Kipp Branch
Plenty Of Bite
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The expectations are through the roof.
The Georgia Bulldogs finished (13-1) but came up short last season in their quest to become the first three-peat national champion in modern-day history.
A 63-3 Orange Bowl win over FSU showed the nation that Georgia was good enough to accomplish the 3-peat but the system in place did not allow it.
Now, we go to a 12-team playoff in 2024, and after 8 straight top three recruiting classes Georgia is poised to be in the mix for another run at a national championship.
The Bulldogs have been known for defense during this run the program has been on, but what goes unnoticed is how productive and explosive the UGA offense has been over the past two seasons.
It all starts at the QB position for UGA. ESPN has named Carson Beck as the best returning QB in the country for this fall.
Beck passed for 3,941 yards in 2023 and had a 72.4% completion percentage with 24 TD passes. Beck is a Heisman Trophy contender going into the 2024 season and if he can lead UGA back into the college football playoffs he may just bring the Heisman to UGA for the first time since 1982 when you know who won it.
He patiently waited his turn in Athens in an era of ‘I want to play now or transfer’. That mentality won over the UGA locker room last fall, and now the decision to return for 2024 has Beck leading a team that many will predict to win a national championship.
At running back UGA has a loaded room. Trevor Etienne comes in from Florida and the expectations are high for the junior with plenty of SEC game experience.
Roderick Robinson returns, and Branson Robinson is recovering from a knee injury.
Nate Frazier leads a trio of incoming first-year students that will re-stock the running back room.
At wide receiver Dillon Bell, Rara Thomas and Dominic Lovett will lead a deep room that still includes Arian Smith and some highly touted transfer portal additions.
This is a deep group that will give Beck plenty of options in the passing game. Georgia offense put up prolific numbers in 2023, and 2024 should be no different.
At Tight End Oscar Delp takes over for the legend of Brock Bowers in Athens. Delp is productive but has huge shoes to fill. He will be the next great UGA tight end.
The offensive line is a place UGA has recruited very well and will reload.
Former Camden County Wildcat Micah Morris will compete for a starting position in the spring and summer, and the UGA coaches are extremely high on former Brunswick High Pirate Jamal Meriweather, who bulked up thirty-five pounds during his redshirt season last fall.
Jared Wilson has all conference potential at center, Earnest Greene is a budding superstar at left tackle.
For all the hype Kirby Smart gets for recruiting defensive stars he also has developed a roster of studs on the offensive side of the ball.
Nobody manages a roster better than Kirby Smart, and now with the retirement of Nick Saban the best coach in the country resides in Athens, Georgia.
Repeat after me Kirby Smart is the best college football coach in the country, and he will have an offense in 2024 that will prove it. He might just maybe have his first Heisman Trophy winner as a head coach.
A List Of Needs
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NFL Draft is a crucial one for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville is slotted with nine picks in April’s draft, with extra picks in the fourth and sixth rounds. And after a disappointing 9-8 campaign in 2023 after beginning the season with an 8-3 record, the Jaguars will need to fill some gaps.
Jacksonville will have about $25 million in cap space available to spend in free agency.
Most of that will be dedicated to a Josh Allen extension or franchise tag. Josh Allen is not going anywhere so do not worry Jag fans.
Many believe that the Jaguars will cut Cam Robinson and that move could free up an additional $17-18 million to dabble in free agency, but if they make that move then offensive line becomes a huge position of need bigger than it already is.
Trevor Lawrence took a beating in 2023. Jacksonville fumbled the ball twenty-eight times last season which was the second highest total in the NFL. Yards per carry last season was 3.6 which was second to last in the league. Lawrence missed time last season due to injury which all points to offensive line struggles.
What happens with Calvin Ridley? If they re-sign Ridley before free agency officially starts, they will have to give Atlanta their No. 48 (second-round) pick as part of their trade for Ridley.
If they do not re-sign him or re-sign him after the start of free agency, then they give Atlanta their No. 79 (third-round pick). All indications are that Jacksonville wants to re-sign Ridley.
Ridley is currently a free agent, and it makes a ton of sense to bring him back to the River City. Ridley is not back to his pre-suspension form yet but showed signs later in the season of his old self. Ridley turns thirty this season, and still has some fuel left in the tank.
Biggest Needs ranked in order:
Offensive Line: Jacksonville needs help across the offensive line, but if Cam Robinson is gone then tackle is a huge need position. Amarius Mims from Georgia is the most athletic offensive lineman in this draft.
Mims is a freak athlete that would start from day one in Jacksonville and provide a much-needed upgrade in athleticism and youth for a high need position.
Most mock drafts have Mims going from pick 15-25 in the first round. Mims should be there when Jacksonville picks at 17.
Wide Receiver: If Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU is still on the board at 17 then how can Jacksonville pass him up?
Thomas can bring both size and big-play ability to take attention away from Ridley.
Thomas has a rare blend of size and speed, and the ability to challenge opposing defenses over the top, making him the ideal candidate. All Thomas did at LSU was catch TD passes.
Cornerback: Jacksonville needs a corner to pair with Tyson Campbell. That need must be addressed in this draft. Jacksonville picks at 17 in the first round. Based on the latest mock drafts where the elite offensive linemen and wide receivers could be gobbled up means the Jaguars could get better value at cornerback with their first-round selection.
Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama could be a value pick here if he is still on the board.
Jacksonville must get better at OL, WR, and CB in this draft. Houston is only going to get better moving forward. Jacksonville must keep pace with the Texans.
This draft is critical in Jacksonville.
Underpaid
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Ronald Jose Acuña Jr. is the best player in baseball. Repeat after me one more time Ronald Jose Acuña Jr. is the best player in baseball. Now that we have that understood let me show you the top ten paid players in baseball:
Ten highest paid players in MLB 2024
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers – $70 million
Max Scherzer, Texas Rangers – $43.333 million
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros – $43.333 million
Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers – $40 million
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees – $40 million
Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels – $38.571 million
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels – $37.116 million
Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees – $36 million
Patrick Corbin, Washington Nationals – $35.416 million
Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals – $35 million
The current NL MVP is not on this list, but he soon should be.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is not eligible to become a free agent until after the 2026 season, but he is already thinking about a contract that will keep him with the Atlanta Braves for life.
Speaking to reporters from spring training last week, Acuña said it’s “not a secret” he wants to be “a Brave for life” and is hopeful they can “make that happen soon.”
Acuña was the first Braves player who signed one of those team-friendly deals that have become so common with the Braves over the years. He agreed to a 10-year, $100 million deal in 2019, when he was 21 years old. The contract has since been re-worked with an option of free agency after year eight.
I cannot fault the Braves for doing team friendly deals with players that project out to be future superstars. Acuña falls in that category.
Would the Braves risk letting this superstar walk in a couple of seasons? This situation has the potential to not turn out so well if the Braves are not willing to have extension talks with the Acuña camp.
Surely the Braves organization feels that Acuña should be one of the top paid players in the game. I can guarantee you that the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets feel that way.
The longer Atlanta allows extension talks drag out then you allow bitterness to creep in, and if this drags out over a year or so you hurt your chances of resigning the best player in baseball to a long-term extension that will keep Acuña a Braves for life.
After an MVP season the Acuña camp understands their market value, and so do the Atlanta Braves. The Braves knew this day would come.
Grossly undervalued team friendly contracts frustrate me as a fan, but I do understand the business side of it. It feels like a team takes advantage of a young player who comes from a tough background in a developing country. This was Acuña’s case and the Braves threw a big number in front of him at an early age for long-term. The Braves know that if the player develops into a superstar, like in Acuña’s case, then you a very team friendly situation. However, this creates a perception problem.
He led MLB with a .416 on-base percentage, 217 hits and 73 stolen bases last season.
The Braves have Acuña on the books for $17M for 2024. The Yankees are paying Aaron Judge $40M in 2024. The Braves are getting a sweetheart deal here.
Acuña became the first player in MLB history with at least 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a single season during the 2023 season.
Acuña, the first 40/70 player in MLB history, is the fourth highest paid player on his own team. Matt Olsen, Austin Riley, and Charlie Morton are all compensated better than Ronald.
You must be kidding me. Braves, please get serious about locking down the best player in baseball for life.
Acuña at a minimum deserves Aaron Judge money. Period. End of story. Please get it done Braves. The last thing Braves fans want to hear is the word holdout associated with Ronald Acuña while he is an Atlanta Brave.
Herons New Hire
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Brantley County has their new man in David Shores.
Coach Shores comes to Brantley County after a 3-year stint at Brunswick High School.
Shores served as the Assistant Head Coach, Special Teams Coordinator and Safeties coach for the Pirates.
During the school day, Coach Shores also wore the hat of Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the Pirates.
Before Brunswick, Shores served as the Defensive Coordinator at Camden County High School from 2017-2020. Prior to Camden, Shores orchestrated defenses at Lowndes (2015-16) and Peach County (2014).
Coach Shores has coached in the GHSA playoffs nine out of ten seasons, since moving to Georgia, from his home state of Alabama.
In his thirteen-year tenure as a high school coach in Alabama, Coach Shores was a part of 2 State Championships, 1 6A Runner-Up, 3 Quarter-Final appearances, 1 Second-Round and 3 First-Round appearances.
Shores began his coaching career as graduate assistant at Auburn University in 1998. From Auburn, Shores served as an assistant coach at both Opelika High School and Hoover High, before going back to the SEC to work as an analyst at Louisiana State University, under Nick Saban.
Shores became defensive coordinator at Pelham High School in 2005, before taking the same title at Spain Park High the following season. He then served as Head Coach at Spain Park from 2008-2010 and Head Coach/Athletics Director at Pell City High School from 2011-2013.
Coach Shores’ record as head coach currently sits at 27-18, with a 3-2 playoff record and 19-11 in region play.
Coach Shores is married to the former Alison Still, of Waycross. Alison currently serves as the President of the Camden County Chamber of Commerce. David and Alison are extremely excited to join the Heron family!
Coach Shores had this to say to me after his hiring became official:
“I am excited about the opportunity ahead of me at Brantley. I feel like this opportunity was meant to be.
I have had a desire to be a head coach again for quite some time and usually apply for numerous openings, but this one just felt right and was the only opening I applied for this year.
It is close to home and Alison, and I really love this area. I grew up playing high school football in a small town. The small-town atmosphere really appeals to me. I feel like smaller communities are more supportive and really buy-in to what we are trying to accomplish with the young people in our program and community.
There are a lot of wonderful things happening at Brantley County High School and I hope to be a great ambassador for the county and play winning football on top of it.
Coach Cannon did a fantastic job here, and he played a lot of kids so we have some experience coming back in 2024, and we will need it because we are in a new region that includes Thomasville, Fitzgerald, and Worth County. Iron sharpens iron is our approach and people better buckle up when they play us.
I begin on March 1st, and we have a lot of work to do between then and August, but we have good kids in the program, great community support, great support from the school system and BCHS administration. I am ready to get to work! Go Herons!”
This is a great hire for Brantley County. David Shores has a great defensive mind and will run the Brantley defense.
He will bring in an offensive coordinator and will not change much scheme wise in year one. Brantley plays single A football and should compete for a playoff spot this fall.
A lot of exciting things are happening in Brantley County, and for the Shores family.
The Franchise
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 quarterback class may be the deepest in years at the position.
There is the potential to have as many as six QB’s selected in the first round when April rolls around. Let us look at the top 6 QB’s in the draft:
Caleb Williams, USC: Regarded as the best QB prospect in years, all signs point to Williams being selected by the Chicago Bears with the first overall selection in the draft.
Williams, a former Heisman winner, has the arm and mobility to be a franchise QB in Chicago.
The Bears will part ways with Justin Fields and hopefully learned a valuable lesson about putting pieces around a young QB so he can be successful. Atlanta Falcons are you paying close attention to this situation?
Drake Maye, North Carolina: Expect a run on QB’s with the first few selections, and now the beauty contest begins.
With the third overall pick in the first round the New England Patriots select the big bodied, big armed prototypical QB that fits right into the Patriot way.
Mac Jones will be cast off to greener pastures and Maye will lead a proud franchise for the next 12-15 years. Maye will have a distinguished career for the Patriots.
Jayden Daniels, LSU: The 2023 Heisman winner revives football in the nation’s capital.
The Commanders select Daniels with the second overall pick in the first round and Commanders begin the March back to being a playoff team in the NFC East.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington: Experts think Penix will drop into the second or third round, but his productivity cannot be questioned.
Could the Bucs at 26 or the Steelers at 20 take a shot at a productive player like Penix Jr.?
I can hear the so-called draft experts use every draft day buzz word phrase regarding this player. Penix could be a steal for someone. I predict the Raiders will take the QB with the 44th overall selection in the second round.
Bo Nix, Oregon: Bo Nix is quietly rising up draft boards. I now fully expect Bo Nix to be drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 12th selection to be the replacement for Russell Wilson, who will get traded before the 2024 draft.
Sean Payton will have his QB moving forward to turn Denver into a Super Bowl contender.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: Jim Harbaugh thinks his national title winning QB should be one of the first QB’s off the board.
I will take it a step further as I think the Minnesota Vikings will draft McCarthy with the 11th pick in the first round to replace Kirk Cousins who will be somewhere else this fall.
McCarthy has the arm talent and mobility that the Vikings want moving forward.
Sleeper Selection: Spencer Rattler, South Carolina: I think Rattler could be on the biggest steals of this draft.
The QB was the only bright spot on a bad football team in 2023. Regardless of what the New York Giants say publicly about Daniel Jones they are not saying it privately.
The Giants take their QB of the future with pick seventy in the third round.
This 2024 QB class will go down as one of the greatest QB draft classes in history a decade from now.
I Have The Power
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Another college football season has come and gone.
The SEC perception wise seemed a little down in 2023.
No SEC team played for a national title for the 2023 season for the first time since 2014. The College Football playoff committee/ESPN dream scenario match-up of Alabama and Texas did not come to fruition.
It was still a solid year in the premier football conference in the land. My final SEC power rankings are listed below. The 12-team playoff begins in 2024. Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Ole Miss all would have made an expanded 12-team playoff if it had been in place 12-months sooner.
1.Georgia – It is hard to be disappointed after going 13-1. It was not the best UGA team in the last three seasons but it was damn good.
UGA was not consistent all season on getting pressure on the QB. They lost to Alabama in the SEC title game 27-24, but gave you 63 reasons in the Orange Bowl to show that they are the best team in the country.
A 12-team playoff would have resulted in a 3-peat. UGA lost late in the season one year too early.
2.Alabama – Considering the QB situation, it was great season. The demise of Saban and the dynasty was premature. The Wide Receiver play was not up to Alabama standards.
Jalen Milroe is a talented athlete who needs to improve in the short and intermediate passing game.
Alabama has had the most talented roster in the country for three straight seasons based on blue chip rankings, but no national titles to show for it.
3.Missouri – The Tigers were unexpectedly good and the future is bright.
Who did not enjoy the Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State? This team will be in the SEC title hunt in 2024.
4.Ole Miss – The Rebels won 11 wins for the first time ever. That alone gets you a lofty spot in SEC power rankings. The top four in this conference are better than any top tier teams in any other conference. Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss rolling.
5.LSU – I suspect a letdown given last season but still on the right track.
Did anyone seriously think the LSU defense would be as poor as it was? The Tigers did produce a Heisman winner.
6.Tennessee -It was a good season for the Vols. There is lots of hope for the future after the bowl game against a tough defense.
It wasn’t as good of a season as I am sure most Vols fans hoped for but not horrible.
Tennessee must improve on the lines of scrimmage to be elite.
7.Kentucky: The Wildcats started 5-0 then finished 7-6. That is about what you expect from Kentucky football.
8.Texas A&M – Ugh. Mike Elko to the rescue. Does that inspire confidence Aggie fans?
9.Auburn – Only Auburn can lose to New Mexico State and then force Alabama to win the iron bowl in miracle fashion and upset the entire college football world’s power structure.
That is Auburn doing what they do best, causing havoc.
Prediction: Hugh Freeze in three years will have Auburn competing for national titles and will be the premier college football program in the state of Alabama.
10.Florida – The Flagship University in the state of Florida has had three straight losing seasons.
The Gators did not make a bowl game in 2023.
They have the schedule from hell in 2024.
DJ Lagway better be really good at QB is all I can say.
Billy Napier may not survive 2024 as UF head football coach.
11.Mississippi State – It may be a while for the Bulldogs from Starkville.
12.South Carolina – There is significant improvement needed in 2024.
13.Arkansas – Bobby Petrino to the rescue. Sam Pittman’s days are numbered in Fayetteville.
14.Vanderbilt – Vandy always has baseball season to fall back on.
On July 1, 2024, you have Oklahoma and Texas entering the mix. The SEC will expand the national perception of being the best conference in college football.
Something Smells Fishy
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
“If somebody in that committee room doesn’t think Georgia’s one of the four best teams in the country, I don’t know if they’re in the right profession,” UGA head coach Kirby Smart after the team’s SEC championship game loss.
Forget about who got in and just look objectively at Georgia’s resume heading last Saturday’s game
– Won last 2 national championships.
– Won an SEC record 29 straight games, three straight 12-0 regular seasons.
– No. 1 in the country 24 straight weeks heading into Saturday in AP and Coaches poll.
– Hadn’t lost a game in 727 days.
– Has dominated college football and the SEC, the toughest conference in CFB, for two years.
– Lost first game Saturday in more than 2 years by just 3 points and its two best offensive players were playing injured.
If you look objectively at the facts, there is no way UGA is not one of the top 4 teams in the country.
I don’t care who you cheer for, there is no way a team that has basically dominated college football for the last two years can lose one game by 3 points and drop out of the playoffs.
How do you go from being the overwhelming No. 1 team in the country for the previous 24 weeks and lose a championship game by just three points – with two of your best offensive players injured – and completely fall out of the playoff picture. There is no doubt Georgia is easily one of the best four teams in the country and should have been included in the playoff.
Now on to Florida State. Florida State should bolt from the ACC now after the 13-0 ACC champion got left out of the playoffs.
The precedent has been set now and it’s clear they should bolt to a more respected conference like the SEC or even the Big 10.
The committee had FSU in the playoffs after Ohio State lost to Michigan only to drop them out a week later after they won the ACC.
If Georgia would have beat Alabama, the committee was still going to put Texas in over FSU. FSU winning without their top 2 QB’s stirred up the controversy but the plan was already in motion.
FSU was one of the best teams in the country prior to the Jordan Travis injury. The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl a few years ago with a back-up quarterback and beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in that game. Brady is the recognized GOAT at the QB position.
The ACC let you down FSU. You would have never been left out if you were in the SEC. It’s time to get your lawyers working to find a way to exit the ACC.
The problem with this playoff committee is the messaging they use, and then have the ESPN talking heads spin it to drive viewership.
Greg McElroy had the nerve to say that “no team could ever overcome sub-par QB play and win a National Championship”. Well Greg Alabama did it in 2009 with McElroy at QB. He passed for 58 yards in the title game win against Texas.
As of today, the best four teams are: Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, and Texas. Cheaters like Michigan did not deserve to go at all.
The gutless NCAA gave them a slap on the wrist. Ohio State lost to Michigan, and FSU has a championship defense. The Chicago Bears won a Super Bowl with a Championship defense and average QB.
The four most deserving teams are: Alabama, Florida State, Texas, and Washington.
Too much subjectivity in the only major sport in the entire country that does not have a true playoff system.
Also, ESPN is ruining college football. Guess who has the SEC TV rights starting in 2024? That’s right ESPN. The same ESPN that revealed the rankings live last week with the same talking heads that said FSU did not deserve a spot. Coincidence?
You better believe they strong armed this committee into Alabama. Go back prior to the reveal and look how Herbstreit had his helmets aligned in the background.
Enough is enough.
Successful Pirate Voyage
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2023 Brunswick High Pirates had another good sailing through the waters of region 2-AAAAAA this fall.
The Pirates finished with a fine 7-4 record and won a first round State playoff game over Mundy’s Mill 28-22 after trailing 22-7 at halftime.
This senior class leaves the program in fantastic shape, leaving with a 36-10 overall record, three region championships, and three city championships.
Head Coach Garrett Grady had this to say about the 2023 Pirates:
“We had another great football season at Brunswick High School. This team and group of seniors accomplished many things in their career here at Brunswick High. Looking back at this season it was definitely built on the hard work & dedication from the off-season workouts, spring football, summer workouts, summer OTAs, & in season practices. I am proud of this team and the way they competed from every start of each game to the final whistle.
I am very proud of our coaching staff and the job that they did this season as well. Our coaching staff not only developed our players on the field, but they developed them into young men with character and prepared them for the game of Life. This team showed a lot of resiliency & grit.
This team went through a lot of adversity and instead of letting it get the best of them, they fought through it and developed as a TEAM. Many players gained valuable experience that we can build on and I am looking forward to next year. GO PIRATES!”
The Pirates placed many players on the All-Region Team:
Region 2-AAAA First Team
Jack Hunt/OL: Hunt had a fantastic senior campaign playing center for the Pirates. Hunt was a team leader on the offensive line and will play college football next fall.
Heze Kent/TE: Kent will more than likely be the highest rated football prospect to ever come out of Glynn County once his career is finished at BHS. The wonderful thing for Pirate fans is that Kent has two more years in the blue and gold.
Jamarious Towns/RB: Towns returns for his senior season next fall, and you can expect massive things from him and the Pirate offense next season.
TJ Mitchell/WR: The most prolific pass catcher in BHS history. Mitchell’s play-making abilities will long be talked about on Altama Avenue, and he will be missed greatly.
River Creel/DL: Creel played a lot of football for BHS. Played well as a freshman and will be hard to replace next season.
J’Shawn Towns/LB: Towns is a thumper. His best football is ahead of him.
Devin Smith/LB: The Kentucky bound Smith is simply one of the greatest players ever to roam on the defensive side of the ball for Brunswick High School. Period end of story. You do not replace a Devin Smith.
McClain Fineran/K: Fineran made some huge kicks for BHS in his career. He will be missed.
Landon Etheridge/LS: Etheridge had a fantastic season at long snapper and stepped in and made a huge 38-yard FG in the City Championship game this fall.
Region 2-AAAA Second Team:
Grant Moore/QB: Moore will be a junior next fall. Expect huge things from him.
William Heck/RB: Heck had a fine junior season.
Waseem Murray/WR: Remember this name folks.
Chase Richardson/OL
Donyea Broughton/DL
Michael Daniels/LB
Tavion Gadson/DB
Garrett Grady’s Pirates will be elite on offense in 2024. Defense will need to replace some studs. Look for the Pirates to compete for another Region Championship in 2024.
The GOAT
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Alabama has played three of the top four offenses in the SEC this season. They held all 3 teams to only 10 points in the 2nd half.
Teams played, SEC ranked O and 2nd half points scored:
- LSU: 7
- Ole Miss: 3
- Tennessee: 0
Also, the Bammer offense outscored these 3 teams 66-10 in the 2nd half of those contests. How many of you wrote Alabama off after their loss to Texas? This football season shows why Nick Saban is the best coach in college football and reinforces the fact that he is the best college football coach of all time.
He has taken this current Alabama team, replaced a Heisman QB with a QB that simply has great running ability and turned them into the scariest team in the SEC.
Alabama is now imposing their will on other teams like well, like Alabama. They are big, fast, and physical and don’t make a lot of mistakes. Also, Alabama is still recruiting as well as any team in the country.
I frequently watch the SEC Network and my wife defines frequently as every single day.
All offseason the narrative has been that Nick Saban is on the decline. Alabama is not what they used to be. The talking heads on the ESPN family of networks wrote Nick off.
After the Texas loss there were should Saban retire narratives.
Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Tennessee wilted in the second half trying to match up with Alabama.
Alabama is going to the SEC Championship game in early December, and it appears the Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby Smart will be the opponent.
Yes, UGA is back-to-back national champions and going for a third straight, which is a feat that has not been accomplished since the 1930’s.
Well, Alabama was going for a 3-peat in 2013 then the “Kick Six” happened at Auburn.
The Saban era at Alabama was the best run-in college football history with six national championships in twelve years (2009-2021).
The problem with that statement is that the run is not over. If Alabama can beat Kentucky which they will, a paycheck opponent, and Auburn then they are an SEC title game win away from being back in the playoffs.
Then I ask who wants to play the Crimson Tide right now? If you look at the current roster Alabama is not up to Alabama standards under Saban at QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, and LB. Yet, despite those facts Alabama is putting themselves into a position to compete for another national title.
Alabama may again be the best team in the SEC, and Saban is the architect of it.
Saban is the greatest coach in college football history. Next time his team looks like it’s taken a step back, fans should keep their traps shut before using the word “retirement.”
It appears that GOAT has been taking notes of his premature demise and has produced one of his greatest coaching jobs ever. The Tide looked like a middle of the pack SEC team after the Texas and South Florida games, but a transformation has taken place since then.
The 2023 Alabama team is not one of the greatest in school history, but the grit and determination this team displays makes their head coach proud. When your head coach is the GOAT then that is quite an accomplishment.
Once again, the Tide is rolling right into Atlanta with a College Football Playoff berth at stake. Nick Saban and Alabama will have a say in the matter.
Betting On Beck
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re halfway through with the 2023 Georgia football season, and Carson Beck is the big man on campus in Athens, Georgia.
He is the QB on the number one team in the country that is currently riding a 23-game winning streak. Beck’s stats at the halfway point look like this:
144-of-196 passes (73.5-percent)
1,886 yards
13 total touchdowns; 11 passing touchdowns
9.6 yards per attempt
Two comeback victories in SEC play
SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, October 7
His head coach has all the confidence in his abilities and offered this about his QB recently on how he can improve: “Mobility. Getting in and out of the pocket decisions, when to tuck it down and run versus stand in and throw,” Kirby Smart said. “Some designed runs probably wouldn’t hurt him around the red area and things that he can do. He’s a good athlete.” Smart is always coaching his kids up.
After all, Beck has some big shoes to fill. His predecessor as Georgia’s starting quarterback was Stetson Bennett, who led the Bulldogs to consecutive national championships and was always at his best in the biggest games.
Now, after three years spent watching mostly from the sidelines, Beck is finally getting his chance to lead the No. 1 Bulldogs and he is making the most of that opportunity.
During both the South Carolina and Auburn games I thought “UGA just had 2 national championship years. It must end somehow and I’m going to be ok with this”. I still want to see UGA go undefeated every single year. Seeing UGA win back-to-back titles and witnessing generational greatness related to UGA football fills the fulfillment tank. At least, for a while. I’ll start to get aggravated again when UGA starts going 8-4 with an unexplainable loss or two thrown in there again.
When things looked bleak at Auburn a few weeks ago Beck’s play won the UGA fan base over. He won me over.
I feel more confident now about him in pressure situations than ever before. He won in a very tough environment.
Auburn ran the ball all over the UGA defense for the entire game and UGA turned it over numerous times. For Beck to stand in there and lead those last 3 drives, that was impressive.
The national media gave most of the credit to Brock Bowers, who is the best tight end in college football history, but Carson Beck was the one delivering those passes. The man is just cool under pressure.
Carson Beck has more pass attempts than any other QB in the SEC at the halfway point of the season. Not saying this is a good or bad thing, but halfway through the season I think it is safe to say this isn’t a run-run-pass offense as the Mike Bobo critics shouted to the heavens during the summer. Kirby Smart has unleashed Carson Beck and is going to ride on his arm in 2023.
UGA is 39-1 since the loss to Florida in 2020. UGA could be 48-1 if they can run the table for the 3-peat.
The statistics, records, and accomplishments from this run will easily be used as one of the standards for modern college football dynasties.
Alabama set the standard with 6 titles in 12 years, but Kirby has built something at UGA that is special.
I remember the 43-4-1 run from 1980-83 and thought nothing would ever top that at UGA. Well, I was wrong these are unequaled times in Athens, Georgia.
Carson Beck has a chance to make his own legacy at UGA. He is off to a great start.
Carson Beck is a kid who grew up in the Jacksonville area and he will get his opportunity to make his mark in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party right in his own backyard. This young man is a baller.
