Saturday's (Shorthanded) Headers

Before we begin, let us all join together in saying: ROLL TIDE ROLL!! Afterall, today is the day we all find out who the SEC has selected to be champions.

• They're not ambulance chasers, but we are hoping they provide a good defense. Hartley, Doolittle and Garner - serving up subpoenas in Shreveport.
• Evidently, Santa doesn't visit Shreveport.
• But DawgSports give us a preview, albeit premature.
• Hale provides a thorough perspective of the Montez Robinson saga.
• Without the guarantee of a Charlie Weis fat wallet visiting local buffets, it's unlikely a bowl would've mailed an invitation to South Bend anyway.
• Saban is pissing on podiums and marking his territory.
• Speaking of that little game tonight, Year2 at TeamSpeedKills provides Three Keys for Bama and Three Keys for jorts.
• Wondering if there's anyway TCU can sneak into the MNC game? Matt Hinton gives us three reasons Nebraska could win the Big XII.
• Mike Slive asks Chizik to please not squeeze the Charmin.
• Rex wraps up the year of pigskin in our great state. Will he wear orange tonight? (UPDATE - Rex emphatically says NO!)
• And Rex's old teammate Herschel is 'bout ready to GATA.

If I forget to remind you Reader, Monday may be a good time to let the boss know you're using up some of those stockpiled sick days. Coach Richt could use our help getting ready.

And speaking of giving some help, I'm not planning on wearing crimson and a houndstooth while screaming Bama Rama Jama...oh, whatever the hell... If they need it I'll bring it!

Weekend Update: Pilates, Upsets and Shreveport

I was doing a little Bergwood research last night and decided I would select my favorite spot for this space in today's post. It took a lot longer than I thought. But I eventually settled on Vincent.

ROTFLMAO...which I think means really hilarious. He'll always be Ham to me too Bergwood.

Tailgate Predictions

• In Kirby Smart's official interview for the Dawg's DC job, his defense stuffs Tebow and contains his thugs weapons just enough to give Alabama their first SEC Title since 1999. You know, until the NCAA strips them of it.
• Carlos Dunlap meanwhile enjoys a nice Courvoisier.
• Oregon State...damn. Just damn.
• Texas holds off an inspired Nebraska team in a typical Big XII defensive battle to win 34-28. Just before Colt McCoy strikes a Heisman pose, ABC cuts to a Tebow highlight (contractual obligations).
• In Kevin Steele's screening for an interview with Coach Richt, Clempson plays a full 60 minutes this time against the trade schoolers and doesn't get caught with their orange pants down on an alleged field goal attempt. Unfortunately, Dabo gets so geek'd up with a minute left he gives CJ Spiller a gatorade shower.
• ECU pulls the upset of Houston to claim the CUSA championship. During the highlight segment on College Football Overdrive, Dr. Lou can't contain his spittle or his jealousy pride in son Skip.
• Sunday morning the cleanup of the King/Ealey Connector discovers three and a half pairs of jorts and four sets of false teeth. Just sayin'...

Trivial Update

Q - Looks like the Dawgs are Shreveport bound for the first time since 1991 when they defeated Arkansas 24-15. Who were the offensive and defensive MVPs of the game?

A - Torrey Evans on defense and Andre Hastings on offense

Amid screams of trivial dishonesty, Episode 23 still didn't disappoint. @BPMackie tweeted in the correct responses despite the fact that he was barely old enough flush his own toilet when Hastings ran that end around 53 yards to paydirt.

For his efforts, I promise to buy the kid a chili-dog the next time blogs collide. And of all the empty promises I've ever made, that's the most generous.

I'm hoping for some competitive games this weekend. But if things get out of hand, I saved last weekend's victory on DVR just in case. I hope your weekend plans take you for three hundred and forty yards Reader. In between, maybe we'll do some DC shopping together.

'Tis the season!

Bernie

Bernie Meets Bergwood

There's evidently some game at the GA Dome this weekend. I can't imagine any of my readers would wanna hang out in a sea of jorts and mullets. But the SEC Fanfare is hosting one special guest. Below you'll find all of the details, DadGum!

It seems I may have even scored an interview with AllState's infamous tailgater. If you have any suggestions for questions, from streaking to European girls, feel free to use the comments to lay em on me.

“Bergwood” of the Allstate College Football

Commercials Visits

Atlanta Before SEC

Championship Game

December 4-5, 2009

--------------------

Star of Allstate’s humorous college football TV

commercials campaigns to make

safeties worth more than two points in college football

WHO: Prior to the SEC Championship game, college football fans in Atlanta will get a visit from one of the sport’s biggest personalities – Bergwood, aka, self-proclaimed college football expert, tailgating aficionado and star of the popular Allstate college football commercial campaign, now in its fourth year.

WHAT: An organized movement to change the value of a college football scoring play. If a safety is one of the rarest plays in college football, then why is it worth less than a touchdown or field goal? Bergwood is posing the very same question to college football fans in Atlanta as he rallies support for “Proposition Safety,” a national campaign to increase the value of a safety from two to eight points.

On Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5, Bergwood will be at the SEC Dr. Pepper Fan Fare at the Georgia World Congress Center as part of the Allstate Tailgate Tour, inviting fans to support “Proposition Safety” by signing their names to his giant ‘safety’ clipboard.

College football fans can interact with the Allstate “Good Hands^®” field goal kicking unit and the“College Football Legacy Museum” as well as register for a chance to win tickets to the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.

WHERE: SEC Dr. Pepper Fan Fare (Georgia World Congress Center)

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5

Note: Bergwood will be hanging out with fans during the Allstate Tailgate Tour hours (Friday from 1:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET)

"Spent a Lot of Time With These Men"

First and foremost: Martinez, Jancek and Fabris should be applauded for their service to the program that we hold so dear. The results on the field may not have added up to what we all desired, but there's no question their Dawg hearts were not in it to win it. Coach Richt said it would be up to them to decide if the wanted to coach in the bowl game. Should any decide not to, they gave us all a hell of a parting gift on the flats.

There's a lot that we learned with the events around Butts-Mehre Wednesday afternoon. And I'm not just referring to which journalists have prematurity problems. (Ahem!) So before we delve into who's gone, who's not and who's gonna come...it's important to recognize and give the proper weight to what Coach Richt did yesterday.

Many have criticized Richt for being soft, too loyal and unwilling to address the problems. While I've never worried about his ability to make the tough decision or his desire to win, I have been critical of how he's addressed the problems.

As news came that indeed three assistants would not be retained, those criticisms could be felt washing away. Coach Richt bleeds for this program more than any other.

Some collected yet random thoughts:

• From what I've read, the current '10 commits are still aligned on the correct side of the ledger, for what that's worth.
• Lots of talk about Garner. He ain't the next DC for two reasons: 1) that would be a hard sell to the fanbase 2) I don't think he wants it
• I'm guessing I made too much of the ill-will between Garner and Evans. Should he still reside in Athens next August I'm cool with it. Be cooler if he and Evans could shake hands.
• I'm okay with the offensive coaches staying (and lets hope Searels does), but wonder if there will be tweaks.
• BI's Leavy points out one offensive change that would bring a smile to a lot of Dawgs' faces.
• And since Van Halanger is also "safe"...would like to see some tweaks there as well. I can't be convinced that we're a well conditioned team.
• I'll have more later on possible Martinez replacements, but the most level headed short list I've seen is: Bumpas, Steele, Chavis and Smart. It has a good mixture of experience and tempered realism. We'll see how it spreads out from there.
• Muschamp is not going to even enter the picture (c'mon people) but I would start in the great state of Texas on TCUs campus. That's just me.

The reality of the matter is there's a lot of moving and shaking that has to happen before CMR is back in front of the podium introducing his third DC of his tenure. South Bend is gonna attract some names once their new head coach is named. Tallahassee has a job posted and Gainesville may as well. But I don't gather CMR is going to rush into any decisions.

You and I know Athens is the place to be. And I'm damn proud it'll be Coach Richt selling it.

Please forgive Coach PaJammies...

...he just hopes to be competitive next year.

Two days after getting run over, the biggest Johnson in the state has gone from thinking it's neat to have a rival to advising his nerddom to punch Dawg fans in the face.

WTF? Why the face?

Could it be that more than a few helluva tricycle riders have pressed the pause button in their World of Witchcraft to call the head pr*ck and cry? Did the mean ol' Dawg co-workers give em a swirlie before lunch Monday?

Last week I read this post by Dawgnoxious, and gave it some serious thought. There are those that will always believe the trade schoolers are our biggest rival. I don't number myself among them. But it is a series that is as close to campus as it is the heart. That alone makes it special.

But does that make it necessary each year? As idiotic as the head nerd's comments about punching people and championship revisionist history are, it is clear that this alleged rivalry is desperately tilted towards North Avenue on the value scale.

Not convinced? Still fixated on Thanksgiving with insects? Ask yourself this...have you been alive during a decade when the bees actually won more than they lost? If the trend continues, Tech will only beat us one more time before 2020.

That doesn't add up to a rivalry, just a very lop-sided series. So I ask...why not throw in a little Clempson.

Coach PJ is no fun without his slippers. And clearly, these guys don't need our level of competition.....

Coaching Popcorn Kernels

Today's December 1st right?

• NotHer Dame went on a diet.
• And Stoops says he's not in favor of genetic cloning.
• However, if Stoops is at the top of Swarbrick's wish list...something's gotta give.
• F$U gave Diddy a choice of castration or retired to stud.
• Will Yow close the door on the Fridge?
• Closer to home, Coach Richt's charges play the waiting game.
• But Chad Simmons tells us that Garner was on the road ($$) Sunday talking to TJ Stripling.

When asked on the call-in show Monday night about possible changes, Richt offered this:

I'm not going to comment about anything like that...I think people that think just because we need to get better or make some kind of change, they think it always involves the changing of people, too, and that's not always necessarily true. We're going to get things back on track, I can promise you that.

Later when pressed by another sick of Willie caller who pointed out all of the times the Dawgs have given up 30+ points...

You're definitely going to win a whole lot more games if you keep people under thirty, there's no doubt about that.

At least Coach and I had the same math teacher. And lastly, some rumors heard around the interwebs that I wasn't able to find links for:

• On Falcons Live Chris Redman (Falcons QB and UL alum) said floriDuh DC Charlie Strong is expected to be named Louisville's next coach.
• David Pollack has been quick to use his Twitter account to throw names around. And he tweeted yesterday that Texas assistant Mac McWhorter is expected to retire. He then offered Searels as a possible replacement of interest.

Now we'll just have to wait and see which rumors gather enough oil to pop into reality and which are left forgotten at the bottom of the bowl.

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

Sunday Thoughts From the Flats

PJ is 0-1 against Russ. Let's just throw that out there to start things off...

In a day of upsets, the Dawgs stayed on script and took down the mighty jackets, restoring order in the state of Georgia.

• First and foremost, Historic Mark Richt Field is where nerd dreams lay in a heap of used Oxy Clean pads.
• I really like the downtown connector that Ealey and King traversed upon last night. 339 yards rushing. Three hundred thirty nine!!
• Perhaps the helluva engineers can stew on that number this off season in place of their much ballyhoo'd 45-42.
• I mean that offensive line was killin' it! More pancakes than an International House on a Sunday morning.
• Amid the rumors that Willie had coached his last game, the look on his face in the waning moments was perhaps the most telling. Exhaustion. Relief. Vindication.
• As for Bobo, that opening drive was a thing of beauty. 10 plays and 74 yards, all courtesy of that King/Ealey Connector.
• Cox finished with something like 74 yards, going 8/14. A good night for him, despite some drops.
• Although the offense and defense seemed to play a much improved game compared to the rest of the season, the special teams seemed a more accurate reflection of themselves.
• Walsh had another good game that was within a hair of being great. Butler never had to strap on his helmet.
• In fact, what a luxury for Coach Richt there at the end: up 6 with 3 minutes to play and the ball spotted on 4th down at the Tech 38. Go with the Groza or the Guy finalist.
• I think he made the right call, but thanks to the defense it's a lot easier to type that.
• Lastly, that ACC Title game next week lost a lot of luster yesterday, huh?

So our attention turns to coaching decisions. They're not our decisions to make, but what kind of blogger would I be if I did not speculate. We've looked to this day almost as if it would be as easy as rearranging toy blocks in a play pen.

But there are many things to consider: results on the field, relationships, money, signed contracts. I'm not sure how soon we'll know something for sure, but our first hints could come later tonight and tomorrow as we find out who's on the road in various high schools.

Defensive tackle coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner's status on the sidelines may be the most convoluted. In tomorrow's meatloaf I'll look specifically at his future in red and black.

It's one thing to rebuild a foundation. It's quite another to use toothpicks for the girders. I trust Coach Richt to make the right calls.

Right now, I just can't stop smiling. Have a happy Sunday Reader.

339 Yards Rushing!!