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Jeremy Pruitt firing shows how well Kirby Smart has done at Georgia
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Jeremy Pruitt firing shows how well Kirby Smart has done at Georgia
Welcome to Good Day, UGA, your one-stop shop for Georgia football news and takes. Check us out every weekday morning for everything you need to know about Georgia football, recruiting, basketball and more. Jeremy Pruitt troubles show how well Kirby Smart has done at Georgia football After three seasons, Jeremy Pruitt
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Fields. Yes, the QB who couldn't get it done when it counted. Couldn't do it in 2019, and couldn't do it again in 2020. Good enough to win the weak B1G. Good enough to beat the worst Clemson team of the last 6-8 years. Hutson Mason was good enough to do the same...
But Kirby was supposed to put Fromm on the bench, for that guy.
You boys should understand by now. That narrative just doesn't work any longer...
While we will never truly know what could have happened had Smart chosen Fields, the facts point out that Fromm was drafted in the 5th round. Fields projected in the 1st round. I think the NFL scouts know what they see in both players from a talent and potential perspective.
'Nuff said...
"As frustrating as parts of Smart’s time as Georgia’s head coaching era have been, one only has to look to the smoldering mess that is the Tennessee program at the moment to see how much worse things could be."
That's your takeaway from the early stages of a coaching career that has so far resulted in a conference title, an overtime loss in a national championship game and a strong record against top 10 opponents? "Hey, at least the program isn't a smoking crater"? Yeesh.
What the NFL scouts see... Sounds like you're changing the subject.
There is no debate of which player has the superior physical skills.
There also should be no debate of which player 'had' and still has the better football IQ. That is why Fields couldn't beat Fromm out...
That is why Fromm almost beat Alabama, and that is why Fields couldn't even come close...
Enjoy old rocky flop Cade..you fit perfectly in Knoxville with the other Clowns.
It's OK to like Fromm better than Fields and believe he was the guy. However, you are simply trying to compare apples and oranges to suit your pic. Have fun , but those of us who know better aren't having it.
I haven't heard many argue that Kirby should have started Fields in place of Fromm, but I have heard many(including myself) say that Kirby bungled the transition from Fromm to Fields. Never really gave Fields any games to shine in when we had a safe lead and let him throw it around some. Mostly just handoff duties late in the game.
Now some will take exception with Fields for being frustrated by that and I can see old school fans thinking, "Just had the ball off and wait your turn". But if anyone hasn't noticed this isn't old school any more.
Besides that, we weren't there. We don't know what transpired between Fields and Kirby that made him want to leave for greener pastures. Were they not communicating? Was he down on Fields for some reason. Hard to put yourself in a 19 year old's shoes when you've been told all your life how special you are by family, friends, coaches and sports guys like pundits on the recruiting web sites, and then be told to sit and wait while the guy in front of you who isn't as talented get's to play.
Maybe like Fromm he just want out of what he thought looked like a bleak situation for him. And so he made a decision, as Jake did, to do what's best for him, and leave.
I'd say it turned out for his best. Not sure about Jake.
In addition to Pruitt it will be interesting to follow this NCAA investigation. I have a strong suspicion that Will Friend leaving UT several weeks ago to sign with SC and then with Auburn has something to do with the investigation. Friend out-recruited us for several 5-star OL recruits in 2017 and 2018 which is quite an accomplishment considering he was recruiting against Sam Pittman. One of those recruits, (Wanya Morris from Georgia) announced recently he is entering the “transfer portal”. Stay tuned because I think this convoluted story has just begun. Go Dawgs and Go Kirby!!!
I keep seeing reports where Georgia has been getting sloppy with recruiting like UT. Like UT giving money in Big Mac bags to recruits and not hiding it sloppy. I hope this isn’t true, but there is always some truth in a story. Has anyone else heard of Georgia being probed soon or in the future? I know everyone cheats to get recruits, but how well you hide it goes along way!
@SmartsTheMan , your argument between Fields and Fromm is irrelevant. They both lost to Alabama!! Neither on of them plays defense so they can't help what the score is on the other side of the ball. Smart didn't get the chance to see what Fields could do though he knew it internally. Otherwise he wouldn't have ever recruited him. As for the next level, MontanaDawg is correct, the NFL sees who is better between the two, hence Fromm going in the 5th rd and Fields being projected as a 1st rd pick...
Both will be in the NFL next year so we can finally put this debate to rest for good...
Go Dawgs!!!!
What will be interesting will be the litigation when Pruitt goes after his $12 mil buyout. I wouldn’t put it past UT administration to bring all the dirt on Pruitt to light just to be able to get rid of him on the cheap even though it will harm the program. Nobody wanted the job when they hired Pruitt. They may have to dip into FCS this time around.
Unless he paid for call girls and booze, he will get paid.
Comparing NFL careers, THAT would be an irrelevant argument. I don't think anyone is disputing that Fields has the bigger upside. But there's nothing that could happen in the NFL that would retroactively indicate that Fields was prepared to lead the team to a championship as a true freshman. And short of that, going with him over Fromm would have amounted to placing his development over the team's best shot at a title run.
College football history is littered with promising busts. I'm not saying Fields is one of them. He certainly had his moments. But the fact that busts exist is proof that you can't draw any decisive conclusions on physical talent alone. Fields ended his college career with no Heisman, no national title and a losing record in the playoff. The lack of team accomplishments aren't entirely in him, but there's nothing you can point to and say Georgia would have won a title if he'd been given the job as a freshman. What we do know is that we've got an excellent, relatively seasoned quarterback for 2021 who would not be here if Fields never left, and probably a better OC for the same reason*. I was hoping that that, combined with the thud heard round the world on Jan. 11, would be enough to put this topic to rest. Unfortunately, here we are...
*Imagine if the Fields had stayed, and the offense actually did improve with him getting the job at some point in 2019. So much was made of having 3 OCs in 3 years. If the offense was showing any signs of life, it seems pretty unlikely that Smart would've thrown his offense into a new system for the second straight year, rather than building on what the had going with Fields and Coley.
Disagree. I'm not changing the subject. What I said is completely relevant. NFL scouts looked at both players body of work during college and determined Fields was a FAR superior QB - IQ and football skills. Neither Fromm nor Fields beat Bama. Close is only good enough in horseshoes. Fromm lost just like Fields lost.
And you are really trying to compare apples and oranges. Different teams in different years. But, sure, let's compare using your reasoning. Remember, Bama went undefeated this season and pretty much annihilated every team they played. I believe they were even better than LSU's team last year and many people agree. The year we played Bama in the National Championship game, Auburn BEAT Bama in the regular season. Most people would easily say this year's team was a MUCH better and more complete team than the Bama team we played in 2017. SO, looking at your reasoning Fields played a much tougher Bama team this year than Fromm played in 2017 - AND under completely different & crazy COVID circumstances. And heck, in 2017 if we beat Auburn who beat Bama pretty handily, why couldn't we beat Bama???
We're beating a dead horse here. My mind isn't going to change. I still believe that Fields was our guy.
When compared to UT, most programs around the SEC have performed well. UGA was doing much better than UT prior to Kirby's arrival. But programs like Ole Miss, Kentucky, T A&M, are more suitable barometers of how others have done relative to Rocky Top. What a dumpster fire in Knoxville. And the funny thing is, many Vol fans want Freeze, of all people, to be their next coach. Is it any wonder why they just continue to struggle.