Georgia Bulldogs: Dawgs Picked To Finish Third In SEC East

The Birmingham News released their 65th Annual SEC Spring Football Preview this past Sunday and the general consensus is that South Carolina and Alabama will meet at the Georgia Dome for the 2011 SEC Championship. It's a prediction that seems popular but leaves me scratching my head for a couple of reasons.

For one, aside from Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffery, the Gamecocks aren't likely to overwhelm anyone with their returning talent.

If Stephen Garcia plays—and that's more a when than an if to be honest—he has shown little in the way of maturity as far as his decision-making is concerned. Quite frankly, the guy should be pumping gas at an Exxon station based on the amount of trouble he's been in over the past five years.

Secondly, after Marcus Lattimore, who is responsible for keeping the running game afloat? This kid is the real deal, but if he has to miss a couple games again due to being banged up, Spurrier's in trouble.

As for Alabama being the team South Carolina meets in Atlanta, well, I guess that's fair—if only by default. There aren't any other teams in the SEC West that look like semi-pro conglomerates when you peruse their active roster. That said, Saban still has to address the fact that both Greg McElroy and Mark Ingram are gone.

Sure, Trent Richardson is there and he's going to be money, but he's spent the better part of his career playing in the media shadow of Mark Ingram. How will he handle receiving the brunt of the criticism should he hit a rough patch in the season? Even more, there's still the matter of replacing Julio Jones—ya know, the guy who caught better than 85 percent of their former quarterback's passes?

It just seems to me that the decision to make Alabama the favorite has more to do with a weak SEC West than a great Alabama team.

Georgia was picked to finish behind South Carolina and Florida, respectively, and the reason behind the choice had to do with the fact that "...Georgia had a lot of players taken in the NFL Draft in April and now the Bulldogs are in search of a bevy of starters. Even worse, leading rusher Washaun Ealey was given his unconditional release because of off-the-field issues during the offseason. The biggest name missing is receiver A.J. Green, who will next be seen in the NFL."

While I can certainly agree that Georgia will miss the defensive talents of both Justin Houston and Akeem Dent, as well as offensive starters A.J. Green and Kris Durham, I am not ready to hang the possibility of a questionable running game on the departure of Washaun Ealey.

To be honest, there are more than a few Georgia fans who would be willing to argue that the ball security issues, suffered by both Caleb King and Washaun Ealey, played a key role in several of Georgia's losses (South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Colorado to name a few) last season.

Ealey's loss will be felt on the depth chart, but his release became a necessary evil if Georgia was to move in a more productive and positive direction in 2011.

Even so, it's nice to see the Bulldogs in the underdog position as they just might be able to sneak up on a few folks this season if they perform at a more consistent level this year.

The Birmingham News also selected "the best in the SEC" for 2011 and Blair Walsh, Drew Butler, Aaron Murray, and Orson Charles were selected as tops at their respective positions.

Ben Jones and Brandon Boykin also made an appearance on the list.

What say you...will Georgia finish third in the East?

Related articles

• Georgia Bulldogs: Ben Jones Named To 2011 Rimington Watch List (theladysportswriter.blogspot.com)
• Ex-UGA RB Ealey to drop down a level, play in '11 (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
• Washaun Ealey: "...I probably need to go somewhere I can focus." (theladysportswriter.blogspot.com)

Justin Houston Failed A Drug Test In February...But, Ummm, It's April

Photo Credit: Brant Sanderlin/AJC

Justin Houston, the former Georgia Bulldog linebacker who parlayed his great 2010 season into a possible late-first round selection at this year's NFL Draft, reportedly failed a drug test at the NFL Combine in February.

Okay, so now that it's May, can someone please elaborate on why anyone should care?

Let me make this clear, I don't advocate the use of marijuana. I have never used it, never cared to use it, and don't see it being used anytime in my foreseeable future—unless I develop severe cataracts and just need a hit (sorry, bad form there)—but what Houston did seems irrelevant now.

Maybe if we had not been privy to Ryan Mallett's admission of recreational drug use during his time at Arkansas, I might be more inclined to raise a little sand. But, in fact, the main issue (at least from my perspective) isn't the fact that Justin Houston was using sometime last winter, but whether or not he was using while he was still enrolled at Georgia—which given the party atmosphere that has been known to surround the UGA football team and Athens, GA, in general, would not surprise me one iota.

If he was in fact using when he suited up, then it's possible he wasn't the only one and, if that's the case, then a whole other can of 'what the hell' is about to be opened in the blogosphere.

But back to the question at hand: what will this news do to Houston's draft status? If I had to take a guess, I'd say nothing. He's not a bad character guy and it's clear that he could excel if placed in the right system at the next level.

Plus, forgive my license here, but the NFL hasn't exactly been all that great about keeping it's players clean and sober—just saying. And, even if this latest revelation hurts his stock a bit, it's not likely to carry any more weight than the questions that were already being lobbed his way—the most important of which appears to be is he a 4-3 defensive end or a 3-4 linebacker?

Justin Houston tested positive for marijuana and that's unfortunate for him as that could tarnish his legacy for some Georgia Bulldog fans who came to respect him as a person and a player, but none of that will mean much come April 28th.

Georgia Bulldogs: Don't Put All Your Eggs in Boise State's Basket

Photo Credit: David Tulis

"Every time we go out there, that’s what we think about — getting better to beat Boise State on Sept. 3rd."—(Georgia defensive back, Jakar Hamilton, AJC, 4/13/2011)

Speaking candidly, as a Georgia fan, I both love and hate that statement by Hamilton. I love knowing the team is doing all it can to avoid losing a big game, on a national stage, in the first game of the season. However, at the same time, I hate that the Boise State game has become the only reason some guys are so motivated to play because, while it would definitely be a great thing to see them win, it means nothing in the grander scheme of it all.

Point blank, I've seen Georgia play Boise State before and, while I respect everything Chris Petersen has done over the past five-years, I cannot say that I feel Georgia is the inferior team going into this match-up. Despite what these teams look like on paper, Georgia is capable of beating Boise State—if they play their brand of football.

That said, I am more concerned about the September 10th game against South Carolina than the one September 3rd against Boise—no disrespect intended to the Broncos—because all I want to see Georgia do in 2011 is get back to the SEC Championship game and Boise State has absolutely nothing to do with that happening.

Of course, the natural response to that last statement will be that the Boise game will set the tone for the rest of the year. Well, I only have one response to that: Virginia Tech.

The Hokies lost to Boise State to start last season, got embarrassed in week two by a Division I-AA opponent, but went on an 11-0 tear afterward and ended up winning the 2010 ACC Championship Game. So, you'll have to forgive me if I don't necessarily bite on the whole tone-setting approach.

Georgia could lose to Boise State and still be just fine.

Sure, it would be nice to have a repeat of 2005—defeat Boise in a big way and secure bragging rights over a team that many feel is one of the best in the country—but, if that happens, I can assure you that there will be a lot of unimpressed fans who were already feeling that Georgia was the better team anyhow—regardless of their mediocre 2010 record.

That said, quite a few people will be looking past Boise—win or lose—and pointing to South Carolina as the true barometer of what Georgia will be in year two with a more experienced Aaron Murray under center, bolstered by a second season of a Todd Grantham executed defense, with a new offensive line coach to lead the way, minus a few "cancers", led by a new approach to the strength and conditioning, and minus the talents of either an A.J. Green or a Justin Houston.

The level of exposure the game against Boise State offers may have injected some needed life into the program but, in my very humble—yet honest—opinion, Boise is the least of Georgia's concerns. The true questions will be answered in Knoxville (where Derek Dooley is spearheading a great turnabout for the Vols), in Jacksonville (where the changing of the guard has taken place and Georgia is desperate for a win), and in Athens (where the defending national champs (Auburn) and SEC East Champs (South Carolina) will come to play in 2011).

Sure a win against Boise State would be a great start, but I'd trade that for an SEC Championship and wins over Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, and South Carolina—just being honest.

So, hopefully, the coaches at Georgia are selling more than just Boise as motivation for the guys who will be representing the red and black because, as I said, Boise is the least of their concerns.

Atlanta Falcons: Should They Bet The Future To Land A.J. Green?

According to Jeff Schultz, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Falcons need to give away whatever they can to secure A.J. Green in the 2011 NFL Draft. Said Schultz, "...Thirty-two games, 166 catches, 2,619 yards, 23 touchdowns. He’ll be better than fine. The Falcons shouldn’t let him leave the state."

While it's true that Green could be the next star in the NFL, the Falcons need help on defense—not offense.

Sure, Green would be a welcome addition—if they could land him—but sitting at No. 27, the Falcons would have to give up a lot for the potential that Green brings to the table. And, for my money, I'm willing to bet that Thomas Dimitroff isn't interested in mortgaging the team's future on any one player—no matter how much "wow" he has to offer.

In truth, if the Falcons are looking to move up for any Georgia Bulldog, they may need to take a hard look at Justin Houston. Houston showed well at UGA's Pro Day as well, and he would make a nice compliment to John Abraham coming off the opposite edge. Furthermore, he's projected as a late-first, early second round pick—more than gettable for the Falcons—and has the kind of work ethic and attitude that Dimitroff covets.

As a Georgia fan, it would be great to see A.J. Green continuing his success in the state of Georgia but, to be honest, I'd much rather see the Falcons fill the needs that will immediately help the team—not just put more rear-ends in the seats. 

Related articles

• McShay says A.J. Green is better than Julio Jones (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
• Scouts don't get in-person look at A.J. Green at Georgia's pro day (football.rawsignal.com)

Six Georgia Bulldogs Make 2010 Preseason All-SEC, But...

The 2010 coaches' preseason All-SEC team was released on Tuesday and six Georgia Bulldogs made the list.

Four players earned a place on the first team, as A.J. Green (WR), Drew Butler (P), Blair Walsh (K), and Clint Boling (OL) all made the cut.

Heading up the second team were Cordy Glenn (OL) and Brandon Boykin (DB)—Boykin made the team as a member of the special teams. His multiple 100-yard returns last season, no doubt, played a part in the selection.

However, what's more intriguing than who did make the list was who didn't.

Justin Houston, the Georgia Bulldogs standout defensive end who, despite missing the first two games of the 2009 season, racked up 38 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss (2nd in the SEC), and 7.5. sacks (3rd in the SEC) didn't receive a nod.

It's a head-scratcher considering the expectations for him in 2010 are very high. The talented player, who recently made the move to outside linebacker, is considered by many to be in line for a stellar year playing in Georgia's newly installed 3-4 defensive scheme.  And, depending on his success this season, there is a good possibility that he could become an early round selection in next year's NFL Draft.

So, it begs the question, how on earth did the coaches see fit to leave him off the list?

Did his suspension at the start of 2009 play a role in their decision?

Did the lack of eye-popping tackles overshadow his other more impressive stats?

Whatever the case may be, it's clear that Houston still has some proving to do in the SEC and I have no doubt he's more than ready for the challenge.