Thought I’d revisit this after a roller coaster few weeks. It’s also interesting to see engagement on a blog after wins versus after losses. Honestly, I’ve never done this work before, and the past nine months have been an interesting deep dive into the psychology of journalism and fandom…oddly, it seems like after a loss there’s less interest in things like the Mumme Poll (the Senator noted as such in his last Mumme Poll last year, that participation drops off after a loss) and more interest in rants and ravings about fixes and who we need to fire. After a win, it’s oddly quieter. Not throwing shade, just noticing things…so this isn’t intended to be a indictment post, but just my .02 on some things after a great weekend for the Dawgs.
Winning: Sanford In-Game Experience
After much complaining about the stale environment in Sanford on game day, Josh Brooks and company came through. Swag surfing, a crowd black out, fireworks, and all the bells and whistles came out for Saturday’s game. It was a production and it was noted all across socials and you’re damn right that it impacted and influenced the game.
Wilting: Manball
Call it a shift by necessity, but the wilting running back room and some line issues have seen an extinction of the Manball philosophy in Athens. Although, it should be noted that Georgia executed an old-fashioned Death March at the end of the game, long overdue and a thing of beauty to watch. What was even better was seeing our offense finally impose their will on a defense, and it couldn’t have happed to a better bunch of assholes that the Bobby Hillbillies and their offensive genius.
Wondering: Arian Smith and Dom Lovett
It seems like both are good for one remarkably great play per game, and a perplexing as hell game. I mentioned in the series of the Case Against the Cases Against Carson Beck that it could all come down to a bad case of the Yips, and the receivers seem to have it more than Carson. The Tight End room finally had their shining moment and seem to be collectively trying to make up for Bowers, but now the receivers are looking for their signature moment…could it happen against Tech? Loosening up the offense with a first attempt downfield with Smith seemed to be the magic sauce, but keeping the TEs employed and successful could work more in the receivers, favor, as well. With the strikes to Delp it seemed like the secondary really opened up for the guys, and having that loose defense can work wonders for the receivers in the end.
Winning: Kirby Smart Versus Rivals
The stats are too deep to count, and maybe we need to create a commentary for Kirby that, yes, Alabama is a rival now. Kirby has flat owned our rivals…eight straight against the Volunteers since Dobbs’ Hail Mary in Sanford, and it’s hardly been close in many of those. The senior class of Dawgs have never lost to Florida or Tennessee, and we are looking to hit the trifecta against Tech. Wait, is Auburn still a rival? I think we’ve owned them, as well, right?
Wilting: Conference Realignment and Credibility
So the BIG adds Oregon and Washington, and ends up with Oregon immediately running the conference and a host of other BIG teams making their way into the upper echelon of the CFP rankings with no credible proof that they’ve beaten a team with a pulse in the 2024 season (see Mumme Poll for context). Additionally, Texas is puffing its chest that it’s tops in the SEC in their genesis year in the league…but the strength of schedule and results are really putting a bad look to the BIG and the SEC, along with the CFP’s decision making in general.
And don’t get me started on the schedule. I truly hope that Georgia hosts Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss all at night next year. Argue with me that any of those games wouldn’t be worthy of primetime…but let’s face it, the red carpet got rolled out for some money-making machines in Oregon and Texas, almost like someone was willing them into the CFP.
Add to it that the SECCG quagmire that might result in coin-flipping will give us a likely Texas-Alabama championship game when Texas was pantsed by Georgia and Alabama lost to conference foe Vanderbilt, and it’s just an odd effing look. If Georgia makes it in to the CFP as an at-large, I’m sincerely hoping we draw Penn State instead of a SEC re-match. Happy Valley or not, I want an SEC vs BIG tournament only to see the SEC come out victorious in that endeavor…honestly, for ratings alone, I believe somehow the final results will be slanted to provide for that alone, further solidifying the inevitable future which will be the BIG/SEC superconference.
Wondering: The Future of the Georgia QB Room
There were a hosts of recruits in Athens Saturday night…including Julian Lewis, after being committed to USC and likely Colorado all this time, he made an unofficial visit…also, there’s some whispering about Beck taking a look at another year in Athens…if true, what happens with Rashada, Stockton, Puglisi? With limited reps in this season, what does the future hold for our Dawgs?
I know this is a very unpopular opinion, but the piped in music is too much. You can’t even talk to the person next to you during the (gulp, 3 minute 10+ second TV timeouts), nor do they allow the Redcoats to play….
The schedules of the leading contenders – yes, looking at you too Texas – are pretty weak. It will be interesting to see where the loser of Ohio State-Indiana ends up this time next week. The eye test says they should definitely be behind all the 2-loss SEC teams, but I have my doubts…
If Texas and Bama both win their rivalry games, that will be the SEC Championship – Birmingham will do whatever it can to make that a reality, including changing/shading the rules and/or using misweighted/loaded coins….
That’s a very popular opinion with me. I went to the UAB game last year and I couldn’t talk to my sister sitting beside me it was so loud. These aren’t football games anymore. They’re raves, with sports breaks between music.
Lots of qbs for Beck to compete against in the 2025 draft. Looks to me like the big SEC qb names in 2025 will be a year away from eligibility: Nico, Lagway, Manning. The 2026 draft might be a good spot to be. OL and running game have to be better next year as well. Who knows but if Beck is projected out of the first round, and I don’t know how he wouldn’t be at this point, it may make a lot of sense to run it back.
Huge advantage to have seen every conference team at least once before as well.
If Bama plays and beats texas in Atlanta the committee is going to have some hard choices to make on the two loss conference teams. But I assume that A&M, OM and UTK all would fall out.
If bammer makes it to atl and loses to the longhorns, they may hit the cutting floor allowing UTK to make the cut. OM needs some real chaos over the next three weeks.
Carson coming back would be a huge plus for the Dawgs..but what would it do to the guys in waiting? The pluses for 25 would outweigh any transfers IMO.
You’re always better off with a returning starting qb than catering to an impatient qb room.
Tell them all to look at 2017 or 2021. You never know when your time has come, but it appears we may be due in 2025. So better to come off the bench, right?
only game next yr(from those 3) that will not be a night game = ole piss, as they will lose all their current nil team, mainly their qb…but if texas and bama aren’t at 7:30, then storm the B’ham castle.
The scheduling shenanigans out of Birmingham are obvious and borderline criminal. I wonder what Kirby tells them behind closed doors.
I hate everything Texas (in football…love the State)…but I’ll be pulling for TAM to eat some beef…and I think there’s a great chance TAM wins.
I honestly don’t know who to root for the next two weeks. I know who I WANT to see lose, but I also don’t want there to be so much chaos that we end up in ATL for the SECCG. This team is beat up and needs that time to recover. I also don’t have faith that the CFP will keep us in if we play the SECCG and lose.
Not a fan of Heather Dinich…but I am a fan of her chaos scenario for the CFP that leaves Tennessee out (basically, Boise State is ranked ahead of the Big XII champion that is sitting somewhere around 11 to 16 in the standings so Boise State gets the bye and the Big XII champion is the only included Big XII team and is the 12th team in).
I heard a lot of discussion yesterday about whether or not the loser of the SECCG would get in or get left out. I’m with you…I am not convinced that if Georgia made the SECCG and lost a rematch that Georgia would get in with 3 losses. Especially after the comments that the committee made about Georgia after the Ole Miss loss.
I guarantee you that an SEC CG loser that picks up their 3rd loss will be punished by the committee, despite whatever Sankey says/thinks. Everything from playing the first round game on the road in Bumfuc Yankeeland, to missing the playoff entirely.
Not that the last playoff standings mean anything, but as it stood last week there would have been three SEC teams going up north to play in December for the first round. I’d rather Georgia miss the SECCG, get that week off to hopefully get more healthy, and have to travel to play a B1G team up north.
The in-game experience on Saturday night was awesome. I admit I wasn’t expecting the fireworks.
For those with an issue with the music, I think they were told to do anything possible to drown out Rocky Top (JP, I’m sure you noticed Tennessee brought their whole band rather than a portion as we seem to now).
Yep, and color me curious why the Redcoats aren’t travelling in full to all road games. I get funding and all that, but I think we clearly have money somewhere to have the group in full at all games. The one thing I noticed was the I heard the Vowels’ band LOUD when they had early success, so I give a thumbs up to the Sanford Sound for trying to drown them out.
One reason the band may not be traveling is, what’s the point if they aren’t given time to play? This old man may be screaming at the clouds, but it used to be one band would play during a break, the other band would play during the next break, plus the opposing band was also allowed to play at halftime. Will the Southern band be the last opposing band to play on the field in Sanford Stadium???
(And FWIW, I did not do band past sixth grade….)
As someone who sat nearly directly behind the opposing band for most of the ’90s (and believe me, Tennessee was the worst!), having the opposing band there is one of the things that makes college football distinctive. Obviously we have been on the slippery slope to NFL-lite for the past decade, so I guess I should not be surprised that in-game entertainment/music is any different….
Don’t forget SMU is atop the Almost Competitive Conference in their inaugural year.
Despite NIL, NFL money is bigger and better. Carson needs pro development and may be tired of throwing to “kids” who mis assignments, can’t get separation and drop balls. He’s a good draft for a team with a mature starter that can let him watch and learn.
Is Josh Brooks not the best AD in the country?
Based on the way this title displays on the dawgbone, I was expecting a completely different article.
Lol. Gotta love our Bulldawg Whores. That’s a completely separate, NSFW post, probably.