So........where are we next year?

Excellent posts here. UGAChemdawg, I think you really hit things on the head. I agree that MS will leave and I see KM as maybe 50-50; it may be a tough decision for him. I agree that Cox is the likely starter with Logan Gray #2 and Murray/Mettenberger at #3 (tie) for next year. I would think that our offense should be good next year with an improved OL and receivers and returning players from injury. The defense...cough...sputter...the defense...hargh...the defense should be able to find the field in spite of their coordinator. How they will play on that field will unfortunately leave much to be desired until CWM leaves!
Is CWM really gonna be here next year????????????

Eventhough UF won yesterday, I enjoyed seeing Alabama play them a very competitive game. I was wondering if anyone could possibly stop (more accurately, slow down) Florida's offense even for two or three series of downs. Alabama did a comendable job. I see no reason to expect that Oklahoma will do any better against Florida than Alabama.

Oklahoma's defense is worse than bamas, hell Ok State scored a tone against them.

Here's the deal:

1) Stafford's gone. Period. Moving on. Mark Richt doesn't appear to be as in love with Aaron Murray or Logan Gray as he was with Stafford, who was the anointed one coming in. For that reason, I think it will be an open competition in the spring, and for that reason I don't know who will come out on top. Logan Gray was supposed to be a speedy little guy a la DJ, but he didn't prove it as a kick returner this year. I think it'll be a pretty even race, and I think Joe Cox's seniority might win him the job, at least to start the season. But who knows? I don't.

2) I think Knowshon comes back. Call me crazy. Then you have KM at number one, HOPEFULLY Richard Samuel at number two, and Caleb King, who showed me NOTHING this year, at number three. I'm not worried about Southerland leaving because Chapas has proven pretty dynamic this year, and Munzenmaier's a wrecking ball.

3) Unless Blair Walsh gets better, we're gonna be bad next year. His missed field goals early took us mentally out of the game against Florida and may have contributed to it being such a blowout. His kicking out of bounds against Tech DEFINITELY gave them points and, as much as MS's pick-six, cost us the game. We've never succeeded without a good placekicker, never in Georgia's history. Our best years were with the Rex Robinsons, the Kevin Butlers, the John Kasays, the Billy Bennetts, the Brandon Coutus. What'd we do in the years we had Hap Hines? How about Andy Bailey? Yeah. Exactly.

4) For all of the Willie naysayers (and I'm one, believe me), remember what he did with only two season-ending injuries and almost the exact same personnel in 2007. I'm just saying. The schedule's nowhere near as tough, and we did have 20 season-enders this year if you count Bryan Evans and Darryl Gamble's in the Tech game. There is reason to hope, folks. There is reason to hope.

5) The schedule is a bit easier next year. While we do start slow when we're playing Georgia Southern, we always start big under Richt when we play a good team early. 2002 and 2003: Clemson. 2005: Boise State. 2007: Oklahoma State. All wins. I think we go to Stillwater and win. SCarolina is a toss-up, depending on whether or not Spurrier goes with the criminal or the incompetent. Arkansas and Arizona State will still be terrible next year. So right now, we're either 3-1 or 4-0. The last time LSU came here, we beat them 45-16. In fact, the last three times we've played LSU at all, we've outscored them 131-68. There is literally no reason to believe that they will be any better next year than they were this year. None whatsoever. 5-0. Tennessee and Vandy are next. 7-0. We get the bye before the Florida game, plus a whole year of \"Remember the timeouts. Remember the timeouts.\" Call me crazy, but it's a close one, and I think this series is going to be a little Auburn-y for the forseeable future; one team wins one year, the other the next. 8-0. Tennessee Tech and Auburn are wins, period. Kentucky's a win. 11-0.

Folks, we face a scenario like 1927, where our hopes and dreams are crushed in Atlanta by Georgia Tech. They'll only be better next year, and they have all year to prepare. Plus, this rivalry's really streaky, the anti-Auburn. It's always several wins in a row for either team. Although it sickens me to say so, we will probably go 12-2 or 11-3 (depending on the Florida game and the SCarolina game, we could lose one but not both), with a loss to Tech and a loss in the SEC championship game, plus a bowl win. Sigh. I hope I'm proven wrong.

My opinions are quite contrary to popular beliefs but nonetheless I think they are just as valid ... if not a little more (I am biased).

1. UGA biggest problem is Bobo.
1a. If you look at the tools he has on offense and the strategy he chose then it screams out at 120 decibels that the guy is mediocre at best. Great coaches adapt to optimize great players. He didn't come close. QB=darts, RB=space, WR=body control, OL=inexperience. Well, duh!! You run a quick drop offense with ball control passing, very much like what the rams did in 1999.
1b. Ever since Bobo arrived we haven't been able to keep the OL healthy. Bad luck? coincidence? Plays that risk injury? I don't care. It walks like a duck and I'm willing to say it is a duck.
1c. Stafford is so far behind in his development of the mental aspect of football that it isn't even funny. He is a third year starter who doesn't yet know how to do a three steop drop with check down. That's just plain bad coaching.

2. Staford isn't leaving. He has a great arm but has not demonstrated very much leadership or ability to read defenses and make proper adjustments. He would be hurting his own NFL career to leave at this time.

3. There's nothing wrong with Martinez. College football is in turmoil on defense. The spread offense requires a different type of defense and a different blend of defensive talent. The entire NCAA is going through an adjustment period.


IF I was Richt.
first - Bobo would be gone the day after our bowl. I would be on the phone to Brad Johnson begging and pleading him to come coach Stafford. Brad Johnson did not have a ton of athletic talent. He could barely throw the ball 30 yards and he couldn't outrun anybody. He was a complete statue in the pocket. But he was one of the smartest QB's to ever play the game. He could read a defense and call the right audible better than anyone. And he payed at FSU while Richt was there. I would beg and plead. Puuleeeze brad, puleeze. come and teach our Qb's how to do that.

second - a new type of defense is needed against the spread. The first team to stop the spread offense is going to become the new king. You need linebackers and defensive ends. I would put 110% emphasis on recruiting the biggest fastest DL and LB I could find.

third - run a shotgun version of WCO. Make your money with YAC after quick throws. It makes the best use of moreno, stafford, and green while also reducing the load on the OL.

so, there it is. as a bulldog fan I needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for your time.

434 yrs of total offense and Bobo you say is not doing a good job? What football games have you been watching? As for Stafford

Name G QBRat Att Comp Pct Yds Y/A Y/G TD Int Long Sack
Matthew Stafford 12 153.2 352 215 61.1 3209 9.1 267.4 22 9 78 15

those look like pretty good numbers to me! If hes not trying to keep pace with other teams being able to do whatever they want on our defense or maybe if he was behind a O line that wasnt put together because of injuries (hince the 15 sacks) I say completing 61% of his passes are pretty good in my mind! If he wants to come back and \"work\" on his skills them he will be welcome back with open arms! To each his own, this is just my opinion as well!

I could not disagree more!!! Our defense did nothing this year but give up yards, many of the games won were close and there were high amounts of offensive yards given up. While I am not a huge fan of Matthew Stafford (I don’t think he has matured at the rate he should have and he has not been the leader he should be at this point. I would expect him to bloom so to speak in his second or third year in the pros) but our offense with many key linemen missing had the impossible job of TRYING to keep up the touchdowns the defense were allowing.
There is NO WAY!!! A team should come out of the half and give up 26 unanswered points before the first 8 minutes of the 3rd quarter had passed. Our defense gave up way too many yards even against the mediocre teams. That is coaching pure and simple; Martinez must GO!!!