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WATCH: ‘Has Georgia football replaced Alabama as the SEC standard?’
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Posts: 10,435 admin
WATCH: ‘Has Georgia football replaced Alabama as the SEC standard?’
ATHENS — A much-debated conversation is brewing that Georgia football has supplanted Alabama as the standard for the SEC, and it’s becoming more heated each day.
Comments
“I think you have to pump the brakes a little bit until you see a larger sample size.” Exactly.
While I'd love to crown the Dawgs #1, we've still got work to do. Remember, the last game we lost was the SEC Championship game last year against the Tide. So, we haven't replaced Bama at this point. Nick will be back. This year was probably an anamoly. Nick's got (5) 5-star recruits in the 2023 class currently (which is 4 more right now than UGA). I do think his coaching staff needs to improve, and my bet is he will replace a few guys in the off season. They have been the most penalized team in the country this year and that comes from poor discipline and lack of focus. And that comes back to coaching.
But, Kirby is a great coach and recruiter, and his staff and everyone involved are doing a fantastic job. You really couldn't ask for more.
Without help from bad referee calls Alabama would have 2 if not 3 fewer NC. Alabama has been very good but with the transfer portal and NIL money being thrown around no team will dominate. Especially, when the playoffs expand. The four team playoff was tailored for Alabama and Las Vegas betting.
Has Georgia replaced Alabama as the standard?
I think it's too soon to say either way, but I do think were at that crossroads. Georgia has been ranked No.1 for more weeks over a season and 3/4. Georgia won the last National Championship and is favored to repeat.
Alabama is still a top 5-8 type team but compared to what they have been that is a clear drop-off. Georgia just seems to be maintaining the same elite level since last year, with no signs of a drop-off anytime soon, while Alabama looks to be regressing.
If the Dawgs can finish 15-0 and win back-to-back National Championships, that is the point where this question becomes a legitimate discussion.
I think this is discussion is for the offseason and maybe even more so for a few years down the road. Alabama has many titles (SEC and National) that we do not have yet. Tip your cap to them out of respect but, don't fear them any longer. Kirby is doing one heck of a job but let's sustain this thing as BAMA has before we have these discussions. Furthermore, let's worry currently about MSU. One game at a time. Go DAWGS!!
Football is grinding it out on ground and through the air. Kirby style. He likes toughness, physicality, aggressiveness and player leadership...this is his brand of football. Be able to go 4 quarters if needed. Generally not needed. Wasn't it Kelee Ringo who said Kirby's practices are not fun. But they are paying off. Kirby is not looking to build a dynasty or even to surpass Nick Saban. Kirby looks game to game to win...to develop his recruits and players...if that brings championships...so be it. That is every college program's goal I would imagine....as it is UGA's. They hired Kirby to win.... and win he does.
I don't think Georgia has replaced Alabama as the standard, yet! Georgia has joined Alabama as the standard but one would have to be foolish to believe Alabama has been replaced. Alabama has a pair of the weakest coordinators that Nick has ever employed on his staff. Look for that to change in the off season. I prefer the term "Georgia is setting its own standard".
More importantly, I hope Georgia plays up to its standard tomorrow.
Getting out over our ski’s are we?
RAT POISON!!!
Did Nick Saban retire or die in the past 5 hours Mike “Peter” Griffin? No? Then no, we haven’t replaced them as a standard…everyone, even Alabama, can have a down year! Let’s calm down on that talk
I have to disagree with some of you, in part. Mainly because, right now...this year and last...UGA IS the Standard. They aren't just playing like you would expect "The Best Team" to play on the field, they carry themselves off the field, as Classy Champions.
In my mind, the question, isn't "Are they the standard of College Football?".......The question, is "Can they get better and how long can they maintain or exceed the level of excellence, they've achieved?"
I think Kirby is one of the Greatest Recruiters & HC's to ever don a whistle and clipboard. Saban and Spurrier brought the NFL program model of talent and excellence to College Football. And, CKS, already being a good coach, recruiter and motivator, took what he learned about running a successful program and maintaining excellence...and did what Sanan did. Only he applied lessons learned, and built his program stronger.
Kinda like "The Three Little Pigs".... Everybody in College Football has a house made of straw,, except for Saban and Smart.. Saban decided he would be invincible, if he built his house out of sticks. Smart saw wolves ripping at it and knew a stick house couldn't possibly survive a sustained attack from the wolves. So, he proceeded to build his house out of brick. And...The Georgia Bulldogs' fans lived happily ever after.
If you played one of their teams, you played an NFL quality team that not only recruits highly prized athletes, but, recruits players "off-the-grid", and develops them into Draft-Worthy Prospects for the NFL. Yep...IMO...that's "the standard". Achieving it's one thing. Maintaining it something else.
Like they say..."Getting rich is the easy part. Staying rich, is the challenge". 'Course "they", probably already have money. LOL
Oh yeah...I meant to include this little ditty...
If UGA isn't "The Standard"...who is???
It darned sure hasn't been BAMA for the last couple of years.
Every HC in college football, including Saban, would kill to have UGA's defense and their Coaches. Not to mention, one of the most explosive and efficient offenses in the Country. Moreover, there's not a single player on that team, I'm not proud of...and I'm not just talking about Football. UGA's kids are smart, tough, athletic, loyal, philanthropic, polite and respectful. What more could you ask from any group of kids.
If that's not "The Standard"...what is?
Kirby is building his on standard at Georgia, don't need to replace Bama, and it's not just 5 stars kirby is building it with, he takes 3 stars and makes 5 stars out of them, right now Saban is getting less out of his 5 stars, and that's on the coaches, and I'm at a wait and see, what kind of coaching change Saban's willing to make this late in his career.
So, we are the reigning NC's and we haven't lost a game all season, struggled more than we should have in a couple and the College Football ranking committee drops us down to #3 and promotes Tenn to #1 and we're looked at as the standard? LOL!
That seems more like a red headed step child(apologies to anyone who is one) to me. Of course they gushed after we beat the pants off Tenn, what else could they do?
Media gets payed by creating controversy.
This talk is nonsense.
Our DAWGS have a long way to go, more SEC Championships to win, and 2 or 3 more Natty’s to win or at least compete in the championship game for BEFORE we even start this conversation.
I’ll also add that this is next level rat poison not only for Dawg players but also us fans.
I am only concerned with our Dawgs whooping MSU and UK at their house and winning the SECCG against LSU in December.
Let Bama fans and blowhards on cable worry about what the problems are at Alabama. We only need to worry about our Dawgs and supporting them. That’s where I sit.
There are those who would say that AL is a couple plays away from having 4 losses. True. But AL is also a couple plays away from being undefeated. Does this article exist if that were true?
That is CFB in '22. Still not completely a level playing field but the TP and NIL have been equalizers. What AL was able to accomplish , under the old rules, is not likely to ever be accomplished again. Even if Saban stays around 10 more years. It is a different game now.
AL has struggled this season to live up to their previous standards. Probably for multiple reasons. Losing numerous coordinators and assistants over the years has certainly had an unsettling impact on AL. Losing CKS may have been the single biggest loss to the the AL program.
The standard (SEC) , for this season, is being set by UGA. CKS has the right focus. One game at a time. UGA has to be the favorite to win it all again this season. But it won't be easy and it won't be a lock. Even with AL presumably out of the picture. UGA has not won anything yet. UGA is in great position to reach its goals. You can bet that CKS has been hammering the team that the goal has not been achieved yet. And to focus on one game at a time.
The standard this season has zero bearing on the standard next season. LSU set the standard in '19. They haven't since. You have to like the ceiling of the UGA program with CKS at the helm.
And on another note:
Isn't this the SAME PEOPLE who ALL picked UT to beat Georgia handily just a week and a half ago?!
Yes, that’s right. EVERY SINGLE ONE of those talking heads, including the entire crew at ESPN, 5 out of 6 CBS sports CFB analysts, and even 2 former Georgia players that work at SECN.
So, with that said, this is all made up controversy and click bait.
Only thing that matters is UGA is 9-0 and needs to take care of MSU tonight.
I could care less about Alabama and Ole Miss or anything else.
It's all about trajectory.
BAMA was only a few plays away from 4 or 5 losses, last year. And, that was with 2 of the best receivers in the game, a Heisman QB and "the best defensive player in CF".
Yeah, they bounced back...or got lucky. However you want to look at it. The games they lost THIS year...are games they pulled out, last year.
UGA was "The Standard" last year...they are "The Standard", this year. And, based on current recruiting events and tragectory...they will be "The Standard", for some time to come.
I'm not sold on the value of the TP/NIL thing. Saban tried it this year, to reload and replace, rather than doing it the way Smart does it...through recruiting & development. Look how it worked out for him. I think introducing an unknown variable in your locker room, is a gamble.
Smart, has used more walk-ons, than he has TP players. In fact, he's only used 3 that I can remember...Gilbert and Tykee Smith have been used sparingly and D. Kendrick was a success story. That's about it.
Saban has had relatively the same coaching staff since 2020. In fact, there's been more coaching change activity at UGA than at BAMA. Saban has no excuses there and I don't care. If he had a problem with Golden or O'Brian, he should have fired em long before this season. He bought off on everything they've done with that program.
It's interesting that "The Standard" shifted from BAMA to UGA after Smart and Cochran left. I've always said, Smart was Saban's secret sauce. He recruited, coached, designed and Coordinated some of the best defenses to ever play College ball. Now, he's doing it @UGA.
Yep, the Dawgs are "The Standard", now. The question is, how long can they continue to be, "The Standard Barer"?