Hi duck. Like you, I am not an optimist. Some may be surprised by reading that, but I'm actually VERY pessimistic. However, I'll just put it this way:
Mark Richt has produced some quality football teams over the last 10 years. Recently something has gone wrong - strength and conditioning, offensive coordinator, poor tackling, lack of "fire in the gut" - we could name LITERALLY EVERYTHING that could POSSIBLY be the problem (I think we probably already have). Whatever it is, it has not always been a problem.
I think one of three things is going to happen this year -
1. Richt will regain whatever it is that has been lost - "fire in the gut", "finish the drill", etc. We will blow Boise St. out and beat S.C. in a close one, and go on to a pretty darn good season (we have a week off before UF - gotta feel a lot better about that). I'm not just hoping for this, I'm feeling like this will be the case.
2. We'll SORT OF get it back. We'll be 1-1 and hit a good streak, and then stumble against teams we should probably beat. 8-4, 7-5, win a bowl game and look okay but not great. The debates will rage over whether CMR gets another year. I would doubt it.
3. The wheels will come off from the "git go". Boise State makes us look silly. South Carolina lays an old fashioned, git in the mud and wallow in your misery BEAT DOWN on us, and we win those 4 or 5 games - maybe. If that happens, CMR doesn't make it to the third game. CTG becomes the interim (and maybe PERMANENT?) HC. We all start gabbing about "next year" again.
While I have had my faith shaken in CMR this past season, I'm still believing that everyone has some pride. Even him. When pride gets hurt, a man "man's up". This is CMRs "man up" year, and I'm a believer in a desperate man who has his back against the wall. It HELPS that we got the Dream Team, so the personnel are there. (Yes, I'm aware that the personnel is ALREADY there, so the Dream Team should not be a NECESSARY ingredient this fall. Still, it helps.)
My theory is that, judging from late game performances, what has been missing was strength and conditioning. People smarter than me have said so, and those close losses late in games help to convince me. I think JT will fix that. Fix that, and I BELIEVE scenario one will be in play. Add in the potential of the "Dream Team" contribution, and I start to get excited.
No matter what though, guys - always gotta love my DAWGS. Sic 'em!