Between the Bobo contingencies and the non-stop downgrading and questioning that Kirby has lost the magic touch, this is trending towards being a hyper critical offseason for Smart and Company. It’s coming from our fanbase and from socials, but now it’s out there in print.
While depth might have been depleted in the portal/NIL era, Kirby still has racked up class after class of top talent, but the conventional wisdom, despite injuries that hampered a team for much of 2024, is that Kirby, a back-to-back national championship coach who brought the Saban way to Athens, has much to prove.
This, while everyone is warming to Florida being the surprise playoff team for 2025.
Since going 1-2 against the three teams mentioned above in 2016, Smart is 23-2 (92%) against the Orange teams (make it 25-2 if you want to lump Texas in there with them) in the conference.
So why the doubt and hyper-love for a really questionable Florida team?
Texas lost pretty much their entire offensive line, key receivers, and defensive talent from 2024, yet many are lauding the Longhorns as next year’s championship lock.
Ditto Auburn, who imploded last season and never looked like the team that they were supposed to be on paper.
Is it just the quarterback? These teams have holes and gaps, too, but coaches who haven’t strung together a fully competent season are getting props while Kirby is getting constantly downgraded.
Discuss.
QB is the depth by which most of these so-called experts make their predictions:
Handbags – DJ Lagway is the next coming of Lamar Jackson.
Hamburgers – Arch Manning is the best of Archie, Peyton and Eli all rolled into one set of genes.
Barn – Jackson Arnold is going to fulfill the 5-star potential that Hugh Sleeze is going to bring out.
Bammers – Ty Simpson is going to lead the Tide back to the promised land.
Greater Anderson Cow College – Did you see what Cade Klubnik did in Almost Competitive Conference play?
Corn Dogs – Garrett Nussmeier, wow, what an arm!
Georgia – They have this hillbilly who drives an old truck and is a good old boy who can’t play a lick, but Kirby likes him. Mike Bobo is an idiot.
Am I doing this right?
Don’t forget Jackson Arnold will be declared Heisman winner by week 2
Someone remind me of the last time we got the kind of slobbery love that Texas and Bama get. Even in seasons when we were preseason #1, I remember there being plenty of doubters.
Maybe it goes back to ee’s comment above. We’ve never had the superstar 5-star “second coming” QB as our expected starter under Kirby. Maybe that’s why.
My concerns about this team revolve around:
1) we don’t have a single proven offensive weapon we can ride to a W.
2) we lost most of an underperforming offensive line to the draft
3) we don’t have a proven pass rusher
4) replacing Chambliss is going to be big if we want to stop the teams who want to rtdb.
I know CKS is on the mutha. Are the players fat and happy or are they pissed off and motivated?
The talent is there. The capacity is there. Do we have the right intangibles and can we avoid the “injury bug” that has plagued specifically in the backfield.
Finally, I think this team would be at its best if Stockton was willing and able to incorporate some designed power runs. I think if we can make the safeties think run first we can be a team that can grind and be physical and then hit some deep ones.
If Stockton is unwilling or unable to play that role and wants to be a guy that chucks it 30+ times a game, we could be really mediocre.
Opposition dc’s are going to make #14 prove he can throw the post pattern, prove he can read the safety blitz, switch play call to a wheel route, it’ll be incumbent on the offensive staff to move and protect that pocket, protect that off tackle run, make UGA “O” show they can beat the opposition at 2nd and short, understanding CKS is all about explosive plays and scoring more, has he ever been officially divorced from “manball”, cause if he has that card in that back pocket, this year could see the revision…GO DAWGS!!
I’ll take “man ball” over “chuck-n-duck” every day.
Without a proven passer back there we have to rtdb and stop the run. Get back to basics.
If you can run, you’ll open up the downfield passing.
If you can’t run it, you’re throwing into exotic coverage and blitzes and its really fucking hard to move the ball, unless you’re very skilled and experienced at diagnosing what the defense is doing. Is stockton that guy? Hasn’t proved it.
Plus the receivers have to adjust with the qb and catch the damn thing.
Having a top ten draft pick at qb and 4 first round deer at wr that run past everyone is pretty to watch and welcome to have, but that ain’t what we got. You play like that’s what you have and you’ll get the Mike Leach Lifetime Achievement Trophy at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
Duel threat QB’s are the best. But is Stockton really a duel threat (“threat” being the key word)? Some examples are Cam Newton, Tim Tebow and Stetson Bennett. Newton was probably the best at everything..Stetson was quick and could outrun the defense to the corners..and Tebow was fullbackish and strong. Of the three, I think GS is the most like Tebow..not likely on the same level talent-wise but in the way he will be used, .. hopefully with good success. Maybe we’re going to see a two QB offense with one or the other in according to down, yardage, field position etc?.. Kirby plays his cards close to his vest..If he has a surprise it will be presented in Knoxville.
There is a precedent for that Knoxville thingy.
We know the kid can take a hit and hold on to the ball. That’s always a good start. So much of being a qb who uses their legs is between the ears and in the chest. You can’t have rabbit in you and run every time. You can’t be scared of getting hit.
But the guys who can:
Make plays from the pocket AND
Extend plays behind the LOS AND
Tuck it and pick up first downs are impossible to defend.
I don’t necessarily think Stockton is that guy but I think he can be a Will Howard and run some OT power and then chuck it downfield when the safeties start drawing down towards the box.
Good points, Derek, and you may be right. My counter is that Kirby and the coaches will be forced to rely on the entire roster for production. The team can’t sit around and wait for Bowers or Stet to save them. This can yield great results when the opponents don’t know who to prepare for (at least early in the season).
This is when all that talent Kirby has stockpiled pays off.
Absolutely. Its great to have the option of putting the ball in a bunch of different hands. Makes the defense’s job harder. But that’s atypical. Especially in big game match ups. Usually those are about relying on your very best weapons. You don’t hand the ball to Herschel 15 times in the natty. You just don’t. And, is often the case, no Herschel, no natty game to concern yourself with. Having a guy (or two) the other team can’t deal with is a really good thing to have.
Its 6/10/25 and we’re at zero.
First of all, the Orange douchebaggery teams should include Clemson as well, so let’s call it 27-2.
Second, yes, it’s about the QB and the need to find something new to talk about since it’s talking season. Part A is that Gunner is not an elite QB, at least yet, and no one has seen him throw well to this collection of receivers. The only piece I disagree with Lindy’s is at RB. Frazier is an excellent starting RB and there are a couple of decent backups. The OL is very much TBD. The DL has a lot to prove. It is what it is: the quality depth has been reduced, Kirby needs elite coaching this offseason to develop all these new starters, and the players have to want to be great.
As for the other teams, Texas is now close to on par with UGA talent-wise, just distributed differently. Auburn has 2 elite WRs and a good RB, Clemson hung with Texas for a few quarters and has a senior QB and good WRs, and Florida has Lagway and a poor-man’s Bama infrastructure.
I feel the same way this year about UGA as last year. It will go as far as the lines take it. (Spoiler: They didn’t perform well enough last year.)
No question Kirby is a terrific HC. We have tons of talent too, although 2025 will be perhaps Kirby’s biggest rebuilding year.
My doubts are about assistant coaches, not a new QB or other position player. Assistants were Kirby’s Achilles heal in 2024, not injuries – which seems to be the excuse being amplified lately.
meh. The coaches are fine. Pretty much the same staff that delivered a NC in 2022.
Don’t believe the hype.
CKS has been doubted from Day 1. Bowl cut, he will be nothing without his daddy Saban, can’t recruit without cheating, so on. I say CKS is a winner.
Don’t forget, he can’t win a natty without the other team’s WR getting injured.
As you mentioned and must be considered, these same pundits were riding Auburn at this time last year for a breakout year. Nothing else needs to be said. Talking season and QB’s (returning starters, supposed QB whisperers aka Hugh freeze and the all universe named qb will get the most attention). Physical defense is not headline grabbing. Just lay in the tall grass and wait, don’t say shit just point at the scoreboard.
I ge the asshats doing this. They hate us. They always have. They likely always will. During B2B they really didn’t like us they just couldn’t criticize us and nit pick because they would have sounded stupid doing it. They will never see us as a “pedigree program “ and I really don’t give a shit other than having to see people like Herbstriet and what he says as being important and that being annoying. What I don’t get is our own fans being such scared little bitches. Not all by a long shot. But not a small number either. I think some Georgia fans want the approval of the College Football Industrial Complex. Fuck em. We shouldn’t want their respect because we sure as hell don’t need it.
Last year’s team had NO chemistry.
We have the talent & I believe Kirby will get it out of them & show on the field.
Gunnar is a baller & his attitude will infiltrate our team.
As for the pundits, FTMFs
Not sure why the talking heads are saying what they are, but I’m happy to read it. This off season is setting up for an epic smackdown by Kirby and the “underDawgs”. I’m bullish on the Dawgs.
Talking Season where stupid is as stupid does. I pay zero attention to any of the Talking Heads this time of year, now it’s just click bait.
Kirby’s most critical off season was the off season between the 2016 and 2017 season.
This may be a repeat, but seems on target. Worth a small grin.