 

Trying to find words....

This was my range of emotions this afternoon.

Anticipation: I was really looking forward to this game.

Hope: After stopping Auburn on their first drive and holding them to a field goal, I felt like Georgia might be able to get it done.

Frustration: The Georgia offense did nothing on the first two possessions, and that put the defense in a terrible position.

Exasperation: It was disgusting watching Georgia in the first half. Penalties, bad tackling, no blocking on the offensive line, and it looked like we might get beat by 30 or more.

Apathy: Even when Georgia pulled it to a 27-17 I really didn’t care. I didn’t think there was any way that Georgia’s defense would stop Auburn once, let alone twice to get us back in the game. Seriously thought about turning the game off. Volunteered to put the baby down for the night in the middle of the third quarter.

Intrigued: When Georgia scored, and got the ball right back, it made me think that Georgia was going to get just close enough to break my heart.

Excited: Georgia scores again and makes it a one possession game. Made me think of how the Auburn fans were feeling. Probably just like I felt watching the Vanderbilt game this season. You think everything is in hand, then you start to get worried, then it feels like a giant snowball is rolling down a hill straight toward a nursing home. You have to remember how bad Auburn was last year and that they really haven’t been tested. You could just see them getting tight. All their dreams were slipping away.

Surprised: Would have never believed that Georgia would stop Auburn and force three straight punts. 

Never. Wouldn’t have bet your money.

Hopeful: Georgia had their offense working and it looked like we were heading for the end zone.

Aggrivated: Really upset that Georgia didn’t run it on second down and goal from the five. Put the ball in the hands of your best player and, at worst, run the clock down some more if he doesn’t get in.

Nervous: Really didn’t want to get that close and come up short of the end zone.

Proud: I have a lot to say about Aaron Murray in the next few days, but for him to put his head down on that fourth down play and just barely get in to the end zone, just makes me want to shake the guys hand and tell him thank you for being a Dawg.

Pumped: Georgia almost picked off Marshall’s first pass, brings down the receiver on a cut back play that went nowhere and took forever, then we sack Marshall to bring up fourth and eighteen.

Side Note: On November 12, 2005 I was sitting in the end zone of Sanford Stadium as Georgia was leading Auburn 30-28 with  just a few minutes left in the game. Georgia’s defense had forced a fourth down and long situation. Auburn called timeout. As the players began to get back on the field for the fourth down play, I just looked around the Stadium. Everyone was up on their feet going crazy. We were about to clinch the SEC East, and I was going to get to see it happen live.

Then Auburn passed the ball over the middle, got 64 yards on the play, fumbled forward out of bounds, and the ball was placed at the two. Auburn ran the clock down under a minute and kicked a field goal to win 31-30.

Laughing: My hand to God I started laughing as soon as the Auburn receiver caught the ball. You can’t make that stuff up. Some idiot Georgia fan will complain that the players should have batted the ball down. Those same guys that complained that Connelly should have let the ball drop in the Dome last December. Of course they should have batted the ball down, but they were trying to catch the ball. Even still, what are the odds that the Auburn player keeps running as the ball floats right to him? What are the odds that he actually locates the ball in time to catch it? Please, be frustrated with the outcome, but let’s not try to blame Harvey-Clemons or Matthews for a once in a generation play.

Intrigued: There were 25 seconds left and we had two timeouts. You never know. Right Auburn fans?

Hopeful: Murray managed to get us in position to throw it in the end zone and try to salvage a win for the ages.

(There is no word for it): Just blank. I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t disappointed. There was some pride there. One of those moments you just stare into space for a few minutes.

Acceptance: The worst part of it will be reliving it time and time again on highlight shows tonight and tomorrow, and still having to hear about it for the next two weeks until Alabama and Auburn play.

Finally I have come to a place of peace. I will be writing again tomorrow where Auburn’s win will be the best win of the day no matter what happens in the games tonight. I think we can take make some sober conclusions based on the facts of this season, not on the emotion of tonight’s heartbreaking loss.

The reality of the situation is that Georgia came into this season with national title aspirations and expectations. We are 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the SEC. You can’t escape those facts, but tonight, much like we did after the SEC title game last season, let’s just be proud of the effort our team put forth in that fourth quarter.

Glory, Glory.

Georgia tries to pull the upset on the Plains

One of the beautiful things about SEC football is that there are real rivalries on the schedule each and every year that you have to look forward to. For Georgia, more than half of their games in a given season could be considered rivalry games. At the end of the day, there are some rivalries that are more important than others.

Georgia’s top rival is obviously Florida, but I would submit to you that next in line for Georgia’s most hated rival would be the Auburn Tigers. Some people might argue Tech, but in reality, Tech isn’t a rivalry, it’s just a trap game for the Dawgs year in and year out.

The Georgia/Auburn game is the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, and for the second consecutive year, Georgia travels to the Plains.

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, Georgia went to Auburn looking to clinch the SEC East. The Dawgs throttled the Tigers, 38-0 en route to the SEC title game and ultimately a New Year’s Day bowl. The Tigers didn’t win a game in the SEC last year, fired their coach, and hired former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn as their new head coach.

This year, the Tigers are 9-1 and control their own destiny in the SEC West, with their yearly showdown against Alabama still looming in two weeks. The Tigers are one of the best stories in college football no matter what happens tomorrow afternoon.

Two weeks ago I told anyone who would listen that Georgia had zero chance of beating Auburn. Georgia has since beaten Florida and Appalachian State, and for some reason I’m starting to think that Georgia could pull off the upset. Don’t get me wrong, I can always figure out a reason for Georgia to win, but I really feel like the Dawgs are going to get it done.

Here’s why.

First, Georgia is getting some of its weapons back. Lynch is back. Connelly is back. That helps of course. Perhaps, after another week of practice, Todd Gurley will be close to 100%. Auburn hasn’t done a great job stopping the run this season, so a steady diet of Todd Gurley would put Georgia in a much better position to pull off the upset.

Auburn is fantastic at rushing the passer, but their pass rush will suffer if Gurley is a factor. I think Gurley is going to have one of his best games as a Dawg tomorrow. I think he’s going for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He might not win the Doak Walker award for the nation’s best running back, but that is what he is, and tomorrow he is going to prove it.

Second reason I like Georgia. Auburn is probably the most one dimensional team I can remember. The Tigers are amazing at running the ball. They hardly ever throw it. They don’t have to throw it because they get their big plays on the ground, but you would think that they will have to be a little more balanced against a solid Georgia team. Auburn’s only loss came against LSU. The Tigers got out to a lead by running the ball and forcing Nick Marshall to throw the ball. What happened? Marshall threw 2 of his 5 interceptions of the season against the Tigers. Auburn loves to run the ball. They would run the ball on every play if they could. 

In the past two weeks, Marshall has only attempted 15 passes. That is insane. What’s more impressive is that in those two games they have scored a combined 90 points on the road in the SEC.

Georgia’s defense has been pretty bad this year to say the least, but the one thing they have done well is stop the run. If Georgia can slow the Auburn running attack enough to force the Tigers to throw the ball, then there is a good chance that Georgia will win the game.

Another reason I like Georgia is history. It’s well known that this rivalry has been dominated by road teams. Lately however, the rivalry has been dominated by Georgia. Georgia has won 6 of 7 against the Tigers, with the only loss coming in Auburn’s national title season of 2010. The defining moment of the Mark Richt era also came on the road at Auburn. In 2002, Richt’s second year in Athens, Georgia threw a late touchdown pass from David Greene to Michael Johnson to secure a comeback victory, clinch the SEC East, and eliminate the Tigers from the SEC West race. Without that moment, Georgia wouldn’t have won the SEC in 2002, and who knows how the last 10 seasons would have played out.

A lot will be made on the broadcast tomorrow about Auburn’s quarterback Nick Marshall. Marshall was kicked off of Georgia’s football team as a sophomore because he was stealing from teammates in the locker room. The truth is that Marshall would be playing safety for the Dawgs had he not been kicked off the team, and that he never really had the impact that Georgia thought he would have when he was here. He was a highly recruited player that was a part of the so called Dream Team recruiting class of 2011.

Marshall isn’t the story tomorrow, but I’m sure Gary and Vern will spend plenty of time talking about him.

There is one glaring reason to believe Auburn will win the game, special teams. Auburn is fantastic on special teams. They scored on special teams last week against Tennessee. Georgia is as bad on special teams as you can possibly be. Georgia’s problems have been cleaned up the last two weeks, but I’m not as worried about Georgia fumbling a snap on a punt as I am worried that Auburn is going to run back a punt, or two, for a touchdown. Georgia has to be sound on special teams if they are going to win.

I’ve already told you I think Georgia wins this game, but here comes my surprise: it’s not going to be close. 

The Tigers have been a great story, but the reality of the situation is that they are a pretty good team that has played a weak schedule who only has one win of any kind of significance. Auburn outscored A&M in College Station a few weeks ago, but they are going to have to stop Georgia if they expect to win, because Georgia’s defense might not be great, but it is better than A&M’s defense.

Georgia is battle tested. They are back on track after their mid-season struggles.

Gurley is going to play great, Murray is going to be Murray, the defense is going to play well enough, and Nick Marshall is going to turn the ball over.

I wouldn’t have guessed it two weeks ago.

Georgia 41  Auburn 24

Go Dawgs! 

Weekend Recap: November 9

Biggest Story of the Week: Clarity in the BCS title race

There are always weeks like this in college football. November often offers clarity in the title race, and this was no exception.

The debate between FSU and Oregon looked like it was going to dominate the final month of the season. As good as Oregon had looked, I think most people were so impressed with FSU that you felt like they should be in the title game over the Ducks. Well, thanks to Stanford, the path to the BCS title game is clear for the ‘Noles. Stanford eliminated Oregon for the second straight year by dominating them physically on both lines of scrimmage.

Moving forward, I think there are serious questions to be asked about Oregon’s ability to beat elite teams in college football. Losing to Stanford the last two years, LSU to start the 2011 season, and Auburn in the 2010 BCS title game have all been examples of how Oregon just can’t play with elite teams.

Alabama finally played a team with a pulse on Saturday, and in the end, they showed the quality of their team by blowing out LSU in the second half. Although they haven’t played the most difficult schedule this year, I still think they are the best team until someone beats them.

Now, the title picture is clear. Alabama has the Iron Bowl and the SEC title game to navigate to claim their perfect season. Florida State has already booked their hotel rooms in Pasadena because there is nothing left on their schedule that should give them any kind of problems. Baylor has to go on the road to play Oklahoma State in two weeks, and then they finish with Texas, which could be for the Big 12 title. Ohio State is looking more and more like they will run the table, but beating Michigan State in the Big 10 title game would be their best win, which still puts them fourth in the pecking order.

I don’t think there is any chance of a one-loss team getting into the title game, but just for fun let’s look at the possibilities. The highest rated one-loss team is Stanford, but their loss was against Utah. Then you have Missouri. To be a one loss team at the end of the season they would have to win out, which would mean beating Ole Miss, A&M, and Alabama in the SEC title game. They would have wins over Georgia, A&M, and Alabama, which would be a pretty good resume’. Clemson is out because of their beating at the hands of FSU.

The most intriguing possibility remains Auburn. The Tigers lost early in the season to LSU in Baton Rouge but have a chance to run the table and win the SEC after not winning a game in conference last year. A win over Georgia next week would set up one of the most anticipated Iron Bowls in recent history, and that is saying something. 11-0 Alabama against 10-1 Auburn, with the SEC West on the line. An Auburn win would give them the division title, a place in the SEC title game, and maybe more importantly, eliminate Alabama from BCS title contention.

If Baylor is undefeated, I don’t think Alabama or FSU deserve to go ahead of the Bears if either of the top two teams stumble. Baylor has played a respectable schedule in the Big 12. I do, however, believe that both FSU and Alabama deserve to go to the title game with one loss ahead of Ohio State. I just don’t think the Buckeyes are on the level of the other teams. It’s not their fault that the Big 10 is terrible, but in reality, Ohio State doesn’t have the talent to play with FSU or Alabama.

Biggest Win of the Week: Tie: Stanford over Oregon, Alabama over LSU

Both wins were impressive even though they were both at home. More importantly, both wins establish each team as the dominant team in their division going forward. For Stanford, they now have a chance to play for a BCS title, while the Ducks are heading to the Fiesta Bowl.

For LSU, they might be a very good team with a lot of talent, but this season can be considered nothing more than a huge disappointment. Losing their two biggest games of the season, to Georgia and Alabama would have been bad enough. Add in the loss to Ole Miss and Tiger fans will be very disappointed. The Tigers still have to play A&M in two weeks, so there is a real possibility they could lose four games this season with their most impressive win being early in the season over Auburn.

Biggest Loss of the Week: Florida losses to Vanderbilt at home

The wheels have completely come off in Gainesville. Just one year after playing in the Sugar Bowl and finishing the regular season number three in the country, Florida has already lost five games. Losing to Miami early in the season was bad. Losing to Missouri was a disappointment. Losing to LSU was expected. Losing to Georgia for a third straight year was concerning. Losing at home to Vanderbilt by 17 points is simply inexcusable.

I don’t understand why there seems to be so many people convinced that Will Muschamp will be back next season. If I were a Florida fan, with so many memories of the Spurrier and Meyer eras, I would be demanding a change. It makes no sense that a school like Florida should settle for mediocrity. I know he won 11 games last year, but I really didn’t think last year’s team was that good.

I do understand that Muschamp is a defensive coach, but with all the talent in the state of Florida, there is no reason Florida’s offense should be this bad. The line is bad, there is no depth at the quarterback position, and worst of all, the skill guys on the outside, which were the trademark of so many Florida teams in the past, are nowhere to be found.

There has been nothing to make me think that Muschamp will turn Florida around next year. Are they better than Georgia? No. Are they better than Missouri? No. Are they better than Florida State? No.

So if you bring him back one more year, you are accepting at best third in the division and second fiddle in your own state.

As a Georgia fan, I hope Muschamp stays in Gainesville forever. But my guess is that he will be gone after this season, and two years from now, Florida will be right back where they have been for most of the past 25 years, the top of the SEC.

Heisman Winner if the Season Ended Today: Famous Jameis Winston

He will have one more chance to impress voters by really laying a whopping on Florida in a few weeks. Winston is the best player on an undefeated team that will play for the BCS title. ESPN will want to make it a close race so everyone tunes in, but the reality of the situation is that Winston is going to run away with the award.

Top 5:

Alabama

FSU

Baylor

Ohio State

Stanford

Three Things to Watch for Next Week:

Can the Undefeateds avoid upsets?

Bama travels to Starkville to play a Mississippi State team that will be firing their coach in a few weeks, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Florida State hosts Syracuse for the first time, so another 50 point win will be in order. Ohio State travels to Champaign to take on Illinois. I have no idea if Illinois is good or not, but they play in the Big 10, so I’ll guess that they stink.

The biggest chance for an undefeated team to fall will be Baylor taking on Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have lost three straight, but they might be able to give Baylor a game.

Georgia travels to the Plains to wreck the Iron Bowl:

The Iron Bowl is always a must see game on the day after Thanksgiving, but can you imagine how big the game will be this year if the two teams are playing for the SEC West title? The only thing standing in the way of that huge match up is Georgia. Last year, Georgia traveled to Auburn and clinched the SEC East with a 38-0 demolishing of the Tigers. Auburn has turned their program around in just one season, and they are the team with title aspirations. Georgia still has an outside chance of winning the East, but they need a lot of help. However, the Dawgs can clinch the West for Alabama if they can knock off the Tigers. On paper it would seem that Georgia is outmatched, but if the Dawgs have Todd Gurley at full strength, then they can win the game.

Can Texas really win the Big 12?

We will never know just how close Mack Brown was to being fired mid-season, but his Longhorns have turned their season around. I think it would have been announced that Brown was out after the season if Texas had lost the Red River Rivalry at the beginning of October, but not only did the Longhorns win that game, but they are undefeated in conference play. They still have two big tests ahead of them as they play Oklahoma State and Baylor over the next three weeks, but there is a legitimate chance that Texas could be playing in a BCS game as the Big 12 Champions.

I think Texas will lose to Baylor and Oklahoma State, but you have to give that team credit for playing so well over the last few weeks.

BCS Bowl Predictions:

BCS Title Game: Alabama v. Florida State

Sugar Bowl: Auburn v. Wisconsin

Rose Bowl: Stanford v. Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl: Oregon v. Baylor

Orange Bowl: Clemson v. UCF

Cocktail Aftermath

For a while it looked like it was going to be one of the best days Georgia has ever had in Jacksonville, but things are never that easy with the 2013 Dawgs. After leading 17-0 in the first quarter, and holding a 23-3 lead at half time, Georgia had to hang on for a 23-20 nail bitter.

I know they were talking on the broadcast about this being an eastern division elimination game, but none of that really matters. The standings will take care of themselves if Georgia takes care of business. Today’s game was all about getting that third straight victory over the Gators.

Once is an occasion, twice is a trend, and three times is a streak.

In the 90’s Georgia lost to Florida annually with less talent on the field and on the sideline. In the 2000’s the trend became that Georgia was losing with similar and sometimes better talent on the field and on the sideline. Florida has been down since losing the ’09 SEC title game to Alabama. Of course, losing Time Tebow and Percy Harvin also has something to do with that. Georgia has taken advantage of Florida being down, just like they should. Now, momentum is driving down from Athens each year with the Dawgs. Next year, you will have a group of seniors that will be trying to finish their careers having never lost to the Gators.

The game itself seemed like two different games. Georgia was as dominant as they have been all season in the first half. Offense was clicking, defense was getting stops, and the special teams were actually doing their job. There was some jawing back and forth, but really no more than any other game.

In the second half, Florida got some momentum and the game started slipping away from the Dawgs. Emotions were running very high, and the referees did a good job of trying to throw flags without having too much of an impact on the game. There were a couple of instances where players could have been ejected, but the officials handled it as well as they could.

It was obvious that the high emotions had more of a negative impact on Georgia than Florida. The Gators used the emotions to cause havoc with their defense, while Georgia never really seemed comfortable offensively in the second half.

Obviously the turning point in the game was the fumble that was called on Murray’s lateral to Lynch. It was called a lateral on the field, so I understand why the officials couldn’t overturn the call. However, it looked to me like it was an even pass, which would have just resulted in an incomplete pass and would have left Georgia with a third down. Florida did a good job of capitalizing on the Georgia mistake and scoring a touchdown with their good field position.

I thought it was a bad play call to run play action out of your own endzone when Florida had been blitzing for most of the day. At least keep Gurley in to block on the play rather than sending him out on a route, and leaving the offensive line exposed. Georgia was lucky to get away with only a safety.

Even though Georgia survived the mistake, it was inexcusable that Georgia had 12 men on the field following a time out on the fourth and short play in the second half. These types of mistakes just keep happening. It might have cost Georgia the Missouri game. I don’t know what we have to do to fix the issues, but it seems to me that we shouldn’t have such a hard time getting the right personnel in the game.

After Florida scored a fourth quarter touchdown to cut the lead to three, Georgia’s defense held despite the fact that the offense failed to give them any wiggle room. After looking so impressive in the first half, Georgia’s offense was terrible in the second half, and Todd Gurley didn’t look like himself at all. Even on the last series of the game, where Georgia was able to have a long, sustained drive to close out the Gators, Gurley just didn’t seem like he was 100%. I hope it was just conditioning and not something more serious.

Obviously, winning is the most important thing. I feel better about Georgia’s offense watching it with Gurley and Bennett back in the game. That should get even better once Chris Connelly gets back from his injury.

Defensively, Georgia actually played pretty well. The Dawgs gave up just over 300 yards of total offense to the Gators, but ¼ of that came on the one long pass play on Florida’s first drive of the game. Maybe we will be able to look back on this performance as the beginning of the turnaround for the Georgia defense.

Now Georgia will prepare for Appalachian State on Homecoming next Saturday, with a pending trip to Auburn close to the front of their minds. The best thing the Dawgs have going for them is the fact that two of their last four games come against two of Georgia’s biggest rivals. There should be plenty of motivation for the Dawgs against Auburn and Tech, even if the SEC is out of reach.

I would like to close this post by thanking one of the men that I have come to both admire and respect: Will Muschamp. Muschamp made it clear when he got the Florida job that he was a Gator and he had to affinity for his alma mater. Well even if Will doesn’t love us, we love him. I hope, with all of my heart, that Florida AD Jeremy Foley stands by Muschamp at the end of the season. I think it’s unlikely though because there is no way Florida will be able to beat FSU at the end of the season, and if the game is ugly, like it probably will be, then it will be hard for Foley to keep Muschamp around another year.

Maybe after he gets fired, Georgia could hire Muschamp as their defensive coordinator? 

Cocktail Party Time!

No matter what happens over the next month, the 2013 season will be considered a disappointment. You can’t lose three or more games in a season where you had national title hopes and have the season be anything but a disappointment. There is nothing Georgia can do now to change what has happened over the past few weeks.

However, when the two teams step on the field this afternoon in Jacksonville, it is still Georgia/Florida and that always matters. Are the two teams playing for the SEC East title? No, not this year. This year, this game is about the most pure part of sports, simple pride. The pride of knowing that you stepped on the field with your biggest rival and walked off victorious.

There will be time in the coming weeks to analyze Georgia’s chances to get back to Atlanta for the SEC title game. About 10 things have to happen in order for the Dawgs to get back to that point, but the first thing that has to happen is that Georgia has to win out, so all that matters is that Georgia wins today’s game.

The fact that these two teams have been decimated by injuries offers more questions than answers as we get ready for the 2013 edition of the Cocktail Party. Georgia’s losses are well known, but don’t forget that Florida has lost their quarterback, the top running back, and their best defensive linemen.

Florida’s offense is the worst in the SEC. Georgia’s defense is the worst I can remember. Florida’s defense is pretty strong despite injuries. Georgia’s offense is getting the best running back in the country back for today’s game. Florida can punt and kick field goals, where Georgia cannot. I hope that is not the difference in the game.

First we will start with Gurley. The man-child returns today after missing more than a month with an ankle sprain suffered against LSU. While Gurley has been gone, Georgia has seen every offensive skill player of consequence go down with injury, Georgia’s defense has not improved, and Georgia’s special teams have become an embarrassment. Despite all of the problems that Georgia has had for the past month, do you really think Georgia losses to Vanderbilt if Gurley plays? For that matter, do you think Georgia losses to Missouri if Gurley plays?

We will never know the answer to those questions, but the point is, Georgia’s offense will be a different animal today with number three in the backfield. The question will be, is Gurley rusty or fresh?

Another key piece to the offense is back today as it looks like Michael Bennett will play for the first time since being hurt, like everyone else, in Knoxville in early October.

Georgia’s defensive and special teams’ problems have had an off week to try and be corrected. I’m not sure how much better we can expect the defense to play at this point. It does seem like all the starters will play, including Trey Matthews and Josh Harvey-Clemons who would not have played a week ago if Georgia had a game. It’s hard to tell if the problem is scheme or execution, but either way, against a terrible offense, 

Georgia needs to keep Florida under 20 points today.

One thing to keep an eye on today will be penalties. Last year, the two teams combined for 24 penalties with multiple calls for unsportsmanlike conduct. Of course, emotions were high last year because the two teams were vying for an SEC and national title, but I would bet emotions will be high again today despite the lowered stakes in the game.

This is the first time that both Georgia and Florida come into the game unranked since 2010, which ended up being a great game. Florida was victorious in overtime in 2010, the only time that the Cocktail Party has gone to overtime. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope Georgia can take care of business today in regulation and not need a heart-pounding overtime to get the job done.

I really believe that Georgia is the better team today, but nothing has been easy in 2013 and I don’t expect anything to come easy to the Dawgs today.

Georgia will play well offensively; both Gurley and Murray will play well. I think you can expect to see JJ Greene step up with a good effort as the number two tailback. It will be interesting to see if Jonathan Rumph, who hasn’t played all year, finally gets on the field today. Bennett will provide Murray with some comfort and familiarity, two things that he has obviously missed in the past few weeks.

However, Georgia’s defense will continue their putrid ways and along with another special team disaster will allow Florida to stay in a game they should be blown out of. The difference will be predictable: Gurley.

In the fourth quarter, with a lead, Georgia will rely on Gurley to run the ball and the clock securing their third consecutive win in Jacksonville, 34-26.

Since 1990, Jacksonville has been a house of horrors for Georgia. Georgia fans remember fondly years like 1997, 2004, and 2007 only because those are the only times Georgia beat Florida from 1990-2010. Even though this is a lost season, it is vital that Georgia regain some momentum in Jacksonville. Two in a row was a nice start, but know Georgia can really turn the tables on the Gators with a win today.

If Georgia can win today, then there will be seniors on Florida’s team next year that have never beaten Georgia. Think about that. David Pollack only beat Florida once. Knowshon Moreno and Matt Stafford only beat Florida once. Champ Bailey only beat Florida once. Eric Zeier never beat Florida in his career. 

Today, Aaron Murray is going for his third victory over the rival Gators, and Georgia could make it 4-3 in their last 7 against the Gators.

No, Georgia isn’t going to win the national title, but beating the Gators will never taken for granted.

Let’s Go Dawgs!

Week in Review: The Noles make their move

Biggest Story of the Week: SEC Shakeup

No one could have seen the season playing out the way it has in the SEC. We haven’t even reached November yet, but teams like LSU, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas A&M are out of the National Title picture. Meanwhile, Missouri is undefeated and ranked 5^th and Auburn, who didn’t win a game in the SEC last season, is ranked 11^th and control their own destiny in their path to Atlanta. The only constant is Alabama. The Tide haven’t looked invincible, but they are undefeated, ranked 1^st, and seem to be hitting their stride defensively.

Missouri will all but clinch the SEC East with a win against South Carolina this Saturday, but a loss to the Gamecocks will open up the entire East to just about anyone that isn’t Kentucky. In the West, Alabama is the team to beat obviously, but they still have LSU and Auburn to contend with. How amazing would it be to see a one loss Auburn team against an undefeated Alabama team in the Iron Bowl with a trip to Atlanta, and maybe Pasadena on the line?

Biggest Win of the Week: Florida State over Clemson

In the span of three and a half hours, Florida State went from unproven to front runners. Every year there is that one game, of two really good teams, where one team gets going early and blows the doors off of their opponent. Last year that was Georgia/South Carolina, this year, it was Florida State/Clemson. Florida State isn’t that much better than Clemson, but they were Saturday night, and that is all that matters. The Seminoles capulted to number 2 in the BCS rankings, and I think they can stay there, no matter what Oregon does, as long as they run the table. The ‘Noles still have Miami and Florida to play in the regular season, with perhaps a rematch with Miami in the ACC title game. Now Florida State just has to do is avoid pulling a Florida State and losing to a team that will be playing in a bowl before New Year’s day.

Biggest Loss of the Week: LSU loses to Ole Miss

The Rebels were supposed to have a breakout season in 2013, but coming into their game with LSU, they were still missing that program changing win. They got it on Saturday night at the expense of the title dreams of the Tigers.

Despite losing a great game at Georgia at the end of September, LSU still controlled their own destiny to get to the SEC title game and maybe the national title game if things broke their way. Now, even a win over Alabama won’t get the Tigers to Atlanta. Even worse, LSU still has A&M to contend with so there is a chance that the Tigers could lose four games this season after losing only four game combined over the last two years.

Heisman Winner if the Season Ended Today: Jameis Winston

Not much to say other than you hope he doesn’t spend his off season the same way Johnny Football did last year.

Top 5 Teams:

Alabama

Florida State

Oregon

Missouri

Ohio State

Three Things to Watch for Next Week:

Everyone outside of Columbus, Ohio will be cheering for Penn State: Sometimes in college football, the eye test is valid. The Buckeyes are a good team, but they aren’t on the same level as the top teams in college football. If a four team playoff were in place this year, I wouldn’t mind them so much, because even if they win the Big 10(ish) they would get throttled by the top ranked team in the college football playoff, so no harm, no foul. But we are still a year away from crowning a champion on the field, and there is a chance we could get another dud title game if any of the top teams play the Buckeyes for the title. So, despite the scandals, let’s go Penn State!

Oregon gets tested by UCLA: The Ducks feel slighted because they dropped to number three in the BCS rankings, but they will have their chance to get back in the top 2 by beating ranked teams in their next two games. First up are the UCLA Bruins, led by former Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. With Stanford on deck, the Ducks better make sure they aren’t looking ahead.

Let Down Saturday?: Florida State, Missouri, and Alabama all get tested this week. The Seminoles host NC State, Missouri hosts South Carolina, and Alabama hosts traditional rival Tennessee. All of these top 5 teams better be ready to play, or we could see more title dreams die this Saturday.

Music City Meltdown

This is one of those mornings that you hope you wake up and realize it was all a dream.

It was less than a month ago that Georgia walked off the field after defeating LSU between the hedges in what was supposed to be a huge win for Georgia’s title hopes. I can’t remember a team’s reality changing so dramatically and so quickly.

Georgia lost to Vanderbilt in Nashville yesterday.

The offense was vanilla. The defense was average at best. The special teams were disgraceful. The officiating was questionable. There are plenty of things to be upset about when it comes to yesterday’s game, but just listen to these words, written by me about 30 seconds ago:

Georgia lost to Vanderbilt.

Last week I felt the need to explain, in detail the why behind Georgia’s loss to Missouri and what would have to change in order to avoid the season falling apart completely. We will examine the why, but at the end of the day the “what” is all you need to know. We are Georgia, they are Vanderbilt, and we should never lose to Vanderbilt.

I don’t understand the rule about targeting. I thought I did until yesterday, but now I am just confused. Watching the game, I thought it was a terrible call on Ray Drew. While the officials were reviewing the play, I was just upset that Vanderbilt’s drive would continue because of the 15 yard penalty. I was livid when they upheld the decision and kicked Drew out of the game. I didn’t think he hit him in the head at all, and the only reason he knocked him over was because Vandy’s quarterback is the size of an 8^th grader. Obviously, the call in the fourth quarter was not only terrible, but also costly for Georgia. I wouldn’t say the fourth quarter call cost Georgia the game, because Georgia should have never been in that position to start with, but it would be accurate to say that the missed call allowed Vanderbilt to capitalize on the opportunity that Georgia provided them.

I’m not the first person to point this out, but the rule and the way it is reviewed is ridiculous. If it is a penalty then the player should be ejected and the penalty yardage assessed. However, if the review reveals that the play was clean, the player should not only stay in the game, but the penalty should be wiped away completely. Yesterday, Georgia was assessed a 15 yard penalty because Ramik Wilson hit a Vanderbilt receiver too hard. It was a clean play, but it was a violent play in a violent game and apparently that is now against the rules.

The Georgia defense is terrible, and if Josh Harvey-Clemons misses any significant time, it’s only going to get worse. Todd Grantham has to go, and if Mark Richt is unwilling to make that decision, then his job needs to be assessed as well. I can say with all honesty that if no changes are made on the Georgia coaching staff, I have no hope for any kind of significant success next season. This year is already a lost season, but there is no reason that we can’t fix the problems and be right back in the middle of the title hunt next year.

Georgia also needs to figure out what is going on with the special teams. Most people believe that Georgia needs a special teams coach, and maybe that is the solution. I honestly don’t care what we have to do to fix the special teams’ problem, I just want them fixed. There is no reason that a school like Georgia should have so many problems executing a punt and catching a punt. Again, this is an issue that should be obvious enough that it demands a solution. Coach Richt has said that he believes we just need to keep improving. Well, we are not improving. In fact, we have turned punting into one of the most exciting parts of the game, and that is disgraceful.

Georgia has the week off, which means that there is no chance we will lose next Saturday. Glass half full.

I feel like Georgia will have a good chance to beat Florida in two weeks, but I don’t have much confidence for the rest of the season. If I had to guess now, even with Gurley back, Georgia will lose two more games and turn this season, which began with such high hopes, into a complete failure. 

Missouri Misery

It wasn’t supposed to go this way.

After surviving the first month of the 2013 season, Georgia was supposed to get to an easier portion of their schedule, where they could prepare to make another run at the SEC title, and maybe, a national championship.

The national title dreams ended for Georgia on Saturday with a 41-26 loss to Missouri. The loss ended Georgia’s 15 game home winning streak, made Georgia’s path to the SEC title game much more difficult, and gives Georgia fans a lot to be concerned about for the rest of the season.

The game itself was much closer than the score might appear. Georgia jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but then saw Missouri finish the first half on a 28-3 run. Georgia’s offensive line had a hard time protecting Aaron Murray, and Murray’s fumble lead to a Missouri touchdown that changed the game.

Late in the first half, Georgia had a chance to get right back in the game by scoring before half time, and then getting the ball to start the second half. But freshman running back Brendon Douglass fumbled inside the red zone, leaving at least three points on the table.

Aaron Murray was the first man out of the Georgia locker room after half time, and Murray lead the Dawgs all the way back within a two-point conversion of tying the game at 28 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but that was as close as Georgia would get.

Missouri, with their backup quarterback, drove down the field, and scored a touchdown on a trick play. But a missed extra point by the Tigers left the door open for a dramatic Georgia comeback.  Murray, trying to lead the Dawgs back as he had done so many times this year, threw an interception that pretty much ended any comeback hopes.

Missouri would score again, pushing the final score to 41-26.

Now, Georgia is in must win mode for the remainder of the season. Missouri is in first place in the SEC East, having not lost yet in conference play. But the Tigers play Florida and South Carolina the next two weeks, and end the season on the road at Texas A&M. Georgia needs Missouri to lose two of those games, which is a real possibility with Missouri quarterback James Franklin out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.

For Georgia, the biggest game of the season is next Saturday at Vanderbilt. It will be an 11 am local kickoff, and just as we saw this week, screwy things happen in early afternoon games. Georgia will most likely be without Todd Gurley again against Vanderbilt, leaving Georgia short on experience and talent on the road in the SEC. Not a good combination.

The expectation is that Gurley will be back for the Florida game on November 2^nd, and there is a chance that Michael Bennett will also make it back for that game. If both of those guys make it back, then Georgia has a legitimate chance to beat Florida for a third consecutive year.

A November road trip to Auburn would seem to be another huge hurdle for the Dawgs’ chances to get back to Atlanta.

So, just to sum it up, Georgia needs Missouri to lose twice, and Georgia needs to win the rest of their SEC games, and they will play for the SEC title. Nothing impossible about that scenario.

So I have told you the what, and I have told you the what now, but that information is not nearly as important as the real question. Why?

Why has a team with such high expectations fallen short? Why was Georgia able to beat South Carolina and LSU, but lost to Missouri? Why can’t Georgia seem to get over the hump and win like so many other SEC schools have for better part of the last decade?

Why?

I believe there are two reasons why this season will be remembered for what might have been. One reason that can’t be controlled, and one reason that can be controlled.

It is not making excuses to say that injuries have changed the team that Georgia had when it took the field against Clemson to start the season. You can’t convince me that a healthy Georgia team would have needed overtime to beat Tennessee last week, or that a healthy Georgia team wouldn’t have beaten Missouri in the same fashion that they beat South Carolina and LSU. Watching Georgia’s offense without Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley, Keith Marshall, Michael Bennett, and most importantly Todd Gurley is like watching an infant as they try to learn to walk. They know what they are supposed to do, and they are trying so hard, but they just can’t seem to get it right.

Georgia is not the same team that they were against South Carolina and LSU, and they aren’t going to be that team for the rest of this season. We will never know what that team might have accomplished, and that is very frustrating to a fan base that so deeply longs to win on the biggest stage again. What the Georgia offense has to do now is hope you can get Gurley back sooner rather than later, and lean on guys like Chris Conley and Rantavious Wooten until some of the younger receivers can develop a better rhythm with Aaron Murray. 

You just have to hope Georgia can score enough to win.

The second answer to the question why is very simple. Georgia’s defense is not playing at a championship level. You can’t expect to outscore everyone in the SEC, especially with the injuries that Georgia is trying to overcome on offense. The defense has to do more.

After going 6-6 in 2010, Mark Richt fired his good friend and defensive coordinator Willie Martinez along with a majority of the defensive coaching staff. The message was clear, we will not accept mediocrity.

Todd Grantham was brought it to change the defensive scheme as well as the defensive culture at Georgia.

In the final years of the Willie Martinez era, Georgia was consistently missing out on the top defensive talent in the state. Guys like Eric Berry and Cameron Heyward were going to Tennessee and Ohio State instead of Georgia. The talent level on defense was unacceptable, and the play on the field was equally as bad.

Grantham has managed to get better players in his two and a half years at Georgia. Guys like Ray Drew, Josh Harvey-Clemons, and Jordan Jenkins were all big time recruits that chose Georgia.

The most frustrating thing about Georgia's defense this year is the fact that you can see just how much talent is on the field. Jenkins, Harvey-Clemons, Trey Matthews, and Shaq Wiggins all look like they could be All-SEC before their careers are over, but the defensive results don’t add up to the sum of the parts. If the talent is there, then it can only be the coaching. 

In the mid 90's Steve Spurrier said that the same caliber of players go to Georgia and Florida, but he wasn't sure what Georgia was doing with those players once they got to Athens. It feels like we are getting close to that same situation now.

Just look at the statistics.

In 2009, Georgia went 8-5 allowing 25.9 points per game. Five time during the 2009 season, Georgia gave up 30 or more points in a game, and they were 2-3 in those five games. The defense allowed an average of 126.2 rushing yards per game, and 339.4 yards per game in total offense.

In 2010, Georgia went 6-7 allowing 22.1 points per game. Georgia gave up 30 or more points four times, losing all four games. Georgia allowed 147.2 rushing yards per game and 328.5 yards in total offense.

With the firing of Willie Martinez and most of the defensive coaches, Mark Richt set the standard that those numbers, and those results were not acceptable.

In 2011, Georgia was 10-4, allowing 20.6 points per game. The rushing yards per game dropped down to 101.2 and the total yards of offense dropped to 277.2. That was Grantham’s first year as defensive coordinator. Georgia still gave up 30 or more points four times, and lost all four of those games, but it seemed like Georgia had turned a corner defensively.

In 2012, much was expected from the Georgia defense. Georgia returned most of their stars, including Jarvis Jones, Alec Ogletree, John Jenkins, and Kwame Geathers. But the 2012 defense was a disappointment. Georgia went 12-2 and only allowed 19.2 points per game. However, Georgia allowed a mind blowing 182.1 yards per game rushing and 357.8 yards per game in total offense. Georgia allowed 30 or more points in four games, and went 2-2 in those four games.

This season, the statistics are the worst that they have been in the Richt era. Through the first six games of the season, Georgia is allowing 33.7 points per game. Georgia is giving up 139.7 yards per game rushing and 399 yards per game of total offense. That’s right, 399 yards per game! Georgia has allowed 30 or more points in five of their six games this season, only holding North Texas under the 30 mark.

On third down, Georgia’s opponents are converting 44% of the time. The defense can’t get off the field, which means that they are tired and ineffective at the end of the game. Of the 202 points that Georgia has given up this season, 123 of them have come in the second and fourth quarters, which says to me that the defense is getting tired because they are on the field too much.

Want to hear something that will make you sick? Since the beginning of the 2011 season, Georgia is undefeated when they hold their opponents under 30 points. The offense hasn't been the problem during Aaron Murray's career, its been the defense. 

Now, the common excuse given is that this defense is very young and inexperienced. Had Georgia’s defense been better last year, that argument would hold more water in my mind. But the truth is that Georgia defense underachieved last year with a ton of experienced players, and Georgia’s defense is bad this year with young players. Even the 2011 season could be seen as a bit of an aberration. Georgia lost to the four best teams they played that year, giving up more than 30 points per game in each of those games. In Georgia’s ten wins in 2011 they played no ranked teams, so maybe the defense wasn’t really that good, Georgia’s opponents were just that bad.

I don’t want to be dismissed as one of those people that want to fire a coordinator every time the team loses. 

Even if Georgia would have managed to win yesterday, the defense would still be a major concern. Georgia could very well run the table, make it to the SEC title game, and even win the SEC title, and the defense would still be a huge concern if no improvement is made.

By Mark Richt’s own standards that he set for the defense following the 2010 season, Todd Grantham is not getting the job done. I believe Grantham should have the next six games to save his job. If Grantham can’t get these young players to get any better over the next six games, then why would we think he will help them get better before next season?

I don’t know if the problem is the scheme, the players, the coaching, or just a series of unfortunate events, but the fact is that Todd Grantham is being paid about a million dollars a year to coach the defense, and the defense stinks.

Of Georgia’s six remaining games, only Georgia Tech and Auburn could be considered to have formidable offenses. Even Florida, who is a good team, struggles mightily on offense. Of course, Tennessee had the worst offense in the SEC coming into last week’s game against Georgia, and the Georgia defense made Justin Worley look like Peyton Manning in the fourth quarter.

It’s been a long time since 1980. I wasn’t even born yet. And with the loss to Missouri yesterday, it will be at least one more year before Georgia can bring a national title back to the Bulldog Nation. I will always remember 2013 as a missed opportunity for Georgia football, even if we manage to win the SEC. Injuries are a part of sports, and sometimes you just have bad luck when the injury bug bites, but Georgia has a defense that is becoming a cancer to any dreams of a national championship. Mark Richt stepped up once and said that Georgia wouldn’t accept anything other than excellence; he will have to do it again if Todd Grantham can’t turn this defense around over the next 7 weeks. 

Georgia/Tennessee Preview

Mark Richt was hired to beat Tennessee. Ray Goff never did it. Jim Donnan only did it once. From 1989 until 1999, Georgia never beat Tennessee.

It was bad enough during those years that Florida became a national power under Steve Spurrier. Georgia only beat Florida once in the 90’s, but that was still once more than Georgia beat Tennessee in the 90’s. Even in 1997, when Georgia managed to beat Florida, the Dawgs missed out on the SEC title game because they lost to Tennessee.

October 6, 2001 is a day that changed the trajectory of both Georgia and Tennessee. Georgia traveled to Knoxville to take on a Top 10 Tennessee team, having already lost to South Carolina in the month of September. Mark Richt was in his first year at Georgia, and the new head coach was looking for a signature win, but it wasn’t going to be this week. Georgia hadn’t won a game in Knoxville since 1980. That’s right, it had been 21 years and three coaches since Georgia won in Neeland Stadium.

It just so happens that some of Larry Munson’s most famous calls come when Georgia wins in Knoxville. In 1980, Munson painted the first picture of Herschel Walker for Georgia fans as he was running over people. 

“Oh, you Herschel Walker!” and “My God, a freshman!”

October 6, 2001 would provide another magical moment from the mighty Munson.

After Tennessee scored a late touchdown to retake the lead, freshman quarterback David Greene drove Georgia down into the Tennessee redzone. With under a minute to play, Greene found fullback Veron Haynes in the back of the Georgia endzone for one of the most improbably Georgia victories of all time.

“We just stepped on their face with a hobnail boot and broke their nose. We just crushed their face.”

The history of Georgia football changed that day. So too did the history of Tennessee football. \

Georgia would go on to be an average 8-4 in 2001, and even lost the Music City Bowl to Boston College. But in 2002, Georgia would go 13-1, win their first SEC title since 1982, and finish number 3 in the nation. Georgia has since won another SEC title, played in five SEC title games, and finished number 2 nationally at the end of the 2007 season, despite missing out on the SEC title game that season.

Since 2001, Georgia has had 8 seasons where they have won 10 or more games, and the Dawgs have become a national power.

For Tennessee, the 2001 season would continue despite the loss to Georgia. The Vols ran the table after Georgia, and sat in perfect position to play for the National Championship in 2001. All that stood between Tennessee and the title game, was Nick Saban and LSU. Uh oh.

LSU upset Tennessee in the SEC title game. Tennessee made the title game again in 2007, but again they lost to LSU. The Vols have won 10 games only three times since 2001, and with the hiring of Butch Jones in the off season, they have had four head coaches in five years.

After not beating Tennessee at all in the 90’s and not winning in Knoxville between 1980 and 2001, Mark Richt has turned the tide against the Vols. Georgia is 5-2 in Knoxville under Richt. Overall, Georgia is 9-4 against Tennessee in the Mark Richt era.

However, there is history that would support Georgia fans being a bit nervous about playing Tennessee tomorrow.

In 2004, Georgia won a huge game against LSU between the hedges, only to fall a week later to an inferior Tennessee team. Georgia missed out on their third consecutive SEC title game in 2004 because of that loss to Tennessee.

In 2007, a one loss Georgia team traveled to Knoxville and laid down one of the worst performances of the Richt era in a 35-7 loss. Georgia would need a game winning field goal to survive at Vanderbilt a week later to avoid a complete meltdown. However, just three weeks after losing 35-7 to Tennessee, Georgia stormed the field following Knowshon Moreno’s first quarter touchdown against Florida en route to a huge win. Georgia would run the table in 2007, blacking out Auburn on the way. At the end of the regular season, Georgia was playing as well as any team in the country. However, because of the loss to Tennessee, Georgia would miss out on playing LSU in the SEC title game. Despite being ranked higher than LSU going into championship Saturday, voters moved LSU, the conference champion, ahead of the Dawgs in the final polls, allowing the Tigers to play for and win the National title. All because of a loss to Tennessee.

The path to the SEC title has opened up perfectly for Georgia following the Dawgs’ dramatic 44-41 victory over LSU last Saturday. Georgia stands undefeated in the league, with their two toughest league games behind them. Florida’s offense doesn’t seem to be able to score enough to stay with Georgia, and Vanderbilt isn’t the same team they were the past couple of years under James Franklin.

But Bulldog fans can take nothing for granted traveling to Knoxville.

When you look at the 2013 version of these two teams, there is no doubt that this is a miss-match on paper. Georgia has one of the best offense’s in the country, while Tennessee’s defense allowed 24 points to South Alabama last week in Knoxville.

Defensively, Georgia has struggled to stop teams like Clemson, South Carolina, and LSU, but Tennessee’s offense is 112^th out of 120 teams in the FBS in passing yards per game. Tennessee does average more than 200 yards per game on the ground, but Georgia’s defense has shown in the past two weeks that they are capable of slowing down the running game.

It doesn’t look like Todd Gurley is going to play Saturday, so I guess that would leave room for the most optimistic Vol fans to believe that Tennessee has a chance in this game, but I doubt it.

It might be a little sloppy, but Georgia will pull away in the second half.

I think Butch Jones is a great coach, and it scares me to death to think that he might be able to get things turned around at Tennessee, but not this year. Georgia has too much talent, too much depth, and honestly too much to play for to lose this game.

Georgia 42   Tennessee 20

GO DAWGS!

NLDS Preview

It takes a lot to get me talking about anything but football this time of the year, but the Braves winning a division championship and heading to the playoffs gets my attention.

I was on record that I was more excited about this baseball season than I had been in a very long time. I thought the Braves would make it back to the playoffs, but I honestly didn’t think they would be able to beat the Nationals for the division title. Not only did the Braves dominate the eastern division, and the Gnats in particular, but now they are back where they spent so much of the ‘90s and early 00’s, in the hunt for a World Series title.

It only seems appropriate that the opponent for the Braves is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Throughout the history of the organization, it seems like it has always been the Dodgers that the Braves needed to get by.

When the franchise moved from Boston in Milwaukee in the 1950’s, the team to beat in the National League was the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1956, led by Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and Warren Spahn the Braves came within one game of going to the World Series (in those days there were no playoffs, so the best team in each league went directly to the World Series), the team that beat them was the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In 1957, the Braves would get over the hump, beat the Dodgers for the National League title, and go on to win the World Series over the Yankees. The Braves won the National League again in 1958, but would lose to the Yankees after having a big lead early in the Series. In 1959, the Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers would finished tied for the National League Championship, but the Dodgers won the best of three playoff 2-0, to advance to the World Series.

After moving to Atlanta in 1966 and struggling for the majority of the 1970’s, the Braves found their way back to the playoffs behind NL MVP Dale Murphy in 1982. The Braves won the NL West by just one game, over the Los Angeles Dodgers. One year later, it was the Dodgers returning to the playoffs by beating out the Braves by three games in the NL West.

Of course, everyone knows that the Braves run of dominance began in 1991. What you might have forgotten is that the Braves only won the division by a single game, over the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the 1991 season, the Dodgers fell on some harder times, and following the 1994 season, MLB realigned the divisions, moving Atlanta from the NL West to the NL East (because apparently it took them almost 30 years to look at a map).

The rivalry disappeared following the 1994 season. All of a sudden, the Braves  divisional opponents like the Mets and Phillies were their biggest rivals, while the Braves only played the Dodgers 6 or 7 times a year.

In 1996, the two teams did meet in the NLDS, but the Braves swept away the Dodgers in three straight en route to their 4^th World Series appearance in 5 years. Since 1996, the Braves and Dodgers haven’t played in the post season. In a way, the rivalry had disappeared all together, that is until this summer.

The Braves/Dodgers rivalry came back in a very unexpected way just before the All-Star Game this year, with the fan vote to name the last member to the NL All-Star Team. Yasiel Puig was the darling of the national media, and was, in the media’s opinion, the obvious choice to win the final vote, but Braves Country had another thing in mind. Freddie Freeman, who should end up in the Top 3 in NL MVP voting, shocked the media by winning the fan vote over Puig.

Game on!

Ok so that isn’t really a big deal, but for both of these teams, the playoffs were exactly where they expected to be.

The Dodgers decided to become the Yankees of the National League and just start buying up each and every free agent they could get their hands on. They took on millions of dollars in salaries last season by trading for Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett. They signed Game 2 starter Zack Greinke to a huge contract that is paying him 21 million dollars this year alone. Just because of the money they have spent on this team, there is an enormous amount of expectations to win and win now.

For the Braves, it has been 3 years since they fell short against the San Fransisco Giants in their last true playoff appearance. The Braves missed the playoffs in 2011 after an historic September collapse, and I don’t speak of what happened last year on October 4^th.

In a five game series, it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of Game 1. Of course, teams have come back from losing game one, to win the series, but the loser of Game 1 automatically goes into panic.

The Braves have a huge problem in Game 1: Clayton Kershaw. The left-hander will win the Cy Young Award for the NL this season, and even though he was only 16-9 on the season, his ERA of 1.83 tells you just how good he is. Opponents are batting under .200 against him for the season (so BJ Upton should feel right at home!). Even though the Braves played the Dodgers 7 times this season, this will be the first time they have seen Kershaw in 2013.

The only chink in the armor of Kershaw is that he hasn’t had much success in the playoffs. He has started two games, with a 0-1 record in those games. In 5 total appearances in playoff games, Kershaw has an ERA of 5.87. In those games he has given up 15 hits and 10 runs in the 15.1 innings he has pitched.

Now the last one of those appearances was in 2009, before Kershaw became the dominant starter he  is now, but he still hasn’t tasted playoff success.

The Braves counter Kershaw with Kris Medlen, who’s one career post-season start is one more than Mike Minor and Julio Teheran have combined. Medlen was lights out in September for the second straight year, and his aggressive style will give him the chance to go toe to toe with Kershaw.

Most of the national media likes the Dodgers to win this series, but I think the Braves are going to make it closer than people think. The Braves have been fantastic at home in 2013, and they have the home-field advantage in this series.

With Jason Heyward back in the lineup for the Braves, the offense should be able to produce runs better than it did for most of the month of September, while Heyward was out with a broken jaw.

I think the Braves have a huge advantage in this series with their bullpen, and I think the advantage the Dodgers have in the starting pitching department is way overblown.

You are going to hear a lot about how young and inexperienced the Braves starters are. Yes they are young, and yes they are inexperienced, but neither of those attributes compare to the thing the Braves’ starters do have, which is talent.

Medlen is a fighter, he is going to give you a chance to win Game 1. Minor reminds me so much of Tom Glavine it isn’t funny. His demeanor on the mound, his early game struggles, and his stubbornness are all attributes that will serve him well in the high pressure situation of playoff baseball. Julio Teheran has the best stuff on the team, outside of Kimbrel, so I think he has a fantastic matchup in Game 3.

Just think about 1991. Did Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, or Steve Avery have any post-season experience? Nope. And the Braves were one Lonny Smith brain fart away from winning the World Series.

The thing about post season success is that you never have it, until you do. These guys can start writing their own career stories over the next few days.

Obviously I want the Braves to win, but I genuinely believe they have a shot in this series. I spoke earlier about Game 1, and the importance it has. I think Game 1 is much more important to the Dodgers than the Braves. The Dodgers have their ace going in Game 1, and if the Braves can manage to beat him, then I think the series is over.

Baseball is a funny game. You play 162 games throughout the regular season to figure out who the best team is, then you need to win 11 games in 3 ½ weeks to prove that you are as good seemed over a 6 month period of time.

Predicting the outcome of these post-season series is almost impossible, but I like this Braves team. I like the fire they play with. I like the arm they have in the back of the bullpen. I like their ability to change the game with one swing of the bat. I like that they have a 15 million dollar second basemen sitting at home, because they don’t think he gives them the best chance to win.

At least for the next few days, let’s just enjoy watching our Braves back in the playoffs, where they should be. The Braves have the youngest team in Major League Baseball. I doubt they are going to win 14 straight division titles again, but this is definitely the beginning of a run.

And if you want some history that would favor the Braves, there is a chance that we could see a Braves/Pirates matchup in the NLCS… and Sid Bream thought his 15 minutes were up.

GO BRAVES!