August 26, 2008
Part I 2008 Football Preview
All the hype that surrounds the beginning of a football season is now coming to a close as teams prepare to play against their week one opponents. After winning their final seven games including a demolishing win against a sorry Hawaii squad in front of a national audience and returning 17 starters, Georgia was the easy pick for the voters at #1. So will the Dawgs live up to all the hype? Georgia possesses the talent at every position to win a championship but face a brutal schedule that will test the bulldogs throughout the season. With that in mind we take a look at my preseason top ten.
1. Georgia: Best team in the best conference.
2. Oklahoma: Return a ton of starters. Stout defense with an explosive offense.
3. West Virginia: The Big East isn't very good which means WV really doesn't face the same caliber of opponents during the season as the teams from the Big 12, Pac 10, or the SEC.
4. Clemson: Have all tools to win a national championship. But head coach Tommy Bowden is under pressure to finally win an ACC championship. Will they live up to the hype? We'll have some answers early; the Tigers face Alabama in Atlanta Aug. 30.
5. USC: A lot of talent as usual in Los Angeles. Some QB questions and some positions to fill from last year so will the talent step up? Pete Carroll has proven he can develop the talent so expect big things.
6. Florida: The Gators have an explosive offense but will the defense step it up. Really can't much worse from last year. But an easier schedule makes life a little simpler for those in Gainesville.
7. Texas Tech: Crazy offense puts up even crazier points. If the defense can muster some pride look out! Best shot at the Big 12 in many years.
8. Auburn: The War Eagles always have a hard-hitting defense but now they have an offense that should put points on the board.
9. LSU: The defending champions are going to rely heavily on defense. The Tigers are strong on the defensive side but problems at QB will keep this team from returning to Atlanta to defend their SEC crown.
10. Missouri: Return a lot of players from last year's impressive team. But the Tigers aren't sneaking up on anyone this season. Teams know how good they are and will give them their best shot every weekend.
Honorable Mention: Until Ohio State proves they can beat a team south of Cincinnati they are excluded from any top 10.
Posted by Char_Dawg at 2:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 15, 2008
Football Season is Almost Here
The football season is just around the corner. The Dawgs are carrying a lot of expectations going into the season. There's still a healthy bit of disrespect for the Dawgs. There was no team hotter than Georgia at the end of last season. Georgia finished 11-2 and the hot finish has meant a lot of National Title talk for 2008. The only problem is that the Dawgs face a daunting schedule.
Georgia has to play six teams coached by a former national champion. I'm not sure if that's ever happened. It within the realm of possibility that the Dawgs could play another nation title coach in the championship game if it came to that. The good news is that Georgia has the talent to win each game. An undefeated season would be the most impressive feat I've seen in college football. It's a challenge that I hope the Dawgs can conquer, but 2-3 losses seems more realistic. Georgia could lose three games this season and be a better team than last year. Coach Richt has built an awesome program. The could be the season that puts the Dawgs over the top. Here is my preseason Top 5 based on the best teams. Florida may likely win the title this year, but there are better teams out there.
1) Georgia - Most talented team in the nation
2) USC - Should have an easier time in the Pac-10 this season
3) Oklahoma - Stoops and Co. will be a title contender
4) Florida - The offense will be great, the defense is the question mark
5) Ohio State - A win against USC and the title game is a lock
Posted by nemov at 5:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 2, 2008
Hawai'i Learns a Tough Lesson in New Orleans
Georgia destroyed Hawai'i. I mean it was an impressive display of football domination. The Dawgs came in fired up, ready to play, and laid down a beat down on the hapless warriors in a 41-10 romp. The game was never in doubt. On both sides of the ball our line was overpowering. There's really no breakdown to go through here now. This was precisely the reason I didn't want to to play Hawai'i. No disrespect to them, but they're not in our league. They were one of the worst teams we played all season. I have to give credit to the coaching staff for getting the Dawgs ready to play for this game. Hopefully we keep this kind of emotional intensity going into next season. How about them Dawgs?
Posted by nemov at 7:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
December 30, 2007
Preview: 2008 Sugar Bowl
So here we are, the Sugar Bowl. By any measurement this season has been a success. A trip to the Sugar Bowl caps off an unbelievable six game winning streak that saw the Dawgs beat Florida and Auburn for the first time since 1982.
I don't know what to expect. Hawaii has not seen a team like Georgia all season and I don't think the Dawgs have faced an offense quiet like the Warriors. The Dawgs should come out jacked up for this game. Despite the fact we didn't get a shot at the title game we have a lot to prove. This game also sets up the expectations for 2008. Let's face it, what we do on New Year's night will effect perceptions of the Dawgs next year. Hawaii also has a lot to prove, but they're best win came against a Boise State team that just lost to East Carolina. After Boise State's shock win last season I don't expect the Dawgs to get suprised the same way Oklahoma did. Georgia will come to play and wipe out the Rainbows.
Final Score: UGA 42 - Hawaii 24
Posted by nemov at 9:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
December 2, 2007
BCS Breakdown - The Aftermath
If this was a normal Sunday after a college football Saturday the rankings would be simple. Ohio State would be number one and Georgia would be number two. None of the team ranked lower did anything to improve their rankings dramatically. Georgia would still be the best two loss team in the bunch, but something happened this weekend. Since it's the last weekend before bowl season Georgia will likely be jumped by LSU. At least this is what every talkinghead on ESPN is proposing.
LSU played terrible in their win against Tennessee. Thanks to a late interception for a touchdown LSU was given the SEC Championship. Now Georgia will likely be denied a shot at the BCS Championship because we did not win the conference. It's funny how this unsaid rule was never used against Oklahoma and Nebraska when they did the same thing earlier this decade.
The real debate should be about Ohio State. They'll likely be ranked number one today after failing to beat a ranked team all season. The only ranked team they played beat them at home, that was powerhouse Illinois. Ohio State has no business in the conversation. Losing one game in the Big Ten is the equivalent to three losses in the SEC. This system stinks, but everyone knows it.
Georgia is likely going to play Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. I doubt the SEC will release the Dawgs to play USC in the Rose Bowl. It's a terrible twist of fate that the Dawgs find themselves ranked so high, overlooked, and now have to play a team that no one want to play in Hawaii.
Update: So here's the coaches poll and the end of Georgia's national title hopes. LSU jumps 5 spots after playing terrible and needing an pick 6 to win against the VOL. Oklahoma beats a team for the second time this season, runs up the score, and moves up five positions. Oklahoma also lost two game to unranked opponents. The BSC is notorious for screwing teams, and it appears that Georgia is on the short end of the beauty pageant this season. It will be interesting to see how many Georgia fans go to the preposterously horrible Hawaii match up in New Orleans. I wouldn't spend my money on the glorified and pointless exhibition.
1 Ohio State (46)
2 LSU (11)
3 Oklahoma (2)
4 Georgia
Posted by nemov at 9:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 25, 2007
Giving Him the Business
Here's the call of the year.
Posted by nemov at 5:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
