We took it on the chin...

To all those Dawg fans out there calling for the heads of Mike Bobo, Joe Cox and Willie Martinez, let's take a step back. . .

Georgia went into Stillwater as underdogs for a reason. I have, and always will say this. The guys in Vegas (and wherever else lines are made) are very, very good at their job. They make money on "locks" and "hunches" every week because they study the facts.

So, lets look at the facts:

1. Oklahoma State was opening a new stadium.

+1 for OSU on emotional advantage.

2. OSU met Georgia at home in, what they claimed to be, the biggest game in the history of Poke football.

+1 for OSU emotional advantage.

3. OSU returns potential all-americans at QB, WR, LT, and RB.

-any questions? (see Robinson converting with his legs, Hunters explosiveness and Dez Bryant's mid-air catch in the endzone.

4. Georgia essentially opened the game with a first time starter at QB (coming off of the flu) and RB.

5. Our experienced offensive line is still unbelievably young.

6. Our defensive line in respected because we have a ridiculous DT rotation and a very very mediocre pass rush off the edge.

7. Our best linebacker is extremely talented but criticized for being undersized.

8. Our defensive backs are as athletic as any in the nation, but either inexperienced or chronically a step late.

9. Our offensive coordinator is still finding himself as a big time assistant.

10. Our biggest weapon is a type of player who NEEDS a quarterback who can augment his physical talents with an accurate and timely pass.

So, you take all of this and you understand why we were almost 7 point dogs to this team from Stillwater.

Did we drive down their throats to start the game? Yes.

Did we hold their vaunted offense under 30? Yes.

Is there a lot to be disappointed about? Yes.

We can be completely dejected by the loss (and I am) but I am also confident in the future because Joe Cox can't look much worse, we won't play a better triumvirate on offense all year, we are now battle tested (in week 2) and we have a chip on our shoulder for the rest of the year.

Demarcus Dobbs said this year's team was a brotherhood and I guarantee you that the brotherhood is pissed off to high hell right now. I see us losing 2 more games this year. One to a Florida team that is a perfect storm of recruiting talent and coaching and an LSU team that plays a brand of physical football that we are not quite ready for.

We end the season 10-3 with another bowl win in Orlando. The question is who will be leading us under center when we get there?

BTW, how will the BCS matchups look with Notre Dame, Boise State and a terrible Big East team receiving bids? Shoot me now.

Post G-Day...

I will stick to my words. I think the Dawgs will be more that okay next year. Will we go undefeated? Probably not. Will we lose 6 games? Not likely.

Joe Cox will be everything you need in an SEC quarterback (though he may not be much more athletically). His energy on the field is evident along with his uncanny ability to lead his teammates. This program is in need of that emotional leader and Joe Cox may be that player.

Our offensive line and running backs will also be everything we need to get by. We probably won't have a 1,000 yard rusher but we most certainly won't be a pass-because-we-can't-run-it offense.

What I like is the return to discipline in between the white lines and a code of conduct off the field. This team has the potential to be everything we love about Georgia Football. Yeah, I loved Stafford's big time arm and Knowshon's highlight reel talent just as much as the next guy. To me, however, Georgia football has always been about a defense that wants to wear you out so our offense doesn't have to. A team that feels just as proud about dominating a game 16-3 or dominating it 50-10.

This team has the potential to be that type of good. Not Leinart-Bush Sportscenter good. Just solid-because-we're-good good.

Basketball Coaching Search Thoughts...

1. Money talks- DE said money would not be a factor in bringing a coach to Athens. That means he is committed to bringing a coach in who (he believes) will lead the program to the next level.

2. Facilities are not a deal breaker- Yes, Stegeman is 40 some years old and only holds 10,000 people, but the place would be on fire if, for example, our "40 Minutes of Hell" was taking Kentucky to the woodshed on our way to the NCAA tournament. Also, if anything, a coach can use the gym for leverage as the negotiate a contract. Why wouldn't a coach say, "I agree to the terms of the contract as long as the proposed renovations are completed by 2011" ?

3. We don't want a coach who will simply bring more in-state talent to Athens- To me, the definition of a "home-run hire" is a guy who makes Athens an attractive city for players nationwide. Everyone knows that doesn't happen overnight, but Mark Richt would not have the success he has had without kids like Stafford, Moreno, Massaquoi, Owens, Weston, etc. (Sorry for the football reference but it is true.) Damon Evans knows this. Whether he is successful or not with the hire remains to be seen but I promise you he is looking for that program changing guy. The last thing he wants to do is settle for a Plan B.

4. Our program's prestige right now is not the limit- Just because we have yet to realize our potential as a basketball program does not mean we will not achieve elite status. Gonzaga, Arizona St., Virginia Tech, and Baylor are not historical basketball powers. Yet, with Mark Few, Herb Sendek, Seth Greenberg and Scott Drew all of these programs became "relevant" in the last few years. In basketball, a coach can make a significant difference in only a few years time. I understand it is an extreme example but where was Baylor's basketball program a few years ago? Again, Evans realizes the importance of the right hire.

All of this being said, it doesn't matter that Kentucky is looking for a coach or that Anthony Grant would sell his soul to be in Gainesville rather than Tuscaloosa. What matters is that UGA is committed to improving its  basketball program (or so say the powers that be). We will see how serious Damon Evans was when he said "I'll say this: Our commitment and my commitment to build Georgia basketball is strong, and when I say strong, I'll add very strong onto that. We're going to go out and find the best possible person for this job. That may mean we commit more resources than we have in the past but we're not letting that hold us back from doing what we need to do to have a successful men's basketball program."

In 5 years, will top 100 recruits want to wear the "Mighty G"? Who knows?

I will say this, if we don't hire a man who sees that as a legitimate goal, Damon Evans did not do his job. 

Go Dawgs!

I Like Predictions.

So here's my prediction for next year.



Thanks to 24/7 for all their accomplishments and fine play over the past few years. We'll miss the devastating cuts, spinmoves and 75-yard outs.



In all honesty though, and I hope I'm not wrong on this, but I think the 2009 version of college football in Athens will be a return to football the way we like it.



Joe Cox, Logan Gray, Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger: whoever lines up under center will not be Matthew Stafford. We all know that. Will he make mistakes? Yes. Did Stafford inexplicably decide to throw a touchdown for the Jackets a few weeks ago? Yes. We will be ok. Our QB situation is far from the nightmare many Georgia fans are envisioning.



RB: Caleb King, Dick Samuel (although I'm not convinced he shouldn't line up next to Rennie), DJax, Carlton Thomas, etc.: These guys aren't Knowshon, but like I said about Stafford, who is? However, we do have a bunch of guys who can get the job done and an offensive line that won't make monumental mistakes. Hell, our offensive line may be one of the best in the SEC (if not the nation) next year because of our surprisingly youthful depth.



Getting Searels back will make this team one to be reckoned with. In the game of football, controlling the line of scrimmage can make a mediocre football team into a very, very good football team. We will dominate the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball like a hard-nosed football team should.



On the defensive line, the possibility of Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens taking a play off to let someone better than them get some reps is not that far fetched. Unlike 2008, we will not have a porous run defense. Geno, JO, Kade and co. are simply too good.



Our linebackers and secondary need to step up. They will probably be better than 2008 if we find some semblance of a pass rush, but I would love to see more physical man-coverage and more fundamental tackling. If we tackle the way a Division I football player should tackle, we will see PPG and YPG stats back in the top 20 in the nation.



Special teams scares me. Walsh has a powerful leg on field goals but is somewhat inconsistent. Do we lack confidence in our athletes to the point that we cannot tell walsh to boom it down the middle on kickoffs. I promise our guys can tackle the opposing return man before the 40 yard line--we kicked the ball out of bounds and gave the other team 40 yards of field position what seemed like a dozen times this year. Our punt return is non existent because we are forced to fair catch nearly every punt. Even when we are not in punt block formation, there seems to be little to no effort in blocking.



We have an offseason fix our weaknesses and improve our strengths. We have an offseason for our players to stay out of trouble. We have an offseason to mold a new recruiting class into the future of the Red and Black.



Most importantly, I believe, we have an offseason out of the spotlight. We are not preseason number one and we are not home to current Heisman hopefuls. This team will have to get it done with defense, special teams and offensive execution.



I predict we will. Is it September yet?