Gosh, do you remember the good ole days, back when you’d get excited at the store when you purchased a copy of this:
Well he’s still at it, he’s ranking our trench guys on the offense at #7 across the board.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? I’m personally thinking they’re a place of strength for the season, provided they all stay healthy.
And that’s a big if.
Especially if you’re a Gen X fan, tomorrow night is the night.
Set the DVR or clear your calendar. I’ll be parked in front of the TV watching this one.
Here I was hoping for no more offseason shenanigans, then this happens.
Not sure what’s behind the paywall, but it sounds like a serious injury from some recreational free wheeling, and, like that, the two biggest transfers for Smart in 2026 will be MIA.
Good thing we have a solid running back room…for now.
Bobo…time to employ the tight ends. Regularly.
Boy this brought back memories.
Especially since I’m 99% sure that the kid in the middle with the shaved head is me. It was a thing, for a time, so don’t judge. And those things could get more crowded than a Japanese underground train, too.
Did you take the bus when you were on campus (if you attended) or ride them on game days? Did it ever hit you in a weird way when you went to Disney World and realized they used the same buses for Mickey?
Here’s something for you.
Youth isn’t always a bad thing, unless you’re Curt Cignetti and your minimum age requirement for a transfer or recruit is the age of 25. I kid, kind of.
With the five for five deal in place, this will likely balance out over time, but it’s worth noting that there are several teams in here that are currently projected to be CFP participants at year’s end, and even portal heavy teams like Texass and TAMU, and especially Miami, are making this list, too.
For context, Georgia is ranked 8th in returning production with 68% (Notre Dame is first, with 72%), so 2026 will be a real litmus test for Kirby’s way in the NIL era, as well as his longstanding reputation as a player developer.
We’ll know soon enough how well that plays out.
This is a fun seven minute recap of one of the best moments of the Richt era. Man, what could’ve been had we not crapped the bed against Tennessee and South Carolina that year.
Sweet, sweet memories. And to think, there were such high hopes for the 2008 season. Shame.
I have to wonder how we let this happen. After two seasons of prolific offense, we let a coach slip away to the Barners. And, of course, Auburn already released an image of him in the wolf’s clothing.
The Bulldogs led the league in home runs during the 2025 and 2026 regular seasons, while shattering the program record with 179 longballs last year. They also set new team marks for wins, runs scored and RBIs, while making their first trip to the College World Series in 18 years.
Perhaps Ammirati’s biggest impact came on the recruiting trail, where he helped Georgia bring in the top-ranked transfer portal class last year. Ammirati historically excels in the area, with coach Wes Johnson calling him a “dynamic recruiter” upon his hiring in 2025.
”He’s a star,” Johnson said before that season. “We’re extremely different personalities — I’m a little more loud, and Nick’s a little more quieter, but we think a lot alike. He’s always looking for something to make a player better, whether it be through a mechanical change or through analytics, and he’s very exceptional at it. He understands data, he values data, and he’s able to help players.”
In addition to hitting, Ammirati primarily worked with Georgia’s outfielders. He also helped director of player development/video and scouting Drew Finley manage the pitching staff in games where Johnson got ejected.
Ugh. Auburn had some great arms, but didn’t necessarily excel in the hitting department at times…this isn’t something we should be okay seeing happen, but such is the business.
I’d say good luck, but, you know…Auburn sucks.
Let’s get ready for some 2026 college football, but instead of me previewing the contest on the field, let’s think ahead about possibly heading out to road games and how to get there, what to do when you’re there (aside from football and tailgating), and some unique places to visit depending on your travel needs.
Also, I don’t have the scratch to do this myself, so allow me to entertain myself with the fantasy that I could go to an away game and enjoy myself, shall we?
Game Time: September 19th, 11 am CT (Noon ET); Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
Tickets: If you don’t have any, on Stubhub they are currently going for $180 a piece (if you’re getting two tickets) in the nosebleeds, but there are lower levels seats from the mid two hundreds and up, and one lunatic is selling lower levels for $174 a piece right now, so act fast, if you can.
Getting There
By Car – I’ll use Atlanta as the starting point, but it’ll be a solid ten hour drive to get there, roughly 707 miles. Depending on your ride, that’s likely two tanks of gas. For my Ram 1500, that’d be about 300 dollars round trip, maybe more affordable for a economy car.
By Plane – According to Google Flights, your cheapest days to leave are Tuesday or Thursday. Frontier has a connecting flight option that runs $264 round trip on Thursday and $240 on Tuesday. Wednesday or Friday flights are $518, though there is a connecting option via American Airlines for $459 dollars. Of course, these are flights from Hartsfield, so it might differ for you depending on your home airport.
Where to Stay:
I opted for a Thursday-Sunday stay using Booking.com, and here’s what I came up with…
Closest Available to Razorback Stadium:
Nothing – At this point, the only available listings that are within walking distance are apartments…which run from 4k up. There is one place with five rooms left that’s a little stretch of the legs called Moxy Fayetteville for $1319.
Near the Stadium, But a Bit of Walk or an Uber There:
On the Stadium side of I-49 are two options: Candlewood Suites ($1257 for three nights) and Staybridge Suites ($1429). Just on the other side of I-49 are slightly more affordable options: Super 8 ($530), Baymont ($507), and Days Inn ($659).
What to Do When You’re There:
Family Types – If you’re the outdoorsy family, take a visit to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (note – Fridays they serve beer and wine on the lawn, if that helps), or you can take the kiddos on a blast to the past by visiting the Arkadia Retrocade, which houses 100s of retro arcade games. For $5 a piece, you can play all you want. Heck, maybe go there even if you don’t have kids. There’s also Lokomotion, which is a family fun poark with go karts and rides for the littles. And, if you have kids who have the rare gift of an interest in museums, there’s the Arkansas Air and Military Museum.
Adult Fun – There are the Razorback Regional Greenway and Centennial Parks if you want to get outdoors and need place to bike or run for exercise types, or if you want to get your exercise doing a pub crawl, you can follow the Fayetteville Ale Trail to what looks like a long and buzzy (and expensive, likely) trip through breweries around town. Multiple sites seemed to suggest the best brewery, if you don’t want to wander all over, is Fossil Cove, though depending on your taste and thirst, they all look pretty good.
If you’re into shopping and antiques, give the Fayetteville Funky Flea Market a looksy. For the arts and entertainment folks, there’s TheaterSquared and Walton Arts Center, although both don’t have anything listed for performances the weekend of the game, so check back closer to the game to see if anything is going on.
For nightlife, it’s Dickson Street, and catching some live music at George’s Majestic Lounge, where you can catch Ultra Suede for a happy hour show at 5 pm on Friday (apparently, they are very entertaining and gets the crowd moving), or Khaki Onion at 9 pm, which seems like a pretty cool band to watch if you want to stay up late and hair of the dog it the next day at the game. Don’t forget, it’s an 11 am kickoff, gang. I still have bad memories from the 1998 Outback Bowl regarding staying out late in Ybor and sweating it to an 11 am start the next day. I think.
Additionally, downtown you’ll have a host of watering holes to choose from, from Maxine’s Tap Room for proper cocktails (once an Esquire “Best Bar in America”), Vault if you’re a bourbon lover, Pinpoint for cocktails and pinball, and Sidecar Cocktail Lounge, which seems to have a Athens vibe to it from what I can see.
Where to Eat: I hesitate to put this here, especially if anyone here has been there and knows a better place, but here’s my attempt to put you on some places people seem to rave about. For burgers, everyone seems to be pointing to Hugo’s, which seems to have a wide array of options on the menu outside of the burgers, but the burger is apparently their signature dish. Of course, there’s BBQ galore, including Wright’s in nearby Johnson and people seem to like Penguin Ed’s.
For sandwiches, et al, people seem to rave about Hammontree’s – Northwest Arkansas’s Destination for Grilled Cheese (?). Seriously, if you look at the menu, and if you like grilled cheese, this could be a somewhat religious experience for you. Remaining in the melted cheese arena, if you’re looking for a good pizza and beer joint, a place that’s a little uptown but gets a lot of good reviews is Smokin’ Oak.
For breakfast, look towards The Big Biscuit, which is open for breakfast and lunch only (also seems to be pretty kid friendly) or if you’re a late riser and looking for a good brunch, people seem to like The Farmer’s Table Cafe.
I’m sure there’s more options, and it’s a town with a college so opportunities surely abound.
If you’ve been to Fayetteville for a game, drop your recommendations in the comments below.
Rumor has it he put on fifteen pounds and grew another half inch between May camps and July camps. He is now 6’2.5″ and 191, and is just a ninth grader.
I am a former principal and my kids thought it was the coolest thing in the world that I had keys to the school and school gym, where we’d play away many a weekend together over the years. Imagine if you dad has the keys to this place.
Cough. Say what you will about Uncle Mike, but having a head coach dad who is best friends with a QB coach that played at the college level is something of a benefit to young talent development.
This is unheard of, unless you’re talking about Kirby Smart…but we’re not…we’re talking about Georgia Baseball here.
Daniel Jackson will join Charlie Condon in Colorado, and was Georgia’s highest draft pick at number 37. The rest of the list:
Not a bad draft day…what remains to be seen is whether some of these Dawgs with remaining eligibility will take the MLB route or come back for another year of NIL. As an example, Phelps’ slotted value is $214k, and although NIL deals for Phelps aren’t publicly available, it’s estimated his NIL and sponsorships were in the seven figure range. Who knows if Buc-Ees will get involved with the team next year, either.
It’s just business, right?