From Athens-Friday Thoughts

Good Morning All,

There has been a flurry of activity over the past two weeks with coaching changes in the SEC and college football over all.

This weeks BPS...What does it mean?

Buc stated in an earlier post that CNS went back to work after the loss to OSU. Did he not do that after the kick six a year ago ?

Brought in Lame to jack up the O and the defense sprung a leak.

Using CJP’s words you score 35 points that should win the ballgame.

CNS needs to replace two coaches and 9 players on offense which includes the QB

More work in Tuscaloosa than a coat of paint needed to “fix” the Tide

Can/will CNS revive the Tide? Year three and counting

That other team in Alabama hires a new DC and takes a coach from the Tide to fix their problems which also includes a new QB

Questions about the Gus Bus remain….now 1-1 in the Iron Bowl

Les has a mess at Lswho…gone is a cornerstone DC of college football hires a Bama LB coach to replace him we will see how that plays out.

Tigers also looking at changing QB while many holes on both lines need to be filled. Mad Hatter needs to find the magic again that and another Honey Badger.

Hogs,MSU and Ole Miss also have issues. As does A&M…Both MS schools and A &M lost their fizz.

Hogs had the only bowl win from the west…which was crowned the stronger of the two divisions.

Yes Ole Miss has to find a new QB also.

Looking at the East.

Mizzuo breaks in a new DC and has major holes to fill on the both the O & D

Chicks…new DC,new QB,new RB….ole ball sack….see if he still has what it takes to compete

UT…Rocky Top is singing again….still a work in progress… very young QB… stay tuned

UF….. new everything….big leap from CSU.. they will need time….how much remains a big question

Vandy and KY ……. Improvement….is what they are both seeking

Then there is Georgia

Two big holes at ILB on defense a new center and QB on offense

We have added new faces on the coaching staff also

IMO we have truly added fresh eyes to the SEC to our program and not coaches who just switched employers. All are quality people and teachers. Yes our new ST coach came from Bama but speaking about field coaches.. A very good thing…

Looking at the East we have the best returning talent on both sides of the ball. True we need to find a QB and a center on offense.

Depth of defense will sort out the ILB positions

Calling it now….remember how I said early last winter that our OL is going to be big surprise and they will play well. Which they did with a some exceptions ….

Whoever is under center will account themselves very well. We will see improvement week to week. Look for CBS to surprise as QB coach.

I hear the groans…. How can you/we… be optimistic…been down that road before and not going to get sucked in by this incompetent HC again.

Fine…..it is all about ones option ….yours..mine…and everyone else’s.

Me I want it all to play out on the field starting August 30th

Tell me who two years ago who would pick an ACC and a Big 10 team to be NC during that time.

History….. AU won a natty with Cam….OSU with a 3rd string QB

Not impossible for us to win with an incompetent HC…would not make it a first….. anyone remember Cheesestick

Not saying it will happen but with a horse in the race….lets visit this..say January 2016….

Posted before it was a weird year in college football…it may turn out to be two in a row….

Going to ask a weekly question please jump in……with your thoughts

What was your most favorable surprise for 2014?

Mine… performance of our OL which opened the run game for our RB’s

Footnote…JT playing all year at LT and…..not getting our QB killed… remember it was a ogredawg who called that first.

What this all means…haven’t a damn clue..but we will all find out together over the next 11 months…

Pause and give thanks

Have a great weekend and a safe week

As always “Go Dawgs”

CNS doesn't seem to have that much of a problem reloading both on his coaching staff and with his players on the field.

It's funny seeing the phrase "revive the Tide". They were in the NC game his year.

I guess though it's pretty common knowledge that "revive" means something quite different over there than it does here.

'Bama will "struggle" a bit this year on the Alabama scale, but I don't think that means 7-6 or 8-5 season like it does at other schools.

It does seem the SEC has a lot of issues, but I'm closer to it than I am the other conferences. I'm sure a lot of the national media is celebrating the tumultuous state of the SEC, but with 3-4 year turnover everyone has issues.

Luckily ours might not be as bad as others... but QB is a very critical position as we all know. Who will have the better new QB? UGA, or Alabama? That may determine the result of our game next year.

I'm not going to ask how you can think whoever is under center for us will account themselves very well. I haven't said we're doomed at QB... instead, just offered that Ramsey needs a lot of work to get to that point. CBS may be the man to get him there. I sincerely hope he does.

Pause taken... thanks given.

Yankeedawg the surprise for me was CJP playing true freshman it's paying off in recruiting right now.

YD1 Wrote:

What was your most favorable surprise for 2014?

Nick Chubb! Yah, I know there are many herein that are enamored with the "Big Uglies" and no one., including myself, under estimates their worth more so than the Good Skipper....But WHO here saw a "fourth" in line RB taking the reigns and not only succeeding, but carving his name right beside the Heisman front runner? This "next man up" mentality has been seldom seen in the CC and greatly missed! If ONLY such success could be on consistent display in an area the "Good Skipper" is supposed to possess great skill!!!

Gotta say, YD1, your post gave me a good chuckle and I love the optimism, but I'm a long way from casting dispersion's on programs that are either on the rise, or beginning to show chinks in their armor, when we've better than a decade of mediocrity to show in defense. Coaching changes are not all that rare under CMR, yet beyond the change in personnel, what really has changed?

I'm ALWAYS excited when August rolls around and will ALWAYS support my Alma Mater, regardless of it's employees. However, my expectations are fundamentally tempered by the hopes, dreams and aspirations lost of seasons past, under Captain Christian.



Show me the money!!!

That's where I've been since 2006/2007...still waiting.....Like you said,...difference in opinion....Keep the faith brotha!

GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

yankeedawg1, pulled the bold type from your Blue Plate Special today. Believe it is worth a comment or two.

Buc stated in an earlier post that CNS went back to work after the loss to OSU. Did he not do that after the kick six a year ago ?

Was not sure of the "total meaning" so . . . .

So, I will post this. Strong feelings on what I have witnessed over a long period.

Yes, Alabama/Auburn Iron Bowl did end up in Auburn's favor. Regardless of the outcome, meaning running the attempted field goal back for a touchdown proved to be the deciding factor.

Takes me to this. Alabama came back in 2014, made it to the final four. Did not see Gus and his Auburn team at the gathering. Has to say something about how the two programs moved on from the previous season.

I am one of those that believes getting there and staying there is a very hard thing to do. Alabama is there, and they are there because the administration went out and found the individual that could put their program back to the winning ways Paul “Bear” Bryant introduced to folks in the State of Alabama some years prior.

If I had to compare Nick Saban to any other coach this day and time, it would be Bill Belichick. Both win, are feared, and are never too far away from returning to glory.

Have gone back and looked at film of Alabama vs. Ohio State. Alabama led 21-6 early in the second quarter. The night the game was played, camera angle showed the Alabama players on the sideline laughing and high fiving as if the game was over. In my home, the folks noticed that also. At that point, the way Alabama was running the football, believed the outcome would be different.

Then Kiffin stepped in and did what most offensive minded coaches like him do this day and time, forgot about the running game, did a 180 degree turn. Talk among us was . . . . does this not look like what the Georgia brain trust did against South Carolina at the four yard line. Yes it has to be said, the “pooch play call” against Georgia Tech.

Outside of the SEC there are some very happy folks, not the least of which is Disney ran companies.

Those that know how to find their way back to the Final Four will. I for one would not bet against Nick Saban's Alabama team not being in that group again.

Two words that the Saban's and Belichick's understand . . . . reload and rebuild. Both of those coaches reload, proven fact, they don't rebuild.

Thanks for your BPS, often makes me "dig deeper".

My biggest surprise is how we lost to two unranked teams and still managed a #9 ranking. Go figure