Looking over our football team this coming season, think there are some differences in what the final win/loss record will be. See where there are thoughts of us losing 2 to 4 games this season. Ouch. Many say 2 losses. Personally, am curious about who the losses are, if we have losses.
This thought comes to my mind. We know that we have an offense that can and will score points. Question seems to be how quickly our defense will jell. Valid points, both.
The more that I look over our roster in 2013, actually puts a smile on my face. Reason, once upon a time, and not that long ago, don’t believe there was enough “combined” leadership on both sides of the ball to “reload”. Seems every season we were rebuilding, and that is easy enough to say and prove.
When I mention “leadership” that goes for both players and coaches. From where I sit, I put 75% of that load on the coaches. My opinion.
Some things that BMOC players never get through their young brains, time to start the maturing page in their lives. A short time back many of our recruited players that were pursued very hard came to Athens with that “you owe me playing time”. Lack of leadership on the coaching side, knowing how to manipulate on the players side. Yes, sometimes players get the better of their position coaches.
For the first time in many years I can look at both coaches and players and feel that the page has been turned in Athens. Lots of bumps and grinds along the way the past decade, but I believe all of that leads us to where we are now.
Any player with aspirations of going to the NFL and loading their pockets with gold, take a good long look at where some of our players landed in this years NFL draft. These are the same players that first off play in the SEC and also played on a Georgia team that won the Eastern side of SEC football couple of years running, gave Alabama a run in Atlanta.
Offense will lose some valuable players after this season. However, believe that we have young players that have bought into the system and are ready to take their place. Seems we used to live and die with a player or certain player either leaving early or being dismissed or benched. There may be some lapses, but I don’t believe it will be to the extent that we have been through just a short time back.
Same thing can be said for the defense. Things mentioned above about the offense, the defense has had the same problems.
Said in another thread that I believe that we are close or very close to being considered “all that”. Right now is when Georgia can set its football program up for success for years to come. Also believe that we are in the single biggest area that concerns many programs. Building depth. Depth is mentioned from time to time, but that is what some of the more successful coaches have known for a long time, and they never lose site of that one word, depth.
Depth is one of the main reasons that we are ahead of some programs on our schedule year after year. Depth is also a main reason that we are behind some programs that we don’t play every year.
Recruiting gurus like to place stars on players, 3, 4, 5 and so forth. The way that I see that . . . . Where a young player may be a 3 coming out of high school, sure does not prevent him from becoming a 5 when he is surrounded by superior coaching and practice habits in college. Some of the 5’s that dominate in high school get a rude awakening when faced with serious talent at the next level, they come in and get their butts handed to them by a player that maybe was not a 3, 4, or 5.
It is all about coaching. I believe we have the best overall group of coaches assembled in Athens, maybe ever. That is not really a huge stretch when we look realistically at that statement.
Mark Richt I hope continues to recruit, recruit and recruit. Leave the everyday trench work to those that he hired. Sounds like a plan to me. Same goes for game day, the everyday trench coaches know exactly what their players can and cannot do.
Go Dawgs, Coach’em up!!
