College Football
A Lot Of Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Tech Spring Game was April 26th. Paul Johnson has been the head coach for the previous 11 seasons.
This is the first season under new head coach Geoff Collins. There is a drastic change on offense and we got a glimpse of it in this game.
A record crowd of 21,194 fans came out to Bobby Dodd stadium to watch. The Jackets used the first play of the spring game to give one final tribute to Paul Johnson and his flexbone system before introducing fans to the new Georgia Tech offense.
One routine 12-yard completion to Tyler Cooksey fired up the crowd. The play marked the first reception by a Georgia Tech tight end since November 24, 2007. There were a wide range of plays and formations that have been absent from The Flats for the past decade.
The new strategy is a 180-degree turn from what we have seen under CPJ. The Yellow Jackets are now an Air Raid team and that has different concepts.
One key thing we will now see is the mesh concept. The defining feature of a mesh concept is two receivers running crossing routes over the middle of the field. The crossing receivers quickly read whether the defense is playing man or zone coverage and modify their routes accordingly.
Against zone coverage, the receivers cut their routes short and sit underneath in soft areas, while against man coverage the receivers continue their routes across the field.
The Gold team showed this early on. They came out in a shotgun bunch formation and wide receivers Malachi Carter and Jalen Camp run crosses over the middle.
The defense is playing a zone, and you can see both receivers slow down to break off their routes when they recognize the zone coverage. Quarterback Lucas Johnson scans the field from right to left, sees the linebackers sitting in their zones, and checks down to running back Jordan Mason for a 7-yard gain
Tech lined up in a few different Shotgun formations for the game. One of the featured formations was the Shotgun Split Slot that uses three receivers and two halfbacks.
Most of Tech’s halfbacks are converted A-backs who spent equal time over the last several years practicing rushing, receiving, and blocking. That skill set can be utilized in this two-back set where both running backs are a threat to take a handoff, lead block, or go out for a pass.
It looks like the quarterback battle is between James Graham and Lucas Johnson. Tobias Oliver missed the game due to injury and he has a chance to compete. He played a lot last season but he struggles to pass the ball.
Johnson made many check downs during the game so his numbers were efficient. He finished the day 12-of-16 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown. His best throw of the night came on a 19-yard back-shoulder pass to Malachi Carter.
Graham takes more risks and threw the ball downfield. His first pass was complete to receiver Adonicas Sanders for a 15-yard gain. The next pass was a 39-yard touchdown to Sanders again.
After those two passes, Graham went just 1-of-7 passing for 3 yards.
We have quite some time before Week 1 kicks off against Clemson but I’m excited. I think this will be a good first season for coach Collins.
Leave It On the Field
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Georgia is going to name the playing field at Sanford Stadium after long time head coach and athletic director Vince Dooley.
A ceremony has been planned for Georgia’s 2019 opening game on Sept. 7 against Murray State to dedicate Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium.
“I was very pleased for the family and pleased for all the ballplayers who have been so loyal and for all the friends and supporters,” Dooley told The Associated Press.
The plan, announced Thursday by University of Georgia president Jere Morehead and athletic director Greg McGarity, must be approved by the university and the board of regents, which is expected later this month.
Morehead said Dooley’s impact on the university carried beyond athletics.
“Coach Dooley’s many contributions to this university can be seen across campus, from Georgia athletics, where he achieved unrivaled success, to the learning environment, where today many academic programs and initiatives bear his name,” Morehead said in a statement. “The university community will continue to benefit from his service and dedication for generations to come.”
Personally, this is great news for long time Georgia fans. Coach Dooley was and is Georgia football to me. I attended Vince Dooley football camps as a youth and had some of the best times of my life with friendships I still cherish to this day.
Coach Dooley’s brand of football, which was the power run game, solid defense, and exceptional special teams is the brand Kirby Smart brought back to the program when he was hired in 2016 and you know those results over the past couple of years.
Dooley went 201-77-10 in his 25 years as head coach of UGA. That included 6 SEC Titles and the 1980 National Championship.
Coach Dooley is one of the top 5 coaches in SEC History, and the greatest head coach in UGA football history.
Once Dooley arrived at UGA in 1964 he did two things that made him the legend he is in Athens and that was he owned the Florida and Georgia Tech series.
The Yellow Jackets still haven’t recovered from the dominating Dooley years, and Florida was beaten in Dooley fashion over the past two seasons under Kirby Smart to the point to where their head coach takes veiled shots at UGA in the press consistently nowadays.
I still have UF friends that suffer from the “Vince Dooley Effect” to this day and I have one friend that still deals with that trauma by taking shots at UGA fans on social just this past week. Vince “The Gator Slayer” Dooley was 17-7-1 against those Gators in Jacksonville.
Eventually Sanford Stadium is going to become Sanford-Dooley Stadium, but this is a great first step.
I’m going to get chills when Notre Dame runs out onto Dooley Field this upcoming September.
And yes, long time Gators, it has been 39 years and counting since the last National Championship, but the Vince Dooley effect still controls you.
Coach Dooley is now 86 years old, and is a treasured person in our great state. He will always be my first and most cherished memory of Georgia Football.
The Stable
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Georgia is known as “Running Back U”.
UGA fans have come to expect great things out of the running back position with the recent success of UGA greats like Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel. Gurley and Michel were the two feature backs in the recent Super Bowl for the Rams and Patriots.
The Bulldogs return D’Andre Swift, James Cook and Brian Herrien from the 2018 team. That is a combined 1,628 yards and 15 touchdowns coming back, with Swift accounting for 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns alone.
Georgia will also welcome five-star 2018 recruit Zamir White back into the fold after he missed the 2018 season with an ACL tear. Rounding out the group is four-star 2019 recruit Kenny McIntosh.
Swift will be the next great UGA back to make a splash in the NFL. He has great vision, speed and can cut on a dime. Swift was not healthy for the first half of the 2018 season and it showed.
He will be the number one option in the running game for UGA this fall. Swift will be a Heisman contender in 2019. If he can stay healthy and get 15-20 touches per game then a 1,400-yard rushing season is not out of the question. Swift is a complete back right now with his combined running and receiving ability. He will be an NFL back playing in college in 2019.
Cook showed flashes of his talent as a true freshman in 2018. He is special in space and will probably be used more in the short passing game this fall.
An off-season in the strength and conditioning program will help him bulk up to carry more of a load in the rugged SEC. Look for UGA to line Cook up in the slot and expose opposing linebackers and safeties in the passing game.
Brian Herrien was UGA’s true bright spot on offense in the Sugar Bowl debacle against Texas. Herrien is steady and you know what he can do when he enters the football game.
His production will increase as carries increase. It feels like Herrien has waited his turn over the past couple of seasons with all the greatness UGA has had at RB and now it is his time to shine.
The wild card in all of this is Zamir White. White was the top HS running back in the nation in 2017, and tore his ACL in fall camp last season.
If he is 100% this fall then he could be really special. Have you ever watched his high school highlight tape? If you haven’t Google it, but have a napkin close by because you will be drooling if you are a Dawg fan.
If White bursts on the college football scene in 2019 then you can go ahead and pencil UGA into the College Football Playoff.
And the rich continue to get richer as UGA brought in Kenny McIntosh during the 2019 recruiting cycle. McIntosh is a big back who can run between the tackles.
Kirby Smart is the best recruiter in college football, and the talent being assembled in Athens, Georgia is mind-boggling.
UGA lost a 1,000-yard rusher in Holyfield, who declared early for the NFL draft, but they will not miss a beat at RB.
I’m predicting that this group will be better this year running behind the most talented offensive line in school history. Anyone ready for National Title run in the state of Georgia this fall?
Running Back U continues to produce! Hurry up August and get here.
The Rich Get Richer
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Outside of the opening weekend of March Madness, I’m not sure there’s a weekday in college athletics that deserves to be labeled an “unofficial holiday” more than a college football signing day.
For all the buildup, all the phone alerts, all the sneaking away to the bathroom so you can see if your team signed that three-star backup punter, it always seems to end the same; with the SEC on top.
Once again college football’s best conference (according to those in the Southeast, at least) treated this year’s signing day like a sumo wrestler at a Chinese buffet. As soon as the doors opened, they bum rushed the buffet line, grabbed all the Sesame Chicken and General Tso’s they could get their hands on, leaving nothing for left for anyone else except the beef and broccoli that had been sitting under the heat lamp since early that morning.
And just like death and taxes, the one thing you can count on is Alabama bringing in a recruiting class rated either first or second. I would say they always finish first, much like this year according to most sites, but Georgia has become Alabama 2.0 in almost every facet of their program and I’m pretty sure they had the higher rated class last year. Either way, when it comes to recruiting it’s been Alabama, Georgia, and then everyone else.
Of the other three SEC teams that finished ranked in the top ten, one is a regular participant (LSU), one is a familiar face we haven’t seen for a couple of years (Florida), and the third, is a new addition thanks to a head coach going through his first full recruiting cycle with the program (Texas A&M).
Having said that, it’s very easy to speak rhapsodic about a program that brings in a top ten recruiting class- they’ve all brought in talented players that should help their team, that’s why they’re rated where they are.
There are three teams however, that stuck a little bit as I was reading over the final outcomes: Tennessee, Ohio State, and Florida State.
For Tennessee, they’ve been just good enough on the recruiting trail recently to be able to have the product they put on the field not live up to expectations. It’s been a few years since they were able to put together the type of class Jeremy Pruitt was able to this year, and it will be intriguing to see if that success translates onto the field.
Ohio State signed some of the blue-chip athletes you would expect (plus a particular transfer from Athens), but where they “struggled”, was with quality depth. It would’ve been unrealistic to expect them to do much better than they did with everything that has transpired over the past year, but when you have a new coach you have to wonder if it’s a blip on the radar, or the beginning of a trend?
As for Florida State they just lost their primary target at quarterback to a Maryland program so toxic Montgomery Burns wouldn’t even have Smithers touch it.
I have nothing against Willie Taggart and I know he says he has a plan, but unless it includes owning stock in U-Haul, I don’t have much faith in it.
To absolutely nobody’s surprise the SEC puffed out its chest and dominated signing day. The national title may reside in another conference, but when it comes to pure talent, the SEC is first in line, and they’re not leaving many leftovers.
A Plain Change?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Auburn started the 2018 season ranked in the top 10 and beat a ranked Washington team the opening weekend in Atlanta.
The Tigers went into a week 3 matchup with LSU and ended up being exposed on offense in a 22-21 loss.
Back to back losses to Mississippi State and a bad loss at home to rebuilding Tennessee started the rumblings on the plains and then another loss to UGA in Athens, and having 52 hung on them in the Iron Bowl has Malzahn’s future at Auburn being questioned by many around the SEC.
Malzahn’s overall record at Auburn now is 53-27 in six years. Outside of the miracle season of 2013 where Auburn went 12-2, won the SEC, and lost the National Title game to FSU, what have the Tigers done that is so special?
Yes, I know Auburn won the SEC West in 2017 and beat number one ranked Georgia and Alabama in a three week span that November. I get that, but this program turned around and lost to Georgia in the 2017 SEC Title game 28-7 and then lost to UCF in the Peach Bowl to finish 10-4 on that season.
Auburn is 41-25 over the past five seasons, the natives are getting restless in Auburn, Alabama. So basically, Auburn under Gus is a program that is going to lose 4 or 5 games a season.
That is not acceptable at Auburn and they are trying to stay in the same area code as rival Alabama. Alabama is winning 13-14 games a season now under Saban, while Auburn is an 8-5 type team.
Let’s take a look at reasons why Auburn is struggling right now:
Stubbornness: Gus always says the right things in the media and promises change, but nothing seems to change especially as it centers around play calling on offense.
This is Malzahn’s offense at Auburn and now that Chip Lindsey is gone the focus is squarely on Gus. That is all on Malzahn. The offense is his baby.
Jarret Stidham will have a successful pro career, but I don’t think Auburn knew how to use his skill set properly. The fan base turned on Stidham, but forgot that without Stidham Auburn doesn’t win the SEC West in 2017.
Running Back: How does a school that produced William Andrews, James Brooks, Bo Jackson, Brent Fullwood, Rudy Johnson, Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Kerryon Johnson, not have a big time running back? Auburn can’t run the football, and it’s because they don’t have a big time running back. This is squarely on Gus.
Player Development: If you look at five year recruiting ranking averages Auburn is in the top ten, but Auburn has lost, on average, 5 games per season in the same cycle. What is happening to all of that talent? Gus Malzahn is the head coach of Auburn University and the buck stops with him.
Auburn hung 63 on Purdue in the Music City Bowl and Gus was feeling really good about his play calling in that contest. Will that be enough to quiet down the critics on the plains?
If not for The Prayer at Jordan Hare against UGA, or the Kick Six against Alabama in 2013 would Gus still be the football coach at Auburn University?
Keep a close watch on this situation at Auburn. If Auburn struggles early in 2019 will Gus make it to October?
Auburn is a proud football program, but the Tigers have been losing to UGA and Alabama a lot lately. That will not cut it on The Plains.
Tiger fans are praying that incoming QB Bo Nix has the same impact that Jake Fromm has had at UGA. That may be what saves the Gus Bus at AU.
The New-Bees
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
National Signing Day is almost here. We will get a chance to see where each program ranks and get an idea of who will play next season. I’m going to take a look at Georgia Tech’s recruiting class.
Geoff Collins is entering his first season as the head coach in Atlanta. He has inherited a roster full of Paul Johnson recruits.
As you all know CPJ ran the triple option offense, which made it difficult to recruit top prospects. For many of the players he recruited Tech was the only Power 5 school that was interested in them.
The Yellow Jackets are switching to a pro-style offense, so they need athletes that fit that scheme.
One big boost came in the form of a transfer. Wide receiver Marquez Ezzard transferred from Miami. He was a four-star prospect and he signed with the Hurricanes in February 2018. He also had offers from Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, USC and Florida State.
Ezzard is from Stockbridge, GA so he’s coming home. He’s 6’2 and 210 pounds, so he has great size. He only played in three games this past season so that counts as being redshirted. By ACC rules, Ezzard would have to sit out a season at Tech and lose a season of eligibility, as he is transferring within the conference. That would mean he would sit out the 2019 season and have three seasons remaining.
The current 2019 class has 18 commits and all of them are three-star recruits. I’m a huge fan of quarterback Jordan Yates from Alpharetta, GA. He led Milton high school to the 7A state championship as a senior. He’s a very good dual threat QB. He passed for 2,590 yards and ran for 958 yards last season.
They signed another dual threat QB also, Demetrius Knight. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.
They have also signed a few receivers like Nazir Burnett, Zach Owens, Ahmarean Brown and Kalani Norris. Brown is from Tampa and as a senior he had 38 catches for 726 and 7 touchdowns. He’s small (5’9, 165 lbs.) but very fast.
Owens is the biggest receiver at 6’3 and 198 pounds. He’s from Marietta, GA and he averaged 105.7 all-purpose yards per game.
Tight end was a position Paul Johnson did not use at all. Collins plans on changing that and he signed Dylan Deveney from Princeton, New Jersey. He has prototypical size standing at 6’6 and 245 pounds.
They also added a pair of running backs; Devin Ellison and Tony Amerson. Ellison is from Jacksonville and he’s the epitome of a student athlete. He set school records with 3,345 rushing yards and 45 rushing TD’s during his high school career. He’s on course to graduate magna cum laude (4.1 GPA).
Defense has been a problem over the last decade. Tech is going to get talent at each level on defense. They signed several defensive backs; Wesley Walker, Jordan Huff, Kenan Johnson and Jeremiah Smith.
Defensive ends Sylvain Yondjouen and D’Quan Douse have also committed. Douse is from Savannah and he was a three-time all-region honoree.
Yondjouen is from Belgium and has only been playing football for 4 years. They signed one defensive tackle, Jamal Camp.
The linebackers consist of Chico Bennett Jr. and Cornelius Evans. Evans attends the school right by my house, Central Gwinnett. He’s 6’4 and 220 pounds so he has the frame of a pro outside linebacker.
I think this is a solid class that can get better once they arrive on campus and get coached up.
Super Running Back U
By: Kipp Branch
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
When the Patriots selected Sony Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft you just knew he would come in and have a great year with the franchise of the century.
Michel along with Nick Chubb had great rookie seasons in the league which is no surprise as the both came from the University of Georgia or better known as Running Back U.
Now, you have a marquee matchup with Running Back U legends in Super Bowl LIII in Sony and Running Back U legend Todd Gurley or TG3 as superstars have their own tag line.
Other than Herschel, I have never seen a more talented back at UGA than Gurley. He has the size, speed, and vision that is makes him a generational running back.
TG3 is currently the best running back in the NFL, which makes him the best running back in football period.
TG3 just has a knack for scoring touchdowns. Gurley has been a major factor in the resurgence of the Los Angeles Rams as they make their first Super Bowl appearance in 18 years.
Sony Michel is a beloved player in UGA circles. The Rose Bowl performance against Oklahoma makes him an all-time great with just that game alone. Sony always had a knack for making big plays a key time in big games during his UGA career.
My wife has his #1 UGA jersey hanging in the closet and puts it on every Saturday for UGA games. Sony is not big, sneaky fast, but has great vision and just seems to always make someone miss and he just makes plays.
Now the two RBU legends face each other in the Super Bowl next week. TG3 had a huge 100-yard performance against a Dallas Cowboy run defense that looked like Swiss Cheese in the divisional series, which sent the Cowboy nation back into their 23-year annual hibernation.
That alone makes him a hero in my book. He didn’t play much due to being banged up in the NFC title games against the Saints, but he will be ready in the Super Bowl. Look for him and the high-powered Rams offense to have a good day.
Sony, in my opinion is the biggest reason why the Patriots are back this year. Sony has been a steady threat in the run game and teams can’t just focus on stopping Tom Brady they now have to stop a balanced offense. That makes New England ever more dangerous as the Chargers and Chiefs just found out. Sony ran wild against the Chargers and Chiefs with back to back 100-yard games.
Running Back U will be on full display in Super Bowl LIII with Gurley and Michel. Any high-profile high school running back looking for a place to get ready for the NFL, look no further than the University of Georgia. RBU puts backs in the league.
I don’t really care who wins Super Bowl LIII, so I will be pulling for Running Back U to have huge games. Wouldn’t it be great if UGA produced another Super Bowl MVP?
What college has produced more Super Bowl MVP’s than UGA? Gator and Auburn fans look that up and let me know.
New To The Hive
By: TJ Hartnett
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
After Paul Johnson retired from coaching the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team after 11 seasons, there was a big ACC hole to fill. They filled it with former Tech assistant and erstwhile Temple head coach Geoff Collins.
Collins was 15-10 for the past two seasons at Temple and before that worked as the defensive coordinator at both Florida and Mississippi State. He began his career in Atlanta as a tight ends coach for the Jackets under George O’Leary and also worked as a recruiting coordinator for Chan Gailey in 2006.
This amounts to a dream job for Collins, a Conyers native, who has already been on the recruiting trail since being hired last month.
Collins has fairly sizeable shoes to fill: Johnson managed 82 wins during his stint, against 59 losses; the Yellow Jackets also made three ACC Championship game appearances. Last season they finished 7-5.
In addition to recruiting, Collins has spent his time filling out his coaching staff for the upcoming season.
His first move was to bring on former Yellow Jackets running back Tashard Choice as the running backs coach. The former NFL player spent the past two seasons at North Texas as an assistant and RB coach.
Collins followed that hire up by adding Kerry Dixon and Lewis Caralla. Dixon will be the Jackets’ wide receivers coach. He held the same job in the past at the University of Florida, where he first ran into his new boss.
Caralla will serve as Tech’s strength and conditioning coach, the same position he held in Buffalo. He was an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Yellow Jackets in 2010 and 2011.
Collins brought a familiar face with him from Pennsylvania, former Temple assistant Nathan Burton, a Teaching graduate, who joins the staff as a co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
Collins has also brought on Boise State coach Jeff Popovich to coach GT’s cornerbacks and coordinator of defensive special teams.
Larry Knight, Jim Panagos and Chris Wiesehan have also been added to Collins’ staff. Knight will serve as defensive ends/outside linebackers coach; Panagos as defensive line coach; and Wiesehan as tight ends coach/offensive special teams coordinator.
Additionally, Knight will carry the title of defensive recruiting coordinator. Tashard Choice, previously hired as the Yellow Jackets’ running backs coach, will serve as the program’s offensive recruiting coordinator.
Collins followed those hires up with a pair of steals; first swiping Patrick Suddes from Auburn to run his recruiting office, then taking Brent Key from Nick Saban to serve as assistant head coach. Key, another Tech graduate, has been coaching Alabama’s best-in-the-nation offensive line for the past three seasons.
While that seemed to close the book on Georgia Tech’s staff, this week Collins created and filled four new positions that did not exist during Paul Johnson’s tenure in charge.
Football research and analytics coordinator Pat Boyle, analysts Joe Battaglia (offense) and Ronell Williams (defense) and brand manager Santino Stancato all jumped ship with Collins from Temple.
With a new cohort of coaches and assistants (and a brand manager, of course), the Geoff Colllins era at Georgia Tech is ready to begin in earnest.
With so many staff members from Georgia, much like Collins himself, and/or doubling as graduates from the very institution they now work for, local recruiting is sure to be a focus, and strength, of this team.
Choice in particular brings a youth and energy to the staff that did not exist during the Paul Johnson era.
Despite his predecessor’s successes, Collins decided to start entirely fresh when he took over the job in December. Soon, the time will come for these new faces to prove what they can do.
SEC Stock Report
By: Kipp Branch
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
My annual SEC football stock report? Let’s take a look at the SEC Football Stock report currently after the completion of the 2018 football season.
Alabama: Hold for now. Good historical producing stock that is one of the top investments out there. CEO was the best, but may have lost his fire. Been a top producer for over a decade now. After a hostile takeover by Clemson the stock may have peaked watch this one closely but hold for now.
Arkansas: Buy for now. Second year CEO at the helm with expansion into the Texas marketplace as his top priority. First full recruiting class was solid. This stock is worth a small investment.
Auburn: Dump it. This company has the most overpriced CEO in the business. Dump this stock now. This stock will bounce back under new leadership eventually. Once a new CEO is hired then buy it all. Watch how this stock implodes next fall. Don’t get caught holding this stock. Sentimental stock holders end up being broke.
Florida: Buy as much as you can. This stock is valuable once again. New CEO has built this brand back into a top tier stock. Still a year away, but buy now and watch your value increase over time. UCF tried to play hardball with this stock, but learned that this stock is the most prized in the Sunshine State and calls the shots.
Georgia: Buy it. This stock is one of the best in the business. Top producer that lost a little value over the holidays, but will peak in 2019, 2020, and beyond.
Kentucky: Sell. Other divisions are steady performers, but this football brand peaked in earnings last fall and will start dropping in value. Get what you can now for it and take a nice vacation. This stock booms every 30 or so years.
LSU: Hold. CEO performed better than expected in 2018. Traditional producing stock, but time will tell if this CEO has it in him to keep all stakeholders happy. Hold for now and gobble it up if this brand starts peaking next fall.
Mississippi State: Sell. This is a worthless penny stock that is a traditional loser. If you own this stock please don’t tell anyone and dump it quickly.
Ole Miss: Buy. This stock endured some tough times, but the forecast looks good in future. It’s a light snack, but will be a producer once again.
Mizzou: Buy. This stock was a producer in 2018 and the trend will continue in 2019 with a new field general with a terrific resume.
South Carolina: Dump it. This stock resides in tough marketplace where it looks up to top cat Clemson and rise in value looks bleak short term. Reminds me of Sears trying to compete with Walmart/Target/Amazon. You want it to do well but who in the hell is going to invest in it?
Texas A&M: Buy everything in sight. New CEO brought in at $75 million, and the cash reserves in this company are through the roof. New CEO turned a huge profit immediately and the stockholders are just plain giddy for what the future holds. I bought a few shares of this stock personally.
Tennessee: Hold. This stock has bottomed out and has nowhere else to go but up. This stock is showing signs of a huge rebound. The hope is that the new offensive coordinator doesn’t eat up the profits. Watch this stock closely. Be ready to buy at a moment’s notice.
Vanderbilt: Hold. This stock holds its value quite nicely. Hold what you have but don’t invest in more of it. One of the better CEO’s out there that gets the most he can out of this stock. You would love for this stock to spike through the roof just once before you die.
College football season goes by so quickly. Money never sleeps, however.
Keep That Window Open
By: Mike Anthony
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
Winning an FBS national championship has to be one of the toughest things to do in all of sports.
As it stands, the current setup of a four-team playoff for the national title – and decisions that have been made by the playoff committee in choosing those teams in recent years – have made it clear that only the well-known, well-financed, heavy hitters of the ‘Power 5’ conferences have a seat at the table.
And even amongst that small subset, there are myriad hurdles that can derail a promising September outlook and leave it well short of postseason expectations.
With college rosters constantly in flux, many teams (with the apparent exceptions of Alabama and Clemson) only figure to have one or two shots in any five-year timeframe at making a national championship run.
Georgia fans should take plenty of pride in what the Bulldogs were able to accomplish over the last two seasons, but that also comes with tons of ‘what-ifs’ and the creeping sense that another run at a national championship could take some time to materialize.
Georgia saw its perfect storm come together in 2017. The Bulldogs were every bit the national power they were expected to be. They took care of business in the regular season and were able to avoid a date with Alabama in the SEC Championship game, winning a league title before coming within a play or two of upsetting the Crimson Tide in a title game that was UGA’s for the taking.
A wealth of returning talent this season gave UGA the second chance that many schools never receive. Georgia had the benefit of a returning starter at quarterback, a nasty defense, one of the nation’s best kickers and a head coach who was fast becoming one of the biggest names in the game.
But the stars never quite aligned for the Bulldogs. UGA laid a regular season egg at LSU and after keeping itself in the playoff discussion down the stretch, blew a pair of big leads against Alabama in the SEC championship game.
Crazier years in the FBS may have seen fewer undefeated teams or more drama in the closing weeks, but there was little argument to be made that a two-loss Georgia team belonged in the playoff, even as it had given Alabama its biggest scare of the season up to that point.
Such is the nature of college football for the small group of teams that are always hopeful to be in the mix.
It seems to be a prerequisite that a spot as a Power 5 school and at least one marquee win is required for admission into the postseason party.
A couple dozen schools can claim to have that profile at the beginning of each season, but four months of unpredictability in both opponents and team health never fails to lay waste to most of those dreams.
And that’s where UGA will begin 2019.
The Bulldogs will still have a stud quarterback and a hot-list coach. Their kicker will be back again to lean on in close games and the defense will likely be stout once again.
But the window is closing. The list of key graduating starters, early entrants into the NFL draft and transfers to other programs is already over a dozen and may still grow.
Georgia is bound to be a good team once again in 2019, but the cruel nature of FBS football will force UGA to take two years’ worth of heartbreak and force it to start from square one once again with even fewer certainties than it has had in its two best runs in the last quarter-century.
Winning isn’t easy. Even harder is having to fall all the way down the hill after coming so close, only to try and regroup to make the summit attempt once again.
