Brice Ramsey and the Dangers of Ratings

I'm not sure if "disappointment" is the correct word, but there is a certain amount of let-down surrounding Brice Ramsey's performance in the context of his arrival in Athens with a four-star rating.

As fans, expectations hinge on those ratings. We get a four- or five-star kid and we expect the world from him. We expect him to compete from day one, as though the gap between the high-school game and college game were non-existent. We fans love to revel in our folly.

In being kind, Brice has not performed well at the quarterback position. Take this on a side-by-side view of Grayson Lambert's performance last season, and one begins to wonder just what has happened to the promise that Ramsey brought with him?

High performers usually step up in the presence of great talent. They also take advantage of the opportunity presented in the absence of such talent, ala last year's quarterback situation. Neither of these scenarios played out with Brice.

I suppose it's important to remember that those star ratings are given in the context of a player's performance in high school, where the level of competition varies wildly from week to week. The pundits and gurus handing out such accolades, however, ought to know the difference between four star talent and two star. Something in Brice Ramsey stood out, at least in high school, to make him thought of so highly. So what happened?

On some level, there has to have been a disconnect between talent and desire. Desire is that component that can't be quantified. There is no star rating for it. I think Brice's level of desire was low, which allowed Grayson Lambert to take over the quarterback slot that should have gone to Ramsey given his talent. Perhaps Brice's confidence is shaken in the presence of equally talented competition. In any respect, there are only two horses in what should have been a three horse race this year.

When looking specifically at Brice Ramsey, think you make a very good point if I am interpreting rightly . . . .

Apparently Richt/Bobo had some thoughts on why Brice could not be their starter. That continued with the hiring of Schottenheimer, also a coach that has not lived up to what the press and Richt wanted us to believe.

Takes me to Faton Bauta. While he never performed in Athens, young man did not hesitate to let everyone know that he wanted to lead. Faton now in Colorado with Mike Bobo. Did not see any offers for Faton to latch on in Miami. There are reasons for that . . . . Mark Richt in my opinion does not have that "something" that generates "drive" in these young men. Bringing Lambert in was nothing short of kicking Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta to the curb.

Really glad to be able to point to the "positives" that the hiring of Kirby Smart has produced. Has not coached a game yet in Athens, but wonder how many doubters actually exist that think Kirby Smart will not win.

As you say LimeyDawg, stars mean exactly what? Will add this . . . . coaches are also graded in some media circles and our previous head coach does not or did not rate near the top of the class. The only reason, or maybe better said, the reason Richt gets positive media is because he "sometimes" won 10 games in a season. One need only look at the number of wins/losses and decide just how he rated or why he rated high in some minds.

Program has not been repaired yet . . . . but for sure the "tools" are in place to do so.

LimeyDawg,

Great topic.

I think there are multiple components to consider when trying to analyze the dumpster fire that was our QB play last year. I think there are several aspects that gelled together last year to create the recipe for disaster for Ramsey, Lambert, and Bauta.

While I'm not an apologist for crappy game play, I like to fashion myself as fair and objective about a players performance. As Buc often says, "coach em' up." Well, that never happened, and frankly, never did happen under the CMR tenure. CMR (and no, this isn't a bash CMR thread by SouthernDawg) was blessed with QB talent in his time at UGA. I mean, seriously blessed with such talent as David Greene, DJ Shockley, Matt Stafford, Aaron Murray, etc. These guys were just loaded with talent and natural ability that doesn't come around everyday. For UGA, they came around back-to-back-to-back. My opinion is that their success was in spite of the CMR coaching staff, not because of it. Anytime he had a QB that wasn't just brilliant, the QB suffered the consequences of poor game planning around his talents, sub par play calling, and horrific lines that didn't provide him the ability to succeed. (See Joe Cox, Lambert, Ramsey, Bauta, et al).

I don't buy the "lack of desire" hypothesis in and of itself. These guys were worthy to start at a premiere division 1 SEC school - they didn't get to that point by lacking desire. I do, however, buy the hypothesis that lack of desire crept in when Lambert, Ramsey and Bauta were not utilized properly and the frustration of failure took over. Let's face it - anyone with a football head on his shoulders knew that it was the height of colossal stupidity to play Bauta the way CMR & Co. did in Jacksonville. Bauta's strength was as a scrambling mobile QB, and what game plan did Shoddy put him in but a pocket passing scenario. Utter idiocy; They cut his legs out from under him before he ever got the chance to take the snap because he wasn't being used to his strength. I don't blame Bauta one bit for his attitude and wanting to leave UGA. I too would be ready to punch holes in walls if I was a mobile QB and the OC kept me in the pocket with no o-line to protect me. Couple that with the fact that CMR & Co. were never synonymous with "drive" and "desire." All those clichés like "finish the drill" don't equate to desire. If I had a coach put me in the leadership role of QB and his demeanor was as bland as unbuttered toast in the face of winning or losing, well, that's either going to rub off on me or piss me off. One of the two. There's no middle ground.

Lambert showed some flashes of brilliance, particularly in the SC game. I'll give him that. But he looked like the leader of the Bad News Bears vs. Alabama. What's the difference in performance? Oh, I don't know - how about the fact that one team was a 3-9 pushover, was so bad that it had a coach quit on them midseason and the other team was an SEC football program that won the National Championship? I don't blame the Alabama debacle singularly on Lambert, I blame it on stupid play calling, no offensive line, and a UGA coaching staff that was woefully out-coached at every facet of the game. When a QB is running scared and out of his element, that's a no-brainer that it's gonna get ugly real quick-like. That being said - regardless of what skills those guys do or don't have, it's obvious as the day is sunny that Eason clearly is above and beyond what we had last season. Which leads me to stars...

Stars are largely, a joke. It's really easy to affix five stars on a guy like Jacob Eason. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out. The kids got it and it's pretty obvious to all watching. But when it comes to the bread & butter mid-level player, the star system is all over the place and about as accurate as a magic 8 ball. It really doesn't make a tinker's damn worth of difference. How many stories do we have like a Todd Gurley being a 3-star back and his friend Keith Marshall being a 5 star turn out to be completely wrong? I listen to the dawgcast podcast and have for years. Each year after the season ends, they do a "reverse recruiting" show to illustrate the gross results of the star ranking system and show how this-or-that highly touted set of recruits fared after the dust of their collegiate career settled. It's astonishing how many of them that had mediocre college careers at best, or at worst, just fizzled out altogether into nothing.

At the end of the day, stars are just that - stars.

This past week I have enjoyed reading Dawgs.com more than ever before. Talent has not changed (members) . . . . just seems to me that those now stepping up again are those that support the Red and Black, having done that forever. There are still some members that really understand what has happened prior to 2016, having voiced their opinions, know that some were "totally fed up" with too many years of hearing the same "stuff" each year and chose to say enough is enough.

I speak only for myself, all I can do. I could not be happier than I am right now with the "gains" being made in "our" football program.

Believe one of the major changes that have been made started with Jeremy Pruitt. Speaking for myself, a different coach that quickly recognized what was "not being done". Pruitt was not about "pipe dreams" and as SouthernDawg mentioned above . . . . 8 Ball solutions. Could not move past that remark without doing this . . . .



EDIT:

And this . . . .

Agree Buc.... Board is gaining in traction as we get

Closer to the season starting....

Bet we see the return of some regular posters soon

Enjoying all the comments being shared

Go Dawgs

Going to visit an area of our football team that I believe has found some "footing" and quite frankly has been a sore spot for a long time.

Two or three times a year prior to 2016, have chirped about the offensive line and my "wishes". Several members on Dawgs.com have said that the offensive line has been a point of contention. Suggesting that something needed to be done.

I have shadowed Coach Sam Pittman now that he is wearing the Red and Black. Sam's tactics have not changed, meaning he understands how to coach the offensive line, also knows the type players he wants and "will recruit". Sam has shown his hand since arriving in Athens. Single biggest thing that this "quiet big man" has said that makes a believer out of me is his comment on UGA being his last job. Proved that by purchasing a homesite. Yes, I know that many in the coaching professing purchase homesites. This old dawg believe that Sam Pittman is going to change football in the Classic City simply by saying this is his last stop.

Add a bit to that statement from Sam Pittman . . . . To say what he knew would reach folks like me and others publicly, last stop, tells me he is "sold" on Kirby Smart.

Nothing will make me happier than watching our players line up offensively and know that they are well coached, and willing to do anything that Sam asks for. I believe that. I also believe that we will be deep on the offensive line, just as deep or deeper than some other positions on the football team.

Takes me to this . . . . The 2016 offensive line is going to be head and shoulders above those in earlier years. Don't have to tag the particular year, could but, many members on Dawgs.com understand and know what to look for and "at".

I appreciate what previous offensive lines have attempted to do, also understand that I can see the difference in coaching philosophies. Kirby Smart is primarily accredited with being a "defensive" minded head coach. That is what excites me about Kirby Smart. Head coach knows what he has witnessed when playing against Sam Pittman offensive lines.

Comes down to this for me . . . . Jim Chaney and Sam Pittman on the same side of the ball, allows me to "finally" see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I could post many videos that I have watched that cover Jim Chaney and Sam Pittman. Not always together, but when the two of them are together . . . . "Katie Bar The Door". Been years since I have used that phrase . . . . goes back to Erk and his many years of coaching and teaching.

Anyone that watches National Championships being won, sooner or later understand just how those championships are won, not the quarterback alone. Never hurts to have a Jacob Eason though . . . .

NFL money, big money changed the pockets of many some years back, that money began to flow towards offensive linemen, especially left tackles. Right handed quarterbacks depend on offensive left tackles and . . . . knowledgeable centers.

EDIT:

One of many articles that I mentioned above that I take the time to look at in the past.

www.foxsports.com/college-football/story...oach-ever-had-012716