Bitter Much?

While perusing the offerings of chuckoliver.net, I came across this little gem from one of the site's contributors, Joseph Wyatt:

...When you run a program that has been as undisciplined as Mark Richt does it’s easy to see why “secondary violations” should be viewed just as importantly as major ones. You don’t want your players picking and choosing which rules they will abide by, so the head coach needs to set the example.  But that’s exactly what happens at UGA, players like Washaun Ealey and Caleb King decide which rules should be important to follow and there’s never any real consequence. 

It's easy to see why UGA has discipline issues...they learned it by watching Richt.

This excerpt is from an article—if you want to bother calling it that—about coach Mark Richt's credibility as a disciplinarian on a team where suspensions have become more prevalent than most would like—particularly in the last 18-months. 

The premise of Wyatt's post might have been more intriguing had it not been such a poorly veiled attempt to make Richt look like some sort of "aw, shucks' con-man.

As a matter of fact, it seethed with so much contempt, that it led me to question the author's allegiances—a question which was quickly answered upon reading the following byline underneath his name, "Atlanta native, lifetime Georgia Tech fan."

Well, that explains that. 

Georgia Bulldogs: The First Step Towards Change Comes With Recognition of Mistakes

While Mark Richt is not totally responsible for everything that has gone wrong with Georgia football over the last three years, he is accountable for the overall lack of progress the program has experienced during that time.

On the record, my opinion of Mark Richt is that he's a great football coach who has hit a rough patch. However, off the record, I am an admitted apologist of him and his decisions regarding Georgia football. I want to see him succeed and I want to see those who would otherwise torch him be forced to reconsider their stance.

That said, imagine the glee and disappointment felt upon learning that he took his foot off the gas the last two years—played with his cards a little too close to the vest.

An article, published by The Orlando Sentinel on Christmas day let us take a  small peek inside the mind of the much-maligned Georgia football coach, and exposed a flaw that many of the most skeptical fans of the program have suspected for quite some time now—coach Richt had lost his fire.

When asked about the issues the team has encountered over the last few years—particularly in the area of conditioning and overall preparedness—Richt had the following to say,

"I started the season in camp probably not doing enough live scrimmaging and tackling to the ground... Ever since I've been coaching, that's all I've been around. But we've had a couple of years in a row. We had one season, we started the season we had 32 guys injured before the year even got started. And so I'm like, `Alright, this year, I'm going to do what some other teams do. … We were still going to scrimmage, you know have three big scrimmages, but we were going to try to go full speed but not go to the ground or not block below the waist to try to beat everybody to the gate."

While it's understandable that coach Richt would want to be cautious, it would seem that he would have looked elsewhere for answers—why fix what was not broken? The systematic pull-back of intensity was bound to affect the overall attitude of the players and the coaches at some point.

Did he not think his approach would become a factor at some point?

Furthermore, the holes in the S&C program might have been a lot easier to see if the team were approaching scrimmages and practice sessions with more intensity. Perhaps canceling 'two-a-days' and heading to the pool hurt more than some cared to admit—including myself.

Either way, his honesty should be considered as a positive step towards the type of change you want to see at Georgia because it's clear that coach Richt is on the same page as many of his harshest critics—including himself—and hopefully that translates into quick production by the players as spring approaches.

We'll just have to wait and see. What say you?

Georgia Bulldogs Football: 10 Things To Know About Georgia Tech

Look, what the cat dragged in...it's officially "Hate Week" in Georgia as the Bulldogs get set to take on Georgia Tech this weekend.

This game is about bragging rights, and both sides are already in top form as the vitriol has started to spew on both Twitter and in the blogosphere. That said, no allegiances will be stated here—we can leave that for the comment section.

As always, this is an unbiased look at the Yellow Jackets and what Georgia Bulldog fans can expect from the Ramblin' Wreck come Saturday:

1. The loss of Josh Nesbitt is big, but not a game changer.

Josh Nesbitt won't be available to play in the game, but Tevin Washington has proven to be very effective as a rusher in the last two contests, and he's becoming more comfortable running Paul Johnson's offense.

If he can get it going in Athens, he could be one of the biggest factors on Saturday.

2. Anthony Allen has gotten better.

Last season, Allen flashed moments of brilliance, but it was clear that both Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt were the keys to the Georgia Tech success. This season, Allen has become a solid option in Tech's offense—logging four 100+ yard rushing games this season.

3. They eat a lot of clock. 

As was the case last season, Tech consumes a lot of time off the clock when they are allowed to run their offense efficiently.

If Georgia expects to give their offense a chance, and limit the defense's time on the field, they will need to force the Jackets into third-and-long situations. To date, Tech completes less than 30 percent of passes thrown on third downs of more than seven yards.

4. The offensive line is still finding its legs. 

While Nesbitt covered up some of the deficiencies of Georgia Tech's offensive line, Tevin Washington's presence has made them a bit easier to spot. So far, in the month of November, the Jackets have given up seven sacks for a loss of 28-yards.

By contrast, during the months of August through October, that same line yielded eight sacks for 43-yards.

It's obvious that the youth on the line is beginning to show a few more chinks as the season wears on, and the team breaks in a new quarterback—Georgia would be wise to take advantage of that.

5. They don't have a game breaker in their return game. 

While B.J. Bostic is a respectable kick return man, he's not the type of guy you're likely to be scared of during kickoffs—neither is Jerrard Tarrant in the punt return game. So, it's clear that Tech is content to do most of their damage, via the running game, during play execution.

Georgia needs to concentrate on giving the Jackets a long field. Don't give up any big chunks in the return game as that would only shorten the field for an already dangerous rushing attack.

6. This series has been a lot closer under Paul Johnson. 

Georgia fans hold tightly to that seven game winning streak they exacted over Tech upon coach Richt's initial arrival, but all that has changed under Paul Johnson.

In two match-ups, with Johnson at the helm, Tech is 1-1, and the largest margin of victory for Georgia is six points. This game is much more even now than it was before, and Georgia fans should not take that point for granted—especially this season.

7. They are suspect against the run. 

For all the worry the option offense will give the defense, the offense should feel like they have a shot to make up some ground. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King ran all over and through Tech's defense last season and, although they sport a new scheme under Al Groh, they haven't fared much better in 2010.

So far, they are giving up better than 5.50 yards per carry in the month of November.

If Murray and company can exploit that number, they won't have much trouble executing their offense either.

8. Tech is bowl eligible but they have something else to play for in this game...

If Tech wins, they could keep Georgia out of a bowl game for the first time in 14 years—which, coincidentally, is also the last time neither of these two teams was ranked entering this game.

9. They are still looking for a playmaker on defense.

The loss of both Morgan Burnett and Derrick Morgan has been tough to overcome. While Brad Jefferson has performed well, and both Jerrard Terrant and Domonique Reece have offered some good play in the secondary, Tech has lacked that one guy who can take over the game defensively and rally the team.

Perhaps, much like Georgia, this factor has more to do with personnel still struggling to perform well in a new scheme. Whatever the case, the defense hasn't been nearly as tough as it was last season.

10. They are prone to fumbles.

Tech has lost 14 of their 29 fumbles this season—116th in the nation.

That said, Georgia ranks 70th in opponent fumble recoveries. If they can increase that percentage for this one game, they could significantly improve that ranking.


*Stats appearing in this article are courtesy of cfbstats.com.

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Will 2011 Be Mark Richt's Rebound Year?

The Georgia Bulldogs might have lit just the spark they needed to get the fanbase and the players pumped up for a rebound in 2011.

Greg McGarity, Georgia's newest athletic director, announced on Friday evening that the team would open their season in the Georgia Dome—against Boise State.

Boise and Georgia have met before, but any Boise fan will be quick to let you know that this Boise team is nothing like the one the Bulldogs annihilated in 2006. No, this Boise team is likely to arrive in Atlanta sporting a Top 5 ranking and, very likely, will be favored to beat a Georgia team that will be coming off another disappointing season.

That said, will 2011 be the year that Mark Richt finally puts it all together?

If his staff can come up with a gameplan to defeat the Broncos in what promises to be a heavily red and black skewed crowd, then the rest of the schedule looks promising.

Georgia will have six true home games (South Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Mississippi State, New Mexico State, Auburn, and Kentucky). Two of those games are wins—no question. The others present a challenge but, in year two of the 3-4, one would hope that the defense is able to fix what ails them—starting with their propensity towards missing defensive assignments.

That factor alone might have cost them at least 1-2 wins this season.

Even more, road games against Ole Miss (who will be looking to replace Jeremiah Masoli), Georgia Tech (who will be replacing both Josh Nesbitt and Anthony Allen), and Vanderbilt, should present less of a challenge for Georgia than either Tennessee (who seems to have found their quarterback in Tyler Bray) or Florida.

One thing is for certain, Georgia fans will be looking for something big from Richt in 2011, as this could be his last year to prove his worth as Georgia's head coach.

Georgia Bulldogs Football:Will Georgia's 2011 Class Be Boom or Bust?

Georgia is 5-6.

We can talk all we want about near-misses, bad calls, the absence of A.J. Green, and the plethora of injuries that always seem to plague the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball—the fact is this is a 5-6 team that may or not be bowl eligible at the end of the season.

That said, what happens with recruiting now that the season is nearly done? To this point, none of the big fish have given their commitment to Mark Richt and that has to be a bit of a concern to those of you who are hoping for a big class to offset the disappointment that was 2009.

As a disclaimer, it has to be said that this site has no "insider" information on where guys like Ray Drew, Isaiah Crowell (although that photo can't be comforting—better hope that's an Atlanta Braves hat), or Jay Rome will be signing come February.

However, it doesn't take much research to get an idea that Georgia's record could become a factor in their final decisions.

Jay Rome has been fairly quiet for some time now, but Georgia is in the mix with several schools—including Clemson, Alabama, and Tennessee. The feel is it will still come down to Clemson (his father's alma mater) and Georgia. Georgia has Rome's family first attitude in their favor—only slightly—as coach Richt is lauded for the family atmosphere he fosters at Georgia. Furthermore, Rome could feel more comfortable remaining in-state.

Isaiah Crowell is an Alabama lean but he was wearing, what appeared to be, an Alabama hat at the Auburn game on Saturday. Crowell was in attendance at the game with his teammate, Gabe Wright—a player who many already feel will sign with Auburn come February. Crowell stated that Alabama held a slight lead over Georgia, but is now considering Auburn as well—he was very impressed with the gameday atmosphere at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Ray Drew has been as even-keeled as you would hope, but he was open in his support of Cam Newton after the Auburn game on Saturday—saying as much on his facebook page—although he did stress that his message of support had nothing to do with his football considerations.

Malcolm Mitchell continues to vascillate between Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and it could come
down to which school offers the best atmosphere on his official visit—he plans to take one to each school after the season.

Georgia currently has 16 verbal commitments, and a potential Top 10 class if they can close on a few of the guys mentioned above. However, the chatter surrounding Mark Richt's job security hasn't helped matters much, and the Bulldogs now have to wager on a win against Georgia Tech to secure a bowl bid—not exactly the dream season the fans were hoping to see.

It's still a long way until February and plenty can happen before that time, but Georgia needs to hunker down on the recruiting trail—they cannot afford to miss big again this year.

College Football Odds (ATS): Alabama Will Roll, Michigan Will Rebound

It was yet another average week for the 'Lady', as the site finished the weekend slate at 5-5, bringing the season total to 27-28.

You can revisit last week's picks here.

The BCS will release it's first set of rankings this Sunday, so expect a lot of good play from teams auditioning for a place in the top 10.

That said, it's time to offer another round of picks.

(All lines are courtesy of  VegasInsider.com).

1. Alabama vs. Ole Miss: Alabama (-20.5)

This actually seems like a ton of points to lend the Tide's way—even if they are playing in Tuscaloosa. That said, the Rebels aren't very good on defense.

Look for both Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to get something they didn't last week—running room—and look for the Tide to take out their frustration on the Rebels.

The Lady's Pick: Alabama

2. Michigan vs. Iowa: Iowa (-3)

As impressive as Iowa has been all season, save the loss to Arizona in week three, Michigan's offense is going to be tough to stop at home. Sure Michigan State came in and shut Denard Robinson down, but the Spartans have played the Wolverines well over the last few seasons and that loss wasn't really all that hard to see coming.

That said, Iowa has been nearly as effective, defensively, on the road as they have been at home.
Expect Mr. Robinson to rebound and steal a win from the Hawkeye's.

The Lady's Pick: Michigan

3. Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest: Virginia Tech (-22.5)

Wake Forest is atrocious, there is little doubt about that, but they have played a better brand of football over the last couple of weeks, and have nothing to lose by giving it all they've got against a Hokie squad that, honestly, still isn't all that impressive.

The Lady's Pick: Wake Forest

4. TCU vs BYU: TCU (-28)

TCU is good. BYU is bad. There is not much else you can say about these two teams or this match-up.
BYU's coach is currently wearing two hats (head coach and defensive coordinator) and that has to be tough, considering he's got a true freshman quarterback trying to run the offense.

The Cougars are a mess right now and, even though it seems crazy to think they will get beat by 28 points, that's what is likely to happen.

The Lady's Pick: TCU

5. Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State: Texas Tech (-3.5)

Texas Tech is still trying to find themselves under Tommy Tuberville, and it's not clear that they are anywhere near close to doing that right now—despite their 3-2 record.

The Lady's Pick: Oklahoma State 

6. Rice vs. Houston: Houston (-9)

As terrible as the defense of the Cougars is, the Owls might be worse. If Houston quarterbacks, David Piland or Terrance Broadway, want to get their respective games going, then this is the week to do it.

The Owls have little in the way of offense and don't defend well against the pass—a recipe for disaster when you're opponent specializes in air raids.

The Lady's Pick: Houston

7. Wisconsin vs. Ohio State: Ohio State (-4)

Hmmm, wonder what Bielema's card will tell him to do this week?

He better have a definite plan of action against the Buckeyes ,or he'll be the one feeling some kind of wronged after this game.

The Lady's Pick: Ohio State

8.  Auburn vs. Arkansas: Auburn (-3.5)

Auburn has been getting by on the grace and talent of Cam Newton—no doubt about it. However, the cardiac cats will have to go into arrest at some point, and it's highly possible that the Razorbacks will be just the team to send them rushing for the nearest ambulance.

The Lady's Pick: Arkansas

9. Georgia Tech vs Middle Tennessee State: Georgia Tech (-19)

This pick could come back to haunt me later, but, Dwight Dasher could end up being a problem for that developing Yellow Jacket defense. He's much better than he showed last week, and this could be just the game he needs to get his game back on the right track.

Georgia Tech will definitely win, but not by 19. 

The Lady's Pick: Middle Tennessee 


10. Florida vs. Mississippi State: Florida (-9)

Mississippi State might be scrappy but their quarterback situation leaves much to be desired. Expect the Gators to get back to their winning ways this weekend.

The Lady's Pick: Florida

College Football Betting Odds: 10 ATS Picks to Click This Weekend (10/2)

Last week treated the Lady a lot better than the two prior—7-3 ATS was the final tally. Not bad for a weekends worth of picks, eh? That lovely end brought the season record up to a much more respectable 20-15, but there is still much work to do in order to get well on the year.

So, if you want to glance at last weeks numbers, do so here, otherwise, let's get to this weeks teams worthy of taking a chance on—ATS of course.

(All lines courtesy of VegasInsider.com). 

1.  Wisconsin vs. Michigan State: Pick Em' (PK)

Wisconsin has played no one of any real substance this season, but they've still managed to be unimpressive in every contest—including the ones where they should have blown the doors off their opponent. Michigan State will be on an emotional high with the return of their head coach to the sidelines and could be up to the challenge of sending the Badgers home with their first loss of the year.

The Lady's Pick: Michigan State

2. Michigan at Indiana: Michigan (-10.5)

Michigan will, likely, have Denard Robinson back as their starting quarterback this week. That's big for the Wolverines because it became clear last week, when Robinson went out in the first quarter, that the team moves the ball a lot more efficiently with him in the lineup. Indiana has played no team that comes close to the offensive power that Michigan brings to the table—expect lots of points.

The Lady's Pick: Michigan

3. Connecticut vs Vanderbilt: Connecticut (10.5)

Vanderbilt may not be playing with a ton of personnel this season, but they are playing with a ton of heart. Connecticut has been on the ATS pendulum this season, doing well against the pansies but folding against the lesser opposition—perhaps it's harder to get up for the lower profile games? The talented running backs (for the respected teams) are due back this week and will be a major factor in the outcome. I think Vanderbilt can keep it interesting so long as Warren Norman can run the ball.

The Lady's Pick: Vanderbilt

4. Georgia Tech at Wake Forest: Georgia Tech (-14)

The Yellow Jackets have been an enigma this season and skepticism about their ability to play a full 60 minutes—on both sides of the field—has to be pretty high right now. That said, they are probably itching to get back on track after suffering such a heartbreaking loss at home last week and there are few teams in the ACC better to get well against than the Demon Deacons.

The Lady's Pick: Georgia Tech

5. Miami at Clemson: Miami (-3)

Everyone is back on the Hurricane's bandwagon after the way they dismantled Pitt last weekend, but Clemson looked impressive for 54 minutes against Auburn a couple weeks back and they've had an extra week to prepare for the Hurricane's arrival in Death Valley.

The Lady's Pick: Clemson

6.  Nevada vs. UNLV: Nevada (-20)

The Wolfpack has been on a roll. In the last two weeks, they've beaten both Cal (at home) and BYU (on the road). Now they will travel back to Nevada to take on the lowly Rebels. Though the Wolfpack ran away with this one last season, and should soundly beat the Rebels on Saturday, it just seems like one of those games where the emotional highs can catch up to a team and cause them to lapse momentarily. Nevada won't lose, but they may not win by 20.

The Lady's Pick: UNLV

7. Kentucky vs. Ole Miss: Ole Miss (-4)

It was nice that Ole Miss was able to get it rolling against Fresno State last week, but Kentucky will offer a different kind of challenge to this Rebel offense—a real one. Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb are looking to get loose after being, essentially, stalled against the Gators last week and this is just the game to set the Wildcats loose.

The Lady's Pick: Kentucky

8. Texas Tech at Iowa State: Texas Tech (-4.5)

Iowa State has a pretty good quarterback in Austen Arnaud, but chances are he won't be 100 percent for this one. Texas Tech hasn't been all that impressive, offensively, but they should have enough talent to outplay the Cyclones if they try hard enough.

The Lady's Pick: Texas Tech  

9.  Marshall at Southern Miss: Southern Miss (-9)

DeAndre Brown is questionable, as is Marshall's defensive stud, Mario Harvey. Both are considerably important to their teams for different reasons. If Brown is limited or held out due to injury, Marshall has enough play makers on defense to keep the game close.

The Lady's Pick: Marshall

10.  Virginia Tech at NC State: Virginia Tech (-3)

The odds makers are having a tough time believing in NC State. The Wolfpack has only been favored once this season—at home versus Cincinnati. The underdog roll seems to suit them just fine as they continue to rise above expectations. Look for them to do so again on Saturday.

The Lady's Pick: NC State

Hey AJC, Thanks For Sharing That Useless Georgia Tech Info...

I can read an article by Chip Towers, Tim Tucker,  or Bill King of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, most times, and feel fairly confident that their Bulldog reporting won' be mean-spirited or ill-intended.

However, for every great post by one of those well-respected gentleman, there is a not-so-great one offered up by Mark Bradley or Jeff Schultz of that same publication—both, at times, seem to have a jones for sticking it to Mark Richt and the football program.

That said, I try to stay away from both Schultz and Bradley (most of the time) and attempt to maintain some level of objectivity when reading the works of others who write for their site. After all, the AJC is still the first source of news for those of us who live in the State of Georgia—like it or not.

However, when I stumble across items like this one, offered by Doug Roberson (Georgia Tech Beat Writer), I have to wonder why on earth I even bother:

Georgia Tech is not being investigated by the NCAA.

With many other schools in the ACC and SEC, including Georgia, receivingrecent taps on the shoulder from college sports’ governing body, Tech was all clear Wednesday night.

On Wednesday, Georgia became the latest school to be notified that the NCAA wants to take a look around. The Bulldogs join North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida for alleged improper relationships between players and agents.

What you just read above is the entire text of Roberson's article. Fittingly, it was followed by a link to Tim Tucker's article regarding the NCAA's 'inquiry' at Georgia.

Now, here's my problem, why was it necessary to write an article on Georgia Tech that, essentially, looked like a backhanded stab at Georgia?

Admittedly, Georgia Tech's conference colleague, the University of North Carolina, appears to be at the very apex of "agentgate", but did Roberson mention that—no. As a matter of fact, he tossed North Carolina in there as if they were no more guilty than Alabama, Florida, or South Carolina.

I guess I'm just too sensitive where the Georgia Bulldogs are concerned but, let me make this clear, I am not a credentialed journalist and I do not get paid for the content I provide in this blog. I consider myself blessed and lucky for every read I garner, but, make no mistake I am an avid supporter of both Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs—period.

So when I do see a paid journalist doing things like this, it makes me shake my head.

Again, as Bernie has often said, just more AllJackCrap—indeed. 

Willie Martinez Is Gone But Georgia Is Still On His Mind

In a recent interview with the Chattanooga-Times Free Press writer, David Paschall, former Georgia Bulldogs' defensive coordinator, Willie Martinez, talks a little bit about his time at Georgia. Martinez is now the defensive backs coach at Oklahoma but still has two daughters attending the University of Georgia and plans to make trips to Athens to visit them when he can—maybe.

Here are just a few highlights from the article which can be read in full here.


On his dismissal:

"I really don't want to get too much into that, but we've talked. Obviously he felt like he had to do something, but I don't really want to revisit that. We've talked. I'm at Oklahoma, and I'm excited to be here and am ready to move on from that chapter of my life."

On his feelings about Athens and UGA now:

"That was the longest place I had ever been," Martinez said last week. "My son is 14, so he's lived a majority of his life there. There are some great memories that we will have forever and some great friends that we will have forever...both of our girls are still at Georgia, so we'll obviously be visiting them and their friends quite often, I guess."

On the 45-42 loss to Georgia Tech in 2008:

"...losing to Georgia Tech was the worst," Martinez said. "The way we played in the first half, which was solid, and then to come out in the second half -- that's our No. 1 rival at Georgia, and we had won every year. We wanted to keep it going, and I'm glad we were able to get them back last year."