A Big Year for Caleb King? Signs point to Yes.

Fans can get spoiled. Fans can be stupid. A whole lot of 9 and 10 win seasons can become boring and hacky. It’s as true today as it was back in my day. Right now? Georgia suffers from that malaise. Also from offseason felonies.

So is this another season like last year? Spoiler alert! Yes, yes it will. Paul Finebaum will call for his head.

Last year: 8-5 (4-4) t2nd SEC East

1) Caleb King will be the man to lead the SEC in rushing yards. With a good year of health and Washaun Ealy deciding to do a Marshawn Lynch impression? He gets the ball early and often. 1500 yards will happen.

2) Justin Houston will find success in the 3-4 defense to the tune of pulling a Von Miller impression. 15 sacks will happen for the Bulldogs. All from Justin Houston.

3) Unfortunately, the inconsistencies of Aaron Murray will force A.J. Green to suffer the indignity of another season of 55 catches, 800 yards, and seven scores. Mark Richt will absolutely refuse to switch to Logan Gray. If he dealt with the Ginger Ninja, he will suffer Aaron Murray, redshirt Freshman.

4) The surprise of the season? While Justin Houston manages to get himself 15 sacks on the season, there will be a race to the sack leader. Cornelius Washington will fall short, but he will get himself a solid 9 sacks. Todd Grantham will have quick success with the defense.

5) Drew Butler will not maintain his ridiculous 48 yards per punt average. 44 yards per punt is nothing to sneeze at, but that’s not conduct befitting a Ray Guy award winner. (LOL, I made a punter prediction.)

6) The season will seem to be a series of two steps forward and one step back. They’re not as good as a good SEC West team. But for one day, one glorious day. This team will have everything come together. It does not mean they’re going to be a BCS contender. It may not even matter in division.

But for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party? UGA will roar.

This Year: 9-3 (5-3) 2nd SEC East

In Defense of the SEC Scheduling

The NCAA came out with its official listing of FBS versus FCS games. And as per usual? The SEC comes strong with the gimmes. The ACC has one more, but the fact of the matter is that when you have 12 games that are gimmes? Your nonconference record and reputation can be slightly inflated.

And as a football fan? It’s definitely a terrible thing. Beyond a shadow of a doubt there’s no real entertainment value for a game that’s likely to be 38-3 at the half. But that being said? The SEC does it a little differently.

There are 11 games of this ilk that are set to go off past September. The SEC has seven of these games. One is interesting in a sort of dynasty versus dynasty. (Appalachian State at Florida). One is interesting in a will Nick Saban put up 100 sort of way? (Georgia State at Alabama.) All are guaranteed wins.

But they are guaranteed wins that allow the teams breathing room. Georgia State comes before the Iron Bowl. Appy State comes before a seemingly sprightly Florida State. Mississippi State travels to Non-AQ superpower Houston right after they play Alcorn State. LSU gets McNeese State before Auburn.

In fact? Georgia and Auburn are both taking the gimmie before they play each other on November 13th.

I know, I know, cool story bro. I get it.

But you know what this is? This is a trend. You’ll see more teams jerryrig a schedule to get a tuneup before the big game. You won’t see a conference like the ACC schedule 12 September games with local FBS powers anymore.

It’s the wave of the future, and the SEC is out in front of it.

The Trap Games of the SEC Season

One of my favorite aspects of college football is the trap game. You have 20-something kids on a roll getting overconfident, and boom. There’s an upset. It’s what got me following the SEC, if we’re being completely honest. But since we’re not yet sponsored by EA sports?

That’s another story for another day. Today? We’re discussing trap games. The chance for a bad to decent team to beat a great team.

We’ll start with the NCAA Football 11 Preseason National Champions. There’s been a lot said about the fact that a lot of teams have bye weeks before they’re rolling up on Alabama. But only one team has the power and the timing to go up against the Crimson Tide before they seem to have jelled. That’s when they travel to Fayetteville  on September 25th to take on the Razorbacks.

One week before Florida rolls into town.

Does Florida have a trap game? Yes and no. It’s like I said in April. Kentucky is intriguing. In my bolder days, I would say that Kentucky could take them down, but today I am not feeling so bold. They can keep it close in Ben Hill Griffin on the 25th.

Kentucky’s real shot at a trap win is when Georgia comes to Lexington on October 23rd. It’s one week before the bete noir of the Georgia faithful a.k.a. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. And it may actually not be considered an upset even if Kentucky doesn’t shock the Gators.

Arkansas has their own trap game worry the week before they play Auburn as well. October 9th. In front of the worlds largest television screen. They play the one offense they can stand toe to toe with them in Texas A&M. Why is this interesting? Because neither team has a great defense, but A&M has a pass-rusher in Von Miller. And he generated 17.5 sacks literally all by himself. He gets rolling and the Hogs fall.

The lucky ones are Auburn and LSU. Auburn’s schedule is built for a run at insurging the two-team power trip. And if you consider Tennessee’s issues? LSU’s losses can be boiled down to ill-preparation.

Georgia Cornerback Arrested; Didn’t Give Middle Name

On Monday, Georgia Cornerback Jordan Love was arrested for misdemeanor obstruction in the investigation of reported fireworks being shot off in the Georgia Campus. Now, you could chalk this up to the tomfoolery of a post 4th of July hangover. But then you read on…

“Mr. Love gave his first and last name, but he said he didn’t know his middle name, then said he kind of knew it, but didn’t know how to spell it,” [University of Georgia Police Chief Jimmy] Williamson said.

And you know what, if there was a second Jordan Love on campus? Perhaps the University would have a case. But a simple google search? And you can see that there is only one Jordan Love on campus. The middle name wasn’t and isn’t necessary in this instance.

Now, granted. The police department is walking back this dumb mistake. And perhaps this is a case where there is nothing seedy beyond an officer who let previous experience dictate his decision-making. But the fact remains.

A little bit of patience and research and none of this would have happened.

Rating the Indoor Practice Facilities of the SEC.

I know what you’re thinking. LOL what? Is this even a post. And I say unto you, mister and missus hypothetical reader. I like to challenge myself. Sometimes, I want to see if I cannot make something interesting. And when Auburn tripled the size of their indoor practice facility? I have an excuse!

In one of the strangest one of these things is not like the other sort of scenarios? Two out of the twelve? Don’t have indoor practice facilities. One of them is Vanderbilt. Guess the other one. Come on.

I’ll even add to it that it’s nobody in the SEC West. When Auburn’s expansion is complete? There will be nobody who has to work a short field either. You might guess Kentucky. But you’d be wrong.

South Carolina and Tennessee are both working off of short fields. But they’ve got something to work with.

So at this point? The fact that Georgia and Florida don’t have an indoor facility is strange. These are the Eastern powers of the SEC, after all. They should be top of the line in everything they do. But one of them has plans for a new indoor facility.

And guess what? It’s not Florida.

Let me say that again. The team of the previous decade has found their way into the best high school recruits of this generation. And their facilities are lacking. There is an obvious lesson to it.

But I’ll leave that to you to figure out.

The “Little Ten” of the SEC

The narrative coming out of the SEC, besides Alabama’s general ailments of the bye week disadvantages, is that we are in the midst of a duopoly. There’s Florida, there’s Alabama, and then there’s the other ten teams. I come to you with one question. Can anybody charge in and steal a spot?

10. Vanderbilt (Nope. A running game and a decent defense means you have a punchers chance against the majority of the league, but that got Mississippi State five wins last year. That’s seven wins too little.)
9. Mississippi State (2%. Mullen may be building off of last season, but the team still needs more at WR than Chad Bumphis and an Anthony Dixon replacement. They won’t steal anything more than the Liberty Bowl this year.)
8. Tennessee (5 percent. They won’t m9iss Bryce Brown, and you may not be able to throw too well on them. But these are underdogs who made their bed and has to lie in it.)
7. Ole Miss (5 percent. They have a solid run defense. But their team is too young. Nathan Stanley doesn’t have a great offensive line to protect him either. And Raymond Cotton? He has the shoulder of the Tubervillian Chris Todd. They’ll be interesting again. But not this year.)
6. South Carolina (10 percent. In terms of talent? They may surprise. Ellis Johnson has a defense that reloads every season. And the offense is intriguing in terms of Jarvis Giles and Marcus Lattimore carrying the rock, and the catching the ball? Alshon Jeffrey isn’t gonna be pumping gas anytime soon. The problem? Stephen Garcia’s general incosistency plus program inertia equals Pizza bowl.)
5. Kentucky (They have a 1 in ten shot of beating Florida. And if they do that? Their number rises exponentially. But at this point? Hartline-Cobb-Matthews-Locke are a lot more interesting to me than they are to you. As such? This is the one that could rise in unlikelyhood.)
4. Arkansas (20 percent. Alex Tejada plus a road game at Auburn could pose a problem. The Defensive Front Seven could pose a problem. Ryan Mallett’s inconsistency? Also problematic. But you answer one of the questions? And they’re a dangerous middle of the road SEC West Team.)
3. Georgia (25 percent. Freshmen don’t win the SEC. In that respect? Aaron Murray’s weight is better than the other 10 returning starters. A defensive switch in scheme doesn’t help either. And even a Freshman Matt Stafford couldn’t beat Kentucky in Lexington in the pre-Raylan Givens era.) 
2. LSU (25 percent. I don’t trust Jordan Jefferson, and the line lost its players of value as well. But they have a lockdown pass defense and considering the state of the SEC West? That’s worth a lot to the party right there.)
1. Auburn (50 percent. Here is your last, best hope for an insurgency. And as such? It’s 50-50. Either they beat The Crimson Tide or they don’t.)

 I will make a more formal predsiction this Summer. And I will further the individual season previews in the weeks upcoming. So yeah. It’s coming kids.

FUHBAW!

Zach Mettenberger Dismissed.

The race to replace the Ginger Ninja between the hedges has essentially been closed. Aaron Murray? The floor is yours.

On Sunday, Mark Richt dismissed Mettenberger for his arrest last month for an underage drinking, possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, and obstruction incident in a bar in Remerton, Georgia. But the timing of this seems a wee bit odd to me. I mean, he was already scheduled to miss the opening game this season. And he was pretty sharp in the spring game. I know the AD claims that there’s no new incident, but from a one game suspension to an outright dismissal?

But for Georgia? This is a scenario where all eyes are on Aaron Murray. Everyone else is back for the Bulldogs. Florida is missing Tim Tebow and crazy Old Man Urban Meyer is crazy and old. If Murray is a success? They have a chance to run the SEC East this year.

But the competition? It’s just been closed.

Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 2009 Independence Bowl, Prediction Pick

I know, I know. People think this game is going to be crap on ice. And I’m sure other people will treat it as such. But you know what? Not me. I think this game is going to be fun. I mean it. The former Poulan Weed Eater Bowl is going to be worth watching.

Wait what? The strawman I am developing for this conceit tells me. And I say yes. For several reasons.

1) Texas A&M’s offense really got going toward the end of the year.

This team got launched early on in the year in games against Kansas State and Arkansas, but they got their offense rolling with general aplomb toward the end of the year. They averaged 465.3 yards per game, mainly on the arm of Jarrod Johnson and on the legs of the boy named Sueish running back named Christine Michael. And they were second in 1st downs per game. This is a team that can move the ball with ease, and with Georgia’s D all skeletal? J’INTRIGUE!

However…

2) The Aggie Secondary? Is not so good.

In terms of BCS conference bowl teams? No team has given up as many yards through the air as the Aggies. (109th overall) Granted, it’s not something that a hazard for bowl eligiblity. But you have to look for A.J. Green to roll up a spectacular game. And throw that in with a Run D that’s 87th in the country? No amount of explosion can truly knock an opponent out.

3) And wither the Ginger Ninja?

The reason why the Bulldogs have seemed to find solid footing is because they’ve leaned towared running Caleb King and Washaun Ealy 40 times a game. If Joe Cox has to throw the ball around? Georgia is in some trouble. Because like I said before? The Aggies are high-powered.

The Aggies are a team that’s on the rise. Next year? This could be a BCS team. But it is still inconsistent. That being said? I don’t think Georgia’s D can eliminate any sort of a dream of a shootout. I know wagering on Mike Sherman is always a dangerous propisition, but there’s no way Georgia wins by more than 8. Georgia 49, Texas A&M 45.