Pipeline to NFL

Mike Honcho wrote: Look closely and you'll notice Chris Low ranked them by the percentage of those players that were non-ESPNU 150 prospects...meaning out of 120 FBS schools, UGA is ranked T-6 over the last two years for sending 16 players to the combine, 12 of which WERE NOT top 150 prospects coming out of high school. I'd say that's a pretty good job of coaching 'em up!

Not saying our coaches haven't made their fair share of mistakes/questionable calls, but if anything I'd say this is more a reflection of how many things have to go right in any given season in order to win a championship and how difficult it really is, rather than a reflection of poor coaching. Quite the opposite in my humble opinion.

MH....now THAT is a very good observation and quite interesting. Not going to get back into the CMR thing again like duck said (you know my position anyway) but thanks for pointing that out. Imo, that is actually a pretty compelling stat. With the way we have all viewed UGA's recruiting the last several years and talked about the "talent" in Athens, you would have thought those numbers would have been reversed.......hmmmmmmm.....interesting.

TRUST ME duck, I'm definitely not ready to go down that road either. I was just stating that I think CMR and crew have done a great job of developing talent...not that they've done a great job of using that talent to the best of its/their ability while in Athens.

Buc, you'll be happy to hear this I think...I've gone back through most of the games from this past season and while I still think there's some pretty big factors outside of CMR himself that have made impacts on our last 4 to 5 seasons, my loyalty to him is starting to waver. I think the 2012 season is going to be extremly telling on whether or not he really is our long-term answer. We'll have some young pups on the line, but other than that we should have the most talent we've had in Athens in nearly a decade (minus Stafford)...because of all the outside forces/factors I mentioned before, I'm not going to predict a national championship season, BUT if we don't win 12 or 13 games this year and look DOMINANT in 9 or 10 of those...it's probably time to look for other options as the leader of our program.

Again, after watching the games back it's a bit more clear to me that CMR is a very good winning coach. Obviously winning is a good thing BUT there comes a time for every program that considers themselves to be "major" where they must go beyond winning their games and enter the realm of "crushing the opponents throat with a hobnail boot." We're at that time and we need to see a steady dose of that throughout this coming season or start to re-evaluate.

Again, I think you are dead on target MH.

I don't watch a lot of professional football.
However, what amazes me is the number of good players from no name schools, diamonds in the rough.
The Jerry Rices, Steve McNairs, etc.
I am at the point of thinking ratings are an industry that exists to feed itself.
Nothing can replace a coach's God given ability to judge potential and the hard work that has to go along with it.
I'm not gonna beat a dead horse but kind of astounding to hear Richt talk about how the defense has more talent than the offense.
Great job, Coach Grantham.

averagedawg wrote: I don't watch a lot of professional football.
However, what amazes me is the number of good players from no name schools, diamonds in the rough.
The Jerry Rices, Steve McNairs, etc.
I am at the point of thinking ratings are an industry that exists to feed itself.
Nothing can replace a coach's God given ability to judge potential and the hard work that has to go along with it.
I'm not gonna beat a dead horse but kind of astounding to hear Richt talk about how the defense has more talent than the offense.
Great job, Coach Grantham.

True averagedawg......guess ratings are overrated....

averagedawg, Mike Honcho . . . .

I am a bit surprised that Mark Richt has openly stated that Todd Grantham has put UGA's defense to the forefront. That is one of the reasons that I used both of you guys names above. Think that many of us are surprised at this point. I truly believe that Mark Richt needed help, and I also think that he finally found help.

I read a lot, and read many differing opinions. That is a good thing. Something tells me that Mark Richt finally had the light come on. I believe I can see that when he makes open comments like the defense being basically in much better shape than the offense.

After many years of winning football, something was missing and I have crossed my fingers hoping that Mark Richt would settle in and look at the whole picture. Grantham and his coaches have put pressure on the offensive side of the ball like never before under this group of coaches. That is also a good thing.

Watching UGA football this season, it will be very easy to distinguish who is getting the job done, and I hope it turns out to be both sides. I believe that if our defense turns out to be all that, it will give the offensive side time to come together and build that pride and allow these young offensive players a chance to "strut their stuff". This could be the year that UGA gets its bite back, and even with graduation after this season, we could be as good or better next season from a standpoint of depth, depth if we can play these young puppies this year.

Mike, I might be alone with this, but I have turned the other way just a bit. I now believe that Mark Richt has the right person (Grantham) on board that has proven in a short amount of time that situations can change and change for the better. averagedawg has said it for a long time now and I think he has been right. Sometimes when things are not going the way one wants them to, folks tend to show the stubborn side, that applies to a lot of folks, not just Mark Richt, he however does show that side of his personality, especially during his press conferences.

I am with you on your statement that this year cannot continue like past years. I said somewhere on this board recently that I believe Mark Richt and Todd Grantham have become friends, have been together now for a couple of seasons and I believe I see changes that were needed. Nothing wrong with learning lessons regardless of how high one is on the ladder.

Mike, I just want Mark Richt to see that it is very important to have coaches like Grantham, Olivadatti and Lakatos. These coaches are basically hand picked by Grantham and the results speak for themselves.

Side note . . . . sure hope that we get a huge surprise this weekend. Could change UGA football for many years to come.