Where We Are

Maybe this post is a tad bit premature considering that we have 1 game remaining in the regular season, but I think I've seen enough to be able to say where we are at this point.

I said last night that the Kentucky game was the easiest game for me to breakdown. It was. It was also probably the greatest indicator to me as to where we are as a team and what our outlook for this season really is. This is not going to be a post of me being negative, but rather, a post that will be purely objective. Too many sites out there, sponsored by vodka distilleries in an effort to keep their outlook perennially positive want to tell us that last night was a milestone, was just the win the Dawgs needed, and that all our goals are still in front of us. When we start hearing that phrase "all of our goals are still in front of us," it always comes on the heels of a loss. One more loss and then we'll move into the realm of moral victories. We didn't lose last night, instead we won in convincing fashion - against Kentucky. I'm all about wins and I'm thrilled for the seniors that came back and gave UGA all they had to give. They're a memorable class and will come back years down the road to be received as they should as DGDs and UGA greats. Congrats to them. 10-1 right now is a beautiful record and they have a truck load to be proud of.

Now, onto the sanity check -

Georgia has proven it can dominate teams of lesser talent. When we match up against teams of lesser talent, it's pretty much child's play and everyone is all smiles. We're a damn good team. When we start facing off against teams that approach our talent level, it gets dicey (see: South Carolina). When we face off against teams that match or even exceed our talent level, particularly on the lines, it gets ugly. As much as I hate to give credit to the haters out there, the dumpster fire that is the SEC East has given us an artificially inflated standing both on paper and in our own minds. That's not to take away from anything we've done this season, that's just pure objectivity. Even Kirby said in his postgame presser "Say what you want about the East...." Well, I'll say it and I'm no prophet - the east is a joke. It's Georgia and maybe S. Carolina in a few years. That's it.

Auburn was a man-sized reality check, and they will be again in two weeks in Atlanta as I firmly believe that we have a better chance of facing Auburn than we do Bama with all of its injuries at this point. I give major credit to Sam Pittman for coaching up this line this season and they have performed well beyond expectation against SEC East teams and non-con opponents. But they have to rise to a level they haven't if they want to start pushing around Auburn or Alabama. If our defense wasn't playing the way it has been and we had to rely on our offense, we'd be in a whole different boat right now and that brings me to our offense..............

I join the choir of voices with Wartdawg and Sadlerdawg in saying that Chaney has to go. End of subject. The only thing more predictable than Chaney's offense right now is the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. I get the fact that we have a stable of backs that is probably the most ridiculous any of us will see for a while, and they should be used to their full potential. But there is a law of diminishing returns and Chaney found it vs. Auburn. I have no doubt he's going to stick with the same crap in Atlanta and he'll see again how it is shut down. I get the fact that Fromm isn't Baker Mayfield, but for crying out loud, this is really the most one dimensional offensive scheme I've seen in all my years of watching college football. And that's not being dramatic.

The canvas has been painted this season, and it's a real pretty picture. There's a lot to be proud of and our head coach has firmly and definitively established himself as the biggest coaching threat since Saban. He's recruiting at levels that are making even the most pointy-headed pundits of college football take notice. The future is very very bright. But guys, this season, we're not there yet. Piss poor offensive scheming, lack of ability of the lines to compete against serious SEC lines, undisciplined sloppy play resulting in penalties (how many illegal substitutions and 12 men on the field penalties are we going to see this season?) ain't gonna get it done. If somehow we do pull it out in Atlanta and make a run in the CFP, it will be a miracle. Any offensive success we have will be on talent alone, not any brilliance in offensive game scheming. I've been patient on Chaney and tried to give the benefit of the doubt, but I've seen enough. How on earth would any top tiered wide receiver recruits get excited about coming to play for a Chaney offense?

If we correct the offensive coordination problem, continue to recruit the o-line and d-line talent we see UGA going after, tighten up the secondary, continue to demand discipline on the field, then that'll be all it takes. We're close. I've enjoyed this ride. I believe it's a ride that continues to the top. Just not this season.

Some very valid points SD. I don’t think anyone can argue with you on most. But personally I don’t believe Auburn, Alabama or any other top 5 team for that matter is any better than us. Our penalties and constant shots fired in our own foot allowed Auburn to capitalize from those mistakes and garnish the momementum in a very loud and hostile environment. We literally gave them every chance they needed to beat us. A few do overs in the first half and I bet the outcome would have been different. Also it was so loud that Fromm couldn’t check out of plays and that was a huge deficit. Not saying we would have won but it would have been the shootout that we were all anticipating.

Again I can’t argue with anything you’ve posted but like I said I personally don’t think any team in the top 5 is any better than us. I actually don’t see a single dominant team out there this year. Every team has their faults and can beat this year.

With that being said, we will have to play a perfect game on Dec 2 if we stand a chance of winning. Chaney will have to call the game of his life and the O line will have to execute. If our O is rolling our D will answer with stands. We have the team to win it all this year, there’s zero doubt in my mind! But like I said we are going to have to coach and execute a perfect game. I’m in the same boat as most when it comes to Chaney but he’s our OC right now and for at least the rest of this season so I’m going to try to put my faith in him.

Like you I’m pumped that we are 10-1 and the future is super bright! But we still control our destiny this year and I truly believe we will be in the top 4 after Dec 2nd. In my eyes any team in the top 10 could win it all on any given Sat this year, they all have their weaknesses. And I’m glad we got beat down by Auburn. Games like that can be a blessing in disguise. We’ve faced adversity and will continue to grow daily from that loss and it will make us a better team.

I’m not predicting we win it all this year but I did make a post on here at the beginning of the season that our schedule and this team were set up to make a run for the final 4. Way too many seniors and studs on this team to count us out...

GO DAWGS

Watched the game film for the first time. Paid particular attention to the offensive line. No fluke that #74 started for Georgia. Going to be hard for any player to remove Ben Cleveland from starting for a long time.

Cleveland started and played most of the first half. #66 Solomon Kindley, not to be overlooked played second and fourth quarters, some in between. Young man really played well, not showing any hard feelings about not starting, not in the game film anyway.

As I watched the replay, started writing down times to watch the right side of the offensive line in particular. Was going to post the times, stopped at around 30 clips, easier to watch the film and locate the times and plays you want to see.

Ben Cleveland has a much better first step, often used when discussing defensive linemen than does Solomon Kindley. Both are really strong, like what I see from both men. For sure there is depth being built with these two practicing and playing for minutes on Saturday. Cleveland said after the game that he was glad that he wore the red shirt last season. Coaches understood the need for the red shirt, and now Ben does.

Also noticed that Ben Cleveland lined up at left guard on extra points, Solomon Kindley right guard. Ben also blocks on Special Teams for our punter.

Understand that Kentucky is not as good or as deep as Auburn, however changes are being made for the “next” match up with Auburn if there is one, which I am inclined to doubt at this time. Alabama is not going to make the mistakes that we did against Auburn.

Below is the entire game film if anyone wants to look/see.

dawgs_fans_dad I like the outcome also. Jake Fromm is a “baller”. His go to receiver will get a serious shot at the NFL.

Anytime Fromm is unable to at least check out of the primary call is a recipe for disaster as that is the ONLY thing our play-calling has going for it; the ability for the QB to at least choose the better of two vanilla options.

I don’t think many outside of here really understand just how pathetic our offensive game-plan and play calling really is. It is seriously on a high shool JV level at best. Let me remind everyone how many receptions our backs had last night... go take a look at the box score. TE’s? lol... non existant. Zero receptions on zero targets. I’m pretty sure we have 9 total plays in our play-book, out of which we use 4 about 90% of the time.

That being said... there is a lot of truth in what Sadler said about the East, but I look it as the same could have been said about the East last year, and we fell to 3 of them and struggled to eek out wins against 2 others. I can’t penalize this team for playing the only schedule they have and they pretty much made mince-meat out of those same opponents.

While I agree that our O-line is still an area we need to approve on, I also agree with sflanigan that we can compete with anyone... it is just a question on offense of can our talent overcome our coaching. So far we’ve seen outside of a perfect storm last week, they’ve managed.

In my opinion this team can and should beat Tech, and they can compete in the SEC championship game but it all comes down to that O and the anchor upstairs weighing it down.

Personally I see a 12-2 finish... you can easily figure out how that would play out, but that’s pretty good for year 2 of a new regime. We all would have taken that given the option after year 1.

Go Dawgs..

Wartdawg wrote: While I agree that our O-line is still an area we need to approve on, I also agree with sflanigan that we can compete with anyone... it is just a question on offense of can our talent overcome our coaching.

Well we didn't compete with Auburn, so I disagree with the we can compete with anyone analysis. I do agree that the hinge of our success long term this season is if our offense can overcome the play calling by sheer talent and will. But I'm not ready to say, after seeing that meltdown on the plains, that we're in the category that we can compete with anyone. That wasn't just a bump in the road, that was a complete exposure of our deficiencies. Those deficiencies aren't corrected in a week's practice.

Wartdawg wrote: In my opinion this team can and should beat Tech,

Agreed.

Wartdawg wrote: ... and they can compete in the SEC championship game but it all comes down to that O and the anchor upstairs weighing it down.

We'll see. I want to believe this, believe me I do, but after seeing the systematic shut down of this team by Auburn, no matter if we play them or Bama, I don't know. They're really going to have to prove it.

Wartdawg wrote: Personally I see a 12-2 finish... you can easily figure out how that would play out, but that’s pretty good for year 2 of a new regime. We all would have taken that given the option after year 1.

Go Dawgs..

Agreed and agreed. I am ecstatic about the state of our program.

Buc wrote: Understand that Kentucky is not as good or as deep as Auburn, however changes are being made for the “next” match up with Auburn if there is one, which I am inclined to doubt at this time. Alabama is not going to make the mistakes that we did against Auburn.

There better be a wholesale makeover by the time we see Auburn again Buc, otherwise it's going to be a long Saturday in Atlanta. I just don't think the Auburn fiasco was a practice & tweaks issue. I think it ran deeper and we all know what the problems are. I don't think wholesale makeovers happen at this point of the season.

The reason I have such certainty that we face Auburn is that Auburn is cresting at a time when Bama is racking up injuries and looking flat. Minus their pop warner game yesterday, they've struggled to get anything going over their last few games. Even at Bama's depth chart, they can't keep sustaining the injuries they have without it having a very real impact on the field. Auburn has looked better and better as the season has gone on whereas Bama has done enough to win. Can any of us honestly say the Auburn team that destroyed us wouldn't have done the same to Bama that day? The Iron Bowl should be very interesting to say the least. Either way, no matter who comes out of it, that team is going to give us a mess of a fit in Atlanta. "Can" we win? Sure. For a variety of reasons, all of which are unlikely to be the ones that come into play that day. I'm not counting us out, nor am I trying to be a negative nelly.

I would love nothing more than to see us march into Atlanta and lay the wood to Auburn or Alabama. You better believe that I'll be cheering that it happens and that I will be resigned to understanding why it didn't happen.

Let's deal with Tech first. Don't think that Paul Johnson won't be angling to ruin our season.