From Athens= Friday # 19

The missing link in my way of thinking is not winning that "Big Game". Listen to what so many of these young recruits list as one of their reasons for choosing a particular university.

Kaleb Kim for example listed as one of his reasons for choosing Auburn was their offensive line coach. Mentioned how the coach sends offensive linemen to the NFL. Lot of truth there. Kim also as has been mentioned is close friends with Sharp who chose Auburn just before Kim did.

Almost every offensive lineman that chooses Alabama say they want to play for a National Championship, and Alabama offers them the best shot at that.

At some point we have to "get over the hump".

Lack of good offensive line play at UGA did not start with Will Friend. In my opinion, the offensive line has been the most "ignored" group in Athens, and it actually goes back before Mark Richt.

Often, or I should say in the past, UGA was referred to in the media as "Running Back U", or "Tightend U".

We don't hear much about offensive line play from the media when UGA is mentioned, and there is good reason for that. That talk will start when UGA commits to that "particular group" of our football team.

This is not meant to be ugly, it is what "I" see.

Get to the final four, then we will have some of the home state players choosing the state school. To reach the "final four" it will take a team with a damn good offensive line. Probably all four teams will have better than average offensive lines.

Just my opinion.

Edit: At this point we can still be called "Running Back U". Tightend talk has dipped, and don't have anything to add about an offensive line that still is unsure who will play where. This however (2014) could be the best offensive line we have had in . . . . ?

Edit #2: I add this link because of my dislike of Muschamp bad mouthing to a fault the University of Georgia when he was named head coach of the gators.

Some talk about the gators offensive line. Goes to show the importance of those that are not referred to as "skilled players".

hailfloridahail.com/2014/04/25/florida-g...l-hottest-hot-seats/

Buc agree that the Dawgs in recent years have looked unkindly toward the OL as a priority

Schools get tagged by position as who the can grow to get to the next level

Not to many years ago Penn State was LB. "L" When CDC. Was at UT he groomed QB's

Did the same at OM and Duke. AM has started us on a string of quality QB who will

Fight it out for the job of starter in 2015

Go Dawgs

Every coach that has a lot of responsibility usually go one way, their way. Below is a quote that I read which explains where we have been and are going.

Also, seems with each new defensive coordinator we hire, they shape the defense to look and play their way. Never was comfortable with Martinez and his lack of knowledge with the Cover 2. Did not take too long to understand why grantham was not retained at other hirings prior to UGA. grantham lacked teaching skills.

Maybe this time around, we play the way our coordinator thinks it can and should play. Lot of enthusiasm, players, coaches and fans. Hoping that too many players don't get their tails in an uproar if they don't start. Believe Pruitt will play those that can play SEC football. Pruitt has a lot riding on this job. The level has been set very high and he is basically starting from scratch, even though some of the young men have been around for a while.

Bear Bryant once famously ribbed Auburn's Shug Jordan by pointing out that when Alabama had a fast team that won Jordan started to recruit faster players, but when the Tide won with power Jordan seemed to stock up on big men. Everything is cyclical in football. There's no one way to win, other than to have a plan and execute it better than the guys across the line of scrimmage. To beat his with yours or yours with his, in the words of the late, great Bum Phillips.

Football changes, but when we look closely, not that much. Main change has been size and speed along with that word I often use, depth. Some of the old Single Wing has found its way back and the Single Wing went out in the 1950's. Gus Malzahn has "borrowed" much from the Single Wing and experts today give him credit for "something new". Not so, copied.

Buc, to further validate comment of falling off as "TE U", I would agree and recall that TEs were open over middle and not doubling up on someone with help.

Gus Malzahn has stated that they will be throwing football more in 2014. I believe that, and believe I have the answer.

First time around as head coach, not coordinator, Gus exploited man defenses. It was a combination of speed and scheme. 2014, Gus will face some of the same head coaches and defensive coordinators he faced in 2013.

Think most of us know that Saban does not cotton to losing two in a row to the same team. TAMU for example was corrected quickly.

Pruitt got a first hand look at the Gus Malzahn way of running the Auburn offense. Have to believe that Pruitt has a lot of film on the FSU/AU game and has watched it . . . . many times. Does Pruitt have the time or personnel on defense to apply a different way of playing Gus, we will see in Athens. My bet is that Pruitt will be showing 5 and 6 man fronts to Gus, forcing him to "throw" the football more.

Comes down now to whether or not Pruitt and company can get the defensive backfield ready for what will surely happen between the Hedges. We throw a high percentage of 3 man fronts at Gus, he will run for yardage, over and over.

Pruitt's plan is becoming much more clear. He knows what he has to do and he is truly trying to find out which defensive backs can get it done. I like the attitude Pruitt exhibited in the Spring, got most of the young mens attention. When we open our ears, close our mouth, tend to learn at a faster pace. That is what Pruitt is preaching . . . . faster pace. Richt mentions it often at this point, but Richt had nothing to do with faster defensive pace prior to Pruitt coming on board. Don't scream at me, trying to be analytical.

Forcing the quarterback to "hurry up" can work right into Pruitt's game plan. That goes along with what he has said about "more interceptions". Rocker knows what Pruitt wants, and Pruitt knows what Rocker wants. Good fit. Also, said a day or two ago, like the fact that Pruitt and Bobo are spending time together. Both know that the offense and defense have to work together. Bobo might remain in the booth calling plays in 2014, but it will be for a different reason . . . . he did not want to be on the sideline with grantham.

Don't feel that Gus will get his way as much in 2014 as he did in 2013. Will say this, Gus is not afraid of change, can't say that for some.

Imo, against AU, you HAVE to stop the run and MAKE them throw the ball to beat you. If we are putting 5-6 up front (as Buc states) to stop the run and create pressure, that's the ticket to beating AU....imo.


Buc, on your prior post about ever changing ways to play this game, big/small etc......it is still football. You simply have to block, tackle, scheme and execute better than the other guy.