Board quiet over the weekend since the LOI’s are in and verified. Looking over the young men that settled on the Red and Black, appears to be a very solid group of football players. As to which side of the ball was helped the most by this group of players, guess it comes down to whose column you read and what you and I as fans feel was needed most.
Watching and listening closely to Coach Grantham, he appeared to be very satisfied with the players that chose to accept what he had to say and the way they will be used. At one time the defense was driving all of us nuts, there was where most of the conversation on this board was directed, and rightly so. Remembering I said most.
So much of the talk about UGA football seems to center on the defense at this point. This years defense has a tried and true group of “veterans” of the 3/4 or maybe I should say, Grantham’s way of playing defense. Many plays his defense is lined up with 7 and 8 players in the box, and I mean well inside the box. That seems to be Grantham’s MO, and he has said it publicly, stop the run, get after the quarterback. Grantham loves to out guess and surprise the other teams offensive coordinator and of course the quarterback. I don’t think he has a lot of love for opposing quarterbacks. AM seems to think that Grantham is wonderful, could it be because he does not have to line up on game day and play against Grantham’s defenses. AM gets to see that defense on practice days and it is probably a good thing that he is wearing that special colored jersey.
On the offensive side of the ball, in my opinion there has been too much indecision as to where and who is going to make offensive football a special source of pride to UGA. As far as we know, Mike Bobo is the person that runs the offensive side of the football. Never heard it said by Mark Richt that Mike Bobo calls all of the plays. Also have not heard definitively that Mark Richt does call plays. That is an area of secrecy at this point, and many of us on this board and other blogs have agreement on that point.
I more or less go along with the thought Mark Richt is here as Head Coach, McGarity has already ruled on that point. McGarity says it, I believe it or should say accept it. Not surprising to me that almost every post about Mark Richt starts with a good man, I agree with that totally. Next statement is usually Mark Richt is a great recruiter. I agree with that somewhat.
It has been said over and over that Mike Bobo appears to understand the ins and outs of coaching quarterbacks. That is a plus for UGA and Mike Bobo and the quarterbacks that he gets to teach. Appears to me that we have a full quota of quarterbacks both on campus and committed for coming years. Also, Mike Bobo being our South Georgia recruiter, appears to do a good job in his area. I also go along with many that say Mike Bobo should be the quarterback coach, not the offensive coordinator. Mike’s quarterbacks seem to do very well, his offensive play calling leaves much to be desired. Some say that is not Mike’s fault, the offensive line is not offensive. Grantham changed the defensive line and it turned out well, in a short period of time. Why doesn’t our offensive coordinator have the same success on the offensive side, that has become an issue with many. The quarterbacks don’t shine if they don’t have protection. Comes a time when you hear “footsteps” whether real or imaginary, 6’4” and 250 pounds of fury hurts. What I am trying to say is . . . . Mark Richt is our head coach, Mike Bobo is our quarterbacks coach. Now, with guaranteed contracts almost shored up, let’s go and hire a true offensive coordinator, not a quarterback coach that has taken on the duties of both. Did not work with defensive back coach Willie Martinez being handed the job of defensive coordinator does not appear to be working on the offensive side either.
To me good recruiting and team building goes much further than 5 star running backs or quarterbacks. Again this year Florida with several, not a few new folks, several new coaches and they out recruited us. That is if we go along with recruiting services. Most follow the recruiting services because that is all that is available to judge football by. Alabama came into the State of Georgia again and took a lot of the players that UGA needed badly. Guess we don’t have that fence built around the state as yet. I understand Saban getting players, he has a record of winning championships. Until we get the right balance of coaches in Athens, we will continue to lose top flight football players to Saban in particular.
Many times on this board it has been said we will be better either a year or two years away. Have saved several of those posts, they date back 5 or more years. Guess there is always hope for the future, that is the problem. It has not proven to be anything other than hope or wishful thinking.
Last thing. I am sorely disappointed with our offensive recruiting this year. Four or five players will not make this a SEC or National Championship team. Could say more and might.
Go Dawgs, coach’em up!!
