Thinking About Your Rivals' Offense?

Dear NCAA fans,

Just a question for you I am very curious about.

If you are an Auburn fan, do you think about whether or not Bama’s power I offense will work next year and in the future?
If you are a Bama fan, are you thinking that Auburn’s spread option offense will not work next year?
If you are Gamecock, are you thinking that Clemson’s various offensive formations (wild cat, power I, shotgun) will not work next year?
If you are a Clemson fan, are you thinking and hoping that South Carolina’s Power I will not work next year?
If you are an FSU fan, are you hoping and thinking that Florida’s spread option or direct snap offense will not work next year?
Florida fans, are you hoping and anticipating that FSU’s offense will drop off now or in the future?

I ask this because I am just wondering if it is normal to have thoughts about your rival’s offense and whether or not it will work. I have only spoken with 3 UGA fans about football, this Spring, and to the man they are all expecting, hoping, and anticipating that (at a very minimum) GT’s offense will be less effective this year and in the future. They seem to think that the flexbone formation, spread option type offense is going to be “figured out”. I find it bizarre! I never think about UGA’s Power I offense. Don’t get me wrong, I want GT to defeat UGA very badly. For some reason though I am just not expecting, hoping, talking about, and anticipating that their Power I/play action offense will be down this year or in the future. I hope it’s down, but I definitely don’t think about it or expect it to be down. Is something wrong with me? Do I need to start blogging, calling my GT friends, and thinking about how UGA’s offense (the Power I) is going to be less effective this year and certainly in the future?

I believe offense is 90% execution and 10% the formation. Is that unwise thinking? Is it 90% formation and 10% execution/coaching?

Help me out,
Tommy

Mark Richt on Recruiting Jonathan Dwyer

Bulldogs Blog: Practice Notes: Rambo Likely, Green Questionable:
"THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Back when Georgia was courting two of the top running backs in the state in 2006, Richt was sold on both Caleb King and Jonathan Dwyer as the next big thing for the Bulldogs’ ground game.

As it turned out, however, Dwyer found a better fit at Tech, and he even surprised Richt by how good he became.

“We tried like mad to get Jonathan Dwyer,” Richt said. “We thought he was one of the finest backs in the state and in the country and a very fine young man. I didn’t know he was going to grow into such the big hoss that he is. I thought he was a good-sized back, but I didn’t think he’d get up to the 235-240 range and still keep his speed and power.”

Georgia did land King, who has started the past three games for Georgia and appears to have a bright future. Dwyer, however, already has an ACC offensive player of the year award to his credit, and he could be departing for a job in the NFL as soon as next year. The Tech tailback has racked up 1,203 yards and 11 touchdowns this season for the 10-1 Jackets.

Richt doesn’t fault Dwyer for choosing Tech over the Bulldogs, however, and the opportunity clearly worked out for him.

“I think he felt like he had a better opportunity to play at Tech,” Richt said. “I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but I think that was part of it. That’s kind of what those kids are looking for. They are looking for where do I fit in and do I fit in more quickly here than I do over there.”"

Big Question About Conference Scheduling

GT and UGA WRs Performing Well
Right now, AJ Green is rated the #8 WR and Bebe Thomas is rated the #5 WR, in all of college football.
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/viewCFSE.asp
Both are in the top 10 finalists for the Biletnikoff Award.
Congrats to these players and UGA and GT.

SEC and ACC in the Top 25 – Strength of Schedule
Both conferences have 3 teams in the top 25. Because Clemson choose to play #6 TCU, out of conference, and lost 10-14, they are not rated in the top 25 with 3 losses. Please note: the SEC has all 3 of their top 25 teams in the top 10 but LSU and Alabama play this Sat.! Because Virginia Tech choose to play Nebraska and Alabama, out of conference, they have 1 additional loss as well and are only ranked like #23. Clemson will also play USCe out of conference. Meanwhile, Alabama, Florida, and LSU only play one BCS+ game out of conference all season. Boston College has played #22 Notre Dame and the #1 team from the MAC (Cent. Mich), out of conference. UGA is the lone team in the SEC willing to play more than one game out of conference and they are currently 4-4. And of course GT plays 3, out of conference, BCS+ games in addition to their treacherous ACC schedule.

Big Question
Should the ACC teams change their schedules to only play one out of conference BCS+ games to be like most of the SEC teams or should the SEC teams play 2 out of conference BCS+ games to be like the ACC? Right now, it like trying to compare apples to turnips.

Congrats to Calvin Johnson and David Pollack For Making the All-Decade Team

Congratulations to Calvin Johnson and David Pollack for making the Sporting News All-Decade Team. When a player makes the All-decade team they are also considered to be one of the top All-time at their position. In fact, in 2007, Rivals.com voted for the Ultimate Team and David Pollack and Calvin Johnson were both listed to vote for them. Calvin Johnson was voted the #1 WR of all time in college football and David Pollack was voted the #9 DE all time in college football.

Calvin Johnson was also voted onto the ACC-All Decade Team. The experts and fans continue to prove that Calvin's impact on college football at WR will never be forgotten until Jesus Christ comes and then God destroys the earth!

OFFENSE
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
T Chris Long, Virginia
G Shawn Andrews, Arkansas
C Alex Mack, California
G Marcus McNeill, Auburn
T Robert Gallery, Iowa
TE Kellen Winslow, Miami
QB Matt Leinart, USC
RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma

DEFENSE
DE David Pollack, Georgia
DT John Henderson, Tennessee
DT Tommie Harris, Oklahoma
DE Terrell Suggs, Arizona State
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
LB Paul Posluszny, Penn State
LB Derrick Johnson, Texas
CB Terence Newman, Kansas State
CB Lito Sheppard, Florida
S Sean Taylor, Miami
S Roy Williams, Oklahoma

SPECIALISTS
K Mason Crosby, Colorado
P Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
KR Ted Ginn, Ohio State
PR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri

Strength of Schedule

We all know what happened to Auburn a few years ago when they went 12-0 in the “mighty” SEC.

If I were doing the scheduling, for GT, for example I would have:
The 8 ACC games, UGA, 1 more BCS game with a lower tier BCS opponent and 2 cupcakes. I would recommend the same for UGA. That way if UGA or GT go undefeated they would most likely play for the NC. I think Florida, Ole Miss, and most of the other teams in the SEC don’t play enough out of conference games to go to the NC game. Auburn, for example, plays WV, 8 SEC games, and 3 cupcakes. That is actually right on the bubble especially considering that one of Auburn’s cup cakes was LaTech a division 1 team. I think it would be better for GT to play the 9 regular BCS games and 3 cup cakes than to play 11 BCS games.

3 True Freshman Crack the UGA 2 Deep for 2009

UGA is a much more mature and experienced team than GT, just from looking at the depth charts. The following 3 freshman are in the 2 deep for UGA according to Rivals.com.

1. Orson Charles, TE at 6'3" 232lbs - Look if this young man stays healthy I expect him to be starting by the end of the season. He follows in a line of NFL caliber TEs at UGA. As a senior in high school recorded 75 catches for 1440 yards and 21 touchdowns…had 7 carries for 59 yards and one touchdown. I like how Richt gave him or allowed him to wear #7 because that is not a standard TE #.
2. Brandon Smith, CB at 5'11" 169lbs - Don't worry about this young man's light weight. He is one of the quickest players in the SEC and country. In front of him is senior Prince Miller. If I were Miller I'd be very concerned about my starting spot. Smith was a Parade All-American his senior year of high school. He wears #1, which again shows me that Richt really thinks alot of this young man. Definitely a player to get excited about also because of his punt return abilities.
3. Jordon Love, CB at 6'0" 185 lbs - Rated the #1 cornerback from the state of Virginia this is a hard nosed player that is benefitting from UGA's lack of depth at CB. He has good height and weight, for his position, as a true frosh.

Well there you have it. I think Charles and Smith could find their way onto most 2 deeps in NCAA football. UGA is mature this season with lots of experience and it could not have come at a better time with the loss of 3 offensive players to the first 2 rounds of last year's NFL draft.

How Loaded is UGA at DT - Part 1 DeAngelo Tyson

UGA may have the most depth at DT, this year, in the history of college football. I kid you not, UGA may have 5-6 players to get drafted at this one position. Incredible depth like I have never seen before at this position in football. And it couldn't have come at a better time with the loss of Knowshon, Mo Mass, and Stafford on the offensive side of the ball.

Notice that DeAngelo was a Parade All-America his senior year of high school and named the most improved defensive tackle from a group that is astonishing on paper. Congrats to UGA and their fans for this group of DTs.

DeAngelo Tyson Bio - Official Athletics Site of the University of Georgia Bulldogs:
"2009: Recorded three tackles in spring G-Day game
*Named Most Improved Defensive Tackle at conclusion of spring drills

2008: Named Freshman All-SEC by SEC Coaches
*Named of the team’s Newcomer of the Year Award winners for defense
*Appeared in 13 games recording 11 tackles and five quarterback hurries
*Tallied a career-high two tackles three times: at No. 11 LSU, vs. Central Michigan and vs. Georgia Southern

High School: USA Today All-USA First Team Defense...2007 Parade All-American...2008 SuperPrep Elite 50, All-America, and All-Dixie teams....2008 Rivals.com Rivals100 (45), DT Rankings: Quickest (1), Best athlete (1), Best pass rusher (3), defensive tackles (4), Georgia Top 50 (3)...UGASports Georgia Top 50 (2)... Scout.com five-star prospect, Top 100, #44 player in America, #3 DT in nation, #14 player in the South, #2 player in Georgia...U.S. Army All-America...Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2007 Class AAAA All-State first team... Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA All-State selection...Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia’s Super 11 and Super Southern 100... Statesboro Herald Defensive Player of the Year...No. 45 on ESPN.com 150 list...registered 54 tackles, 14 for loss, and nine sacks in 2007...member of 2005 AAAA state champion team."

Interview with Geno Atkins

As you know, here on this blog we like several players from GT and UGA and Geno Atkins is certainly one of those players.

Geno Atkins press conference @ Rivals Video

UGA and GT Ranked in Top 30 For Their Traditions

UGA and GT both have traditions that are ranked in the top 30 of all of college football. More good news for Georgia highschool football players who want to stay home and play college ball.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32239415/ns/sports-college_football/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1&beginChapter=1&beginTab=1

Calvin Johnson and Herschel Walker Voted the Best Players in GT and UGA History

I would agree with this with little thought.

Here is the ESPN poll:
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=562

Rennie Curran and AJ Green Jersey's Already For Sale

Those would be my 2 picks for UGA jerseys. Although, my top pick would be Rennie's #35.

Dancing in the Endzone: Football Jersey update and VOTE on ESPN:
"I stopped by the on campus store the other day and aside from #7 and #24 jerseys being on sale, I noticed some #8s and #35s as well. So it looks like AJ Green and Rennie Curran's jerseys are already being featured in the store."

Buck Belue Rates Joe Cox #3 QB in SEC

Remember Buck Belue also said on the air last year that GT had a highschool offense and could easily be stopped.

SEC 2009 // How Deep are the Dawgs? - Team Speed Kills:"I think it was Buck Belue who said Joe is probably the #3 QB in the SEC right now. Hard to disagree on that one. The only other viable candidate for #3 QB is Jefferson at LSU."

#10, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators. - Protect R Turf

This game is rated as the #10 most anticipated game in all of college football in 2009. Click on the link and check out the picture of Rennie and tell me he is small.

#10, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators. - Protect R Turf: "The D will be the key for the Bulldogs in '09, and will be the key in this game as well. They need to keep the Gators in the 20-24 point range for the game, and to do that they need to slow Tebow down. Rennie Curran, the stud Bulldog backer, will have to get in the backfield early and often, fill his gaps and fly around the field. Fellow LB Akeem Dent will have to do the same. With a strong back 7, and a solid DL that should hit their stride by the time they get to this game, the defense will have to keep Georgia in the game and not let things get out of hand early.

Stud LB Rennie Curran leads the vaunted Bulldog D in '09"

Rennie Curran is a Stud - No Ifs, Ands, Or Buts

UGA fans keep telling me that Rennie Curran is small. If you are 5'11" and weigh 228lbs. is that small? Isn't Jonathan Dwyer 6'0" 230lbs. Is he small?

In my opinion Rennie Curran is a stud, will be one of the first LBs taken in the year he is drafted (maybe 2nd behind Brandon Spikes of Florida?), and will go down as one of the greatest LBs of all time at UGA. Does he play with heart? Absolutely and that is why he is my favorite player right now for the Dawgs. But please it is not like he is Chris Zurich, the old NT from Notre Dame that weighed 260lbs. Give me a break! Rennie Curran is an average size LB with a stout and muscular build with the heart of lion.

If Curran is so small then why is he as heavy or heavier than Akeem Dent, Akeem Hebron, and Darius Dewberry?

Being Sam Brooklyn: The Linebackers Will Need To Be Big in 2009:
"Rennie Curran (Jr), 5'11', 228 lbs

Curran is the heart and soul of the Georgia linebacking corps. He came on hard and fast last season—starting all 13 games and registering 115 tackles and 12 quarterback hurries.

By season's end he had amassed numerous post-season honors and is on both the Lott Trophy and Rotary Lombardi watch lists this season.

Curran defies all probability playing the Will position—he's dreadfully small and doesn't look like he should be anywhere near the linebacking corps.

However, he continues to be a thorn in the side of opposing defenses as he flies all over the field making tackles and dismantling plays with relative ease.

He's deceptively quick and ridiculously strong for his size—he makes most of the guys on the field look like they are playing at a speed that is much slower than his.

Yet, despite all that, his best asset may very well be his ability to read and react to plays without giving away too much on the field—he plays smart and disciplined football.

Even more, he lays the hammer down on every hit—don't let the 5'11' frame fool you, he uses every bit of his 228 lb frame to make a fool out of the guys who disrespect his game and mistake him for a weakling."

Top 10 rivalry games photos - UGA vs. FL ranked #10

Top 10 rivalry games photos:
"10. Florida-Georgia

For this edition of The List, in honor of rivalry week, we’re looking at the 10 best rivalries in college football. We winnowed the list to about 16, then cut it to 10 - and it was hard. Among the criteria: nastiness, history and – above all else – national importance.

“The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” has been one-sided since 1990, with the Gators winning 16 of the past 19 meetings. But the “border war” and neutral-site aspects help this rivalry get into our top 10."

I guess the UGA vs. GT game just hasn't had that much national importance. However, is the Army vs. Navy game that important nationally? That was rated number 4.

UGA Player Says something to Jonathan Dwyer After TD

Notice after this TD that #99 for UGA barks something in Dwyer's ear and Dwyer totally ignores him. Also, a UGA player ended up on his rear end when Dwyer makes a cut. If this man we call the "Diesel" was a step faster we could, without being a homer, compare him to Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, or Darren McFadden.

Do you think UGA players, other than Curran, like Dwyer?

Georgia LB Curran honored for 'unifying athletes' - Sports

Congrats to my favorite UGA player, Rennie Curran!

Georgia LB Curran honored for 'unifying athletes' - Sports: "Georgia junior linebacker Rennie Curran was honored as the Collegiate Athlete of the Year at the AAG Foundation gala in Atlanta on Saturday night. A finalist for the Butkus Award, Curran was named to the 2008 All-Southeastern Conference team after recording a team-high 115 tackles, including an SEC-high 63 solo stops. Curran also tied for the team lead with three sacks and forced two fumbles for the 10-3 Bulldogs last season"

During last year's games against Kentucky and GT I thought Mr. Curran really stood out. During the Kentucky game because he made like 15 tackles and during the UGA game because he seemed to be the only player that would consistently wrap up and complete the tackle! In case you were wondering, Rennie Curran is my type of player and so is Dwyer for that manner.

Conferences Move in Cycles - No Conference Is Best Every Year

This article seems to support our view that conferences are cyclical and rise and fall over time. In other words, no one conference is best every year.

Richt's whine not fine SavannahNow.com: "Granted, the SEC is challenging. But the league isn't the SEAL training of sports, at least not every year. And we are talking Georgia football here, the same program that went 40 years without leaving Dixie to play a regular-season game."

UGA and GT 2 of only 3 Teams To Play 3 non-league BCS Opponents

Richt's whine not fine SavannahNow.com: "The Bulldogs are one of only three teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences to play three non-league BCS opponents."

There Is No Special Way For A Defense To Line Up Againt GT's Offense

I hope people, especially UGA fans, keep saying that Paul Johnson's offense can't work or LSU "figured it out."

"Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said he still gets a kick out of those who question his spread-based option offense. “We’ve been doing it for 26 years, they’ve got 25 years of film, OK?” Johnson said. “It’s like anything else, if you execute the offense efficiently you’re going to be good. If you don’t, you won’t.
“There’s no special secret way to line up and say ‘Oh my god, now they can’t run.’ They’ll put nine people in the box. OK, go ahead. You’re not going to line up something we haven’t seen in 26 years. You might beat us, but I highly doubt it’s because of the way you line up.”
Here is the link:
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/gatech/stories/2009/06/09/georgia_tech_offense.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=21

This is by far the silliest thing I am hearing in college football right now. Last year it was Moreno for Heisman this year it is "LSU figured out GT's offense." GT fans always call UGA fans rednecks and stupid and certain UGA fans prove them correct by saying "LSU figured out GT's offense." GT lead the ACC in offense last year! Did I miss something again? Like I did last year with the Moreno for Heisman garbage? Oh well:)

Here is a question with GT A-Back Roddy Jones on this ridiculous topic:
What do you say to fans who say ACC defenses are going to know what to do against you guys this year?
RJ: I tell them to watch the games this year because coach Johnson preaches that if we execute, nobody in the country can stop us. When he was at Georgia Southern, they played the same teams every year. When he was at Navy, they played the same teams every year. The offense was always successful. There's no reason why that wouldn't be the same case here.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/acc/0-6-151/Q-A-with-Georgia-Tech-s-Roddy-Jones.html