GA Senate enacts some gator hate

Senator Albers as it turns out went to Louisville and graduated from UGA's Carl Vinson Institute. But no doubt he had plenty of help in passing this resolution. (h/t Clem)

Now if they'd just stop making those infernal Florida Gator license plates.

Erin Murphy's VIRAL infection

I trust you've read THIS.

Earlier this evening, Aaron Murray held a press conference at the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall on the campus of the University of Georgia. During the press conference, the veteran starting quarterback of the Georgia Bulldogs revealed some shocking news in light of the recent scandal involving Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te'o: Aaron Murray actually has a dying girlfriend.

Quite honorable of Murray to carry on the way he has with a dying girlfriend in the background. And even more so to come to the public with this news before it got out of hand and became a distraction before the 2014 BCS Championship.

On an even more humorous somber note, you can follow Erin Murphy on Twitter as she supports her boyfriend one IV bag at a time - Dying4Heisman.

Countdown to NSD - 13 days

Georgia has 29 commitments and has zeroed in on their last few targets. You could make an argument that Richt and staff have a reasonable chance at any or all of the following: Tunsil, Foster, Adams, Kamara, Johnson, and Bellamy.

But there's also a guy who will make his final visit in Athens on February 1st - Matthew Thomas out of Booker T. Washington in Miami FL. He's an edge pass rusher and playmaker, super fast and quick as lightning. At 6'4" and 210 pounds many wonder if he might end up at safety or even wide receiver. But there's no question he can play at the next level, right where he's been wreaking havoc in high school...at outside linebacker.

Thomas went out to Southern California last weekend and has already been to Alabama. He was on Miami's campus yesterday and hits FSU this weekend, which is where many believe he will end up. Whoever gets him will have a heck of a player with incredible closing speed.

Theus has surgery

Last week it was announced that Chris Burnette had surgery to repair his shoulder. Now a second starter on the offensive line will miss much if the spring as John Theus had surgery to repair a fractured foot.

The rising sophomore had surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital to repair a fifth metatarsal fracture, according to the school. A full recovery is expected. 

Theus, from Jacksonville, Fla, started every game at right tackle as a freshman.

Georgia already will be without starting right guard Chris Burnette after he had surgery last week to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

 Spring practices begin on March 2 and conclude with the G-Day game on April 6.

CMR has lost control of Mark Emmert

Improper conduct...improperly obtained information...no subpoena power...

Shame shame NCAA.

"To say the least, I am angered and saddened by this situation. Trust and credibility are essential to our regulatory tasks,” said Emmert.  "My intent is to ensure our investigatory functions operate with integrity and are fair and consistent with our member schools, athletics staff and most importantly our student-athletes," he added.

The short of it is that the NCAA used testimony in the Shapiro bankruptcy proceedings to gather leads and information in its investigation of Miami's football program. So instead of ruling on the ugly matter in Coral gables, instead Emmert is unleashing an investigation within his own house.

Also, in a somewhat related matter...#FreeKoltonHouston.

Countdown to NSD - 14 days

In just two weeks the faxes will be rolling in!

Alvin Kamara - The Norcross running back had a good visit in Tuscaloosa last weekend, but we assume its impossible to have a bad one if you are a stud recruit that Saban has in his cross hairs. Georgia will get its "official" turn this weekend and it remains possible that another school (Clemson, Tennessee or maybe FSU) might get his final visit during the week afterwards. Kamara will be spending time with family on the last weekend of recruiting before signing day.

Tunsil - a VERY large paint ball and recruiting target

Laremy Tunsil - He was in Athens this past weekend and had a chance to show his mom around while also getting to know ($) some of the players, including a paint ball excursion that he really enjoyed despite being such a big target. It continues to look pretty good for Georgia with Tunsil: he has a chance to compete for early playing time at the tackle position opposite John Theus, has a couple good running backs in the backfield along with a four year starter under center, and he seems to really like the program from the top down.

“Alabama and Georgia are similar in most areas and they are both winning programs. You cannot go wrong with either. I do not really know where I want to go and it is hard, but God will lead me in the right direction.”

Incidentally, he sat next to Coach Richt in church on Sunday. Something drastic would have to happen for Tunsil not to sign with Georgia.

Montravius Adams - The five star defensive tackle from Dooly County has been making the rounds and this weekend it's Georgia's turn/ It's unknown whether Adams will make another visit anywhere after that, so Coach Richt and staff could get the final crack at this talented monster. Auburn seems to be making a late push, but it's still a battle between Clemson and Georgia.

Toby Johnson - Georgia might have a better shot at Johnson than with Adams. This junior college defensive tackle prospect has made no secret of the fact that he likes the Dawgs. New defensive line coach Chris Wilson has known Johnson for awhile and has stuck with him through his transition to Athens as well as Johnson's ACL tear in November when a lot of schools lost interest. Despite the injury he is on track to play this fall.

The College Park GA native is finishing his academic work and rehabbing at Hutchinson Community College and will make his final decision known on Signing Day.

Davin Bellamy - Another one that is visiting this weekend, Bellamy is weighing options after committing to FSU. Grantham has supposedly long been enamored with his quick burst and UGA is definitely back in the running now that Garner is in Auburn. Is there too much ground to make up? Maybe so. But you cna bet that the coaches and players will make a strong pitch on Saturday. He strikes me as someone who is really looking for a place to further develop his skills and we know from last year that Grantham can do a good job selling the program in terms of what it can do. Especially good pass rushers.

So, give FSU the nod here. But UGA is far from out of the running.


Reuben Foster - This kid reminds me of a piece of driftwood floating about 50 feet from shore, rocking back and forth with a turbulent high tide. Committed to Alabama, de-committed, committed to Auburn, de-committed. All of that while also changing high schools and getting program specific tattoos. He finished a good visit to Tuscaloosa this past weekend and hits the road towards Athens on Friday. Auburn gets the last official. So the more things change the more they stay the same possibly. Whichever direction he sways last will get his signature. But it's hard to believe the drama would end there right?


Tomorrow we'll look at one linebacker that UGA will get the final crack at, Matthew Thomas out of Miami.

Finebaum contemplating next move

So this snippet of news broke yesterday.

The gist of it is that a rival radio station (apparently) finally succeeded in luring away the Alabama (and national) cash cow that is The Paul Finebaum Show. As per the Cumulus contract however (which ended Monday), Finebaum must be radio silent for three months. And although there are ways around that silence it appears as if the popular host will enjoy a nice vacation before beginning a new endeavor with Cox this spring.

However, if Finebaum is truly "weighing options", what would those be?

• offer to be a ringmaster for Ringling Bros.
• lead investigator in South Bend
• Tammy's sex slave...Oh! PAAAAAWWWWLLLL!!!!
• ......
• WalMart greeter
• Saban's chief minion
• used car salesman
• Jim from Tuscaloosa's bowling partner
• ...
• an SEC referee (hey...he already has the hair for it, and the bias)
• Mrs. Chizik's pool boy
• ...

Humpday Hilarity - inaugurated

You've probably seen this picture by now...

But it also reminded me of this video by Bad Lip Reading. If you haven't seen it, enjoy.

Georgia Dome blues

Before you get sucked in by NFL Super Bowl 2013 stats and who will win the "HarBowl", I wanted to look at just how much one endzone of the Georgia Dome has sucked this year.

Once the Capital One Bowl ended I slowly, ever so slowly, found myself getting drawn into the Atlanta Falcons' run towards the Super Bowl. At first I would just casually watch the game on Sundays, followed by reading some articles, and then before you know it I'm rearranging schedules so that I can be in front of the television for the NFC Divisional title game.

You see...it was over. And then Matt Ryan led the team back down the field. Slippery Pete was sent back to Seattle and the Falcons were poised to be underdogs again, on their own field, in the NFC Championship game.

Of course, you know all that. And you know how that one ended as well. Out of miracles and out of downs, the Falcons' season ended.

And it ended in almost the same spot where the Bulldogs' dreams ended. Facing the same endzone in a relative semi-final game, everything on the line, the Falcons followed the same heart-breaking script the Dawgs did.

I immediately endorsed the burning and total obliteration of the arena. I had previously believed Arthur Blank to be off his rocker asking for another stadium. But perhaps a fresh start would be a good thing. Build something from the ground up on land that isn't cursed. I'm not sure which stage of fan grief that puts me in, perhaps somewhere between bargaining and anger, but it still feels wrong.

I'm officially back to not caring about professional football. No amount of NFL Super Bowl XLVII betting could rectify that. But I'll be back next January. And I hope by then the Dawgs will have already exorcised those demons once and for all.

Dawgs and Tigers - Monday Night Football?

Please. Not going to happen. On a related note, that Dabo sure is cute when he talks though ain't he?

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney caused a bit of a stir on Monday, when he told USA TODAY that the Clemson-Georgia game to open the 2013 season could be moved from Saturday to Monday.

An intriguing proposition from a national standpoint: A potential matchup of two top-10 teams with high-powered offenses. ESPN would probably love the Monday night feature, and Clemson would apparently be open to it, judging by Swinney's bringing it up.

There's only one problem: Georgia almost certainly would balk at the idea.

The big difference here is that if the game were moved to Labor Day night, Georgia would be playing South Carolina five days later, while the Tigers get South Carolina State.

Now, if Dabo wants to switch those around, we know all scheduling concerns go through the office of one Steve Spurrier. And I believe they've met.

Thebigdifference
Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2013/01/21/2324891/clemson-georgia-on-monday-night.html#storylink=cpy

Grantham watch - week two

The only thing that is certain about the Eagles defensive coordinator search is its inherent ambiguity. Something that is characteristic of most coaching searches. But there is a feeling that the scope is narrowing. Take this tweet from NFL Network writer Albert Breer:

Now that could include Todd Grantham or eliminate him, at least initially. Having spent 11 seasons in the NFL he certainly has experience in the league that Chip Kelly could use in a coordinator.

And speaking of Kelly, he described what he's looking for in a defensive coordinator with one word - shutoutability. 

In today's NFL, where rules are slanted to aid offense and light up scoreboards, the shutout is becoming as extinct as the rotary phone. There wasn't a shutout in the first 13 weeks of this season. In all, there were only five, including the playoffs.

So Kelly is probably looking for a coordinator who can devise a scheme and call plays for a defense that can shut down offenses at key spots - on third down, in the red zone, and during the fourth quarter.

"Obviously, you're looking for a guy that can stop people and [can tell you] philosophically what their theory is and how they go about it," Kelly said. "But when you interview [someone], I think if you're a football guy you learn a lot, too."

Right now we only know for sure that Grantham has not interviewed. Personally I think the Eagles wanted him or another guy, maybe Quinn (hired by the Seahawks) and/or Ray Horton (signed with the Browns). They've obviously reached out to Grantham but it hasn't gone any further. Whether it stalled because of Grantham declined the interview or the Eagles moved in another direction is speculation.

And right now I would bet on the former over the latter. Like I said last week, it's not hurting recruiting that Georgia's defensive coordinator's name keeps popping up under this search. Meanwhile, Todd Damn Grantham is telling all these kids he'd just rather be in Athens.

Murray's growing legacy

David Ching takes a look at Aaron Murray from all the way back to when he was a highly recruited senior at Plant High School in Tampa ( do you remember having concerns about his health when he broke his leg during his senior season?) to where he stands now - firmly cemented in the UGA records book and ready to take down several SEC ones.

Murray has also lived up to every bit of the considerable recruiting hype that accompanied his signing with the Bulldogs in 2009, claiming a starting job as a redshirt freshman the following year and leading Georgia to back-to-back SEC East titles in 2011 and 2012 -- with his 2012 squad becoming the highest-scoring offense ever at UGA. 

Jules wants you to enjoy a cold 420.

You know what his wallet says.

Rise Up! Go Falcons!


(via @Dawgterfeelgood)

What would an SEC playoff look like?

College football fans can dream, can't they?

There's been much discussion the last few years of what an SEC playoff would look like since the national championship game has pretty much been decided in the Georgia Dome in early December. This discussion has gained volume among Georgia fans since the loss to Bama last month. Many of us have wondered what it might look like if the SEC just said eff it...we'll settle this thing on our own.

Hoodawg laid this out for me on the twitter last week. What do you think?

SEC PLAYOFF

East semi	East final		West final	West semi
Florida				Texas A&M
	Georgia vs (winner)	vs	Alabama vs (winner)
S. Carolina				LSU

Let's take that layout a little further shall we? The first round action could be a home game for the higher seed. So in the East for last season, Florida would host the Gamecocks which adds weight to the last couple conference games should the one seed have already been determined. So the 2 seed from each division gets an extra Saturday of gate receipts, just as the one seed does in the semi-final. It all leads up to the SECCG in Atlanta, or even on a rotating basis with New Orleans.

Dates? How about round one the first Saturday of December, round two a couple weeks later and then the final would be the first Saturday of the new year.

The cons, of course, are numerous. For one, it reduces the number of teams that get a taste of post-season by about two each year. The discussion and arguments would center on the haves and the have nots within the conference, much like that discussion that's been recurring the last several years on a national level. That could hit close to home and get pretty ugly. Scratch that could...make it a would.

Also, there's the issue of the bowls. Some of you might scoff at that statement, but the fact of the matter is that bowls have a long standing tradition in college football. The Southeastern conference is not immune to that. An institution like the bowl games that have been around for so many years creates long standing and deep rooted relationships. Would the Sugar Bowl be happy if SEC money just up and left? More directly, would the SEC be able to sever that tie? If details were worked out, would the SEC bowls be satisfied as the host of these playoff games as some sort of consolation and compromise?

Lastly, money. This would be a pro for the SEC playoff. An argument can be made that the games listed above would've outdrawn the BCS games this year by far in terms of attendance and television viewership. Year in and year out this sort of playoff structure with deep and talented SEC teams would have much more than a regional draw. Even if the rotation of teams stayed relatively the same (again...the haves and the have nots), it would be better entertainment than say FSU vs Oklahoma/USC vs Michigan in a BCS bowl. Or even those teams in the new NCAA playoff chart.

Again, just typing out loud here. It's the off season and this kind of thing is better than watching NBA basketball to me. By far. So again, what do you think? Not necessarily in terms of feasibility. I think we can all agree that this isn't going to happen.

But we can dream and we can discuss.