Monday's Meatloaf - It's All Over But the Shouting

Let's follow our offensive line's lead from Saturday night and hit the ground running.

As we continue to savor the taste of Bobby Dodd's turf, reality creeps in ever so slightly. The game on the flats was a very satisfying end to what has been a troubling season. Coach Richt's demeanor and comments before, during and after the victory reminds us that a season of discontent carries with it the necessity of a thorough evaluation.

While the expectation seems to be that Martinez's resignation will be made public soon, the fate of Coach Garner is even more intriguing. Scout's Dean Legge reported a couple of weeks ago ($$) that Garner is not currently under contract. Hale followed up with both Garner and Evans and began to feel like a ping-pong ball.

You know the old saying, where there's smoke there's bad blood...or something like that. So smart money is on Garner leaving with just a decent offer from elsewhere. And someone with his ties wouldn't need to work too hard to get an interview or two. Should our DC position becoming an opening, I don't expect Garner to be bumped up as that would be a hard sell to the fanbase right now.

Which leads many fans to balk at the thought of our recruiting coordinator leaving town; and that is a reasonable concern given the Dawgs' success in inking 18 year olds the last few years. But don't forget that it is generally Coach Richt himself that is closing the deal. And Coach Lilly knows something or three about big boy recruiting.

Today's Ingredients

• Ollllddude has proposed a renaming of the downtown connector to King-Ealey Connector.
• Exhile focuses in on the SEC East 5th place contest coming to Tampa this Saturday.
• My nervousness leading up to the game centered on the thought of Bobo trying to torch the jackets' secondary, arguably their defensive weakness. I wasn't so taken with the idea since Cox came into Saturday night on such a down note. The Telegraph's Stan Awtrey points out the error of my logic.
• Tweet of the night courtesy of Hamp Tanner: Dawgs beat Tech and Notre Dame lost. God is a Bulldog!
• Text of the night courtesy of Joe Waterloo, coming in just after the Dobbs' missed tackle: Do we teach our guys to tackle high? I remember Pop Warner league - the 2nd thing they teach is tackle the waist. The first thing is hot chicks don't go to GaT.
• If you haven't already, you should go over and vote for our Groza and Guy finalists.
• Mike looks at a different area of recruiting that CMR may be faced with in the coming weeks.
• Watching Legge's video of Martinez post-game ($$) says little about his future in red and black, but volumes about how much the win Saturday night meant to him.
• In an anniversary post, the Senator explores the midset of the team from the offensive blocking to the premature powerade.
• Dwyer's stat line: 33 yards on 14 carries. Say it with me: FB QB pitch.
• Tucker looks at what's next for the Dawgs. According to Stokan, Georgia's still in play for New Year's Eve in the A T L (which would be yet another opportunity to use the King/Ealey Connector).
• Bop at Catfish and Cornbread gives us a look at the Baby Headhunter.
• Speaking of the boys at C&C...looking back, the most frustrating part of this season (for me) has been the disconnect between Coach Richt and the Dawg Nation. In fact, this post last week by RB perfectly sums up my frustrations.
• And when I read CMRs post-game comments Sunday morning I was as pleased with his level of accountability as I was with that defensive stand. I checked and sure enough, RB came back and gave Richt his due.
• Cuz in the end, it's not about who's been inside the arena or not. It's about bleeding red and black.

Several months ago my wife asked me what I wanted for my milestone birthday this year. Every year my wish as I blow out the candles is a Dawg victory over NATS. But given the second half debacle last year my reply to her was: To drink a twelve pack of PBR on the fifty yard line of Historic Mark Richt Field after a Dawgs' win.

In the end, that request was a much taller order for Mrs. Bernie than it was Coach Richt's crew. The game against the in-state rival was easily the most complete game of the season. Everyone - players, coaches, even fans - seemed in sync, focused.

This week once again throws everyone in limbo. Teleconference was cancelled, practices postponed. Everyone wants to know where to take our bowling balls. Players are anxious for their coaches. Coaches are anxious for their families. Coach Richt has spent the last 24+ hours doing some hard thinking.

And hopefully fans are taking a deep breath. I guess that's about where we are Reader. Only one thing left to say:

Three hundred and thirty nine yards!!!

Stick a fork in that mouthful and have yourself a Monday.

Bernie