Thoughts on Year Four and Todd Grantham

Time to start pulling some of the layers back and look at what faces us, (us) the supporters of UGA Football.

Like most of you, I can only discuss what I think I see on the field. A full season of SEC Football played by the University of Georgia.

First thoughts about Todd Grantham. Grantham said that he is looking forward to the upcoming season. Will give him a chance to “raise his voice” and have some fun. I like that. Tells me that Grantham is still full of piss and vinegar and enjoys coaching young men. I take that as meaning he loves to teach. Grantham is coming up on year four in Athens and when I look at the overall canvas, not bad. Not a Picasso, but much better than years prior to his arriving in Athens when we were painting with water colors.

This is the year that all/many of us will look closely at Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham. Grantham has said that those leaving the program this year and last were players that were here prior to his appointment. Truth.

As mentioned above, this is year four for our coordinator, from here on out it is “Grantham’s Defense”. Mark Richt has had a “hands off” policy as far as schemes, year four and beyond belong to TG. Not to be said that Richt has not entered the homes of recruits showing not only his support of the player and family, but supporting his Defensive Coordinator, UGA football and academics at the University of Georgia.

As a supporter of UGA football this is the year that I want to see just how good Grantham is when he has “his players”. Do not believe he is an excuse man. Not quite sure sometimes if I understand what he is trying to do other than keeping the other team out of the end zone. That in itself is a good thing. Reason I say that is because I had a problem with our game in Orlando. Sometimes spit happens, defense did show their "up side" in the fourth quarter.

Just between you and I. With all of the screaming and finger pointing that Grantham and his coaches will do between the Spring and Fall, looking forward to Clemson and South Carolina for openers. Not like Alabama (National Champions) opening up with Texas A&M in the Lone Star State. We will find out just where we are after four years under Grantham and his/our 3/4 quickly.

Hope that everyone is taking this as positive. We should not be at this point sticking our heads in the sand, this is year four on the defensive side under new leadership.

Have more to say, always do. Might have a couple of things to say about Mike Bobo and the “other” side of the ball.

Make or break for CTG. He has had one good year of D here (2nd year) not with "his" players as you say Buc. I had high expectations about this years D and I am sorely disappointed in the performance of said D. Does not matter if they are "his" players. His job is to coach them up and he did not do that this year. A waste of NFL caliber talent. This D should have been in the top 10 in all catagories this year. The motto on this board this year was "No Excuses."

CTG has a lot to show me this next go around. I for one am not convinced that he is the answer to our NC hopes. This year for sure will be on him.

I'm blunt.

Put up or shut up. I want more consistent performance, and I don't want to be bottom 4 in the SEC against the run.

I don't care who graduated or left early. It's year 4 and our D
should have the replacements ready. If I hear junk about
early struggles due to learning the system and junk like that, I'm not going to be very understanding.

Where we finished against the run this year was unacceptable. I don't care who we played. We were 77th
in the nation or something like that.. totally unacceptable.

Not a doubt in my mind what ogredawg and Wartdawg said in their posts about "year four (4)" are spot on.

Todd Grantham will open against Clemson and follow that up with South Carolina. Good football teams. Like Duck has said in the past, comes a time when we have to beat some of these "good" football teams. Every once in a while does not work, have to step up.

Hard for me to believe that any team (mean that) can stop our offensive team from scoring points. Ask Nick Saban about that last comment. Seems to me that the burden this coming season (2013) falls on year number four of TG's shoulders. That should be a good thing. Reason I say that . . . . just looked back at Nick Saban/Kirby Smart's last four years . . . . impressive. It is called coaching, me thinks.

Many of us were on Mike Bobo's case for quite some time. Yep, me. Appears to me that Mike Bobo has got a grip on what it is that he needs to do to make the offense a positive force. I will say something like this . . . . give AM an extra second (second) in the pocket and let's see what the final tally is at the end of the year. Talking to you Will Friend.

Have been reading some of the Nebraska posts since the game, they understand for the most part that not only AM, but the Georgia offense from top to bottom is very good. No reason to disagree with that. Add a couple of pieces along with a four year starter at quarterback . . . .

TG, all eyes at some point will be focused on you. That is why some make the big bucks. Spit or get off of the pot. I have faith, just want to see results. Talk is cheap. Saban said he was taking two days off, some know that is like a month's vacation for Coach Nick Saban.

Going to be a year when the envelope opens and whatever is inside, will be there for all to see. Lots of talent in Athens . . . . again. Can't blame Willie Martinez for 2013.

Yep Buc...

Unless CMB regresses, our O should be top notch. We did lay down the gauntlet in front of him, and I'm not ashamed
for doing it. CMB and our O coaches were underachieving and they got called out on it. Well they upped their game to where it should be, and kudos to them for it. Now go out and do it again... be consistent.

Time for the same thing regarding CTG. There were some things I saw this season I didn't like. Disorganization at times.. a D that still looked a bit confused at times, and we
all hopefully know that we under achieved against the run.

We did however do a LOT right.. We did make good adjustments in the 2nd half of games. We pressured opposing QB's... we were solid in pass D... we created turnovers, but guess what? This isn't a league we play in where you can expect to be the champ doing 3 out of 4 things fairly well and totally blowing at that other one.

One thing you have to in this league is stop the run. Yeah... 'Bama is still going to get their yards, but you can't let them
run for 350, and you shouldn't ever get run on by Buffalo.

Shore it up fellows..

Wartdawg, no way is this offense going to back up. Single biggest thing in my mind is that the receivers have learned to run their routes. SEC ain't playground football. AM is not playing on a dirt field and drawing a route with his forefinger.

AM can and will make the throws. Receivers will run their routes, timely . . . .

If I had to say what I think our defensive front will look like in 2013 . . . . a lot like what we saw last night in Miami. Contain and keep most plays inside. Every offense worth its salt will be trying to find an escape artist. Football has always been copycat, won't change.

Watched the offense change this season. Many of us were screaming for MB to use his tightends. There came a time when Mike Bobo did just that.

Hard to use your fullback when you have #3 and #4 available. Still won't hurt to keep an eye on our fullbacks. Who the heck would have thought that we would have used our tightends this season? All Mike Bobo is doing is letting the defense come to him . . . . their mistake. Mike grew up in 2012. Piss me off, nope.