I mentioned this yesterday and feel like continuing it today. For a moment, I was thinking that this has been the hardest offseason of blogging to date, but for a few reasons I’ve noticed, and I hope those of you who scour the internet have noticed it, too:
- There is way less intel coming out of camps and scrimmages than in years past. Even the Georgia social media team isn’t releasing highlights of scrimmages. It’s very quiet.
- I think that #1 is by design. Since you can essentially reload and retool your team via NIL and the Transfer Portal yearly, coaches are less inclined to let out “leaks”.
- The intel that does come out is useless. Of note, I’ve read through some of last weekend’s scrimmage, and here’s the breakdown…and honestly, you could’ve filled in the blanks on this by just guessing:
- The offense looked like crap, receivers couldn’t get separation and we were 0/30 on deep balls.
- The defense is probably that good.
- A tight end (Redell) is Him.
- A running back looked great (Peanut) and one was more consistent (Bo Walker)
- No news on special teams.
- A freshman is going to be a game one starter.
So, you have to put together the pieces by yourself, meaning what comes out on the field is anyone’s guess. We know the potential starters, and maybe a few surprises. Yahoo. The days of Phil Steele’s guidance and preseason magazines are gone. Your guess is as good as theirs. For giggles, I decided to fantasize if I could be one of them (the social media football pundits), then I realized I’d have to ESPN myself, and here’s the image I got that plays with the modern day college football prognosticator:
It’s like I’m looking at my son if he was crossbred with Theo Von and Pat McAfee. Shudder. Also, if that’s me, someone is grooming me to not have ear hair and nose hair. I’m almost offended.
Anyway, if you think I’m joking, take a look at this take, from someone who gets paid really good money to make stupid takes like this:
CBS must not have a research department, but they also employ Danny Kanell, so there’s that. How many times and how often do we have to hear that Texas is back, Texas owns the SEC, Everything’s Bigger in Texas, yadda yadda just to watch them faceplant in the biggest game of the year?
Ohhhhh Aaaaachie! He used a foul word! What a badass and, man, Texas is gonna be hell on wheels! I put the category in the Mumme Poll of “For all the resources and money thrown at them, that’s the best they could do? (Falling short of high expectations)” in there precisely for Sarkisian, who, for all intents and purposes, should be canned for doing less with more.
Kudos to Kirby for reserving NIL for upperclassmen, it’s almost as if he should join Saban in retirement in driving NIL regulation to keep it out of the high schools and recruiting and reserve it for results on the field. If you asked me for my opinion on reform, I’m fine with the open market, but keep it for sophomores or redshirt freshmen and above. Do something to prove your worth beyond beating the hell out of Our Sister of Mercy’s JV squad and social media bravado. If you come in as a freshman and earn playing time and play at a high level, the open market is yours. Good on you, and a guy like Kirby is your friend and mentor, not your paycheck. He’ll make sure you make eight figures in the NFL, which will make the NIL days look like chump change.
As it should be.
Until we get to that level of sensibility, we have what we have. It’s a shitshow, and there’s no better way to describe it.
That being said, lay forth your opinions and know, no matter who retorts, that your opinion holds as much gold value as anyone else’s because it’s 2026, this is the state of College Football, and the comments section is really where the true knowledge is at.
Pads are clapping and helmets are cracking as we speak. Our long slow offseason of discontent is about to conclude, and ball will be on our TVs or itineraries in less than a month. Hell, I’m so eager I actually considered buying the $20 ticket packages they advertised for Tech versus Colorado. I’m that hard up for football, even as shitty as some of the noise had become. And I like hot dogs and Coke. Sounds like a fine idea.
Note: relax, I didn’t but any Tech tickets. Yet.
It’s almost here, Refugees. Rejoice. And have away in the comments.
Go Dawgs!
Y’all are doing a fabulous job, and please never be discouraged. We’re all just content hungry, looking to be fed. I’ll happily read whatever is posted!
As we get closer, I wouldn’t mind some position discussions, kind of like the mags did. It’s a long offseason and I forget some of the probable starters and potential backups we have. Thank you!
I might like the lack of info a little actually. It is giving me more anticipation for the season to see who is playing and making an impact. But, I get how it makes giving us interesting things read here a challenge.
I will be at the CU @ Tech game. Have some college friends coming in for it. I will be in the Tech section due tickets we got from a high school friend whose family are long time season ticket holders, but big surprise rarely go to the games. My elder son is a sophomore there so I am looking forward to hanging out with him at his fraternity house pregame. Then we plan to be obnoxious Buffs fans for as long as we can until Tech pummels the not so mighty Buffaloes. Maybe JuJu will have a breakout game and surprise me. Who knows?
Thankfully, I’m moving my other son into Brumby on Friday. Getting to see him on Saturdays in Athens will be great this season.
“I might like the lack of info a little actually.”
I agree, except would take out the word ‘might’. I’ve never liked talking season and in the last 10 years or so it gas gotten really silly. I don’t mind a little clip here and there of some physical doing something amazing in camp, but extrapolating that into a conclusion for the season is foolish.
Enjoy everything y’all write. Haven’t been here near as long as a lot of you for reasons you have probably picked up on. Wish l had found y’all sooner. Just know l appreciate all the time and effort. Just remember “who’s that coming down the track”. Go Dawgs!!
Season predictions: We start games very slowly. Defense will be for real. Bobo and Gunner do the same things…no deep passing game and wondering why TEs only rotate instead of going 13 personnel. We’re in trouble against someone on the road after blowing out OU but pull it out…unless that’s Bama where we lose. Run game competent, not great. We gather late season momentum, play in what is announced as the final SECCG, get a bye in the playoffs, lose immediately to a B1G team, blame Bobo and injuries and have to listen to that crap all winter. Still proud to be a Georgia Bulldog.
I fear this is exactly what we’re in for.
I’m seeing a lot of made up and flagellette stuff. GOOD Just means Kirby & Co are working. This community has it figured out already: FTMF, Auburn Sucks and Tejas is back at being back more than they’ve ever been back. All them social mediaists can hit send all they want, cuz the dudes that wear the G are gonna hit with their pads – starting with Tennessee St and then 15 more!
#GoDawgs
I used to think the 4 days between basketball conference finals and the tip off of the NCAA tournament was the most grueling stretch in sports. This August has felt like decades of torture. I also know that I will burn out 2 weeks into the season and it will become a blur.
Thanks for the effort on this blog.
Sarkisian is Temu Mark Richt without the ethics.
I’ll drink to that!
I attended the “private practice” at Sanford on Sunday for members of “Glory,Glory”. The practice ran from 2:30 to about 4:45 and it was 97 degrees. There was so much going on it was impossible to make any over-arching proclamations. On that day–in a practice with helmets, shoulder pads and shorts–the defense semi-dominated, but the offense ran the ball fairly well. Frazier ran hard, Dwight Phillips looks to be this years Cash Jones, Demello and Ellis IV looked great at the back. Cole was disruptive and if the QBs could get the ball to Redell, he caught it. QBs didn’t have a great day but again one workout in stifling heat. Kirby was in fine form on the mic–definitely not censoring despite the crowd. Kirby is high energy as ever and crawls players and coaches alike, at one point asking Coley if any of his *&^% receivers were going to block anybody today. It was a helluva lot of fun the only problem was getting out of the Tate parking deck!
I went too. I parked in North Deck so my son and I would be halfway between downtown and the stadium. I knew I would want a beer after being in the heat.
My observations track with yours. I was wowed by the organization. 100s of people on the field all of them being where they are supposed to, and being sometimes not so gently reminded by the man with the mic.
I don’t really know what you can glean from watching what was in essence a lot of drills as it relates to the offense, especially when they were not it full pads. I do think Cole is going to be a terror this year. That pick he had where he baited Pugs was pretty good. I also think that Montgomery will play before Pugs.
I hope to do it again next year.
Go Dawgs!
Still my first rad every morning. Keep up the good work
Well, I have the inside dope:
1. The upperclassmen leadership is really stepping up.
The whole team is really buying in.
The atmosphere in the weight room is incredible.
I’m old and the Transfer Portal has done me in during the off season. I used to follow recruiting and read all the blogs but not any more. I’ll wait until they take the field so I will really know who’s who. As long as we beat the Gators I can live happily for another year.
I love the effort all of you put into keeping this blog alive. This is my go to for any Dawg conversation as I long ago gave up my obsession with pouring over everything GA in the magazines. Sincerely, thank you! I, and I’m sure most on here are appreciative of all you guys do to provide us fodder and a platform to interact.
As for Arch & the golden gods of Austin, I hate tosu. I despise tosu. That being said, I hope tosu beats little tex so badly that they don’t recover & lose 5 games. I have nothing against Arch personally other than his terrible choice in playing destination, but I’m hoping he’s worse than last season. It’s incredible how quickly I’ve learned to despise texas while being completely unbothered by the okies.
Tejas vs anOSU might be the ultimate meteor game. It’d be hard to name two more insufferable fan bases.