To the bright side of the road......

Has anyone noticed that the Dawgs have not been penalized ONCE since Bama left town?

 YIPPEE!

We've trudged through a week after leaving Sanford with what amounted to very little dignity between ourselves and the other 90+ thousand fans. It has been difficult, but life has moved. I tried calling in indiferrent on Monday morning and my boss said I was as pitiful as one of Mimbs' punts on Saturday night. I was at my desk fifteen minutes later. 

The Dawgs still have all of their preseason goals at hand.....just a little out of reach at the moment. As we move from the darkened streets outside of the stadium last Saturday night to the well lit landscape that is college football in early October, we are reminded that it is wise to focus on the teams that stand in the way of a division title. We're 4-1 overall, 1-1 in the SEC, but we're 1-0 in the East. And.........exhale! Ahhhhhh! I told you that glass was half full.

But before we leave the national picture on the wall until later in the semester, I mean season.............ESPN.com published a Mock BCS Standings this week. If you're like me, you find these things interesting to look at and maybe even analyze if it "catches your fancy" that much. But I always come back to the issue of preseason polls. They're a joke! Why do we even have polls before the middle of October anyway? Around the time of summer two-a-days some coaches and media nerds (sorry Mr. Poindexter....) decide who are the best 25 teams in D1 football. Their decisions are based subjectively on who the teams have returning, which key players have been arrested over the summer and thus suspended for any crucial games, what the team's recruiting class looked like and how many times the coaches' faces have been on the ESPN family of networks since early January. It's like trying to decide which lane to sit in on the connector at 5:15pm in downtown Atlanta. Logic says the lane closest to HOV, cuz it's fast and sexy! But there are fewer (get ready!....subtle analogy to a difficult SEC schedule coming...) tractor trailers in that middle lane. And maybe you don't have a passenger beside you who can allow you to take the Pac-10 lane.......(ahem!).........HOV lane outright. Whatever the choice(s), you just sit there........

......waiting for the picture to clear up.

Anyway we're 7th in case you're interested enough, but not so much that you wanna follow the link. And while we're offering the loyal BDB readers links into cyber space here's one spirited blog from the junkyard. It takes a harsh look at some of the coaching decisions and inaction both leading up to and during the game against the Tide.

At press time, the team is heading their separate ways for a couple of days in search of some R&R. Below you'll find a sign up sheet for volunteers willing to work the downtown Athens area between the hours of 11:00pm and 4am this weekend. Don't want to lose any starters for the Tennessee game to those vindictive Athens-Clarke popo officers! The break does come at a good time as we are still licking our wounds from that.......nevermind.......we've put that memory to bed.....We're hurt! So bad that Kiante has just fashioned his 6th (you read right!)....SIXTH number as a UGA football player. He is off the O line and now is a tight end. In other roster 

moves, Hairy will take a turn on the leash next Saturday and UGA VII leading the band in hopes of stirring up some good JuJu.

I'm really anxious to see our intensity level against the Volunteers. Given the results the last two years and especially the showing against Bama, we should be ready to knock them in the teeth (the players mind you. If I had been referring to the UT fans collectively, I would have used the noun tooth, sing.) The previous two meetings for the Tennessee offense have been like Fulmer's visits to Golden Corral - a smorgasbord of gluttony that leaves nothing but cracked, slightly chewed bones and indigestion in its wake.

After that things really get tough. Vandy, Baton Rouge, Border War that is now an alcohol free event, the WarTigers, Wildkittens and back home for Georgia Yech! Yup, there are no easy wins left shoppers! Please check back next September when we go to Fayetteville to see Coach Petrino's successor, who should be introduced in the coming weeks once Petrino leaves the Razorback Nation for the Oakland Raiders.

Back on task..........the national (and some local) media is trying to "determine" the odds of UGA running the table the rest of the way. I refuse to lead my loyal reader (sing.) down that confusing path. Keep it simple Dumbass, or something like that. The East is the prize that we still have some control over, so let's take a look: 

• Florida looks vulnerable at this point but has a few weeks to step out of the soiled jean shorts and find another pair before they play us. 
  
• Tennessee really rallied for their great big pumpkin last year. However, they've started off much worse this year. Yes, things are interesting up in Knoxville. 
  
• Kentucky I have yet to see. From what I've read they sound improved on defense and surprisingly capable on offense. Maybe I'll catch their game against the Sabanites this weekend since I'm "off". 
  
• And Vanderbilt.....never an easy out and this year they look much better than last year. And what happened last year??? Oh! That's right, they had their cleats on our throats when Gamble forced that fumble. Coutu kicks it through and then hurries home to find his home burglarized. Rough night. This year could be worse....

According to the BDB Legal Department, the bylaws state that there are to be no shout-outs after a loss, only suspensions. I lobbied for one collective shout-out for the team for just coming back onto the field after halftime and the fans for staying beyond the opening drive, but to no avail. Evidently BDB budget could not withstand any potential legal action.

First suspension - the bama fan who knocked over Papa Nama's coke for not owning up to it. Now I've spilt my share of drinks in section 327 and I certainly know the punishment for such a transgression can be severe. But be a man!

Second - Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, cuz Jennifer said so! Be a man! BLITZ!!

And lastly - while we're dishing on coordinators, Mike Bobo. Get the play in so Stafford can have some time to read the defense and work his magic!!!

......Ok, one more. I'm on a roll. Channel 2, Chuck Dowdle, Mark Richt....whoever changed the format of the Mark Richt Show.....it sucks! I like the new set, but I wanna see some plays as you talk about the game. Watching Dowdle ask questions and CMR answer them is like watching Tech play Duke; only entertaining if there's nothing else on.

Trivia this week brought to you by -Conner

Conner wants to know: Daddy mentioned Kiante changed jersey numbers. UGA has 4 retired jerseys in football. How many were NOT running backs?   First correct COMMENT wins.

Have fun twiddling your thumbs this weekend. Stay outta trouble and show up next week ready for a visit from the great big pumpkin!

Bernie