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Comments
I don’t really worry to much about down votes as they have no affect on my dinner table. But I’m curious as to what I said that drew the down vote ?? So if you’re not a troll and you Are a Dawgs fan step up and tell me what I said out of place ? I’d like to know. By all means point out what I said that was dishonest or wrong. I don’t mind. Thx !!
I was talking with another Dawgs fan on another thread. And Yes as compared to the previous three years this Dawgs team has had its disappointments. Still they’ve only lost two games. And Both of those were on the road.
Bama was in the top five ( if my memory serves they might have been number one I honestly can remember) and Ole Miss was like number 11 I think. That was the most embarrassing loss.
But there are Two things about This Dawgs team to be admired Heart and Resiliency. These Dawgs Never Give Up and I certainly admire that. You know who Really needs to step up their game in my humble opinion ?? Coaches.
Some people will say “ Well it’s the level of quality of the players to start with”. Well that’s True but to a limit. Look no further than Ladd McConkey a three star out of HS or Stetson Bennett a walk on. Coaching seems to have dropped off quite dramatically in my humble opinion. Now That has limits to. It works in reverse. There are Some players that just seem to be unable to coach up At The Position they are currently playing.
Ladd was primarily a QB in HS. I’ll give you an example, Arian Smith. He should have been moved to either a DB or a RB a long time ago. Well before This season. He might’ve flourished as a DB as he has the speed to stay with most receivers. He wouldn’t have to worry about catching the ball so much, just knocking it down, and I’m not trying to be funny or sarcastic.
Or as a RB, he apparently can block pretty decent as we all know Kirby demands excellent blocking skills. So you could let him run from a handoff and a toss back to him is fairly easy. After he got his confidence up you could probably throw him a screen pass along and along. Once he got where he was constantly dropping the ball and couldn’t be coached out of it the coaches should have moved him. He has to much speed to bench him entirely that would be a waste of a good athlete.
It just seems to me that these Coaches are not earning their pay This season. BUT their killing it on the recruiting trail so it’s a catch 22 situation for Kirby. I wonder how harsh Kirby is at chewing Coaches out ? Temporary demotions maybe ? Coaches trading places maybe ? Usually these coaches have been at allot of different positions. I don’t know the answers. Got allot of new blood coming in for 2025 but they’ve got to be properly coached or we’ll see similar results. For now though just beat them Irish !! Go Dawgs !!
There’s a huge disparity between the 9-12 teams and the top 6 or 7. And I think two 9-12 teams got byes and haven’t played yet. With taking 12 teams, at least we don’t have a situation where a top 2 team like Georgia gets left out like last year. But we are going to see some lopsided games, especially where higher seeds get to host the games. I expect there to be two more lopsided games in the quarter finals.
@navydawg
First off, not buying the Stetson Bennett IV thing. SB IV was always the same QB who had more turnovers than TDs and was benched in 2020. The difference is that the 2021 and 2022 teams had way more talent. SB IV and Monken with the 2023 and 2024 talent look a lot more like 2020 than 2022. UGA fans didn't like to hear it but other fanbases called it out when SB IV got his Heisman trip to New York in 2022: Georgia's scheme used a ton of NFL talent to make Bennett IV effective and it came at the expense of a lot of guys' stats. Ladd McConkey is putting up more yards per game in the NFL than he did in college. McConkey's stats are why he fell to the 2nd round, costing him $10 million in guaranteed money off his rookie contract.
Second, say Arian Smith moves from WR to RB or DB. Fine. Who plays split end? That's the problem: there is no one else to play split end. All the other UGA WRs are slot guys. UGA uses Dom Lovett at flanker because he is the most consistent route runner and pass catcher. You don't want a 5'10" 180 lb guy at flanker, who is usually the "big receiver" who uses size/strength to make plays over the middle. Ideally 6'1" 210 lbs. Dillon Bell would taken that role which would have allowed Lovett to play slot but Bell lacks the speed/elusiveness/quickness that flankers - and all WRs generally - need. Bell was a 3 star that the major Texas schools like the Longhorns and national programs like Ohio State had little interest in for a reason. Yes, AD Mitchell worked out but the "get the diamond in the rough that other schools overlook" thing is hit-or-miss at WR just like every other position. No one expects UGA to use that recruiting philosophy for left tackles and pass rushers, do they?
UGA the last few years has been landing kids with 3rd and 4th WR skills, whether out of high school or in the portal, because the guys with starting flanker and split end skills that can go anywhere that they want didn't want to come to UGA and be marginalized the way that UGA's WRs have been, even on championship teams.
@rtparkeriv I don't think that such disparity exists. There is just no dominant team this year.
Ohio State's defense is improved - Auburn should make the Ohio State DC its next head coach - but its passing game isn't as good as it was 2018-2022 (Will Howard isn't a 1st round pick QB like Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and CJ Stroud plus they no longer have WRs so good that future NFL starter Jameson Williams left to get playing time).
Oregon has a great offense but a questionable defense and their QB is a "system guy" (more on that later).
Texas has issues at RB and LT, plus they lost their top 4 WR/TEs from 2023 to the NFL - who are all contributing as NFL rookies! - and are relying on a mix of last year's backups and portal guys. Quinn Ewers is being scapegoated for what are really talent issues by Longhorn fans just as Beck is by UGA fans. Both will be more appreciated by their NFL fans than they ever were by their college "fans" as both are better than who, say, the Raiders and Giants have at QB now.
Penn State and Notre Dame no longer get the elite talent they did in the 80s and 90s when a lot more elite high school players came out of the midwest and northeast.
UGA: WR, RB and secondary issues, plus they don't have the DT, OL or TE talent to mitigate them like in the past.
Clemson doesn't have the 1st round picks at key positions that they did 2015-20 and quietly last week finally started dipping into the portal (a WR and a DE) instead of just losing guys.
Last year was an anomaly in that you had 6 teams good enough not just for the top 4 but for the top 2 in most years. Outside those 6 were 11-1 Ohio State, 11-2 Oregon and 10-2 Ole Miss teams that would have gotten the at-large spots that more dubious teams like SMU, Indiana and Notre Dame got this year. For the last couple of spots, good luck choosing between 10-2 Missouri, 10-2 Oklahoma and 10-2 Penn State.
2023 was an anomaly caused by the strongest teams benefiting from both ripping off weaker teams in the portal AND exploiting the pandemic rule. Oregon was an example of both with 5 year starter former Auburn QB Bo Nix . (Nix set an NCAA record by starting 61 games.) This year in turn was weak because nearly all the guys who used the pandemic year that were actually good have entered the draft - as did Nix - plus you are seeing the results of teams having their depth stripped by the portal. Sticking with Oregon, their QB Dillon Gabriel is in his 6th year and at his 3rd school precisely because he wasn't good enough to enter the 2024 draft like Nix, who in 2023 had 1000 more yards and 17 more TDs passing plus more rushing yards than Gabriel this year.
Also get real: if Saban is still at Bama they beat Vandy and OU and are in the playoff where they belong. If that happens, the entire playoff landscape is different. You would have had 4 Big 10 teams and 4 SEC teams in the playoffs. SMU stays home and the seeding is entirely different.
Yet Stetson Bennett Was a walk on. And no matter how talented the receivers are they still have to have a QB get the ball to them. No disrespect or sarcasm at you, but Dawgs fans saw with their own eyes what Stetson did and it was Utterly and Totally Remarkable and Incredible for a guy to do that with the Lack of pedigree he had. Was he perfect ? No. But I’ve never seen a perfect QB and with respect I doubt you have either.
The come back game vs OSU with Stets was Awesome. Of Course it took a Team effort it always does. And again with no sarcasm or disrespect but the “Cost Ladd millions of $$$ thing !! Wow !! If Kirby Smart hadn’t went to a basketball game and liked what he saw out of Then 3 star QB not even a receiver Ladd McConkey he might not ( very good chance he wouldn’t) even BE in the NFL.
But Kirby saw Ladd’s great athleticism and Knew in his heart and on Faith he offered Ladd. Before Kirby offered Ladd didn’t have one single offer from Any D1 school !! Probably looking back his best offer was App. St. and they were looking at him as a QB !!
Look I fully agree with you that the Quality Level. ( Especially on WR) has been a bust in recent years. BUT I also feel Some not all but some of these Very handsomely paid Coaches ain’t earning their pay on the practice field either !!
Ladd went from being a 3 star QB to a Great WR in college and as you stated greater Still in the NFL. Stetson didn’t do so hot in the NFL or hasn’t thus far, but Gosh that can be said of countless great in college QBs. And that includes Heisman winning QBs. Allot of Em.
But comparing the NFL to college is like comparing the SEC to HS ball. I think that Coaching and level of quality of players have diminished. But I hold the Coaches MORE accountable because I honestly believe that some of these players could be coached Up.
Let me ask you this, take Lovett for example, when he was at Mizzou he gave the Dawgs defense a very tough time. Now he’s been only so-so with flashes here and there but no steady consistency. Why ?? What happened ??
And our highly touted O Line has been very inconsistent. They have had moments of pretty good, but not on a steady basis. And this one should really hurt Kirby where he lives, our DBs have been smoked badly to many times on deep passes allowing receivers to get behind them !! That’s Coaching.
Kirby’s recruiting classes have been in the top three for like what the last 5-6 years. And I agree with you Fully WR has been the most glaring problem. I concede that……to a degree. But ALL the WRs have had to many drops. Even Dillon Bell which is probably the most reliable has had more drops than he normally does. Why ?? I think you and I are in a half and half agreement here. You seem to believe it’s pretty much All player quality, where as Yes I do to But I also think that these players could be coached up to do better.
NOW to conclude my novel here, Dawgs will have had three weeks to get things together. I’m Hoping and tend to Believe that Kirby rounded up the Coaches and in summary said look guys we all know what’s at stake here I want yall to go out there and use all your abilities to coach these kids up.
In turn I Hope and Believe that the players want to fully support Gunner and No I’m certainly Not knocking on Beck. It’s just that they Know Gunner will have his first ever start, from what I understand he’s well liked by the team, and I think they will lay it all on the line for him.
It’s gonna take a Team effort to beat ND not even thinking of looking past them. But if the Dawgs unite and bring their all they Can beat the Irish. I believe TX is every bit as good as ND quite possibly even better, so it’s not like ND is some insurmountable team. Their first top ten game was vs IU, and OSU had crushed the Hoosiers earlier. If people take a serious look at ND’s schedule and compare it to the vicious road game schedule the Dawgs have had it’s pretty clear.
That’s where the Heart and Resiliency that I mentioned comes in. This might not be the most skilled Dawgs team we’ve seen, but they have as much heart, toughness, and No Quit spirit as any of Em. Sometimes that’s enough. When these Dawgs are united and bring their A game their still a very formidable opponent, just ask TX and Clemson. Sorry this was so long but I’m not good at blurbs. 😀
@benzone This is Part 2 😀 I went back and reread your comments. You make allot of excellent points. Hoping that the new blood out of HS will help shore up the WR issue which seems to be the worse issue for the Dawgs. But also hoping Kirby can cast his net into the TP and pull in someone or maybe even a couple.
Problem is usually there ‘s a reason their in the TP and unfortunately allot of times it’s for negative reasons. STILL just because a guy didn’t pan out for one school doesn’t mean he won’t pan out at UGA.
Although he’s a RB not a WR look at Etienne he’s been $$$ for the Dawgs. In his case though the gators really hated to lose him because essentially he Was their running game !! Glad he’s a Dawg !!
But back to the Coaching thing, even if we reel in a sure nuff stud at WR the Coaches are gonna have to use him properly and keep him coached up and feeling competitive else he could end up like Etienne go looking for greener grass. I’m just wondering if Some of our coaches are living off past glory to some degree. In particular WRs.
I mean this is an entire unit issue, these drops. And Yes absolutely many times Beck put it right on target to their hands and they drop it. Arian has been the worse but certainly not the Only.
As a Dawgs fan it makes you even sicker when you see other teams make these acrobatic phenomenal catches !! Lawson Luckie had a beautiful catch like that but he’s as you know a TE. Speaking of the TEs I hope they will be used more Allot more in these playoff games !! Delp had some drops earlier in the season but in the last several games he seems to have gotten considerably better, Luckie definitely has good hands, sadly even he has dropped some this year. My memory is ****, kaput, gone Lol, ( comes in handy with chores for my wife) but this might go back to the Richt years.
But they made the players go out and catch tennis balls all day long !! Now I don’t know whether it was mentally or physically or a combo of both by they Did get better. Only reason I remember that it was on TV and it might have been during the Rivht era. Wish I was a bird on a limb to see and hear What are these Coaches doing to try to help these guys improve ? Let’s hope they have improved greatly comes Jan 1 !! Go Dawgs !!
Arian Smith wouldn’t last 3 games as a RB…cmon. And as someone else said he’s the best we got at SE so it is what it is. Stet is above all a winner…I don’t think the coaches instilled that in him. Credit his parents maybe. Ladd was overlooked bc he played QB at a small school that rarely produces talent. Monken spotted him. So that’s coaching or at least great talent evaluation. But idk about the development part…he runs a 4.3. Can’t develop that. Bottom line is it’s like Kirby said after beating Mullen a few yrs back…no coach can outcoach better talent. Not Kirby not Saban. Not anybody
Hey Yall question. When will the first injury report for the Sugar Bowl come out ?? Monday ?? Course might not get allot out of it as Kirby will probably keep his cards tucked close to his chest. Would be awesome to see R. Robinson fully healthy, would be a Big double scoop of Awesome if Both Robinsons were fully healthy. Either one of those two or Both are bulldozers when they’re healthy !! Also hope to see as many of the O Line and D line healthy and ready to go !!
Does anyone know the status of Phillips ?? He’s the one they call Peanut right ?? He’s blazing fast and seems to have good hands !! He’s carried as a RB on the roster but Throw that young man the ball if he can get open !! I don’t know his official times but watching him on the ole tube he looks as fast if not faster than Arian Smith !! Course it was a pass play that he got injured and that’s the last I’ve seen or heard from him.
Arizona State, Iowa State and Clemson....we're all ranked 15, 16 & 17, respectively, prior to Conference Championship Games. Boise State was inexplicably ranked #8 and SMU #10.
Boise should have never been ranked that high. While their only loss came by three points to top five Ranked Oregon early in the season..…they haven't played ANYBODY else, all year.
I think we know what all this is about, anyway. Money...money....money. Lol...a payoff, to shut everybody up about the disparity created by free-agency and NIL, in CFB. There are teams, whose best hope....is just "to make the playoffs". They'll NEVER win a Natty under the current system.
They would've been better off, just taking the first 8 teams off the top and having a real playoff......To find a Champ....not "make money". But...who's gonna complain about "more football". Lol
If they want to eliminate the blowouts…reduce the number of teams or take em as they come. Just take the 12 best teams.…no matter what Conference they play.
To reduce the inherent biases….my suggestion would be to create 3 diverse but qualified, CFP Committees. Each, Committee would submit their rankings with justifications to a CFP Board...made up of of 5 Judges from a different Sport and/or Country to determine what the brackets will be, at the end of the season.
Or....we could summon 12 jurors to determine a Champion. Lolol
navy dawg. I don’t believe there will be one. The injury report was an SEC requirement.
Oh OK. I didn’t think of that, Thx Bro !!
Observation 1: Don't dare expand the SEC schedule to 9 games. The selection committee will penalize teams based on # of losses.
The transfer window is jacking up the teams that have to play in the playoffs. And the student athlete's trying to plan their next move while not abandoning their team.
OSU probably is the team to beat IF their QB can continue to play like he did vs TN. We have not seen that level of skill and consistency from Howard before. OR vs OSU should be a good test for both teams. In TN's defense #1 RB hurt, TN can't run, pass rush tee's off, TN QB under siege, TN WR's also hurt. As for Iameleava he is looking more like Joe Milton than Hendon Hooker from an accuracy standpoint.
How much would the networks pay for a 3 game post season "NIT" tourney? AL vs Clemson. MS vs SMU. SC vs Indiana. It would be cool to settle the argument.
I still don't like the 12 team playoff for 1 reason. Bye's are an unfair advantage to the "best" teams and an unfair disadvantage to the teams that lose conference championship games. IF UGA wins a championship it will be primarily because of the 3 weeks it had to get healthy and get GS ready.
I’m just asking you a couple of questions, NOT saying you’re wrong. Why would Arian not last very long at RB ?? Not durable enough ?? He hasn’t been overly prone to injury that I know of though he’s probably missed some time for injuries but allot of RBs also miss time for injuries. Just curious what you see that he wouldn’t last long as a RB ??
And would Tuggle be a good fit to replace him at SE, Tuggle is 6’1” so he’s about the same height, I don’t know how his speed would compare to Arian. But ALL this is woulda, coulda, shoulda thinking any way it’s Far to late to actually Do this.
You said Monken spotted Ladd McConkey. I’ve always understood that it was Kirby that saw him at a basketball game, Monken wasn’t present as far as I know. Wasn’t it Kirby that liked what he saw in his athleticism and offered him ?
My questions aren’t intended with any sarcasm what so ever. They are questions not statements.
Now this IS a statement, I fully agree with you that in the end you can’t out coach superior talent. But you Can coach UP what you have to work with. There are several teams that have coached UP two and three stars rosters to be pretty competitive. We’ve got an Entire Unit of WRs that have been Terrible catching the ball from a consistency standpoint, something is badly wrong there. I mean one or two heck I’ll even give three with a bad case of dropsies. But an entire unit ??
Teams have little fear of our passing game because of it so they load the box to stop our run game. Our O Line was Highly touted as being Loaded with talent yet we’ve all seen the inconsistency.
I’ll concede that WR Recruiting has been less than stellar and the TP didn’t yield the results we hoped for. So Yes absolutely it’s mid to low level quality talent wise, but one would think that at least a couple of those guys should be able to be coached Up beyond what they were originally brought in as.
I used Ladd in my original comment as an example, he was a QB with No offers from D1 schools as a QB less alone WR. So they took his raw natural skills and athleticism and coached him Up to being a phenomenal WR !! Lovett gave the Dawgs defense fits when he was at Mizzou, but now he seems to have dropped off. What happened ?? Maybe I’m totally on the wrong track. I’ve certainly been wrong before, and Yes level of talent coming In to UGA assuredly matters, I get that, but I think there’s a Coaching problem involved to.
Am I wrong thinking on this ? If I am help me to understand why. P.S. The Good News is that in these last few games it Seems the WRs and O Line have ramped it up a bit, so perhaps the Coaches have ramped it up a bit to. As Dawgs fans let’s Hope the whole program has ramped it up. **** Beck is leaving with a Very honorable record I mean only 3 losses in two regular seasons And post season !! That’s pretty dawg gone good !! He gets with the right NFL team he should do really well !!
Great post, Mike
MY LESSONS SO FAR
Three good things about the new CFP:
Three things that need to be fixed:
Those fixes aren't going to stop all the complaints. For example.