I’m going to try a little something different today, as I’m on vacation and have a little extra time on my hands. For today’s Roundtable, I’m going to throw a few things out there that I’m buying and selling after three weeks into the college football season.
Buying: Tennessee is actually good.
We snuck away with one on Saturday, we all know that. I wonder had Tennessee’s defense been fully healthy if we wouldn’t have been completely pantsed in Knoxville…and we also now know why Kirby emphasizes special teams so much.
Side note: Peyton Woodring is just freaking solid, as is Thorson.
Selling: The B1G will win the Natty this year.
Color me biased here, but nothing I’ve seen from their side of the house is really giving me “damn they’re good” vibes. Oregon and Penn State are, in theory, the two best teams in the conference, as the jury can be out on Ohio State considering Texas looks like dung with Archduke struggling mightily last week against inferior competition. Until these guys get legitimately challenged, I don’t see it.
Buying: Everyone was wrong about quarterbacks
I’m no longer worried about Texas on our schedule, at least from their offensive side. Manning is playing out to be what many of us thought he’d be, and we now know why Sark preferred a one-legged Ewers over the second coming of quarterbacking in Manning. Lagway looks like crap. Sayin isn’t saying anything statistically. Klubnik is spiraling down the potential draft board. Meanwhile, Mississippi State has become a legit threat on our schedule and Oklahoma is looking like they might keep Venables’ job secure, but all the hype wasn’t focused on those transfer quarterbacks and their impact on the team. We knew they were good, but it’s less about the guy’s skill set and more about the system and surrounding personnel. Meanwhile, Carson Beck remains appropriately hyped and Haynes King should just be handed the Heisman because Tech is pretty much Haynes King and nothing else. The kid can ball, and I hate admitting to any part of that, yet the national media would rather focus on Manning and Lagway.
Selling: NIL and the portal leads to one-offs and mercenaries for hire
Ladies and gentlemen, we need to put respect on Vanderbilt’s name. While Pavia is a transfer pickup, he is in year two and successfully litigated to come back for another year. That’s not the story though – Vandy had a number of seniors and graduates return for the season, as Eli Stowers said, quoting loosely, “to establish the right culture”. While there’s a blend of seniors who are transfers and who started at Vanderbilt, it seems that the mix is working right for Clark Lea and Company in Nashville.
Likewise, we just won a football game that includes big plays by transfers like Branch, McCray, and Young, but the defensive side of the ball was largely Georgia recruits who joined out of high school. While I don’t think the wholesale roster management via the portal leads to championships, having a balance and blend to fill gaps while establishing the right culture seems to be paying off where it’s happening. Adapting seems to work, while stubbornly sticking to the old school doesn’t. Case in point:
Buying: Arch Manning is trash…but that defense isn’t
While I’m buying it (it didn’t need to be sold to me) I’m not discounting that Texas still has a solid defense. We will get a seasoned Manning by the time they arrive in Athens, and our offensive line can’t still be figuring things out when they arrive later in our schedule, or we’ll have trouble moving the ball. I think Sark will give in and use Manning’s mobility a bit more as the season goes on, but our bigger issue will be solidifying our offensive identity and stabilizing our offensive line before Texas comes to town.
Selling: Alabama is finished
I’m not buying for one second that the game in two weekends is a Georgia win. Since laying an egg against FSU, Alabama has gotten their groove back and easily beat the hell out of Wisconsin. Alabama has a great offensive line and we clearly still don’t have a push from our defensive line to counter that. Meanwhile, Ryan Williams is returning to form. I’ll be interested to see how we try to bring pressure on a team that clearly likes to throw the ball and underutilizes their run game. I feel like we have the guys to influence the quarterback but this past weekend felt like we allowed Aguilar too much time to think and act in the pocket, and that won’t end well if we give Simpson the same courtesy.
How about you..what are you buying or seeking since we’ve settled into the season some?
That whole Alabama is finished is like Winter is Coming. Eventually, you are going to be right. Right?
Buying: The Dawgs should always be underdogs against Bama until they can prove otherwise. Mental block, hex, bad juju – whatever it is – we just don’t finish the drill against them (expect that one glorious exception).
I’d say “Selling: Stock in Klubnik” but I never bought into it in the first place. Has he ever been good?
I haven’t watched Alabama much, but beating a Kirby Smart team with a pocket passer ain’t an easy thing to do. Wisconsin at home ain’t at UGA…at night.
Bama under Deboer has been awful on the road.
If they can’t run the damn ball in that environment, they’ll have a long night imho.
I know they will be talented on defense. How tough are they?
I sense an old timey man ball game next Saturday night.
Two weeks of healing. Two weeks of prep.
I haven’t felt this good about the match up going in since Tyler Simmons was onsides. (We had ‘em…fuckers.)
I like your positivity, Derek. I want to agree, but I’m torn.
On one hand, I’m still in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” camp. Yes, we beat them in the natty in ’21 but they’ve owned us every other game in the last however many years.
On the other hand, I like that Bama rolled over Wisconsin. That means they should be coming in to Athens cocky and arrogant. Combine that with their recent lack of discipline and I’m hopeful they make some timely stupid mistakes that give us an edge. They’ve also had the luxury of playing the last two games at home. They got flustered in Tallahassee and I fully expect the environment in Sanford will equal if not exceed that chaos. Here’s hoping the crowd has a huge impact on them.
My worry is the same as last year. They can chuck it to Ryan Williams and complete over half of them. That makes up for a less than stellar running game on their part. What I saw from Aguilar last weekend makes me nervous against Bama.
We will need to protect Gunner better so he can throw the ball, which will then allow us to man-ball it.
I am not going to even worry about Bama until Sunday. I get a weekend to watch the other games and root against teams without having to wonder if instant karma will get the Dawgs due to my hating ass ways.
I feel pretty good about the Bama game EXCEPT for what I saw out of the secondary against the Vowels. Blown coverages, not making plays on the ball when we had the coverage, or not taking the penalty to prevent the TD catch all make me worried about Bama making big plays if we don’t get pressure. Not to mention Joey Swaguilar was throwing floaters up there most of the time which should have led to more INTs than big play catches.
Kirby gotta fix that back end.
I’m a lot higher on our defensive interior than some folks. Without Elijah Griffin I think Tennessee puts up big numbers in the run game and Xavier McCleod is playing well too. There was no way to get to Aguilar most of the time. And I’m sorry but until somebody shows me different I do t believe other offenses can do what Tennessee does. They will try the jump balls on us but I just don’t believe most will be able to manage more than one with any success. I figured in week one that people were overreacting to Alabama’s loss to Florida State but until they do it against us I don’t buy that it’s the same old Bama and business as usual. One of the things I don’t like about college football is how it seems like folks think they can just decide a player or team is good and that’s the way it is. The Lagway stuff has been talk from the get go and nothing else. It was Anthony Richardson all over again.
Yeah, I could see being charitable and chalk one of those DB breakdowns against UTooth as unlucky. I don’t think other teams would be successful against us by trying that out.
Kirby made the comment that the DBs had the receivers covered but misplayed the ball..Two weeks to work on it and two weeks for both teams to prepare.
The only thing I’m buying is we got “punched in the face” Saturday. Coach Smart has a bye, there are things to fix and I expect those things to be addressed.
#GoDawgs
Name another team in the country that would have hung in there in that environment, with that crowd, and getting hit with 21 quick points against you, and still fight and claw back to win the game. I don’t see anyone else that would win that game. That’s the best win of the year in college football. We’ve got some flaws sure, but that’s a huge win. We’re a tough as hell team.
I think (I am an all time Disney Dawg so take with a grain of Bauta is going to be great in Jax Salt) that Kirby is correct about the youth of this team and that there is great potential to grow as the season progresses.
Tennessee absolutely smoked us in the beginning although that first score by us helped a lot not just to the score but showed what they can do. The 2d and 3d quarters we did great and should have been up by at least 11 points going into the 4th Quarter (Herschel voice) . That they were able to overcome squandering the lead and come back is even more impressive than coming back from 21-7.
I agree sisky.. we could have had 8 more points if we were a little better in the Redzone. This game might be the one where Bobo gets over the hump of slowing down the offense when it’s time to put the pedal to the metal. Bama is going to be tough..but I THINK (danger) Tennessee is the best team we’ll see in the regular season. The Dawgs are really young and will only get better.
Most of the media wants to slobber over Arch and Lagway, but not all. Before the season began, Randy Cross (CBS Sports) predicted that Mateer would win the Heisman. That’s a pretty solid prediction so far, and while it’s never just the QB, Mateer is doing at least as much Haynes King. It also helps that Venables still has a solid defense.
I hate to say it but GT’s King may be the best QB in the country. By the time we get them our D should be much more experienced than now.
Hope this isn’t a jinx, but while I think King is a great leader and a gamer who can run the ball, I don’t think he is that great a passer which will prevent him from winning the Heisman because he won’t have the stats. King’s other problem with winning the Heisman is they don’t play anyone worth a flip until Georgia to end the regular season. I think they will slip up against one of the weak ACC teams they play before then which would still give them a gaudy record allowing for the game to be hyped up for his Heisman moment for a national audience I guess. He will need to win that game for Tech though to have any shot.
Selling: All of the fretting over the AP Poll.
It just doesn’t matter, especially this early in the season.
Buying: Gunner Stockton.
Does his long windup concern me? Yes, especially until we play with 5 OL. But holy crap what a gutty performance at the Knox County Cow Pasture.
Selling: Earnest Greene.
Speaking of the OL, dude must be hurt. He also looks out of shape. I think he lost his job on Saturday.
Buying: Florida’s woes.
It’s fun to see UF return to their historical place in the conference, and stay there. Saw today that Sunbelt Billy would have to win his next 28 games just in order to reach Mullen’s record. Woof.
Lightning struck twice (SOS, Urban), but it ain’t striking thrice. FTMFs.
The play that they highlighted on ABC and again in one of the GTP post yesterday pretty much tells the tell. Greene was flat out manhandled by the TN lineman. He threw him around like a ragdoll (I guess the guy was doing his best Jalen Carter imitation). As a guy that had so much promise and has been around for a while, that was pretty disheartening to see out of him. Is he hurt, lack of effort, or lack of talent? Either way I would be surprised to see him get a lot of meaningful playing time going forward unless he is the only option.
It was several plays.
I’d expect them to give Bo Hughley every opportunity to claim the role.
I agree. I saw at least 3 that he was absolutely thrown away like trash.
Aladawg
I think you were watching Michael Uini. Earnest Greene didn’t play much
71 and 52 both had extremely rough games.
Look at 9-14-25 post on here “I Love You, I Love You Not – Tennessee Game Edition”
“I Love You Not – Earnest Greene
Unless Uini was wearing Earnest Greene’s jersey I am absolutely watching Greene get manhandled. The DL (who flipped on us to Tennessee) gets into the backfield to hit Gunner because he just threw Greene out of the way (or Greene just whiffed).
https://twitter.com/i/status/1966970494764056733
My bad it was Gaston not Greene.
Hobnail was slap on. While he didn’t play much he was absolutely abused when playing.
Not Buying…the B1G’s teams being in the top ten..with the exception of anOSU.
Selling preseason polls it’s just the usual names once slotted it’s like a real fact. Also selling the in season AP poll. LSU jumps to number 3 based on a narrow win over mighty Clemson. Now we know Clemson is no good yet LSU still keeps its top SEC ranking.
Buying Tennessee football is for real.
Selling Texas their QB problems are real.
Buying Oklahoma football. Their game this weekend against Aubie should be fun watching.
Selling Haynes King only because he’s taking a weekly beating carrying his team. Don’t see how he won’t get hurt.
Selling the B10 schedules. They are Charmin soft.
For those that have questions about Greene at right tackle, and what is going on with him, he is playing hurt. Rusty Manselll has a live stream on Tuesday nights that I listen to the next day via Spotify. He reports that Greene is dealing with a lower back issue and that he doesn’t know if he will be right all season. Says when healthy kid can play, but he is having health issues that are impacting his power for sure. As evident on the play where he gets tossed by the Tennessee DL. Rusty commented ” he got tossed out the club as the kids say”