Georgia Sports Edition
Trend Koetter
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the past two years Steve Sarkisian must have felt as though he had “kick me” tattooed across his forehead; no one thought he deserved to be in the position he was in.
Two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, with a quarterback that has a few years left before the inevitable decline begins and one of the league’s best wideouts in his prime, the Atlanta Falcons decided that everything old is new again.
Out went Sarkisian and in comes former offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter.
Normally when it comes to a coaching hire, there isn’t much middle ground with me. Either I love the hire and begin an unhealthy infatuation with whomever made the decision, or I hate it and start actively petitioning them to become the next athletic director at UNC.
In the case of Koetter, I’m just kind of “Yeah, ok.”
I get why Atlanta decided to bring him back, especially if Matt Ryan signed off on the move, it’s just hard to get too excited about the move.
It’s easy to knock Sarkisian when you compare him to his predecessor, Kyle Shanahan, but statistically speaking, Atlanta’s offense was actually more productive with Sarkisian than it was with Koetter.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Sarkisian is better or that statistics are the end all, be all, I just thought it was interesting.
Now, in Koetter’s defense the Falcons do have a little more talent on that side of the ball than they did during his initial run with the team.
The weapons at his disposal from the receiver position don’t really need much of an introduction and are an improvement from what he had.
The primary back during his time from 2012-2014 was an aging Stephen Jackson, so there wasn’t much of a rushing attack. It explains why Ryan threw more passes over that three year span than any other in his career.
With two capable backs in Freeman and Coleman, I’d expect the offense to be a little more balanced this time around.
The big question is can Koetter be creative with all that talent?
I don’t want to linger too much on his time in Tampa, but he had an abundance of riches on the offensive side of the ball down there and just couldn’t make it work.
Yes, part of the issue was his quarterback, but nothing Koetter did came across as being very innovative.
Granted, innovation doesn’t automatically equal success, but in today’s game it sure doesn’t hurt.
It’s not a must win now type situation for the Falcons, but it could be within the next few years. And even though I can’t imagine Quinn being on any hot seat entering the season, you never can tell when it comes to the NFL.
Which bring me back to my original, apathetic reaction to the Koetter hire. It’s not a bad hire, but I’m also not sure it’s the kind of difference maker that puts Atlanta over the top. Then again, if choosing a coach was easy there wouldn’t have been eight head coaching positions and numerous coordinator ones open at the end of the season.
I will give Atlanta some credit for this, they have decided to buck the trend and not hire someone who met Sean McVay in a Starbucks.
Seriously, at this point it’s just a matter of time before McVay’s “first love” becomes the next NFL Commissioner.
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.
Bouncing Bama
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
Going into the college football season the top two teams were Clemson and Alabama. They met in the national championship again this year, making their fourth consecutive match up in the College Football Playoff. Most of us expected these two teams to play but the outcome was shocking.
The Tigers trounced Bama 44 – 16. This is the largest margin of defeat in the Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide got out played and out coached.
Since the national title game last year, the media has hyped up Tua Tagovailoa and rightfully so. Tua has struggled against elite competition and that played a factor in the blowout loss.
He threw two interceptions that resulted in 14 points for the Tigers. The first was returned 44 yards for a touchdown only 100 seconds into the game.
The Tide also had six penalties for 60 yards.
“I just have a feeling that I didn’t do a very good job for our team, with our team, giving them the best opportunity to be successful,” Saban said. “I always feel that way, even sometimes when we win, I think there’s things we could do better or that I could have done better.”
“But particularly in this case, never really ever got comfortable with what we needed to do to win this game, especially on defense, especially the matchups we had in our secondary versus their receivers. That was something that was kind of bothering me going into the game, and as the game unfolded, it worked out that those matchups were a big difference in the game.”
Alabama came back to take a 16 – 14 lead in the second quarter before the wheels fell off. Saban seemed to feel the pressure and made some very puzzling moves.
They struggled in the red zone and ran one the worst fake field goal I’ve ever seen in the third quarter. On fourth and six they snapped the ball to holder Mac Jones and kicker Joseph Bulovas was the lead blocker (no, seriously). He ran right into Clemson’s elite defensive line to lose yards.
One big take away from this game is true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a stud. I knew he was the projected top overall pick in 2020 but I thought the moment might be too big for him right now.
Lawrence threw for 347 yards, 3 touchdowns, completed 63% of his passes and did not turn the ball over. I’m expecting him to be the Heisman front runner next year.
True freshman receiver and Alabama native Justyn Ross had another huge game. He had 6 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Travis Etienne ran for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Tigers only had 1 penalty for 12 yards. They converted on 66% of third downs.
“There was a lot of talk about best ever, all year long,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We were never in that conversation.”
This is the first time I’ve seen a team with more speed and athleticism against Alabama. Clemson looks like the team of the future but I wouldn’t panic yet if I were an Alabama fan.
They have the topped rated recruiting class coming in this year. The Tigers are also losing several senior defensive linemen.
I fully expect to see a rematch in the playoffs next season.
Groundhog Day
By: JJ Lanier
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
After four months, what has to be close to a thousand games, and countless hours of my life I’ll never get back listening to people complain about who made the college playoffs and how many teams should be included, we end the season right where most thought we would before it even started; Alabama and Clemson, battling it out for the national title. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I know there’s some fatigue going into tonight’s national championship game since this is the fourth year in a row both teams will have met in the playoffs, with three of those meetings for the national title. But as much as people like to compare it to the Golden State/Cleveland series, and their four straight matchups, this budding rivalry between the two premier programs in college football is much more compelling.
Throughout the season Alabama and Clemson have been the two best teams. There may have been a couple that could make an argument for a week or two, but nobody has consistently been as dominant as either of them.
It’s hard to see where the advantages are, too. Normally each team has a glaring weakness, if not two, the other team tries to exploit.
However, tonight it’s going to come down to scheme and execution. I know that’s not a very insightful analysis, but neither team really has any major deficiencies.
Both teams’ strength is their defense; they both have a strong running game that enables them to control the time of possession, as well as the ability to milk the clock when needed; and both have quarterbacks that more than lives up to the hype and are able to score points in a hurry.
As great a coach as Nick Saban is, it’s not like Dabo Swinney is the college version of Rich Kotite. Both coaches are great with in game adjustments and have obviously proven they aren’t afraid to make a gutsy decision with their season on the line.
As great as the play on the field promises to be, the mental matchup between these two might be even greater.
I think Alabama is the more talented squad, so if they play up to the level, they’re capable of I believe Saban will walk away with his seventh national championship. The Crimson Tide will have to play that well though, because Clemson isn’t too far behind.
The Tigers are deep and skilled at every position, and are not intimidated.
When it comes to titles games, whether it’s college or professional, all you can hope for is a well-played game that has some semblance of tension at the end.
I understand fans may feel like they’re living their own personal version of “Groundhog Day” and would love to see someone else in the title. It’s hard to root for either team when they’ve already gotten an embarrassment of riches. I mean, even during all those Warriors/Cavs series, there wasn’t much question as to who the superior team was.
With all due respect to teams like Georgia, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, these have been the two best teams all year and deserve to be in this game. As exciting as their first two games were this one has the potential to be just as good.
It may be a story we’ve all seen before, but it’s a hell of a good one.
Alabama 30, Clemson 24.
Catching Dollars
By: TJ Hartnett
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
Julio Jones has two years left (and over $21 million) on the five year, $71.25 million contract extension that he signed with the Atlanta Falcons in August 2015, but that hasn’t stopped his contract situation from being in the headlines across both Atlanta and the National Football League.
That’s because Julio thinks he’s earned himself a raise. This is not news, as prior to the 2018 campaign there, were rumors abound of Julio holding out during the preseason.
It didn’t shake out that way, with the Falcons moving some money around and taking better care of the star wide receiver for the year. A $2.8 million raise will get most anyone to show up for work.
And Jones showed up in 2018, leading the league with 1,677 receiving yards on 113 catches and 8 touchdowns. His 10 100-yard games set a franchise record for most such games in a single season.
So, the question that now faces the Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons is this: how much money should be thrown at Julio Jones? He’ll be 30 when next season starts. So, should they make him the NFL’s highest paid receiver?
There are plenty of indicators that the Falcons are willing to open up the checkbook for their young cornerstone. Blank himself has mentioned that he’d like to “take care” of the players that deserve it, specifically name-dropping Julio.
For the sake of comparison, New York Giants’ star Odell Beckham Jr. is leading the wide receiving charge at a hefty $18 million average per year, nearly $4 million above Julio’s current average, which sits at 11th highest.
There’s a chance that Julio could ask for well over Beckham’s price, even flying past $20 million average per year with $70 million guaranteed, also higher than Beckham’s number.
Jones’ teammate Matt Ryan was briefly the highest-paid quarterback in the league, thanks to a huge five year deal he signed last year that was ultimately surpassed by the contract Aaron Rodgers inked with Green Bay. So, we know that Atlanta will pony up when they think it’s deserved.
Plus, they’ll likely have the salary cap space in 2019 to get Jones past Beckham if they want. Julio, for his part, has said numerous times that being the highest paid isn’t his goal, just to get paid what he’s worth. But that may mean the same thing.
It took Julio just 104 games to accumulate 10,000 yards, the fastest in the history of the NFL. He’s also got “first receiver to have five 1,400-yard seasons” on his resume, to supplement the six Pro Bowl selections he’s already racked up. And he’s shown no indication of slowing down.
In fact, his league-leading yard total is all the more impressive given his battles with injuries in 2018.
2019 should shape up to be a success for Julio as well. We don’t know who he’ll be working with on the sidelines after the Falcons fired offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, but even under Sark – an oft-maligned OC – Julio still produced huge numbers.
Whoever the Falcons find to fill that role shouldn’t affect the massive pay day coming in Julio’s direction.
Whether or not he rises to meet or exceed the record for players at his position, the Falcons seem ready to pay Julio and that’s good. He’s a crucial part of the Falcons’ offense, and even though that unit as a whole hasn’t consistently impressed since the record-setting 2016 season, Julio is a major asset to the team.
There are also negative implications if Atlanta tries to underpay or lowball Jones, who has shown willingness to advocate for himself but that seems like an unlikely outcome.
Julio Jones is going to get the money he deserves before too long. The question is: how much is that?
Jason Bishop Show with Kipp Branch January 5
Sour Sugar Bowl
By: Kipp Branch
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia got whipped in the Sugar Bowl by a Texas team that had something to prove and the Longhorns came out and took it to Georgia; winning the Sugar Bowl 28-21. The Dawgs ended the season with two straight losses, but great lessons come from a little adversity.
Georgia went into the Sugar Bowl over-confident and it showed throughout the contest. Jake Fromm probably had his worst game in a UGA uniform. D’Andre Swift could not hold on to the football. JJ Holloman had a bad case of the drops. Richard LeCounte tackled like a Pop Warner league defensive back.
The only player that played like he wanted to be in New Orleans was Brian Herrien. UGA only had 69 yards rushing against a Longhorn defense that had leaked all season like a West Texas oil well.
Texas beat UGA at its own game, which was being physical at the point of attack. Texas is on its way back to being a national power. Great job Texas you earned the Sugar Bowl trophy.
What can UGA learn from this effort?
Social Media is not the place to vent your frustrations about not being selected for the college football playoff. Going into this game against the Longhorns’ T should have stood for Texas and not Twitter.
Take care of your business on the field and not put it in the hands of a committee. UGA lost by 20 in Baton Rouge and blew a two-touchdown lead against Alabama in the second half.
Notre Dame looked bad against Clemson, but Georgia players after the way UGA looked against LSU had no business blowing up social media after Clemson beat the Irish 30-3.
I told my wife Saturday night that UGA was in trouble against Texas. Georgia was not a focused football team in New Orleans.
You need to limit your distractions. Deandre Baker you are a DGD, but when you made the decision not to play in the Sugar Bowl then you became a former player getting ready for the NFL draft.
Best of luck to you, I and the rest of Dawgnation will be supporting you in the future. BTW, you didn’t come to UGA as a first round draft pick. Georgia helped prepare you for the NFL. You are an all-time UGA great and a favorite of mine.
Touchy subject matter here I know, but you made the wrong decision and as a leader of the football team your decision spoke volumes about how much the Sugar Bowl really mattered to the younger kids in the program.
All of those years of Outback, Citrus, Liberty, Belk, Taxslayer/Gator, and any other insignificant bowls; then this team wasn’t ready or motivated to play in the damn SUGAR Bowl.
Really? The Rose, Sugar, Orange and Cotton are the historic bowl games guys. Hines Ward, Champ Bailey, current UGA head coach, Kirby Smart, Robert Edwards, Todd Gurley, Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst, and the list goes on, would have loved an opportunity to play in the Sugar Bowl.
Deandre you should have followed your heart and played in the game. We still love you though #18 and always will.
Justin Fields. UGA does not hand out starting jobs. You did not beat out Jake Fromm for the QB position.
You played in 11 games as a freshman. If you don’t want to be in Athens then take your talents to another university. There are plenty of kids that are hungry for your spot.
Competition is everywhere in life. Get used to it Justin and best of luck to you. I hope you stay.
Now that my rant is over that Sugar Bowl loss could be a blessing in disguise for UGA.
With 88 players who are freshman or sophomores this team will learn from this, and will be a huge coaching point for Coach Smart and the staff.
Georgia has more talent than anyone in the country and a great head coach and staff are in place.
Georgia is in transition from being a good program and on the cusp of being a great program. The lessons learned from the last month will help define that greatness just on the horizon.
Around The Bend
By: Rich Styles
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
The 2018-19 season starts this month on the PGA Tour. Yes, there were several tournaments last fall with many of the top ranked golfers cherry picking which ones to play.
Now, after the Tournament of Champions, which will not include Tiger, Phil and Justin Rose, the tour starts in Hawaii, then the west coast swing.
There are many PGA, Web.com, PGA Tour Canada and Latin American players from Georgia or with Georgia ties. Many have won tour events and several majors over the last several years and around 30 or so live and practice in Sea Island/St. Simons Island.
One of the biggest stories was Charles Howell III winning the RSM Classic. Howell III won on the second playoff hole with a birdie, after over 83,693 shots on the tour, 333 starts and over 11 years without a win. A great and popular win for the Augusta native. He will play in the TOC in Hawaii.
He is also ranked in the Top 20 of total winnings on the PGA Tour. Quite an accomplishment with 3 PGA Tour wins and many Top 10s along his journey.
Looking to regain their games in the 2018-19 season are Patton Kizzire, who had a great first half of the season with two wins to lead the FedEx Cup standings and reached Top 30 of the Tour Championship; Chesson Hadley, who has 13 Top 25s and 7 Top 10s.
Also looking to regain form are Kevin Kisner, who did not have the year that he had planned; Brian Harman, started strong but missed the Tour Championship; Zach Johnson will start the new year with a new caddie after parting ways with Damon Green after 15-years together and 2 major wins. And many others.
A strong list of players on various tours include Anders Albertson, Cameron Tringale, Harris English, Heath Slocum, Hudson Swofford, J.T. Poston, Jason Bohn, Joey Garber, Scott Wolfes, Kris Blanks, Luke List, Michael Thompson, Ollie Schniederjans, Patrick Reed, Richy Werenski, Roberto Castro, Russell Henry, Scott Brown, Sepp Straka, Stewart Cink, Trey Mullinax, Troy Matteson, Vaughn Taylor, Wesley Bryan, Dru Love IV and Will Claxton.
The list will grow of tour players who live or have ties in Georgia with the incredibly strong golf programs at UGA, Georgia Southern, College of Coastal Georgia, Georgia Tech and others.
The AJGA, Jones Cup Jr and Jones Cup Invitational are also strong organizations with unbelievable talent that is only going to get stronger.
That means the talent in high schools to colleges to the mini tours to the PGA Tour is strong. You may not know their names now but you will in the next few years.
These players are young, strong and have an incredible will to win. They have no fear and want to play against the best on any of the above-mentioned tours. Georgia’s golf future is bright and very promising.
The Richt Time
By: JJ Lanier
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
The Urban Meyer retirement I saw coming; the Mark Richt retirement, I did not.
Whenever you have a coach as young as Richt abruptly retire, the speculation automatically turns to poor health, albeit with him or someone in his family.
I’m sure over the coming days and weeks more info will come out of Coral Gables as to the reasons why; it will also give us a little more clarification as to whether or not there’s a possibility Richt follows the aforementioned Meyer and returns to the sidelines any time soon.
Rather than try and guess any of those things, I want to take Richt retirement at face value, assume he is done coaching and talk about what legacy, if any, he leaves behind.
Since he had only two head coaching stops during his 18 years as a head coach, 15 of which were spent in Athens, your opinion of his coaching is probably based on whether his tenure at Georgia was successful.
Regardless of how you felt about Richt at the time he ceased to be Georgia’s head coach, he did have a successful run there. He took a program that had been struggling to find some consistency, amid high expectations from alumni and fans and was able to bring in some of that much sought after stability.
Georgia went from a good program to one that people outside of Athens thought could be title contenders on a regular basis.
Miami was in even more dire straits when Richt took over three years ago, and although this year didn’t live up to expectations, he was bringing that program back to respectability.
Unfortunately, despite what he was able to accomplish, I’m not sure that’s exactly what Richt will be remembered for.
As soon I wrote that his team in Coral Gables didn’t live up to expectations this year, I admit I thought “Well, isn’t that kind of his thing?” I mean, for all the triumphs he had as a head coach, his teams never quite seemed to be able to reach their potential.
When you look at all the talent that came through the program while he was there, it’s a bit surprising he didn’t win more big time games during those 15 years, isn’t it?
It’s hard to knock someone who won 2 conference titles and had the misfortune of coaching in a league with both Urban Meyer and Nick Saban, but it still always felt like Georgia could have been more.
This seems to be even more exacerbated by the success Kirby Smart has had since taking over for Richt. Smart has been more successful on the recruiting trail and was able to take them to heights- mainly being a national championship game- that Richt was never able to do.
We all like to talk about how difficult it is to follow a highly accomplished coach on any level, but sometimes it’s more damaging to the reputation to be outdone by your successor.
I have no idea if Richt will ever return to coaching, or if he even has the desire to. I imagine if he chooses to comeback at point down the road, there will a number of college football teams interested in his services. He is a good coach that seems to have a knack for elevating the level of the program he is leading. Just don’t expect him to bring you to the top of the mountain; as you’ll probably remember, that’s not exactly his forté.
