Okay, Dawgs, lets start ramping up the energy. Lots of good things are looming for Georgia this year, and I think the gnashing of teeth that marked last season will be replaced with hoarse voices on Sunday mornings and smiles around the water cooler. It’s easy and normal for us as fans in the Dawg Nation to get fired up early, but you would have to have been living under a rock not to understand that there has been a sea-change in Athens, a change that bodes well going forward. This year, I don’t think there is a need to temper expectations, and while 10 wins aren’t out of the question, neither is a perfect season.
So, what’s ahead? Here’s Limeydawg’s prognostication: 2010 is the year that CMR wins his 100th game. The optimist in me sees this happening 11/06 against Idaho State. Let’s face it, South Carolina will be a good early test. Not that it will define the season, but the Dawgs will still be working out the kinks here, and I see this as a trap game. However, I also see us as LOADED at many positions, and if we win at SC there’s no reason we can’t run the table and, YES, that includes the Gators. I’m not saying it won’t be tough, but if there’s one thing our soon-to-be-100-win-coach has shown us, it’s that he knows how to prepare the Dawgs. CMR is fourth on the list of winningest active coaches. He’ll face three others on that list too: Urban Meyer, Bobby Petrino and Steve Spurrier.
Since 1950, Georgia ranks 15th in winning percentage, 9th since 2000. We’ll pass LSU on that list this year AND Florida if (when) we beat the gators in J’Town. It feels right, because as much as the wags want to talk about our lack of a NC under CMR, the program wins. BTW, all these stats are courtesy of philsteele.com, but they can also be found in myriad places on the web.
Think about this: with the possible, possible exception of the QB position, things are coming together here. I think the hiring of CTG and his staff has had a ripple effect on the attitude across the team. Not to beat a dead horse, but I think with CMR’s loyalty to WM, a sense of accepting losses permeated the Dawgs, particularly in the respect that one field mediocrity was okay. I don’t feel that now. Recent comments by CMR and CTG’s opening salvo upon being hired have lead me to the conclusion that this will be a very different Dawgs. What should fire the boilers in the bellies of the fan base is that it will be a different Dawg team loaded with talent.
I see the worries about AM going the way of the early concern with David Greene. One, maybe two games and I predict the AM bandwagon will need to hitch another trailer to carry the load. Good things here. O-line will be a monster, and with that monster our running game is going to give opposing D’s fits. WE gets 1k yards. CK will also have a breakout year—how can he not with the juggernauts up front. Not news here, but this takes the load off of AM and will allow him some measure of comfort as he grows into the position.
Of course, we can’t forget AJG. Unfortunately, this is AJ’s last year with the Dawgs, but I see him being a Heisman candidate. CMR said the Dawgs would be foolish not to throw to him. A message to CMB, perhaps? Regardless, with a solid O line, AM WILL throw to AJG often. And let’s not forget that we also have studs-in-waiting with Israel Troupe and Rontavious Wooten.
Now, with CTG teaching the Dawgs the ins and outs of the 3-4, you might expect a few hiccups. However, one only needs to look back to the performance of the CWM era to see that we have nowhere to go but up. There will be a bevy of names on the studs list before the end of this season. Dowtin, Anderson, Houston, Samuel…trust me, it’s going to be a banner year for the D. How good? Think Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl and you’ll understand what I mean.
Anyway, Tuesday is officially my “Pre-football-season-start-your-engine” date. June 1st. I love it. This season will be a good one, Dawgs. Don’t be surprised if ESPN has to flip mid-season and pretend they called the Dawgs all year long.
It’ll be that good.
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