Thoughts About the "Overall" Challenges

ogredawg as you have said . . . . If it turns out that Kirby Smart ends up being a winner, you will say so. Don't expect any less from you, have been both back and forth with some on this board, but have always paid attention to what you post.

I have a differing of views and as you say above, that is acceptable.

Backed off twice on Mark Richt, giving him elbow room over a period of time. In the end I was as hard on Mark Richt as anyone on this board and elsewhere. I was wrong about Richt in his latter years because I knew or felt like he was not putting in the time required to "finish the drill". Say this again, Mark Richt is nowhere near the same coach in Miami as he was in Athens. Mark Richt learned some lessons later in his life from coaches like Jeremy Pruitt, that he now employs in practices in Miami. Fact.

Been around for a few years and I know that some of my thinking comes from paying close attention to not only what is said, but done.

At this point I believe that many of us, myself anyway, believe that Kirby Smart will improve Georgia Football. How much, cannot speak to that as his time on campus as a coach has been short. As a player, Kirby Smart was full of pp and vinegar the first time he wore the Red and Black. Was too much expected of Kirby because he came to us after nine years with Nick Saban? Do not know, but think so. Lane Kiffin had become a "lost cause" until Nick Saban brought him on board. Even the Alabama fan base questioned the move and the press was all over the hiring. Say again, some folks are great coordinators, not necessarily head coaches. Put it this way, very successful head coaches.

Excellent point made by SouthernDawg on the talent base left by Muschamp after the firing. McIlwain has built a fire under the fan base in Florida and that also extends to the base of high school football players. gators only get better. I say that for this reason, again copying from SouthernDawgs post above . . . .

It's unfair considering what coach Mac inherited at UF. Muschump is an idiot and deserved to be fired at UF, but he damned sure knows how to build and run a defense in the SEC. Getting his players to play for him, managing his anger and his coaching staff were entirely different problems. I'm sure if Kirby inherited his o-line and defense, we'd have seen a much different UGA in 2016. Not excuses - facts.

Will spend much of my time between now and LOI day watching changes. A lot of UGA Football's future will be determined by the 2017/2018 signing classes. Add this . . . . there were a lot of young players on the field in 2016, one that really caught and kept my attention was #3 on defense, Roquan Smith. And this . . . . Will know much more about Kirby Smart and the coaching staff at that "point". Kirby will be the head coach.

ogredawg wrote: Ole Miss is not really that good. I was at that game and we were just not ready.

Said from before the beginning of the season that the Vols were not that good and were overated.

Smart gets a big F from me because of the way we lost to Tech and we should NEVER lose to Vandy EVER.

Nashville, Memphis, or Birmingham is not a successful season.

He better go the JUCO route and get some offensive linemen because he has very little experience coming back next year with playing time in the SEC. Takes at least 5 games before they will start to gel and then it will be too late once again.

Be prepared for more of the same next year only thing in our favor is a cupcake schedule.

Hargrove might be a good starting point.

Got a few spare minutes here, so PLEASE indulge me in playing the "if" game. I usually don't believe in it, but sometimes it can be fun, and that is the only spirit in which it is offered up. And believe me, I KNOW these "ifs" could also go in the other direction, but please stay with me on this and I think you'll see my point.

"If" we had been disciplined enough not to engage in excessive celebration against UT.

Or - "if" we had just put ONE GUY between the ball and the receiver on the last play of the game, we won the UT game. (Let the flames begin!)

Another - "IF" we had just run the damn ball two times up the gut against Vandy - MAYBE would have won that one too. But let's set that "if" to the side, because that game had a LOT of potential "ifs" in it.

So moving on to another "if" - "IF" we had been more aggressive in our last possession against GT and run the damn ball up the gut for a first down instead of trying to get fancy by passing.

Do you realize how close this team was to being 9-3? {OH THE FLAMES - - - - PLEASE THROW ME SOME WATER!!} "IF" frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their butts when they hop, right? But again, stay with me here - here comes the point.

I heard a guy on the radio this morning saying that he thinks it's a GOOD THING we lost to UT and GT this year, so we don't go into the winter thinking how great this team really is . . . he may have a point there. We are not good at all, in truth. And (this is the real point of my "if" game) KNOWING that we aren't that good is where we really need to start off in preparing for next season. Can you imagine the DISASTER that could have happened "if" my "ifs" had come TRUE?! We'd be 9-3 or possibly even 10-2, thinking we're just that LITTLE BIDDY STEP away from the PLAYOFFS, when in reality we are a POOR football team.

Now having said that, I'm going to agree with SouthernDawg here - we are in good shape for next year (yes, I'm sick of saying that). But we are. At least we didn't redshirt Eason - can you imagine how bad things would be "if" we DID? We'd be heading into next season with a ROOKIE QB.

So what I think we need is a bigger O-Line that can block, and taller receivers who can catch. Honestly, the rest of that team isn't in that bad a' shape. And if CKS continues to build on what is already a "not-so-stinky" defense - we may actually graduate to being a pretty good team.

But the "ifs" are what makes college football so much fun. So everyone here - you are ALL my friends, agreement or not - don't forget to enjoy the game. I probably enjoyed this season more this year than most, just because I now have a new job that takes more of my worry than the other parts of my life. I hope everyone here had as much fun as I did listening/watching the games.

Article below by Loran Smith seems to have taken on the same comments that were referred to about other teams and fans comments. Not much changes when one camps in a specific area. Might as well get used to the FACT that Kirby Smart will remain employed by UGA. Mark Richt is serving at his last duty station. FACT.

Only change that I see is some of the coaching staff either leaving or . . . .

www.dawgnation.com/football/opinion/lora...t-back-into-uga#free

I truly believe that Jeremy Pruitt brought to the forefront "hard work". Mentioned in another post that Mark Richt has changed his method of coaching . . . . the biggest change he has made is following the Pruitt "hard work" way of doing things. Pruitt now the defensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa is at the peak of his game. That leads to outstanding defenses. Players on the Bama defensive team say Pruitt has changed some things, now all of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd team players are playing football like the game backyard style.

Have to say this . . . . Head Coach is still Nick Saban. Saban gets his coaching staffs attention, regardless of their previous employment or coaching history. Referred to as the "process", by some.