Top 5 bright spots of the the 2010 season:

1. Arron Murray- The best season ever by a Freshman QB at Georgia. The team MVP was not only solid but great. He ran and threw with very little help from his backfield both running the ball and protecting him. Before the season even the most positive Georgia person could have never imagined the season he had.

2. Justin Houston- He doesn't get the credit and won't get the credit he deserves. One of the five best defenders in the country, he was an all-american on a bad defense. He would be a starter on any Georgia defense but won't be remebered as fondly as Boss Bailey, Thomas Davis, or Rennie Curran because of the struggles of his teammates.

3. Kickoff Coverage- If this unit would've given up 10 Returns for TD's I still think Georgia people would've been okay with it just because directional kicking was no longer the philosophy. Making Fabris look terrible, Georgia had the best kick coverage in the SEC and top 5 in the country.

4. Blair Walsh- A big part of the kick coverage success was Walsh consistently putting it around the 1 with a lot of hang time. But the FG percentage, especially on long tries, was overshadowed as the season continued to lose relevance. Georgia was once known as Tailback U but now has to be Kicker U. Robinson, Butler, Kasey, Parkman, Bennent, Coutu, and Walsh to name a few, would be hard to match for any school.

5. Beating Georgia Tech- In a season where little went right, Georgia avioded complete failure by beating tech for the 9th time in the past 10 years and concluding the most dominat decade by either team in the series.

Top 5 Dark Spots:

1. AJ Green Jersey- Still feel we win 2 of the first 4 losses if AJ is eligible.

2. The Safety position- Rambo and Hamilton both entered the season with a good bit of hype and probably some unwarranted expectations. From the South Carolina game on they both struggled in run support and even moreso in pass coverage. Rambo started every game and got better but continued to have issues, while Hamilton is now trying out for left tackle. Olgetree shows a lot of promise and will be an NFL player but the speed of the game really got him on a number of occassions. I don't think Shawn Williams was ever a real solution and I don't know if Nick Williams is even real.

3. Offensive Line- Every national pre-season publication ranked this unit in the top 5. I don't understand how individually they all seem great but as a group they were the worst in football history.

4. Running Backs- Partially the O-lines fault but part of that line was blocking for Moreno when he was the best player in the country. When I watch them they look slow, not creative, and more than willing to help the defense bring them to the ground. I think it says a lot that neither ever got a firm grasp on the starting job and it wasn't because one was taking it from the other.

5. Not beating a team with a winning record- Tennessee, Kentucky, and Tech all finished at 6-6. ULL, Idaho St., and Vandy will all have new coaches next year. Colorado lost to a Cal team not going to a bowl 52-7 and Mizzou 26-0 a week after beating Georgia. The Florida game was the hardest loss to take but they were worse than any of the Zook Gators. JD had correctly predicted Georgia's record within one game for 8 years in a row. He missed it by 4 in 2010.

Barstool Is Right On Both Counts

I don't think that I've posted, or even commented, on anything related to Georgia football this season.

For one thing, it's been a busy fall for me. But mostly it's because the season has been so bad that I didn't want to make any knee-jerk reactions. When a team starts off 1-4, loses to the worst Florida team in six years, and pretty much squanders having the best receiver in the country and the SEC's best edge rusher, knee-jerk reactions are about all you can make.

Now seems like the perfect time to look at what happened this fall because there are a full 12 games to draw from, and because the Tech game seemed to sum up the season pretty well. These are some things I've been thinking about, many of which were probably discussed this weekend. Really, I'm just thinking out loud here.

So like I said, the Tech performance was exactly what you should have come to expect by now.

The running game was nonexistent early on, but that was okay because A.J. Green might be the best skill player in the country and words cannot describe how good Aaron Murray is. Yet Georgia did what it always seems to do, going away from what's working at times presumably for the sake of “balance.” I'm not one to rip specific play calls since I don't know what goes into a given situation, but this more of a philosophical thing. Then again, the offense has scored points. As long as the offense from the South Carolina game doesn't show up next year with Green in the NFL, I've got no major issues with Mike Bobo.

The offensive line is a different story. It struggled all year and did so again in short yardage against Tech. The defensive line was abused as well. I think the defensive issues can be addressed through recruiting because of the relative lack of size, but it doesn't look great in the short term. I can't even make an educated guess on the offensive line. Maybe Stick has been right to rip Dave Van Halanger all these years. I just don't get it.

This definitely was addressed before the game Saturday: the defense still could be fine given enough time. Defensive backs continue to look lost in coverage after 12 games, so that's either residue from the decline under Willie Martinez or maybe Todd Grantham hasn't perfectly translated his defense from the NFL to the college level. I think it's smart to reserve judgment until everyone gets a full offseason together. There was improvement in some areas, believe it or not.

Basically, no one is going to lose their jobs, and that's the way it should be. But I don't see how next year isn't make-or-break for everyone. It's not smart to put a number on anything, but Georgia obviously was not a very good team this year despite the few bright spots. I'd just hate to see what happens this time next year if we're saying the same things about the 2011 team. Anyone who has ever talked football with me knows I hate conjecture like this, but there are enough red flags that even I've got to say it.

Song of the Day: Justin Townes Earle -- Ain't Waitin'

Right or Wrong...

I had similar feelings walking out of Sanford Stadium last night. And Murray is unbelievably awesome.

Tech Fan Tuesday

None of these images have been doctored. It's really not even fair at this point. Prediction: Georgia- 48... Georgia Tech- 17

TODD

Graduate Assistants

Georgia Notebook

- Going back to the end of the 2009 Independence Bowl, if anyone would've said Georgia would be heading into this year's Tech game at 5-6 most would believe this would be Richt's final game at Sanford Stadium. The Evans happy hour and a complete change on the defensive side of the ball will give Richt at least another season. The events at the end of the Auburn game and the Auburn program as a whole also gave CMR a boost as a lot of Georgia people have rallied around the fact that Georgia is not that.

Comparing Richt and Donnan.....

-Last 4 years under Donnan: 35-13

-Last 4 under Richt: 34-16

-Last 2 under Donnan: 16-8

-Last 2 under Richt: 13-11

The obvious difference in the two is the entire body of work. Two SEC championships make a big difference. Maybe the biggest difference is their records against Tech. Donnan was 2-3 while Richt is 8-1 and with a win next week Georgia will conclude the most successful decade ever against Tech.

- Justin Houston was named one of the 5 finalist for the Nagurski award which goes to the best defensive player in the country. Pollack won it in 2004. Peterson or Fairley will win it this year but Houston quietly had one of the best seasons a Georgia defender has had under Richt. This coming on a defense that has given up 31 points a game in the 6 losses.

- The Basketball team is 2-0. Trey Thompkins has sat out both and may be out for another 2-4 weeks. Free throws and rebounding have been obvious deficiencies. Leslie has struggled from the floor and the freshmen have contributed very little. However, Price has had his best two game stretch of his career and Robinson has been very good. He might be the fastest player Georgia has ever had and is easily the fastest I have ever seen.

Georgia plays at St. Louis Saturday then 3 games in Orlando. They start with Notre Dame on Thanksgiving and the field also includes Boston College, California, Manhattan, Temple, Texas A&M and Wisconsin. With a good chance of not having Thompkins for any of that, 2-2 would be okay, while 3-1 would be ideal.

- The early signing period for sports other than football is wrapping up and basketball got one of the best players in the country in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He is rated as high as the 12th best player in the country and I have no doubt he will start from day one.

Baseball signed 20 guys and Perfect Game Magazine has rated it as the 2nd best class in the country, easily the best class in school history. The problem with having the 2nd best class is a lot of those guys should be drafted early which means a good portion of the class will never make it to Georgia. Dante Bichette's son was one of the signees. Dante Jr. played for Florida in the Little League World Series a few years back. I can't remember who was with me other than TP and my dad but a couple of years ago after a Sand Gnats game Dante and his son had a bullpen session in front of the right field bleachers and the kid was throwing at least 105 mph and he was like 14. Bichette was a roaming instructor for the Nationals at the time.

- Finally, Crowell and a number of other recruits will be present in Athens for the Tech game. The 7:45 kick will benefit recruiting more than anything. Mark it down, Crowell will come to Georgia.

Stuff>Barstool

Schivera wants more people to do their homework. For now, I'll oblige.

I just got a Droid 2. If you are with Verizon and want an iPhone, go with this phone. This is by far the best phone that I have ever had. I've never had an iPhone (nor do I want one because I hate Apple), but I would go out on a limb and say that this phone is as good or better than the iPhone (at least the old iPhone). It has all the perks of Blackberry's, and the internet is faster and the email (especially if you have a gmail account) is much more user-friendly. That is my plug for the day.


Yesterday I volunteer to build the house for the Extreme Home Makeover. I spent a little bit of time with this cast, which was cool, I guess. This guy was a douche, this guy seemed somewhat normal, this guy was most likely high on crack (and wore deep v-neck t-shirts), and this girl was pretty....

It got me out of work and there is a pretty good chance that I could be on TV, so I would say all in all it was a good day.

Speaking of work, I am thinking about bringing my talents to Port Wentworth. Not really, but Gulfstream did announced yesterday that it will be hiring 1,000 new employees. Take note, all you ATLiens.


In 16 days I will be going on a cruise to the Bahamas :)
I will be spending three days on a boat with Brandon and Sam :(
There will be a casino on the boat $

History

For the first time ever in Athens, Georgia and tech will kick it off at night.

Bobby Dodd after the 1st quarter of the Miami game.

Rick, Rick, Rick

Question For Anymouse or JJBA

Or anyone that knows the answer...

Say UGA loses this weekend and Cam Newton plays. If next week they determine that Cam Newton was, in fact, in violation of NCAA rules, would Georgia get credit for a win?

Could this affect what bowl they went to?

I'm a big fan of the Final 4 idea for crowning a college football national champion. It’s logistically logical, better than the current system, still creates quality debate throughout the season, and Phil Steele annually breaks down why the 5th ranked team, since the beginning of the BCS in 1999, has never had a valid argument to be included in the Final 4. But given the current system you only get a final 2.

Tonight, Robert Smith and Chris Fowler both stated they have TCU #2 on their respective ballots, ahead of Auburn. To me that is absolutely ridiculous but maybe they honestly feel as if TCU would beat Auburn. Craig James, who most people dislike strongly, laughed at both of them just as he’s done every week. They did later acknowledged that a 13-0 Auburn would definitely be in the final 2. The part that doesn’t make sense to me, and gives college football post season bashers more ammunition, is the different rules for different teams. Last week, on the same show, with the same analysts, all present agreed that if Alabama were to win out they deserved a spot in the national championship game. Tonight, all of the same analysts agreed that a one loss Auburn or LSU team would have no legitimate argument to be included in the national championship game even if they won the SEC. I'm betting that if Florida was sitting with one loss they would probably view them the same way as they did Alabama.

Makes no sense and brings to light the absurdity of rankings and general thought processes of some of the people who have a vote. A Boise-TCU national championship could actually serve college football for the better in the long run. But more than anything, I have no idea why ESPN has continuously shown overwhelming support for Boise all year and now TCU.

Statesboro Blues

About to head out to go to Statesboro, GA. I will be staying at the luxurious 'HomeTown Inn'. There is not a website and only one review for the hotel. Judging from the review, it may be a sister company of the Sand Castle Inn.

Anyway, from the Hometown Inn review...

...These people cant even speak English but they are here stealing Americans money.I would never give this place another penny of my American money.I would rather sleep in my car.RIP OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ANYONE FROM STATESBORO,AVOID THIS PLACE!

Only In Greg's House @ Tanyard

Georgia Notebook

Now that Georgia is 13-11 since the '08 Tech game, they are left to play spoiler as well as beat Tech. Both games are winnable. Tech has just as many problems as Georgia but beating Georgia is a season maker for the Jackets anytime it happens and thats why I like Tech as we stand 3 weeks out. A win against Auburn wouldn't be a season saver for the Dawgs but it would be a win over a quality opponent, something that hasn't happened in '10.

My game plan against Auburn would be to line up in 4 wides with Green, King, Durham, Wooten, and Charles rotating and throw the ball 50 times. Some would say you need to keep the ball away from Newton and control the clock. I'd rather have a track meet and see what happens. Auburn's secondary is poor and has a bunch of injury issues. The Tigers' D-line is solid and our run game, for multiple reasons, is pitiful. So why not scrap the whole run game, do what we've done best, and see if A.J. can have a game for the ages before hes gone..... Defensively, play a 3-5 with one safety who plays tight and man to man coverage on the outside. No matter what formation Auburn comes out in, send Houston every single down and spy War Cam with Gamble. Let the D-line play very conservative. If Newton throws for 400 yards then so be it. But try something out of the box and see what happens because every decent offense has put up huge numbers against us and Auburn will double those if we stick to our guns.

As far as Idaho State, Dantzler thinks this is easily the worst team Georgia football has played since at least WW II. Idaho State is 243rd in this weeks RealTimeRPI National Rankings and last in the Big Sky Conference. They are 1-7 after winning 1 game last year. Charles White might even get to play.

Basketball season unofficially starts Thursday. Stegeman renovations will continue through at least Thursday. I'm starting to figure out that Georgia likes to make it interesting when it comes to construction. The upgrades from the outside look good and probably should have been done a decade ago..... The last time the program had these type of expectatons was 2002-03. A very reasonable goal for a team that finished last in their division the previous season would be an NCAA birth. My expectations are an SEC East title and a win in the Tournament. They have the best 1-2 punch in the league and the best transfer. They have experience, depth, and a core group that is now entering their 3rd year together. The 2 guys that I feel can get Georgia to the upper tier of the SEC are Jeremy Price and Sherrard Brantley. Price has shown glimpses of being great but also has gone through spells where he did absolutely nothing. He's a big body that has gotten in shape and could be a force inside that Georgia would otherwise not have. Thompkins will play the 4 but Price is the more traditional low post guy who needs to produce. Brantley is the new McPhee. By no means does he need to shoot the ball as well as McPhee but he does need to be a consistent threat. The starting 5 doesn't have a pure shooter like Brantley and it will be huge if he can come off the bench, stretch the defense and bring some instant offense. Then theres freshman Marcus Thorton. He's been praised by his fellow teamates more than anyone in practice and if he's a player than Georgia could be scary good. The road is still a major hurdle and Georgia needs to get over that quickly if they want to be a true contender. Fox won't say it but this football season has done nothing but help the basketball program as a whole. That is if the basketball program can help itself.

Finally, McGarity is doing things. The firing of Anymouse's coach shows that he likes to do business. Firing a coach mid-season this soon after being hired is a sign that he is not cool with mediocrity, no matter what the sport. He has already taken a hard stance on the GA-FLA game staying in Jacksonville and has done and said all the right things. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Grantham has been called to ADGM's office for his embarrassing and juvenile display that might not even fly at T.A. Wright stadium. There's nothing wrong with being fiery and competetive but you can do that without being an idiot.